5 Star Germany Tour Reviews — 871 to 900 of 1160

Really enjoyed getting to know the staff on the barge. This made the biking (which I found somewhat challenging) to be a more memorable experience. As a result, I would do this type of trip again.

We were on a river cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest last year, and we noticed that the rivers we were on had beautiful paved and much-used bike trails, often on both banks. Then our friends from Chicago, a couple our age, learned about a barge biking trip in Europe and went on it last fall. They invited us to join them this year on a similar trip on the Moselle River, from Metz, France to Cochem, Germany. Here's the concept: at Metz, we arrived at the Iris, a small ship fitted out for 24 passengers and five crewmembers. Besides the passenger cabins, the ship had a dining room, a lounge, and an outside deck- not all the other things you associate with a cruise ship. Each day at around nine or 10 o'clock in the morning, we would get off the ship with bikes provided by the outfitter, and bicycle about 30 miles along the bike path on the river. We were led each day by Wouter, our guide, who was a history major as well as a very competent tour guide. He and the other four members of the crew were all Dutch, as was the registry of the ship.
When registering for the trip, we included our physical measurements so that the bikes were almost perfectly fitted to us when we arrived. I was pleased that my bike was large enough for me because I am tall. Dianne had reserved an e-bike since she hadn't had a lot of experience in doing long road rides over multiple days, and because she had just had knee replacement surgery at the end of January. Five of the 24 people in our group used e-bikes, and they were all very happy with their performance. The bike does between 20 and 60% of the work (three levels—20, 40 and 60%) and you do the rest. It's not like a moped-- you still must pedal. It also has a readout that gives your speed, distance, and battery power.

The bikes we used didn't employed derailleurs but instead had gears inside the rear hub that worked very smoothly with the two lever system on the handlebar. Most of the bikes were Gudereit hybrids, a German brand. All the bikes had front and rear lights, which turned on automatically, and were powered by a generator device inside the front hub that involved rotating magnets, so there was no friction. I was impressed with the smoothness and comfort of the bike I was given. The outfitters provided the bike, a pannier, and a helmet for each cyclist. Helmet use was not required but highly recommended.

The nice thing about the bike paths along the Moselle River is that they were quite level, with only occasional small climbs when we needed to go up a ramp to cross a lock and dam for a bridge, and once when we made a little more of a climb to get up onto one of the tiered roadways in the vineyards. The Moselle Valley is wine country, and there were vineyards every day in every direction. Every morning we made a coffee break in a small town, and later we stopped again for the lunch we had packed that morning before leaving the ship. Each day, we’d see the Iris passing us on the river on its way to that day’s destination city, with Jacques, the captain, waving from the pilot house. On two of the days, we could opt to stay on the ship longer and join the other bicyclists enroute, or leave the ride early and “sag” on the ship. Guests also had the option to just stay on the ship all day and not bicycle if felt they needed a day off. But most biked the entire way.  SHOW MORE 

Highlight: Biking in the Wacchau Valley

Amazing tour...Loved every minute of it! The staff was awesome. The bikes were great! The hotels were all very clean, with friendly staff and great breakfast. The route was beautiful. The towns were fairy tale dreamy. Did we get lost more than once? Yes of course we did, it's a given and expected when you're not familiar with the rout and towns, no matter how good the map and directions are. Having said that, getting lost was part of the charm of the trip, we got to explore more areas/places. Most trails and routs are very well marked and if you follow the "Bike Route" marks you will not get lost too much, maybe a turn here or there. We used Google map along with the paper map/directions provided. In some areas Google conflicted with the provided directions and that's how we got lost ... but it was fun exploring. If you're the daring type who considers every turn a new adventure you will have a blast. But if you're the type that everything has to be precise then you might get frustrated.

Once again the "Patria" gave us a wonderful trip with an excellent crew from top to bottom. The rooms are small but comfortable and spotlessly cleaned on a daily basis. The food on this ship never ceases to amaze. Breakfast and dinner for such a lot of guests it is always served with smiles, tirelessly by outstanding servers and the chef is a master in producing meals of top restaurant quality. Bravo. The guide Carsten was "spot on" with his PowerPoint presentations, never shy of answering any and all questions and always riding the course. The handouts were excellent. Not to be missed is the wine tour in Nierstein, a fun outing without the pretentious tasting and showy put-ons. Must make sure you arrive 2-3 days early at Koblenz as it is a great place to explore on your own on a rental bike. Also after Bad Wimpfen take a short train ride and stay a couple of days in Heidelberg to see and enjoy the many historical venues. Yes, it is a touristy place, but worth it. Castles and more castles the first 2 days, vineyards and fields the next 2 and rolling hills the last 2 days gives you a trip that showcases everything that is so much fun in the "Bike and Barge" style of vacationing. Enough bike riding every day to enable you to have the extra glass of wine or cold beer at dinner. This trip is a 10 out of 10 hands down, particularly if it is sunny and dry as it was for us this September of 2017. Our 6th trip with Tripsite and we looking forward to the next one in 2018. Thank you all.

Passenger/participant/staff group dynamics were excellent.
Barge had no laundry service, so go prepared with the necessaries to look after it yourself.

Biking through wine country in Germany and going into the fields themselves. Take this trip!

This trip exceeded our expectations on every level. We'd never done a bike and barge excursion and decided to jump in with both feet on this trip. To say that we were thrilled is an understatement. The incredibly comfortable boat, the friendly and hardworking crew, the delicious meals, the fantastic guide, the varied and beautiful route... it was all more than we imagined. I can't tell you what a pleasure it was to experience three countries and their cultures with the intimacy that a bike tour allows.

We're experienced travelers and think through our options carefully. The combination of activity, education, relaxation and total immersion was so appealing... and this excursion did not disappoint. To top it off, given everything that is included, this trip is a tremendous value. We can't wait for our next adventure with Tripsite!

The trip started out with high winds and rain but it didn't dampen the spirit of the group. We were always going downhill with the wind on our back! The comfort of the barge and delicious meals were outstanding. The Mosel valley was probably the highlight for scenery and seeing the grape harvest in full swing. Our wine tasting evening was one of the best we have ever experienced. The Captain wanted us to have a real experience and we did.

Biking through the Wachau Valley was spectacular, thus it was the highlight. The staff on the "barge" were super friendly and helpful. The biking was easy if a person is reasonably fit. A little practice doing long distance biking is a good idea.

Especially enjoyed the days cycling through the vineyards along the Mosel River.

We loved Germany the best. The coffee stops were the best. Great brats and pastry.

Most Memorable Part? The people I met on board - staff and guests - and the scenery.

The cruise was wonderful supported by a fantastic crew on the ship who went out of their way to provide a very positive experience.
I had left my phone at a restaurant on the bike route and it was returned to me within 3 hours...I was so grateful.
Having a tour guide would have been very helpful on certain days of the trip...ie Vienna.
I was very disappointed with the fact that the biking portion of the Wachau valley that was in the itinerary had been eliminated without our knowing until the night before.
it was to have been a highlight for our group and the cruise company said that it was Never a part of the biking route.!
We rented e bikes at an extra cost for the 4 of us because of the distance to be covered that day and otherwise would not have.

All of the cycling group received the same information from Tripsite about the Wachau valley and we were all disappointed.

Otherwise I would highly recommend this trip but do feel that you should update your itinerary so that people aren't disappointed.

Great trip. Boat and river cruise portion of the trip was more than expected. Service and the crew on the boat were excellent, including the food.
Quality of bicycles was excellent. They were mechanically perfect. The only down side of the entire trip were the nightly route planning meetings and the quality of the maps and route guides. It was obvious that the tour leader giving the route agenda had never ridden the bike paths. Her English was not very good which made it even more difficult to understand the route(s). We had to fend for ourselves (asking people on the street for directions) numerous times because the routes were just not made clear. Also, the route was not what was not the same as what was spelled out on the website.
Overall, we were very satisfied with the trip.

It was magical from start to finish, the personalized service for our group of 22 was amazing , we loved it!

Loved the itinerary and biking routes!
Barge suggestions:
Dinner seat assignments-- still place with others of the same language, but not necessarily from the same country.
The upper outdoor covered lounge allowed smoking which meant the entire area could be filled with smoke! This type of trip is for active, healthy lifestyle people...smoking should be confined to a small area in front of the pilot house (or not at all).

Most memorable part: the intense beauty of the Bavarian countryside.

Jantien was amazing! She was always available, ready to help in anyway, answer questions, run a tidy and very clean ship... in short, do anything to make our stay pleasant and stress free. It was obvious she was genuinely concerned for the happiness of her, as she called us, "Dear Guests". We looked forward every day to her well thought out and wonderfully prepared evening meals. The staff were all highly focused on the same things, a testament to Jantien's leadership. We have no hesitation in recommending Jantien and the Merlijn.

We truly enjoyed this trip, with beautiful flowers in every town and swans everywhere. One night, we had a bevy of swans peaking in at us as we ate dinner!. The bikes are great, with comfortable seats and smooth gearing. The dinners were always a delicious surprise. Sanders and Els were wonderful hosts, and our guide, Seitze, was extremely knowledgeable about the history of the Mosel area, including Roman aqueducts, medieval castles, World War II sites, and, of course, the history of the EU. Nancy was my favorite big city but we also had a night time walking tour of a little town overlooking the Mosel, called Liverdun...where delicious Madelines come from! Very cute town. We went in early September and the cabins were a bit warm even at night. You can open windows, but it could be uncomfortable in the summer. Biking was mostly flat so not difficult but I definitely got some exercise. Another favorite: stopping for coffee and pastry each morning!

Most memorable part: The incredible scenery and the knowledge of our guide.

Jantien & Henz were supreme hosts and their barge Merlijn delightful. As for tips just sit back, relax & enjoy the marvelous holiday that they provide.

The most memorable parts was the Saar River part of the ride, biking above the River with our guide and riding thru the vineyards. The little towns and the Roman History. Had no idea about the Roman history in this region before this trip. The Levees on the river. Just the general beauty of the area. The grapes growing on the sides of the mountains. Both our barge crew and all the people on the trip. FUN! FUN! FUN!

The total crew got involved in the trip and were always available to assist us with any problems or questions. It helped to break the ice with other bikers and soon we were one cohesive and fun group.

Most memorable are the meals. The daily ports and after dinner walks. 1 issue - directions to the barge were horrible.

It is very hard to say what was the best, as everything was so great, beautiful, and interesting. The staff and bike guide went above our expectations, we would recommend this trip to all.

The whole trip exceeded our expectations but the barge Iris and the crew were outstanding.

The most memorable part of the trip? Everything: the boat, staff, accommodations, food, cycling director, bicycles were far better than I expected. The daily orientations by the cycling director were very informative, not only about cycling conditions, but also about refreshment stops and sightseeing. This trip could not have been better.

The most memorable part was clearly the scenic routes, food, friendly people and cities selected for lodging. Great hotels! Tripsite delivered on services as promised.
We were disappointed/frustrated with the lack of route details and direction into and out of the cities. Despite the network of paved bike trails/paths, we spent too much time confused asking locals for direction to our destination. Perhaps for persons accustomed to biking in Europe, the vague directions presented no difficulty, but for persons from America not familiar with the signage and more accustomed to turn by turn cue sheets, we were frequently challenged to find our path. Asking directions from local residents did give us an interesting opportunity to communicate across languages. We would recommend you add more detailed directions into and out of cities.
Thanks for your arrangements to make our trip possible. We really did enjoy our bike tour around Lake Constance.

Most memorable part: The scenery, food and the cycling on quiet roads or bike paths.