Netherlands Tour Reviews — 571 to 600 of 1805

The staff and crew on the Iris did everything in their power to give us an enjoyable experience. It was obvious they all enjoyed their jobs and wanted us to share in that joy.

The barge and staff were fantastic! The meals were fabulous. The bicycle was much better than I anticipated. Overall it was a well organized trip. They kept us busy with biking and each night there was a walking tour. I highly recommend this trip and am planning another one on the same boat in the future.

The biking guides were personable, knowledgeable, well organized. The staff on board the Iris were top rate, helpful, interactive. The itinerary/biking paths followed/led were varied and quite interesting - loved biking through the villages and countryside. Most memorable: Keukenhof, biking past all the tulip fields, past the windmills, receiving tidbits of historical info from the guides.

My memorable part of the trip was seeing the colourful tulips, cycling through the quiet farm land. Perfect weather for me to cycle in, some may think it's too chilly.

Wished we had stopped over each city/ town longer, had a guided walking tour each evening after dinner. Dinner was too long, need to trim down on the dining time.

The boat, staff, food were all excellent. Could not have asked for more. The weather took an unexpected turn which I'm sure dampered my experience, but could not be avoided. The thing that I am upset about was the itinerary and guide. Perhaps it was my inexperience, but when the trip is advertised and easy and beginner and with descriptions of biking through the countryside, I did not anticipate having to navigate busy city streets and intersections. I was anxious, fearful and frustrated, owing to my inability to do it. I had a bad bike wreck and am still (2 weeks now) unable to walk and am seeking medical attention. I also had a very negative response to our guide. We had a group of 22 and one arrogarnt, surly guide. We needed and I thought we were promised 2, at a minimum. I received very little instruction of biking traffic rules and not much help on settings for my ebike. He did not believe it was his job to teach us to ride ebikes and he didn't. He made it clear that he did not like to guide with ebikes and most of us had them. Attempting to wrangle 22 bikes through busy intersections was complete chaos and for me, pretty disastrous. I was only able to bike 2 days out the trip before my accident took me off the bike. I have always known that a guide can make or break a traveler's experience and now i have experienced it. I would not recommend this trip or experience to my friends. I have heard from others that the self guided trips offer more autonomy in group size, pace and enjoyment, but I doubt that I will ever try even that. This experience has cured me from bike and barge. I'm sorry to be so negative, but this is honest feedback.

Our 5 day trip aboard the Magnifique IV for the Netherlands tulip tour was magnificent! I can't say enough great things about the staff--each and every one was so helpful and accommodating. There was plenty of food at all times and the evening dinner was excellent. The rooms were small but clean and enough room for all of your belongings. The bikes were new and worked well. The only thing I would change about the trip was the weather (!) and perhaps I would have enjoyed eating lunch in the small towns we meandered through (versus packing a bagged lunch each day). Would definitely recommend this trip and will be booking with them again!

The Keukenhof gardens were spectacular. The food was also far above expectations.

The tours were very educational & informative. We only had 1 guide and he was pretty cranky & could be insulting to several of the ladies. To be honest the women were not prepared either.

Overall, a great trip. The crew and guides on the Iris were wonderful and helped to make the trip a memorable experience. Thought the tour itinerary was a great balance of Dutch culture, historic towns and places, canals, dikes and locks, windmills, and fields of flowers. Fun seeing the Netherlands on a bike. Chef was amazing and the Food was superb. Made good friends and enjoyed everyone on the bike tour. I would recommend this trip to anyone who wants to experience the beauty of springtime in Holland.

The trip including the Kuganeuf gardens was terrific. Well organized and relaxing. Our bike guides were attentive to everyone's level and set a comfortable pace.

The Tulip Market and riding to the North Sea. The pace was great! Everyone on the boat was phenomenal! The food was outstanding, the entire boat was clean. We could not have asked for anything better. I highly suggest getting to know the Captin and crew! I can not say enough wonderful things about The Magnifique III crew!

What a wonderful experience I had never been to Europe or out of the country, and it did not disappoint

The boat, crew, food were wonderful. It was apparent that a second cycling guide would have been an advantage as it was difficult for some riders to keep the pace.

Wonderful holiday. Barge is very clean spacious and the food is outstanding. Snacks were always available after a ride and the crew is extremely accommodating. Each day our bikes were ready and off the barge, our guide was knowledgeable of the history, area and always showed us some hidden gems. We were a very large group 23 riders, I think the guide could have used another guide for assistance. The scenery speaks for itself

The most memorable part of the trip was bicycling to see the tulip fields, the parade of flowers, and one of the largest flower auctions in the world.

Oh wow, what an awesome trip!! From the scenery and sights to the food on the Fleur, everything was wonderful! The staff on the boat was welcoming and took good care of us. Our guides, Patrick and Karin, were great fun and knowledgeable.

This was my 4th Tripsite tour and was by far the best. The Fleur was delightful: clean and beautifully decorated. The food prepared by the amazing chef, Steffie, was amazing. Each day she presented a culinary treat that was on par with the finest restaurants. Our guides, Karin and Patrick, were knowledgeable and fun. We cycled past small villages, pastures of sheep and cows, saw amazing birds, and charming canals. Of course, the tulips were gorgeous every way you turned. We became friends with the other passengers, and the camaraderie made the trip even more fun. If you take this tour, you will not be disappointed. Just be prepared for all types of weather conditions and cold temperatures. An ebike made the cycling against the wind manageable. The entire trip will be a lifetime memory for me.

Tulip exchange

It was a great time of year in the Netherlands. Caught the flower parade, 4-20 day, Kings day and the tulips in bloom!

Just the whole trip everything was memorable, the barge crew, the ride leader & cycling. The Barge itself, the food and peolple

The most memorable part of our trip was keukenhof gardens. It was amazing. We also liked Aalsmeer which was fascinating and the North Sea. The bike ride there was beautiful and different from any of the other biking we did. The neighborhoods and homes were beautiful as well as the forests we rode through. Then it was just a treat to be on a beach when we got there. Our week was cool windy and rainy at times. My best suggestion would be to have layers to dress in. The panniers for the bikes are very spacious to hold layers and jackets if you need to remove any. Gloves were very helpful as well as gators for our heads/necks. Another suggestion would be to be practiced up on your bikes in some crowded conditions as Amsterdam biking was brief but a little hairy. Use an Ebike if you’re out of shape. The wind was brutal.

Seeing fields of tulips and hyacinths in full bloom and in full fragrance was amazing as was the Keukenhof Gardens. Disappointingly, however, was that tulips were only one day of the entire trip. Ghent and Bruges were also definite highlights. The cuisine presented by Christina each evening on board the Merlijn was gourmet and delicious. Our guide was excellent and very knowledgeable. We were very pleased to have many layers of clothing as we had days of rain, wind, and or cold temps. A few mornings it was only 4C when we started out but did get up to 10C. Although the countryside is flat for easy riding, there were many bridges to cross requiring some decent hill climbing to get up and over! Belgium however was all flat and the much easier portion of the trip. Another tip to keep in mind is that the third week in the Netherlands is a school holiday as it is the King’s birthday. The KG was packed with people.

Coan & Christina own and operate the 50 meter 1930 converted cargo ship Merlijn along with a crew of 3 and a bike guide. The attention to detail , ,new equipment and bikes. The difference is other tour vessels are owned by larger companies and hire a captain a crew with older bikes.
Our guide Francien was very good, had 20 years experience and took us places that you would not see on a self guided tour. In the evenings after our on board gourmet dinner she would take who wanted to go on a tour of the city or town.
The scenery was amazing and a boat canal side tour in Gent was arranged. Our groups average was between 55 and 73 and everyone was able able to keep up a good pass on regular and e bikes.
We will be taking another tour they offer in Germany next year

The landscapes of Holland are wonderful. The paths chosen were sensational. The hotels met our expectations. Unfortunately the weather was very cold in the month of April. But I want to go back to do another tour of Holland.

We took this trip obviously for the tulips but what a pleasant surprise to have such an amazing crew and guide team. The meals were gourmet, the lunches amazing, snacks waiting on our return and a friendly face welcoming us back. The captain mingled with us when not driving the ship to its next location. And the guides..Wim and Brian did a fabulous job Wims knowledge is amazing. And then there were the little towns we biked through that we would have never seen any other way! A total experience that well exceeded my expectations! Bravo!

Seeing the large tulip fields in full bloom. I liked the ship the Iris. The crew were wonderful. They sure treated the riders great. I really enjoyed our bike tour guides, Ferry and Maaike. They were very knowledgeable and did a great job of guiding us. Several times, the Iris could not get to the designated stopping point for the evening due too bridges being out for maintenance. so they had to reroute us to a different location to catch the Iris. The food on the Ship was very good. Coen, the chef, did a great job of creating meals, salads, soups, and deserts. I have one suggestion. Please have the chef create more authentic Dutch cuisine. I asked Ferry about this, and he said that there is really not much concerning Dutch cuisine. He said it was mainly poor man's food. Anyway, I would have liked more of the Dutch poor man's food. The weather did not cooperate. I know the weather can be bad, and it was. It rained a lot every day. The wind was constantly blowing, and the temps were in the low to mid 40s. One day the temperature reached the mid 50s with the sun shining in the afternoon. The last 2 days it was rainy, cold, with a very strong head wind. Over all I enjoyed the trip, but the weather could have been better.

We are so glad we choose the authentic Holland tour on the de Holland. It was a great blend of forests, wetlands, and Hanseatic cities! The staff was very friendly and helpful, and the food was excellent. I highly recommend this tour.

This trip exceeded our expectations. EVERYTHING was well done.... We would highly recommend....

The most memorable part of my trip was the time we rode our bikes around the tulip fields. The scenery was breath taking!

I also really enjoyed my time on the Magnifique III

This trip was amazing. The pre-planning info, the easy to follow arrival, and the overall organization made my first trip an enticement for future excursions. The crew iof the Iris and our guides were engaging and easily created a family-like experience. Every day was greeted with smiles and experiences which made all of us feel the excitement of the voyage. Thank you for the great memories!