Germany Tour Reviews — 1681 to 1710 of 1722

We have just returned from your four country tour on My Story. We were very satisfied with the accommodation despite a malfunction the last night which resulted in our being moved to another room. Our accommodation was kept extremely clean and the staff were very accommodating. We enjoyed the cycling and found the day to day schedule manageable. Although this was only the second week of operation for the season with a new staff, the meals were well prepared and quite enjoyable. We were seated with other English speaking travellers and it was interesting comparing the day's cycling and sightseeing. We will certainly consider another bike-boat tour.

We had a wonderful time on the Lorraine tour last year starting from Toul. One of the fellow passengers arrived late and in a state because she had difficulty finding the barge -- taxis and the police did not know where to direct her. A great landmark to cite is the Grands Moulins Aubry. It is a prominent building readily seen from the highway, and the barge moors in the canal just adjacent to the one by the moulin. We ourselves walked around for a day before finding the spot. Your Google map is spot on -- we found it right away after consulting it -- but internet access was not readily available. All of this to say: Your clients would find the spot without difficulty if you were to direct them to "the canal right beside the one at Grands Moulins Aubry" in your travel instructions. I hope you find this note helpful. Looking forward to our next trip with you.

We had a wonderful experience cycling through the beautiful Meklenberg Lakes region of northern Germany. Our group, from USA, Germany, Belgium and Switzerland, was quite congenial. It was a trip well worth remembering.

The Prague-Dresden trip is one of the best trips I've taken. The route goes along the Elbe to Dresden. It's much like the Danube with small towns and nice places to stay. The day we started (May 27th) was the first day of rain that tormented Europe for a week. One day our ride ended, we had just checked into the hotel only to be followed by all night downpour. For most of the ride we escaped the rain. I had a long trip back to Vienna by train because of tracks being washed out and the Austrian railways being shutdown. Quite an adventure. We had a blast… even in the floods!

The bike trip from Passau to Vienna will always be one of the highlights in my life! It was the first bike trip I had ever taken and it couldn't have been better! The bikes and maps were given to us, the hotels arranged and everything was incredible! If you want an experience in your life that will remain with you forever....do this trip! I'm 65 and it was so much fun! I have told all of my friends to plan this trip and experience the trip of a lifetime while biking along the Danube. Enjoy!

Our bike group of 11 cycled with the Merlijn on August 17,2013. This was a 10++. Everything was spectacular. Henk, the captain, and Jentien did everything possible to make this the very best. Our rooms, the food, the bikes, our guide-Klaus-, the crew, the ship were great. We are so spoiled. Everyone on board was like family. We sang, did kareoke, danced and of course went biking. The Main trail was all paved and easy. Klaus made it interesting for us by going over car bridges, rail bridges and little ferries. We were introduced to the "cornering" system, which we found very helpful. Do not think twice about booking a tour on the ship Merlijn. Thank you Tripsite for helping arrange this for our group. Our pre and post barge trip to Wurzburg and Berlin was alo lots of fun.

We just returned from our trip and wanted you to know how much we enjoyed it! Thanks for your help.

The shirt and shorts were a big hit!

The routes and towns for this trip were perfectly selected. The hotels were charming and the staff was friendly and accommodating. The bikes were high quality and in nearly new condition. We found the written route instructions, written in English, were very thorough and detailed for each day of riding.. Yes, we did manage to get ourselves a little lost on a few occasions but in retrospect the fault was always ours for not following the instructions carefully. Because of the detailed road maps included it was always easy to get ourselves back on track. The suitcase transfer was flawless- we never felt rushed to get our bags ready in the morning and they were always waiting for us at our next hotel. Our group ranged from mid 50's to mid teens and all of us were equally captivated by the scenery and region's history. This was a great trip and we look forward to taking another vacation with Tripsite.

It's nice to jump into the lake after riding the bike under the sun. The beaches were easily accessed. The guesthouse in Arbon was very comfortable. My friend and I enjoyed the tour very much.

Beautiful ride for the whole family. Our boys are 8 and 10 and they did great because it was fun jumping in the lake. It was just right for a family of four. A lot of things to see on the way including castles, cathedrals, and the kids got to feed a monkey. The trails were well marked and we did not get lost. The accommodations were wonderful and the people very friendly. I would do this tour with my family again!

Interesting area. Sometimes there were few places to stop along the route. Rain on 2 days were unfortunate. Route directions were not always clear.Overall, a decent tour.

We traveled with another couple from Saarburg to Koblenz and enjoyed every part of the trip, even biking in the rain during a couple of days! The bikes we used were better than our bikes at home, the gears changed easily and the bike was comfortable. We were provided with suitcases to put onto the bikes so we could easily store our lunch, water bottles, coat, camera etc. Every morning started with a clear and concise presentation on the route we were taking during the day. We received booklets that contained information on our route and descriptions on what we were going to see along the way. The bike paths were paved and we rarely had to worry about vehicle traffic along the way. We toured beside the Mosel River, past many kilometers of vineyards growing on steep slopes; we toured through small villages with castles overlooking the countryside. We took time to stop in villages along the way to enjoy some of the local wines and beer and apple strudel. The barge experience was excellent - the staff were very helpful and interested in helping you with any issues that arose. Our only recommendation would be to have WiFi available for the guests so we could easily keep in touch with families through email however most of the villages did have internet cafes. Overall the experience was excellent and we are already looking at booking our next bike trip through this site - Italy here we come!

Absolutely loved the trip on board the Merlijn. Wonderful staff and amenities on board, met a great like minded group of travelling companions. As a coeliac, the crew were very attentive and ensured all my dietary needs were met. Nothing was too much trouble.

As for the cycling and the scenery....what can I say? It was magic cycling along quiet bikeways through the vineyards and small villages, at all times in sight of the wonderful Moselle River.

Last but not least...the wine selection and quality on board the Merlijn was the best (and very well priced).

Already thinking about our next bike and barge tour...with the great help from Tripsite (of course).

We had a terrific time exploring the vibrant city of Berlin, followed by marvelous days biking thru rejuvenated areas of eastern Germany. The Merlijn is a ***** experience of delightful accommodation, excellent dining, gracious hospitality. TripSite provides thorough itinery information and offers rapid replies to questions to prepare for the Bike/Barge experience. It was our second booking and we had a wonderful time.

My wife and I did this tour with our two young children. I rode a tandem with a tag along so the our two kids had my leading through the ride. We had a wonderful time, and the help we received in booking the right family accommodation was fabulous. I highly recommend this tour as a family

Our group had a WONDERFUL time. I am one of six who went to celebrate 20 years of biking together. I loved all the rides, but the ride on the last day Krem-Melk was the best! I liked the fact that the cruise director had everything lined out for the rides and actually went with us. He also pointed out good places to stop along the way for local treats. I loved going to the small villages along the way, especially Vac in Hungary. I also liked all the activiities the boat crew had planned, a music quiz contest, skits and dancing on the last night and Roland on the piano-organ. The food on the boat was so delicious; something to celebrate each country we were in. It waas wonderful touring through Budapest and Vienna. I highly recommend this trip!

If you picked a tour aboard the Merlijn for your next vacation, you made the perfect choice. It is not just a barge, it is a luxury barge. The ride through the Mosel Valley is stunning with the vineyards and quaint towns. But, beyond that it is the specialness of your hosts, Jantien and Henk that make this an outstanding experience. Jantien's warmth, humor and attention to detail is amazing along with the delicious meals she prepares. When you come away from the trip, you are left with wonderful memories and you feel like you were entertained in the home of a close friend.

We had a great time and were very happy with local provider, Ruckenwind, organization of the trip. Dieter from Ruckenwind reviewed the route before hand which was very helpful in keeping us on the best paths and he also was very flexible with our desire to use our own pedals. There were a few challenges with bike path construction that probably weren't known but we managed to trek through the construction sites. The only minor issue was whether we could have requested a derailleur bike rather than 7 speed with coaster brake. With cleats on bike shoes, the freewheel type drive train would have been easier to use - a couple of other people on the tour had 21 speed bikes (with cleats) but we didn't know it was an option. I guess I will ask next time. Otherwise, it was excellent. The hotels were lovely, hotel staff all very accomodating. The hotel in Prague was a bit removed from the heart of the city but easily accessible to the tram and convenient for starting the ride. The hotel in Melnik was a few kilometers from the old city but the hotel provided a free shuttle and we enjoyed the walk home (taxis available, too). Overall, very pleased with this tour (our third with Tripsite). Thinking about the next one...

It was a wonderful bike & barge tour- we biked about 168 miles in 6 days; the trails were great and easy to ride with beautiful scenery along the way. We started out with great breakfasts and ended with fabulous dinners. Met many nice people on the "My Story" barge. Great experience all around.

This was a fabulous trip - even better than what I expected. We were able to spend a fair amount of time in most of the major cities and the bike trails took us through some gorgeous countryside, and there were many quaint villages along the way where we were able to shop and dine. The bike trails were wide, paved and level, and a couple of the longer routes offered shorter options by taking a ferry to cut off some of the distance. The entire "My Story" experience was delightful. The captain and all the crew members were very accommodating and friendly, the other guests were fun and young-at-heart, the rooms and beds were comfortable and clean, and the food was exquisite!!! The daily biking trips were well-planned and organized, and the extra tours, particularly the biking tours through Vienna and Budapest, were well worth the money. Even the weather cooperated nicely - we had sunshine every day and temperatures in the 70's (Fahrenheit). Perfect weather for biking.

What a great trip this was through the old Eastern Germany and into Denmark. We rode through beech forests, beautiful old towns and tasted all the local food delights. Morning coffee and apple cake became a must. The accommodation was top rate and the daily distances just right to take in some sight seeing as well as peddling. Highly recommended bike trip.

This trip is all and more. There is a good balance of seeing nature at it's most beautiful as you follow the Mosel River and you go through many villages and see historic sites, and taste wine. You take many stops and the miles are spread out through the day so it isn't a hard, tiring bike ride either. This is a trip of a lifetime and great staff and people. The food on the boat is out of this world and the dinner table is set so beautifully! The barge is the way to go!

Beautiful routes and towns make this a "must do" tour that exceeded all my expectations. The routes were sometimes quite challenging, as I hoped they would be, but I always arrived in each town with plenty of time and energy to walk around and enjoy the fabulous sights, shops, and cafes. The hotels were all very clean, comfortable, and pleasant. The hybrid bikes are well suited for the route and were equipped with two particularly welcomed features: rear panier bags and a fresh pair of Schwalbe Marathon tires. A couple of absent features that also would have been very welcome are a cycle computer and clear sleeve on the handlebars for the route notes. I recommend bringing SPD clipless pedals and shoes. And I highly recommend allowing two or three extra days in Prague and at least a full day in Passau.

Traversing the Bavarian Alps is excellent. The highlight of the trip was the Hotel Jagerhof in Bernau. Willie was awesome. He gave us great tips for cycling around the region, his cooking was wonderful (he made us venison), and the service was superb. A truly accommodating cycling hotel.

Lake Chiemsee is the highlight of the trip. We cycled around the lake. Unfortunately, the weather was cloudy and cool so we didn't take the ferry to the island. A good ride, all the same.

The biggest disappointment was Berchtesgarden. The hotelier wasn't very accommodating and because of the timing and duration of stay, we couldn't visit the Eagles Nest. The community itself, including shopping and sites is worth the visit.

If I had the choice of either the Bavarian Lakes or Salzburg and the 10-Lakes, the Austrian version is the preferred choice.

Tripsite was great. They helped us with some minor challenges.

Hi Mary,

My husband and I recently completed the Rhine Romance cycle tour in Germany and at the time of booking you asked for feedback so I thought I'd drop you a line now we are home.

We both really enjoyed the tour - the hotels were of a better standard than we expected and were in locations that were easy to find and close to the major sites we wanted to see. The breakfasts provided were great and the delivery of our luggage was always prompt. The cycles provided were of good quality and the local contact was friendly and helpful, although his English language skills were not fantastic we still understood the brief he provided. The tour itself went through some amazing towns and the pack provided sufficient information on the key sites to see in each. The only negative aspect of the tour was the quality of the written directions. They were very unclear and caused some frustration. Luckily the local signs were frequent and provided an alternative for us to navigate by. At first we thought the problem was that the directions were translated into English however another couple doing the tour at the same time said their German language directions were similarly confusing and frustrating.

Despite the minor frustrations with the quality of the directions we successfully found our way and on the whole we had a fantastic time. We would recommend your tours to others, noting that they might want to take additional maps to supplement the written directions.

I hope this feedback is useful. Thank you for your assistance in organising the tour for us at short notice.

Regards,

Kirrin

What a fun time! We took this trip June 17, 2012. Beautiful scenery, nice weather (hot) and the biking was very easy. The food was great (food specific to each region visited). It was fun to meet the Europeans on the boat. Service on the boat was great. 8 speed bikes were adequate for this trip, no need for the upgrade. Tripsite staff were great to deal with. Would like to have had more time in the beautiful city of Vienna. The opera was an awesome experience! Also did the night tour of Budapest and the city tour of Bratislava - both were a good way to see the highlights. Thank you.

Magneburg-Berlin was a truly great bike and boat trip. Kudos to Jantin whose meals were varied, delicious and presented so well. Cabin was roomy and comfortable and service was outstanding. I would like to travel on the Merlijn again in the future and would gladly recommend it.

Carol Vanevenhoven

Magdeburg to Berlin aboard the Merlijn was outstanding. Jantin's meals were "to die for," accomodations comfortable and service superior. Only concern, at times, even with small group, bikers got too spread out making it difficult for those in rear to catch up. Would highly recommend!

Paul Vanevenhoven

To the staff of Pack & Pedal Europe Inc,

This e-mail is in reference of our booked Bike and Boat trip on the MS Patria from Saarburg to Koblenz on the Mosel River in Germany for the week of May 5, 2012. Overall, our experience was excellent.

The staff was very professional, courteous and useful. Also, most of the staff dealing directly with the guests had a reasonable knowledge of English. The boat, the public rooms and the cabins were all in good shape and clean, The guide was very knowledgeable about the Mosel region, very accessible and useful. The bikes were in very good working order. The food was delicious, fresh, varied, on time and most of the time it was 5 to 4 courses for suppers. The Mosel River is very scenic with Roman ruins, medieval castles, many pretty little villages with fun and interesting market squares and many vineyards on slopped hills. There were many opportunities to taste Mosel Riesling wines from the various little villages. From now on, we will stock our personal bar at home with wines from the Mosel region.

As a handicapped person with limited mobility, the overall experience was excellent. The staff was always available to offer their assistance as necessary. They soon understood that I required limited assistance. The captain and his wife both invited me to sit with them on the sun deck in the navigation room when the boat was travelling which was both interesting and very pleasant. It was a good thing that my cabin was on the main deck. Although doable, my cabin was at the far end of the hallway and sometimes a bit of a challenge because of the distance. However, I think it was the only accessible room on the boat. My cabin was roomier which was convenient to store the wheelchair out of the way when not in use. The bathroom was small but accessible with a stool in the shower. The lift chair to descend to the lower level to the dining area worked most of the time and temperamental for the last few days. When the chair lift was temperamental, the staff did their best to fix it or to bring the food of our party to the upper deck. The lift chair was bulky and an older model. A few grab bars on the boat such as in the public washrooms and in the cabin shower would of been useful. When boarding or exiting the boat to dry dock, the plank to walk on had rope hand rails which made it a bit tricky because it wasn't solid as opposed to solid hand rails.

Again, I will reiterate that we had an excellent experience and would highly recommend it to our friends. Our bike and boat trip was a rich experience of history, geography, economy and culture about the Mosel region.

Very sincerely,

Chantal  SHOW MORE 

Our group of 11 cyclists took this tour in May 2009. We have taken some 8 European tours, and somehow this was the most memorable. It has s great combination of scdenery and historic sites. Our weather was perfect. Flying in and out of Berlin is handy. Hennie has cycled this route herself, so she knows it well! Pack and Pedal's service is, as usual, excellent.

Stan Pearson.