Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova Bike Tour Reviews 1 to 30 of 144
- 80% 5 star: 99 reviews
- 15% 4 star: 18 reviews
- 2% 3 star: 2 reviews
- 2% 2 star: 2 reviews
- 2% 1 star: 2 reviews
Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
by Charlotte S. 4 months ago Permalink/Reply Verified ReviewerBeing in Venice, great dinners, excellent staff, incredibly good background material and maps (wish we got this before the trip so we could have been better prepared). We would have appreciated “corners” and a “sweep” when biking.
Boat: Vita Pugna
Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
by Gail S. 4 months ago Permalink/Reply Verified ReviewerThe staff of the Vita Pugna, Michela, Esther, Danilo & Sam were superb!! They ensured our experience was a great one from the fabulous food to the wonderful guiding while cycling.
The weather cooperated for the most part as it was in the latter part of October, but I would suggest if possible to go earlier in the season.Boat: Vita Pugna
Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
by Beverly V. 4 months ago Permalink/Reply Verified ReviewerBack on the boat with all of the new friends you had made during the bike ride watching photographs on the big screen of the day you had just experienced.
Our guide, Michaela, made us a cohesive group from the very first night when she said that we must mix and mingle throughout the trip and meet everyone on the barge. She also challenged us to find a secret word somewhere during the day and record it on filmBoat: Ave Maria
Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
by Jeanne H. 4 months ago Permalink/Reply Verified ReviewerMy most memorable part of the trip for me was seeing the beautiful
countryside as we bicycled
along the Poe River. Another highlight was the delicious food prepared by our chef.Boat: Vita Pugna
Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
by Tina C. 4 months ago Permalink/Reply Verified ReviewerI truly enjoyed this tour that included daily rides through the picturesque Italian countryside. Each day we biked through a variety of landscapes, stopping in small towns along the way for cappuccino breaks, lunch and local tours. The bike tour staff was very friendly and knowledgeable. The boat crew was equally as wonderful, preparing wonderful meals each evening and serving them with a smile. Everyone bent over backwards to make this a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
As for suggestions, I think the last leg from Pellestrina Island to Venice could be improved. The morning was wasted in a small town that was not really open for business. Why not take an earlier Ferry to Lido and spend more time there before heading to Venice?Boat: Ave Maria
Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
by Gillian C. 4 months ago Permalink/Reply Verified ReviewerThe whole 7 day bike/barge trip exceeded expectations in EVERY way! Very professional, helpful and friendly crew; great bikes and accommodation plus simply incredible food. A truly fantastic experience
Boat: Vita Pugna
Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
by Gill and Martin C. 4 months ago Permalink/Reply Verified ReviewerMy wife and I travelled around the world from New Zealand to participate in this bike/barge trip - and that long journey was well worth it! EVERYTHING about the experience was first class and could not be faulted; the tour leader and cooking staff, the on board catering, the accommodation on the Vita Pugna, the e-bikes and the scenery were fabulous - and the two extra aspects to the trip (the weather and our fellow guests!) were also the best!
As a result of the comments above, we will be thoroughly recommending this trip, through Tripsite, to anyone interested in this type of holiday......Boat: Vita Pugna
Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
by Rita W. 4 months ago Permalink/Reply Verified ReviewerThe warm companionship of the trip leader and staff on the boat was outstanding as well as the fabulous meals taken from local/seasonal sources. Bikes were kept in top working condition, the trails and tours followed scenic and cultural experiences, and the leader's interaction with the local people made for a most genuine and memorable trip.
Boat: Vita Pugna
Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
by Matthew B. 5 months ago Permalink/Reply Verified ReviewerThe Crew on the boat (Captain Eduardo, Sylvia, & Barb) and our biking guide Antonella were all PHENOMENAL. The service and the food are first class.
Boat: Vita Pugna
Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
by Kimberly N. 5 months ago Permalink/Reply Verified ReviewerI really enjoyed the staff, Sylvia and Barbara and the delicious dinners! They were so cute and fun. Loved the cheese factory, and Antonella was a wonderful tour guide.
Boat: Vita Pugna
Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
by Ilene W. 7 months ago Permalink/Reply Verified ReviewerThe Mantova to Venice bike and barge on the Ava Maria! The crew, the ship, the food and our guides were outstanding! Also all the guides we had in the cities and venues were fabulous!
Boat: Ave Maria
Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
by Connie M. 9 months ago Permalink/Reply Verified ReviewerThe Venice to Mantua tour was excellent. We particularly enjoyed the stops for cultural and natural sites of interest. The food was wonderful and the staff very helpful.
Boat: Ave Maria
Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
by Greg S. 9 months ago Permalink/Reply Verified ReviewerIt is hard to specify just one thing. The barge was great, the food superb and the staff could not have been better. Even though the weather wasn't great, we had a wonderful time. We're looking forward to booking our next tour.
Boat: Ave Maria
Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
by Sandra B. 9 months ago Permalink/Reply Verified ReviewerThis was our 4th Bike & Barge trip with Tripsite. Our most recent was on the Vita Pugna from Mantova to Venice early May, 2019. We loved our first trip and didn't think it was possible, but somehow, they just keep getting better!
Our guide, Hein, was knowledgeable, friendly, and personable. The staff was wonderful and the dinners were amazing! At each port, they shopped daily for fresh foods and wine, and served us the local specialties of the area. Each night before serving, they described the menu, explained how it was prepared, and paired it with a local wine recommendation.
The cozy, comfortable barge accommodates 20 guests. Even though we represented 6 different countries, there were no differences at all. Everyone was enthusiastic, energetic, fun, friendly and helpful.
The bikes were exceptional and made the rides smooth and comfortable. I usually struggle to keep up, but didn't have any problems this time. The bikes contributed to my ease, and the Read more… pace was ideal!
The routes were well planned, the scenery was lovely, the designated stops were interesting, informative and great fun!
Since the boats and owners, countries, food, scenery, cultures and customs are all different, we don't compare trips. We just embrace the differences and look forward to our next (5th) adventure with Tripsite. They're so great to work with and have always made every effort to accommodate their guests.Boat: Vita Pugna
Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
by Donna 6 months ago Permalink/ReplyThank you for this very helpful review. We have only done one tripsite vacation which was fabulous.
Were you using an ebike.
Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
by Catherine P. 9 months ago Permalink/Reply Verified ReviewerThe entire trip was great. Have highly recommended it to others!
Boat: Vita Pugna
Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
by Berry B. 9 months ago Permalink/Reply Verified ReviewerOur guide (Sylvia) embellished every part of the day, the staff was very friendly, cooperative, accommodating and full of fun...great trip, thanks
Boat: Vita Pugna
Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
by Teresa H. 9 months ago Permalink/Reply Verified ReviewerThe food was absolutely delicious! We had a very entertaining, informative guide and the rest of the staff on the barge were great! I can’t say enough great things about our experience!!
Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
by Susan J. 9 months ago Permalink/Reply Verified ReviewerJust finished the Venice to Mantova about the Vita Pugna. This trip was amazing and exactly as advertised with easy cycling on flat roads. Normally I would have liked more miles but with a record breaking heat wave (topping at 44C one day) that week, the distances worked out well. The chefs Sylvia and Irene are hugely talented and every meal was a delight. I really can't praise the food enough! Fabio did an excellent job as guide and is extremely knowledgeable about the area and gave excellent advice. Eduardo the captain was also very personable and friendly, overall a super crew who obviously enjoyed working together. Our international group had a great time cycling together despite the heat. I hope to do this trip again someday.
Boat: Vita Pugna
Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
by POM 10 months ago Permalink/Reply Verified ReviewerMy husband and I have been on 12 European bike/boat tours. We love to see the world this way, and we are usually 100% satisfied and happy when we finish a trip.
In April we took the Ave Maria tour from Venice to Mantova. The first two days we biked on busy highways next to large lorries, semis, and garbage trucks, one of which almost wiped me out. We were shocked at having to ride on these highways because here is the company description of this trip on this website...
"This cycling tour is largely along the flats of the Po plains, and the daily stages vary from 25 to 55 km – mostly on tarmac cycle paths along rivers and canals, or quiet country roads."
The first two days of this trip were not on QUIET COUNTRY ROADS. They were on heavily traveled highways, and they were dangerous and certainly no fun! We will never travel with this company again because they were not truthful about the roads and
paths. This was not a relaxing trip.
On a good Read more… note...we had wonderful food on board. The chefs were amazing, and we looked forward to dinner every night.
The Ave Maria advertises air conditioning. It is true they have it, but they don't turn it on very often, like it is off all night, every night. So most of us had to sleep with our doors wide open. Our rooms were like saunas, with no windows to open. For that reason, I would not recommend this boat, no matter what tour it was on.Boat: Ave Maria
Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
by Jehiel from Tripsite 10 months ago Permalink/Reply StaffHi Pam, Thank you for sharing this feedback with us. We were quite surprised by your comments of highly trafficked highways or misleading description. I'm afraid you had a unique experience. The sections of the route that I believe you are referencing (leaving Chioggia, and then the crossing of two rivers (Adige and Brenta) on trafficked bridges) is protected by guard-rail. Tour Leaders always advise about this part, to proceed slowly, in a single line, and pushing the bike (2 min section). However, in your particular week, there was more traffic than usual, because many Italians had their Easter vacations (Easter and national Italian holiday). Apart from this, I can assure you that this cycling tour is largely along the flats of the Po plains, and the daily stages vary from 25 to 55 km – mostly on tarmac cycle paths along rivers and canals, or quiet country roads. As for air condition on the Ave Maria - during spring/fall, there can be cold or warm days, so it can Read more… difficult to balance when temperatures vary a lot in the intermediate seasons, as do clients personal preferences. We are sorry to hear that the tour did not meet your expectations.
Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
by Sue F. 10 months ago Permalink/Reply Verified ReviewerOur fabulous 2019 vacation was aboard the Vita Pugna (very clean and comfortable) biking from Mantova to Venice. We were well taken care of by Captain Edoardo, crew/chefs Silvia and Barbara (delicious meals and afternoon snacks plus breakfast!) and our wonderful guide Fabio. I can’t say enough about each one of them, the patience of Fabio is extraordinary. He went above and beyond to make sure each guest was comfortable cycling and informed of routes/plans throughout the week. At the end of the tour he went out of his way to assure that each person knew exactly how to get to their destination when departing the barge. The biking (the bikes were in great shape!) was fun/well organized, the food was outstanding, the landscape/pubs/villages/museum/cheese factory/cappuccino stops, etc. were wonderful. We loved the night walks and the walking tours by local guides. Tripsite provided second to none customer service through our booking process. They were quick to answer any Read more… questions/concerns I had, and I love the online chat feature! We are looking at another bike/barge for 2020 and after going through another company a couple of years ago, will only use Tripsite now. Kudos to all and thanks so much for making our 2019 vacation one for the books!Boat: Vita Pugna
Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
by Marilyn Walker 11 months ago Permalink/Reply Verified ReviewerWell-Done
We rode the entire week independently of the 30-person group, which is our preference. We requested beforehand, and received promptly, the GPX files for each stage, which we downloaded to our Garmin bicycle computers together with relevant open source street maps. We used the GPS directions as our primary navigation, and referred to the jigsaw puzzle of a tour map and the turn-by-turn directions in puzzling moments. All three references agreed very well, which is a great comfort. Tour Guide Michela provided us a separate walk-through every evening, clarifying points of confusion and explaining where the main group would be. Several times we met the group for special sightseeing tours. Otherwise, we did our own thing, took rest stops at our own discretion and ate the picnic lunch at places of our own choosing.The bicycles were better than expected. We chose the e-bikes and count the expense as worth the money. The batteries were strong enough to carry us through Read more… the 30-mile days with a couple of power dots left over. The seats were comfortable and the handlebars were especially comfortable to the wrist. The gears changed easily.
Needs Improvement
Plating the food before serving meant that a great deal was wasted. It would be more accommodating to serve family style, in bowls, so people can serve themselves what their appetite and inclination suggests.The itinerary was generally okay, but we had to meet the boat or bus by appointment several times, which meant waiting around for hours at a time. Other bike-and-boat tours we went on were better organized to find the boat at the end of the day's ride.
Unsatisfactory
The company is proud of their cooking, but the quality was badly degraded by the excessive use of salt. Even those people who were indifferent to their salt intake agreed it was "very salty". The taste of the food was ruined by the cook's excess. Upon tasting the first night's dinner, I required that they make special salt-free dinners for me. Two nights they "forgot" and spoiled the food. The cooks should learn to make their food unsalted and let the guests add that seasoning at table. It will improve the dining experience for everybody.The internet service was the worst I've seen since dial-up telephone modems. People wanted simple access to email and to post photos on social media, but were continuously thwarted by irregular service and severe deterioration, which seemed to be deliberate. For example, the night we were in Zelo, they announced there was no wi-fi at all because of the remote location, which was fishy to begin with. Next morning, we decided to stay on the boat for the day, which allowed me to observe that within minutes of the big group rolling away, they switched the wi-fi back on for the rest of the day, until that evening when it went to pieces again. There is no excuse for such poor service in this day and age.
Boat: Ave Maria
Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
by Jehiel from Tripsite 11 months ago Permalink/Reply StaffHi Marilyn,
Thanks for submitting this feedback. We will be sure to share your suggestions related to food with our local partner.
As for the wifi, we mention on the boat page and in our travel information that the wifi, though free, is limited and based on usage. The boat uses a mobile hotspot - the speed is based on the usage of the guests and can be spotty. To guarantee reliable internet, we suggest purchasing an international phone plan or a personal hotspot while abroad.
I hope that despite these inconveniences you enjoyed your trip!Boat: Ave Maria
Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
by Douglas Y. 1 year ago Permalink/Reply Verified ReviewerOur bike and barge from Venice was fantastic. The villages were quaint and the opportunity to swim in the Adriatic Sea was a great way to cool down and relax. Our trip aboard the Ave Maria was wonderful. Captain Connie, Enrico, Giuliano, Silvia and Helmut made our trip to be quite memorable! Giuliano and Silvia made fabulous gourmet dinners for us. Our only complaint would be that there were periods of riding on dikes/floodbanks but all the stops along the way were very interesting and full of character. The visit to a Grana Padano cheese plant was followed by a wine and cheese picnic and our ending destination, Mantua was beautifully surrounded by 3 lakes. We would definitely recommend this trip!
Boat: Ave Maria
Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
by Wendy S. 1 year ago Permalink/Reply Verified ReviewerThe most memorable part of our Mantova to Venice trip was visiting chioggia, the carnival museum and the cheese factory.
Boat: Vita Pugna
Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
by Marsi Q. 1 year ago Permalink/Reply Verified ReviewerBest part? Riding through small towns that most tourists don’t see...like Bergantino. The small group on the barge.
Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
by Patricia T. 1 year ago Permalink/Reply Verified ReviewerI remember the day on a slightly "tricky" route into Chioggia. When we could bike into the town and rest our bikes for the first look-around -- what an enchanting place in such good company. We knew there would be another gourmet dinner that evening on the barge. Looking forward to another trip through Tripsite.
Boat: Ave Maria
Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
by Lynn Y. 1 year ago Permalink/Reply Verified ReviewerBest part? The wonderful food served everyday
Boat: Vita Pugna
Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
by Carole H. 1 year ago Permalink/Reply Verified ReviewerAve Maria barge was so very comfortable with wonderful staff & fabulous fresh locally sourced food, beautifully presented.
Boat: Ave Maria