Netherlands Tour Reviews — 421 to 450 of 1688

There were many memorable parts of the trip, all enjoyable. The barge, the guests and the crew were all great. I used an e-bike which was not great. I am barely 5’ 1” and the bike was a “small” and too big/heavy for me. It should have been an X-small. Another woman of similar size had a small and fell numerous times. I was disappointed that there was no alternative offered. I am an experienced rider and the heavy weight of the bike affected balance especially on curves. I’ve been on a number of bike trips and quality bikes and safety was a number one concern. Also there were no rear view mirrors. This was a safety concern. The answer I received was that the rear view mirrors are not used in the Netherland. This does not make sense as we got helmets and the people in the Netherlands don’t wear helmets. Why would we not be provided with rear mirrors.

Absolutely fantastic crew and guide. The barge, food (chef Koen fantastic), and crew were amazing. Sailing Home Vessel very well appointed and kept up. Bikes were in great condition.

enjoying the beautiful countryside on bikes with friends .

The tour exceeded expectations from the guide, the staff, the meals, the group, accommodations to the daily activities of cycling, walking tours after dinner in the stopovers and 'inside info' about where to have coffee and apple tart, shop or visit e.g. the Sint Janskerk in Gouda. Already researching the next one.

Dress in layers and if you're of borderline cycling ability, book an e-bike. You will be glad when you cycle along the North sea.

The after dinner guided walks through the various towns we stopped at were an added bonus to the tour

I cannot say enough great things about our trip from Brugge to Amsterdam! The Captain and Crew of the Merlijn were awesome, and our intrepid tour guide, Francien was great!
What a wonderful way to experience Belgium and the Nederlands; riding through the countryside, towns, polders, and along the canals on every manner of bike path.
We were spoiled by the food provided by Christina; a delicious breakfast buffet, tasty sandwiches in our packed lunches for the ride, and gourmet meals for dinner with a little bit of history about the dishes.
Our cabin was comfortable and cozy, and the dining room and lounge were always adorned with fresh flowers.
If you want to experience travel in a unique way, then this is the way to go:)

The guides and crew were all wonderful and did everything within their power to make the trip as enjoyable as possible. The Iris was a very comfortable boat. The cycling took us through varied landscapes. Helmets waterbottles and panniers are provided so no need to bring with you.

The cycling was the highlight of the trip for us, we thoroughly enjoyed the pace and travel through small towns and villages along the way. Of course the tulips fields are also quite a sight! Although the weather did not always cooperate - we like the motto “there is no bad weather - only poor clothing choices”. Be prepared.

We had a great trip. The magnifique lll was a perfect boat and the crew was terrific. They all worked as a team to give us a good experience. Our bicycle guides, Corrie and Marie Jose were patient ant good humoured. They gave us choices and good length of rides. The bicycles were in good condition and easy to use. We enjoyed touring the countryside and the cities of Antwerp, Ghent and Bruges.The food was delicious onboard. I would definitely recommend this trip.

I really enjoyed the hotel De Fortuna in Edam with it's lovely gardens. I also think day 3 (Haarlem to Leiden) would have been fantastic with the variety of scenery if it hadn't poured all day

Kuekenhof
There was no place at the Prominent Hotel to safely lock the bikes. One Ebike had its control box torn off. Seems the bike store has to bear that cost. We did not ask for but thought one repair kit would have been provided. Panniers, though promised were not available. Bike store was closed on Sunday so had there been a break down no support would have been available that day. Bikes were OK but gearing on one were rough and catchy. Otherwise most were happy with the bikes though very heavy.

Biking through the Netherlands was an unforgettable experience, particularly during the tulip season. The lush green farms, cows mooing, sheep bleating, birds singing and the people were so friendly. The sights we saw were incredible. Quo Vadis did not disappoint! The captain and crew aim to please and they did. Our tour guides were amazing. All set the bar high! The food was great, our rooms were small but cozy and very comfortable and the common area was relaxing. I highly recommend this trip! We can't wait for another trip!

This tour had so many highlights that it’s hard to pick just one. I fell in love with the Netherlands ! The variety of bike paths that our guide took us on was astounding. The history and the wonderful compassionate people were a huge highlight . The staff on the boat were fantastic, hard working but always found time to help us and answer all our many questions. One of the advantages of being on a small vessel is that you get to know the people that are working their and their personalities.
I also highly recommend an e-bike for those that aren’t big bike riders . We rode over 100 miles and I fell in love with my very comfortable and speedy 5 speed !!

It was an active adventure where you got to see so much of the country not just the tourist attractions.

This was a good mix of cycling to sightseeing and sailing. The boat and crew were the highlight as well as cycling through tge dunes, the island of Texel, and the tulip fields.

The room on the boat was clean with enough room to get around, the shower had a lip to contain the water and there were hooks and a closet for clothing. The group size of
23 was good to get to know everyone. The cycling in Netherlands was amazing - there were special bicycle lanes everywhere and the scenery was beautiful. We paid extra for special diets and unlike on other bike and barge trips, this one was worth it!

This was a most beautiful memorable lifetime trip . I am recommending to all .all of the staff on the sailing home were superb. You felt most comfortable as if you are in your own home and the cycling tour guide was exceptional. The chef gave us such wonderful meals. The skipper and the support staff were so kind and superb.

Riding through the countryside and seeing all the baby animals and, of course, the tulips! The Keukenhof Gardens was absolutely spectacular. There is so much to see in Amsterdam, I'd suggest spending a few extra days there either before or after the barge trip-you just might want to avoid Kings Day! I also recommend using an electric assist bike-more enjoyable and less stressful.

Everything was great, especially the boat staff and the food !

Biking guides were kind, knowledgeable and well organized.

The bicycles were new and of great quality. They fitted everybody with an appropriately sized bike.

Touring through the countryside of The Netherlands in the spring was fabulous. The routes were better than we anticipated. We even got to put our feet in the North Sea.The GPS App was really useful for see where you were even though we had a guide.

The food was exceptionally good. An on board chief prepared a different mean every night. We even got to dine with the Captain!

We are talking about doing another trip sooner than later. We only did a 5 day tour as the 7 day was booked. We would recommend the 7 day. 5 days is too short.

Highly recommend the Bike and Boat operators of the Magnificent II & III! Very professional and customer focused!

Overall the trip was great! The boat was nice, the rooms had more space than I expected, and the boat staff were superb! My only "opportunity for improvement" comment is that for a group of 25, the cycle tour company needs to provide more than one guide. Though our guide was very nice and knowledgeable, he was not good at making sure all 25 of us stayed together, made it through red lights, knew where the rest of the group was, etc. On more than one occasion, we had multiple people get far enough behind that they got lost and didn't know where they were supposed to go.

The countryside was breathtaking and our guide Ed Kimmel was so knowledgeable about his country and so proud to be Dutch.

My suggestions are:
For people 5’2” or shorter need a better bike fit. The seat and handlebars must be adjusted so you can reach the seat with your foot on the ground.

Suggestion for peddlers to ride together and electric bikes together but all in the same group. The peddlers need momentum the e bikes do not so it’s difficult when the riders are mixed.

Loved the intimate atmosphere of the barge. Get a chance to know the other passengers and crew.

The barge, service, crew, meals & hospitality all exceeded my expectations. This was a very well planned itinerary and was implemented seamlessly. Riding past tulip fields and the amazing day at Keukenhof Garden is something I will never forget!

Boat and crew were great! Food was very good and overall I would recommend this trip especially if you are a skilled/avid biker. For me I only biked one day of the five, I had trouble managing the e-bike with the number of other bikers, people walking and cars especially in the cities. I would agree that the biking was easy because it was flat, but there are a ton of other people biking and there was lots of starting a stopping and others people, bikes and cars to watch out for. I also think there needs to be two guides, 25 riders is a lot for one person to keep track of and manage. On Multiple days riders got lost.

Great trip. The guides where wonderful.

the holland countryside and the professionalism of the sailing home crew

The most memorable part of the trip was the vast beauty of the country: fields and fields of tulips, beautiful European architecture, and nature at its best with baby animals grazing in the fields. I was a bit anxious prior to the trip having never traveled much, but my advice is to relax and enjoy the new experience! I thoroughly enjoyed it!

The barge, the crew, the service, the hospitality were exceptional. The itinerary was well planned. The thrill of cycling by tulip fields and the amazing day at Kuekenhof Garden is something I will never forget.

Our guide Ed was exceptional. His love of Holland and it’s rich history was evident. He took every opportunity to point out landmarks and explain their relevancy today and across the globe. Each evening after dinner he took us in walking tours of the cities we were docked in. His grasp and expertise of Hollands history added much dimension and interest overall to the cycling tour.

The stops on Brugge, Ghent and Antwerp. Try to see as much as you can on those places, particularly The Cathedral I Antwerp. All along the Cycling Route the Countryside is superb