4 Star Netherlands Tour Reviews — 1 to 30 of 297

The most enjoyable part of this tour was definitely the bike riding, the company of fellow passengers and enjoying the delicious dinners prepared on board. We felt very comfortable being guided through the beautiful countryside on trails and amazingly narrow roads, stopping at historic sites and learning a little of Dutch traditions.

The most enjoyable part of this tour was definitely the bike riding, the company of fellow passengers and enjoying the delicious dinners prepared on board. We felt very comfortable being guided through the beautiful countryside on trails and amazingly narrow roads, stopping at historic sites and learning a little of Dutch traditions.

Our tour guides and staff on the ship were fabulous. Our ship had mechanical issues including air condition failure, generator failure, ice machine failure and generator failure. The ship waived the fuel surcharge to compensate but I was glad I was on an upper deck with a window.

The scenery and ease of biking through the Netherlands were wonderful. I loved cycling past windmills, canals and wildlife. I loved cycling through marshes and small towns and cities. I loved experiencing bike ferries and bike parking garages.
The tour guides were fun and very helpful. The boat crew was also helpful and worked hard to help us in any way they could. The food was good and the boat was clean and very comfortable.

Biking through the national tune forest was the best part for me. But it was all lovely. Except for the discrepancies between the written map and the GPS phone map it was very nice. The food was plentiful.

Riding next to the North Sea and the inland lakes, riding across the storm surge protectors, and our fellow travelers.

We were a group of 4 friends doing a bike barge for the first time. Wisely we were offered a good deal and coaching for electric assist bikes and that did help make for an enjoyable experience. We also opted for suites and those were excellent. Such efficient bathrooms and plenty of storage. Nice decor and lighting. Internet spotting so used my phone as a hot spot.
Our one trip leader was extremely helpful - especially in guiding us thru some tricky parts of the route. The other was delightful in her presentations, but was a bit hard to understand and seemed to leave out some crucial information - especially on what routes or areas were very crowded for biking. My partner opted out of riding a few days because the 2nd day was so difficult for him. I found as we went along our skills increased and we understood the navigation better. I also was able to Google the bike computer to learn more about its operation and how to connect it to the map mileage. That was not explained in the beginning.
The crew: Not nearly as friendly as I had expected. They did seem to warm up to a large group of party girls by the end and maybe us too, but smiles and friendly greetings were lacking except for 1 or 2. My partner and I had come from the Cotswalds prior and everyone was just extremely friendly and helpful - so that made the contrast more evident. It just shows when people don't love their jobs.
I had also expected to meet more passengers, but that was a bit of a hurdle because of the different languages. I was glad we had a group of 4.
We were blessed with some great (but hot) weather and overall had a wonderful experience. Food was good and deserts were great. If done again we would pay more attention to not biking in cities if possible.

The beautiful scenery,quietness of the nice small towns and the countryside's beautiful landscape visiting nice protected areas such as parks was enjoyable . The houses in the small towns are all well kept and clean. The free time given to us. The tour guides were great and knew the area very well.
They were able to give great information at the briefing sessions every evenings to all participants in regards of the following day tour. My wife and I were very much satisfied in regards of the quality of the bikes.

The IRIS barge was great as was the crew. Couldn’t have been more supportive or helpful. I would Not call this a tulip tour-almost all tulips were dead headed. Tulip tours need to end two weeks prior to our tour. We did not see the massive fields of tulips, we did not ride along roads filled town tulips - we were post season.

I have participated in several small group tours and for me, it's always about the people and friendships you make. As for a highlight, the landscape is breathtaking every single day. Our guide, Rosanna was terrific. She was attentive to the group's rest stops; talked about history and various sites and was flexible with the itinerary. Here comes the reason I gave this a 4 star and not a 5. When we were in towns we would be given some time to explore but it was usually only 40 minutes or a bit more. It was enough time for a coffee and bathroom break but that was about it. We also carried a lunch every day and personally, I would have enjoyed a lunch out with the group at least once. The towns are charming.And yes, you do visit quite a few churches, lol.
The accommodation on the boat was comfortable and the staff were excellent. Meals were very good. City tours after dinner were informative and just right. The cycling: I am a senior and used an e bike and the cycling was easy. There were a few spills by members. You just need to be aware, capable, and have confidence. Enjoy the ride instead of worrying about it! I never felt intimidated by surrounding traffic, etc. ( an added note- we had a couple in their 80s who did fine). It was common for most of the group to enjoy " happy hour" before dinner when we got back to the boat. There was a lot of togetherness which was good.
I thought that this trip was a great choice for me ( I'm a solo traveler) and good value. I went in May and yes, be prepared to ride in rain. I would do another barge bike trip! Its' good fun and good exercise!

The food was amazing! Some of the more serendipitous events also stand out in my mind.

Carol and I enjoyed our trip on the IRIS. The sheft was excellent and food was great. We enjoyed the walks at different locations surveying the different cities we stopped at. My only complaint was that we were requested by the guides to not participate in the bike riding portion of the trip. Since we had limited use of the electric bikes we rented, I would request a refund of the 340 Euros that we paid to use the electric bikes.

The country side, the historical significance. The bikes were great as was the boat and food.

Gorgeous countryside and beautiful cities to cycle through. The food on board was 5 star! The staff were wonderful too. The bikes are heavy and many of them had issues. Mine had no rear brakes that I finally figured out on last day while needed to brake hard in Amsterdam. My husband had to have his seat changed 3 times to get one that didn’t slip and his bike was small for his 6’ height. A friends bike has gear grinding on and off every day and they couldn’t fix it. Realized these bikes take a lot of abuse but the 20lb e-bike I was told about on a phone call does not exist. Otherwise our group of 19 would do it again! The gps is important to have as not all paths are well marked and it lets you know if you get off course. We brought our own helmets and rear view mirrors—highly recommend. Since it was non guided there were several options each day—take the long route if you have time.

Overall, the trip was great and the beauty of the rides were often times breathtaking with all the different colors of the Spring flowers and the North Sea! We also were thrilled that Hennie joined us as we really enjoyed meeting her on our Croatia trip.
The only issue we had was the use of an electric bike by the tour guide and his lack of personality. Several of us were on regular bikes and it was challenging to keep up with him/group. He did get better with his speed as the trip went on, but at the start, he was completely out-of-touch with us regular bike riders. I also think it was a bit unprofessional for him to not have a sweep. I think this is necessary when you have such a large group and we had several inexperienced riders who kept falling off their e-bikes and getting started was often difficult for many. The trip could be rated easy, if one had an e-bike or an all regular bike group as well as being accustomed to riding a bike, but perhaps a better rating for that particular ride would be moderate with an explanation of why.
Having said all of this, we do look forward to our next bicycling adventure with Tripsite!

We enjoyed biking in the countryside along the farm fields and the canals.

The overall sailing ship was lovely, although space in the dining area was cramped and especially difficult if someone were to sit at the middle tables. Regarding the food, Peter was fabulous and the food was varied. We loved sitting on deck in the eveings when the weather cooperated. Our captain and sailing crew were highly skilled navigating that long boat thru canals and locks. Very impressive. the housekeeping staff were also amazing and we really enjoyed interacting with them. But--we had #2 cabins ( in our group) at the very front of the ship. It was billed as a triple, but I cannot possibly even imagine 3 people in there. The room narrowed with the shape of the hull and it was rather uncomfortable. Definely not a "Deluxe" experience. Those rooms should have been discounted more. The bike guides really need to fit clients bikes the day before the first ride. My bike didn't get fitted correctly ( seat too high and I needed a smaller bike). I didn't know there was an alternative--so it was a dangerous situation at one point on day #3 with an almost altercation with a car. It didn't get switched out until the very last day. We all loved biking in the small towns and around the tulip fields. I even saw a spoonbill among hordes of other birds and animals. Conversely, the groups were too large going thru larger towns with cars, local bikers, and pedestrians. We should have been broken into 3 groups for more secure safety. All in all--a great trip with diversity of historic towns and natural landscapes like the dunes on Texel.

Riding the beautiful countryside of Holland. The crew was great! Kitty the guide was wonderful.
There were some changes due to Kings Day that was disappointing.
Boat was sufficient.
Food could have been better and more variety at breakfast and lunch,
Seem to run out of items.
Communication with tripsite before leaving was good.

Overall, the trip was quite lovely. We enjoyed the company on the trip. Our guide was great and so was our captain and crew however, we were 24 people. We were surprised that there was not a second guide in the back rather relying on one of the passengers to assume I think a responsibility that would supersede that as of a guest, we had several people fall on the bikes and I think that is a liability to your company The sweep should have had a way of communicating to our leader by walkie-talkie or some other type of communication as well as a mirror to see what was coming behind us to prepare all of us with verbiage we were taught to use on the trail This was billed as a tulip tour, but it was not apparent that we would not be seeing tulips and it was a situation where we think we should have been told that before, as we were billed in this trip for prime season tulip viewing. It was not until the next to the last day that we saw fields of tulips other than the garden we visited, which was spectacular.
I also think the rooms should be upgraded a little bit with something

Scenery was unique and beautiful along canals, tulips were a highlight as well as other unique stops. Boat and crew were accommodating and helpful we were glad we had e-bikes as It made the trip more enjoyable. Cycling was sometimes challenging in cities and traffic crossings. Boat was good, Rooms are small and beds are low to ground. Food was very good.

Feedback on our Boat & Bike Trip with Clair de Lune | April 2026

Dear Team Clair de Lune,

We have just returned from our boat & bike trip with Clair de Lune and wanted to share our experience.

The highlights were excellent:
The back roads chosen by our delightful Dutch guide, Patrick, were superb. His local knowledge and friendly approach made every ride a joy.
The bikes were of excellent quality, though a bit heavy for two of our friends.
And the tulip fields were as stunning as promised — truly unforgettable.

A few points that would make the service even better:

Arrival signage: There was no Clair de Lune sign board upon arrival at the port, which made finding our boat surprisingly difficult. Clear signage would be a big help for guests arriving with luggage, sometimes straight from the airport.

Welcome lunch: We were expected on board at 12:30, yet no lunch was served. Suggesting guests bring their own lunch is not practical when they are already managing bags and travel. Welcoming guests with a light, healthy salad and cold cuts would set a much better tone for the trip.

Galley atmosphere: Our German cook had what I’d call a “German sense of humor” — rather difficult to find funny — but to his credit, he did put together very nice meals.

Departure experience: On our last day, we were scheduled to disembark by 10:00. At 9:00, several staff came on board to clean and we were made to feel as though we were disturbing them. Thankfully, with our guide Patrick’s support, they understood we were entitled to stay until 10:00 undisturbed. Nevertheless, it broke the magic of our goodbyes to the gentle Captain Henk, the sturdy cook Cris, and the not-so-smiling crew member Joana.

Overall, it was a wonderful trip. With a few adjustments to arrival, boarding, and departure, Clair de Lune could deliver a truly flawless experience.

Thank you for organizing such a memorable journey.

Warm regards,

Michaela

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Quer versão mais curta ou mais incisiva? Posso ajustar o tom se for mandar direto pra direção da empresa vs. agência intermediária.

Sailing was fun, tulips were amazing. I really enjoyed Texel and the towns on the island. Our host was perfect. She had a story for everywhere we stopped.

Great trip, beautiful country side and knowledgeable guides.
Met a lot of great people on the tour.

Overall a great experience. I enjoyed making new friends, the excellent dinners, the welcoming and helpful staff. I loved exploring a beautiful country from a bike but would have liked a bit more time to visit the small towns we cycled through.

From the welcome on arrival, through the entire week, I felt well looked after as a single traveller. The crew and guide were great and went out of their way to endure everyone was catered for and happy. Arie, our cycle guide, was excellent and also took us out every night for a walking tour of whichever city we were docked in.

1.The biking in the Dutch countryside was great. and a highlight.
2.The riding in the city was a bit hectic and I enjoyed getting an idea of being a biking commuter. .
3.The weather was challenging at times and that is just the way it turned out for us.
4.The stop at the outdoor museum was not that much fun I would just drive by it and not stop.
5. The guides and boat crew were very nice and made it a great ride.
6.The ride was organized to move quickly even with a lot of people.

The Staff, the Food, the towns we visited were amazing. The rooms on board exceeded our expectations with amenities found in premium hotels. The reason I didn’t give 5 stars is that it’s essentially a 4 day experience with really only 3 days of cycling. IE: Day one board at 2pm with no cycling day 5 disembark at 9am with no cycling. A better description of the actual experience would be my recommendation.

Pros: The historic villages we passed through on the route were exceptionally beautiful and easy to navigate. The variety of terrain and the routes were well-designed and except for the first day there were a good number of options for refreshments and bathrooms.

The boat cabins were comfortable and very clean, and the sitting areas were adequate in the dining area.

The staff were exceptionally attentive and responsive to our requests - with one exception (see details in "cons" section below). The tour manager (Mehmet) was amazing and provided all the help we needed.

The e-bikes were excellent and the equipment (panniers and locks) were easy to use and very high quality.

Cons: Our group of 7 who traveled together was separated onto different tables that were too far apart to talk to one another. We asked to have one table moved closer and were denied. There were other tables close to one another with groups that had no relationship to each other. I wonder why we were not given two of those tables. That was a huge disappointment.

The routes were longer than we anticipated each day so we didn't have as much time as we would have liked walking around the villages and learning about them.

The food was plentiful but not great.

The GPS worked pretty well, but would have been better had the route numbers been part of the GPS map. We got confused at least once each day trying to navigate the different tools - paper map, paper route numbers, and GPS - which were not always clear or aligned on which direction to go.

Lastly, we would have appreciated a welcome activity that helped us learn who was in the room, where they were from, and encouraged building relationships with one another. We did a lot of that on our own and it would have been nice to get introduced to each other first thing.

What I am left with is the memory of the wonderful people I met on the trip. People from all over coexisted, braved some very wet weather, adapted to continuous itinerary changes due to weather conditions and still had a lovely experience. Food and accommodations were excellent. Kudos to the guide Peter who spent hours on his computer sleuthing out alternate routes for cycling as our itinerary continually changed. We missed some cities and had little time in others but you can't control Mother Nature or "traffic control" on the canals. All in all we had a great time and I will definitely book another B & B trip.

Cycling through the small towns and fields. So picturesque and very calm riding.