Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova Tour Reviews — 61 to 90 of 367

The barge crew were very helpful and friendly and the group of people on the bike trip were fantastic. The barge rooms were bad - very wet and humid. The beds were wet with humidity. All clothing were wet with humidity and the rooms smelled very badly. We turned on the A/C but it didn’t help with the humidity and smell. If we opened the portholes, condensation dripped down on the bed. 4 of us got sick and I think it was due to the bacteria in the rooms.

The entire trip was an insightful and delightful experience, providing access to the heart and soul of everyday-life in "working Italy", versus an antiseptic highlight-reel tour of famous monuments and churches. That said, the overwhelming uniqueness and timelessness of Venice couldn't help but be a highlight. I wouldn't have minded a somewhat more strenuous cycling experience; however, that was more than offset by the enjoyment of the comaraderie of a relatively small tour group (20), forged both on the cycling paths and over fabulous gourmet meals provided by the two young chefs aboard the Vita Pugna.

Once again, we just came back from a memorable experience with this tour. We began with the self-guided section from Balzano to Mantova which was very well laid out with our GPS, then was welcomed aboard the Vita Pugna to continue the tour all the way to Venice with the most interesting and amiable Hugo, our guide for the week. Life aboard the Vita Pugna was excellent… friendly crew and excellent food! I would not change a thing.

Our tour guides, Hein and Irene made the tour so special! The chefs, Alberto and Francesco were amazing. Captain "Van Gogh" was great. The tour was a blast from start to finish!

Fabulous trip!! We did this same trip 8 years ago
and returned again this summer with friends as it was our favorite trip… it did not disappoint!
Highly recommend….from the great scenery to the fabulous meals and amazing tour guides!

It’s awfully hard to pick out “the most memorable” part of the trip. The whole experience was great: the biking, the connections made with fellow riders, the crew, the food, the boat. It was all top rate. I guess I’d have to pick out the biking as the most memorable. The points of interest along the way were great. I loved the cheese factory, the glass blowing place, the carnival museum and the distillery. I probably wouldn’t have chosen to visit those places if on my own, but in the end I truly enjoyed them. The Ave Maria is a beautiful boat. The bikes were almost new and in excellent condition. The crew (and guides) made everything go smoothly. The chefs took my food intolerances seriously and made it easy for me to enjoy the food on board.

The general organization of the trip, and the great staff aboard!
Disappointed with the scenery along the routes - often quite monotonous

It was our first trip on a smaller boat and we enjoyed getting to know all the other bikers and also the crew. It was also our first trip with a guide(s) and it was nice to not be concerned with navigating. The guides were excellent and the mini tours we interesting. My only suggestion is it would be nice to know more about the lunch stop ahead of time so we could decide whether we wanted to bring a lunch or eat at the restaurant.

Biking by river Po, the visits to the distillery and cheese factory

The guides and staff were fantastic.

The trip was a wonderful way to see Italy minus the crowds.

The excellent crew, good food and beautiful bike rides and scenery.

The trip was well organized, our boat was comfortable and the food was incredible! The tour took us through quaint little villages and the arranged stops were all informative and enjoyable. My favourite was Grana Parma. We chose self-guided, and enjoyed the flexibility that gave. Sylvie took time each day to explain any potential areas of concern. Overall, a great experience!

Beautiful bike trails and amazing food! The boat staff were amazing and very friendly. The tour guide Sylvia was so very helpful to our group who did our own tour.

The staff was amazing, so friendly and very helpful. It was nice to see how they all worked so closely. The food was amazing. Great job.

The crew worked very well together, supporting each other.
Also, the fact that the number of guests was not large, contributed to a sense of community.
For suggestions: I couldn't get wifi in my lower deck room - as was true for others I spoke with, and had to go to the dinning room for service.

The most memorable moment of my trip was the guided tours through special viewings of Venice and surrounding islands to capture the true essence of the Italian culture is our expert tour leaders, Silvia and Marco. My favorite part was stopping through one of the smallest villages and see an elderly man raising the flag at noon, as he has done daily for many decades.

The crew was wonderful and made everythingspecial. The food was amazing. Would highly recommend this trip.

This was my first trip to Italy and a Bike and Barge. I loved it!! The staff were amazing, the food was delicious, Sylvia and Helmet were so fantastic at guiding us through beautiful cities and helping when needed, the crew on the barge were always friendly. I'm ready to go back and travel with Sylvia again! Five Stars!

This was my first Bike and Barge and it was fabulous! The staff went above and beyond all expectations to make this event even more wonderful than I could have imagined. What a beautiful way to see Italy. A huge thank you to Sylvia and Helmet and ALL the crew!!!

My favorite part of the trip was touring Montova. This was our 3rd bike barge trip and I'm sorry to say that the scenery we saw while riding 3 of the 5 days was a bit disappointing. The barge and the food was the best of the 3 trips. We also rode a little too much along some busy roads without much of a shoulder.

Sights to ride to everyday except one when we were rained out. Crew including leaders, chefs, and captain. The food was amazing everyday with themed creations representing the area we visited. Better wifi in cabins too. More technology using laptop, TV screen, music, etc. Could use some more shelves, cubbies, hooks for gear in cabins. Faucets that pour water over the deepest part of the sink not so close to the edge causing water all over sink top.

There were several very memorable moments on this trip! Our guide, Hein and his wife Margolien were outstanding with their historical knowledge about every town we toured. That was an added benefit of which I had not expected. They were extremely passionate in sharing their information with everyone which made it so interesting. Another highlight for us was just the sheer beauty that surrounded us on the trails we traversed to each of our destinations. My wife and I are not really bikers but enjoy staying physically fit. She questioned whether she could do the mileage each day. The trails and picturesque views through the countryside took your mind off anything other than just appreciating God’s creation so you were never aware of whether you rode 10 miles or twenty. I could probably go on but will end my remarks with the view we were able to get of Venice as we pulled up to our mooring site on Pellistrina Thursday evening. What an experience. I would recommend to anyone who enjoys biking or just being outdoors. We would definitely do it again but maybe choose a little more difficult ride!!

The time spent touring around
Venice and the food on the boat!

Standing on top of the boat enjoying the view, especially the sunsets. Our guide and the crew were excellent.

Our local guide for the tour in Mantova spent far too much time in the church and no time on the archeological site in the middle of town.

Barge was nice, food and staff incredibly good. Stefania and Hein were very friendly, informative and helpful. My only criticism would be that there were too many bike riders, a couple who were inexperienced enough to veer over to my wife causing her bike tire to go off the pavement inciting a crash breaking her wrist necessitating shortening our trip and surgery at home to correct the break. Stefania was incredibly helpful throughout the ordeal helping Barb and I arrange a trip to the hospital in Adria, transportation by taxi and train back to Venice where were able to fly home early. All in all, the trip was that much more memorable in a complex way!

We had a great time on the Ave Maria and touring Northern Italy. The staff/crew of the Ave Maria were top notch. The bicycles provided were comfortable, very well maintained, and worked flawlessly throughout the trip. Our tour guides, Hein and Stefania, were knowledgable providing us with history, culture, and insight into and of our Italian surroundings. This was a trip well worth taking. If we were to do it again, we would book an earlier date to see active growing/harvest in the farmland.

The attention of de guides for sure.
The food was so good too
About of the begining of the travel, when we were buying our trip we didn’t have a good help.

It would be a challenge to identify the most memorable part. The tour brought us to amazing places, both commonly visited and out of the way sites; Stephania and Hain led the group with interesting and amusing stories, giving us an historical context and a cultural understanding; all of the crew was professional, helpful and friendly; the bikes were high quality and well maintained and the meals were the best!!!! Love the use of local foods and accompanying explanations of each dish. The cabin space is small, so if you have a few days of rain, you’ll be searching for places to put wet clothes.

Our Tour Guide, Hugo made the entire trip. His enthusiasm, knowledge and energy made for a very busy, exhausting and fun filled week.
The cuisine was out of this world. The ladies did such a wonderful job.

Wonderful itinerary. Incredible bike trails.
Terrific crew. The swim in the Adriatic was fantastic.