Germany Tour Reviews — 1201 to 1230 of 1690

I really enjoyed the first and last days a lot which were in the beautiful countryside along the Danube. It was good to see the cities but the visits too short to really visit anything in depth.
I recommend the Mozart concert which I really enjoyed.
I loved meeting people from other countries and wish we could have had meal seating change every couple of days to mix with other people who also were interested in meeting others.

This was a wonderful vacation (from Prague to Dresden via Bohemia). Being a solo traveler I welcomed the guidance and support offered by this tour. Lucas and Vitek provided historical and cultural info along the route; the hotels, meals, and excursions all combined to make this an easy, active and memorable holiday. Can't wait for the next adventure!

Most Memorable Part: The knowledge of our guide, Wouter, and the beautiful vineyards along the river. I loved how we were riding on a flat, easy and beautiful path, but could see and appreciate the steep mountain vineyards! This is our third Tripsite adventure and we have enjoyed each one. In fact, as we were driving home from the airport my husband was booking our next trip - Northern Holland!

The comfort guide was somewhat disappointing and the on ship tour director was disorganized and dismissive. While the comfort guide did give some good suggestions, the bike tour through Vienna would have better been replaced by a bus tour, as the group was very large, traffic was heavy and the whole experience was somewhat dangerous to anyone not a very experienced rider. We were led to believe that the bike tour in Vienna would be easy, on nice paths , not crowded or busy, whereas the opposite was the case. The tour guide through Vienna, a local, did not wear an identifying vest, and travelled too quickly, More instruction for the riders not experienced with electric bikes would have been appreciated. A session especially on the electric bikes while on board the ship would be an improvement. We paid extra for a top level cabin, but it seemed to be nearly exactly the same as the cabins one level down. While the food was good, and the service was excellent, we wearied of the sauces typical of continental cuisine and the small salads. Bike lunches and water were good. Fresh fruit was available at breakfast.

Everything was perfect! I cannot pinpoint one specific part but can say that we felt welcomed from the moment we stepped on the barge, all needs were met, including some that we had not thought of ourselves! It was the details to make this trip relaxing, stress free, comfortable, fun, full of laughter, memorable! I really like sweet wine and Jantien went out of her way to get the best sweet wine. Jantien, Henk and the rest of the staff as well as our guide were always one step ahead for all our needs: waterproof caps for the helmets on a drizzly day, drying our shoes and jackets when we returned, helping a passenger find a dentist when they lost a cap, the beautiful fresh flowers and special table decor for all our meals, impeccable service, the cleanliness of the ship, stamps and mail service to send our postcards, making dinner reservations, arranging taxis, laundry service, sharing the cultural differences both for education and comedy, and being social with the entire group and not just as boat owners. We thoroughly enjoyed them accompanying us on a few outings, offering fun surprises like a staff member playing the part of the Loreley as we passed the statue on the shoreline. We have never felt so relaxed, laughed so much, and felt so pampered!! Jantien, Henk, Lia, Miele and the rest hold special places in our hearts and we look forward to seeing them again in the future! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

The experience on the barge far exceeded the expectations for my wife and the other 6 members of the group. The quality of the food, the excellence (and friendliness) of service , and the outstanding visuals of the meal presentations were an absolute delight.
If I were asked for recommendations (I left these comments on the end of cruise comment card), would be to improve internet service and to make sure there is at least one English speaking television channel available.
Other than that, everything was wonderful.

Most Memorable Part: Waking up each morning at a new port in the middle of no where with castles and beauty all around. Tip: Take all the bottled water you are able to as not freely available (although I drank the ship's water and it was fine). Don't rely on internet.

It was a fantastic trip. I will definitely recommend it to friends and family!

The whole experience was more than I expected. Just join in and enjoy life.

Highlights: The Mosel and Saar rivers/the Barge Merlijn

Loved cycling through wine country & hiking twice on side trip.

Most Memorable Part: Scenery along the Mosel and Saar

Most Memorable Part: Riding on the bike paths without having to worry about road traffic.

This was our first bike and barge trip. The 4 countries trip was awesome. Albert was an amazing tour guide and was available all the time to ask questions of and chat with. His info sessions were informative, we would have missed a great deal without his tips and suggestions. Amazing food. Friendly staff willing to do anything to make the trip memorable. No hassles ever! Wish coffee during the day was included but no big deal. We were on the top level with big picture windows. Immaculate boat, the Carissma. We booked the spa and enjoyed the expansive area, chilled fruit juices, robes and towels. Nice hot tub for two, romantic. We are already looking for another Tripsite bike and barge next year. This is an amazing way to see cities, get some exercise and fresh air, enjoy the countryside and visit little villages for coffee or drinks. We did city bike tours in Budapest &Vienna (booked on board) and they were well worth the money. Before the trip we had a number of questions and Mikky at Tripsite was great with answers. I was so happy she answered right away! Thanks for a memorable week.

This was the second trip on the MS Carissma from Sept 24 - Oct 1- along the Danube. Great scenery- the best of the two trips. The river views of vineyards, historical sites were really beautiful. The staff on the boat were exceptionally customer focused and responsive to needs. The food was very good and well presented with the exception of the fruit plate which needed a little more imagination to meet the standard set by the other menu items. The hired tour guide for our group was not able to answer questions about the history or other information on some of the sites we spent time in or passed along the way. He knew the route well but other information was not forthcoming as he said "it did not interest him" when he did not know. Tips - do some research on some of the stops along the way to determine if the site is worth a stop along the way. Make good use of the extra time in Vienna and Budapest.

The most memorable part of the trip - this is in reference to Cologne to Mainz trip on the MS Andante Sept 16-23, was the scenery and the visits to the small towns along the way. It would have been more enjoyable if we had been able to go through some of the small towns along the way instead of just going by them as we followed the route along the river. The guide did mention some things to see along the way for some of the routes we followed. Some detours and construction was not mentioned or alternate routes given along the way. Tips for others if someone is sick on board there should perhaps be some guidelines given for keeping yourself healthy or tips for not spreading the "bug".
The dinners were the most disappointing food on this trip. Few fresh veggies, the entres were often not well prepared nor were they tasty options (eg fish was on the menu frequently and was soggy, or prepared the same way again and again).

Scenery was beautiful. Biking was not overly strenuous. All in all very enjoyable.

Enjoyed biking through the fields of heather, beautiful! Tip for others: use a gel seat!

It was great from beginning to end. The only thing I might suggest would be perhaps a better map on a couple of the days for our biking excursion. We found our way, but got a little confused in a couple of spots. Staff was excellent, tour guide bent over backwards for us, food was delicious, etc. Working with Susanna prior to our trip was so easy and she answered all my questions. I would do it again!

The bike routes were exceptional taking us through the most beautiful and scenic areas in the Danube Valley. We especially loved the Wachau Valley and it was Reisling harvest time!

The ability to view many little towns throughout the trip along with the amazing historical buildings. The daily bike routes could have been clearer, or at least exact precise maps to follow.

Biking everyday on a different path through diverse scenery and able to stop at any time to see different landmarks. Getting to see more of the countryside than if on a tour bus. This itinerary was very doable for all ages and levels of fitness.

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 

We had an exceptional guide. He had a lot of local knowledge and often altered our route in order to extend our cycling experience.

Highlight: Biking in the Wacchau Valley

My most memorable part of cycling along the Rhine River was seeing the beautiful country side hills with castles and fortresses and stopping for coffee and delicious baked goods in villages.

Most Memorable Part: The people on our tour were great. A bunch of fun people.

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.

We participated on this Bike N Barge tour in May of 2017. The Carissima is a former "Viking Cruises" ship which is now doing the bike and barge tours for a year or so and it provides such luxury in accommodations, living quarters, dining rooms, swimming pool and so on that is unlikely to find on any other ship and tour of this type. The bike paths are by most standards quite good and the scenery is simply wonderful. The first day or riding the Engelhartszell - Aschach bike path is majestic and the Great Loop of the Danube unforgettable. The Wachau / Krems - Melk trail on the last riding day is by far the best and most interesting. We also rode our bikes on our own through the city of Bratislava and also through most of Budapest which is by far one of the nicest cities east of the Iron Curtain. We did not take a day of rest in Vienna. We rode our very comfy e-Bikes for 4 hours throughout the city and stopping at the huge number of venues for photos as time in Vienna is absolutely very limited. If there is something wrong with this trip is the fact that this ship does not stay overnight in any of the main stops on the tour so it lacks the opportunity to explore the city at night and enjoy some of the local events and specialties. The ship leaves almost as soon as your requested time of return from cycling is scheduled and you spend much of the time on the ship deck watching the river go by. The tour guides were outstanding and the directions given are flawless. Having been given the gps routes in advance was immensely helpful. By the way, while e-Bikes are not essential they are good to have if you plan to climb the hills to see the castles and other high up the horizon venues on this tour. If you stay on the assigned paths regular 7-8 gear bikes are just fine. The Hungarian dance evening excursion is quite good and recommended and so is the Vienna Orchestra evening excursion if it is your first ever classical music show. It provides some of the well known classical music by well known music geniuses but leaves a lot to be desired if you are well aware of this musical era. The orchestra is small just 16 or 17 musicians in a small and poorly designed venue for that type of music. 3 out of 5 for this excursion. The overall trip is well designed and gives nice riding opportunities, great views, lots of culture, great comfort and the Danube is a treat. The meals on Carissima are less than good in quality and taste but better than most for showing off. The breakfast are excellent. The rest is average at best. The crews are all top quality for service and attendance. I dislike sitting at the same table with the same 6 persons every days every meal. It supresses the opportunity to meet people and reduces the fun of getting to know others from different countries, cultures, ethnicity and customs. For the reasons of not overnight stops and the food quality and table seating system we rate this at a 7 of 10 stars or 3.5 on this scale.