5 Star Netherlands Tour Reviews — 601 to 630 of 1464

The ability to really get to know your other travelers. The scenery and routes were wonderful.
Be sure you have put in the miles before you go so you don’t get so tired you can’t enjoy the rest of the trip. If you sign up for an e-bike, get some experience before you go. Know your ability today not when you were 18, 25 years old. This is a bike tour with guides for the route and care of the bikes. They are not there to give you the history of the areas or buildings you visit-you need to do your own work. They share their knowledge but that isn’t their job!

This was one of the best vacations I’ve ever had! The Magnifique IV is gorgeous and comfortable, and every single staff member was super helpful and just absolutely lovely! Our cycling guides, Hans and Wilfred, we’re wonderful - fun, knowledgeable, well-organized. Seeing bigger towns and cities, and all the countryside and ‘regular’ towns in between by bicycle is such a good way to explore. I highly recommend this trip!

The team (captain Paul, chef Michael, sailor Albert, Hostesses Annika & Ingeborg and tour guides Hans & Wilfred) on Magnifique IV is amazing. They are always cheerful and are so hardworking. Every meal was exquisite and the warm and delicious snacks offered after a long (wet) bike ride were so appreciated. The barge is beautiful. It is clean and well appointed. We appreciated the 2 usb ports to charge our phones in our large suite. We were conservative with water so had lots for a hot shower after a day of cycling. The scenery was gorgeous. If we had stopped at every place for a beautiful picture, we would still be in Gent! Our tour guides were very knowledgeable about the area. They easily answered our questions with enthusiasm and humour. Our daily route was tweaked according to the groups' abilities, interests and, of course, the weather.

Tips
Pack light. We avoided long lineups at every airport because we had only carry-on luggage.
Don't bring a bike helmet unless you are cycling before or after the tour. They are provided.
Rent one of the e-bikes. Even though the routes are mostly flat, we so appreciated having a little boost. I had mine on level 1 most of the time. Level 2 was for near the end of the ride. Level 3, only for going up hills. Make sure to unlock your bike and turn your battery on again after a stop.
Keep some distance between your bike and the one ahead. Not everyone will be experienced with cycling in groups and hand signals.
Do bring a gel seat cover with a waterproof bag. You can cover it, or just take it off when stopping. The seats on the bikes are just okay. They were much more comfortable with an additional squishy layer.
Do bring water-PROOF raingear, top and bottom. We kept warm and almost completely dry with ours. Others went with water RESISTANT and regretted it. In fact, next time I'm bringing good quality covers for my shoes. The staff kindly put our shoes in the engine room to dry out. This worked beautifully when they were damp, but let's just say that stronger measures were needed on other days. Bring an extra pair of shoes.
Your waterproof jacket needs to have a hood. Note, the ball cap I wore under my helmet to keep the sun out of my eyes also kept the rain off my face. We had a mix of weather. Definitely dress in layers if you are doing a tour in late September. I was glad I packed warm long-sleeved tops, hoodies and wool socks. I also had a warm coat and a scarf for the cool evenings in the various beautiful cities.
Do bring a few ziploc bags. These will come in handy on wet days, even with the waterproof satchels.
Don't believe the nice lady at the cheese farm. Unless you are going back home right away, uncover and place the cheese you buy in a fridge. Simply opening the package to let it breath won't be enough to prevent mold from growing.
Do get a data package with your cellphone company. Not every place will have wifi when you need it.  SHOW MORE 

The guides and their local knowledge really made this trip unforgettable. For other travelers - yes, your behind will hurt if you aren't used to cycling every day. It's 100% worth it. You'll see towns and places that tourists don't normally visit.

The Magnifique III is a beautiful ship. I had a suite on the upper deck (highly recommend) and was able to sit by my open window and watch the world glide by, The large common areas are very comfortable. All the staff from the Captain, Walter, to the tour guides, Esther and Tom, were friendly and helpful. The food was excellent. And the Dutch/Belgian countryside and towns are picturesque and lovely. Just do not expect long distances (our longest day was 57 km) or fast speeds (we averaged as a group under 10 mph). This trip is designed to enjoy the journey. We cycled on marvellous dedicated pathways and quiet roads where traffic was always courteous. Unfortunately, we had more rain than we all would have liked but no one can control the weather!

We are from Mexico and this is our second time with tripsite. And definitely looking forward to do it again.
Amsterdam to Brugge is magic!!
The sites, the routes, the lodges and great food!!
We decided to do it on ebike and was an excellent choice.this way we could enjoy the road with the right effort.
The bikes were excelent and all the experience with tripsite is the best!
Looking for for our next trip!

The Trip met or exceeded all of our expectations. I enjoyed seeing the Netherlands and Belgium from a variety of vantage points. Walking into Antwerp old central square at night was magical.

We highly recommend the Rotterdam to Cologne trip. We went early September and the weather was beautiful. Water level worries caused some anxiety but in the end, there was no issue and the boat travelled along just fine. The E-biking was effortless as it is relatively flat. The scenery, especially in Netherlands, wonderful. The staff on our boat were friendly and helpful. The food was very good and our selections for our packed lunches was wonderful. We returned each day to a nice tidy cabin with our bunks pulled up to allow seating. Housekeeping did a great job. One suggestion: the maps need a review and update. In some instances, our group and other members from the boat were all at a particular location, quite confused as to the next step. Eventually we all ended up in the correct place but a few times, it was a large group consultation to solve it! Be sure to have a live smart phone at hand. We resorted to it a couple of times to navigate.

Our staff. Hans and Wilfred were exceptional.

The dinners were fantastic.

Riding in our bike entourage through the scenic Flemish and Dutch countryside, from one hamlet to the next village with the beautiful backdrop of peaceful fields will be seared into our memories forever. We did encounter some blustery rain, which makes us regret not having packed better rain gear.

The most memorable part of the trip was creating new relationships and the beautiful canals and gardens!
I would consider booking another bike and barge through tripsite in the future.

This trip exceeded our expectations. The accommodations and food on the barge were wonderful. We were so comfortable. The guides were terrific, they were so informative and made adjustments as needed to suit weather and safety. The evening tours to special places where we stopped were special. The crew was great. I can’t wait to do it again.

Bicycling through the picturesque countryside was magical. We saw beautiful homes and gardens, bridges, small villages, windmills, and night touring the bigger towns to learn a little about the history was a bonus. Staying on a smaller barge gave us an opportunity to get to know the other guests and crew. This too made for a memorable trip. The company is very organized and have a well thought out program. Our tour guide Roseanna was amazing. She had much information to share on our route, kept us together, tremendous patience and lots of fun. Our Chef, Captain and crew made for a comfortable, safe and relaxing trip down the canals after our ride.

The riding was relatively easy given the flat countryside. The rides along country lanes and through farmland was magical. The stops in towns were a great opportunity to experience small town life in the Netherlands. The food on board the sailing home was wonderful, and the staff were great--attentive, available, friendly, enthusiastic. So few people did so much--it was remarkable.

The one thing I forgot to mention in the survey while I was still on the barge ( while still basking in the glow of such a wonderful trip), is regarding the first evening. The plan was for a short "shakedown" bike ride to check out our bikes, and get used to them. By the time we got outside, it was nearly dark. There were some bikes that needed some attention and the short ride through town was difficult in the dark. It was a frustrating and anxiety provoking first outing. I think the solution would be easy---either make dinner that night earlier, and/or, at the least, postpone dessert, head out to the bikes with more daylight remaining, and then have a post-ride dessert available. It could be something simple like pastry, cookies, or fruit so that the chef doesn't need to stay on any later (she works hard enough as it is).
My high ratings overall for the trip are not inclusive of that first evening, which wasn't a good experience, but then faded into the background since everything afterwards went so well. Thank you for taking this into consideration.

Kudos to chef Joost! Great food.
Also to tour guide Ingrid who gave us background into Dutch culture and history.
I did fine on the heavy Dutch bike but if you want to have an easier time of it, rent an e-bike and have no worries about the cycling.

The beauty of the whole trip with the sea, the forests and the quaint towns.

Bike and barge was amazing! We were on the Fluvius, staff there were great! Pre-trip planning with Trip site and Anna was stress free and informative! We have already recommended tripsite and bike and barge trips to our friends. We will probably book another one next year!

When I first heard about Friesland from an acquaintance, I didn’t know much about that part of Holland. But I’m sure glad I did my research because biking in Friesland was one of my favorite bike trips ever! The countryside and the sea were so beautiful and full of life. The hotels we stayed in were both modern and quaint, with comfortable rooms, and well connected to town for dinner and shopping. The breakfasts were fit for a king with so many choices to be had. The things I will remember the most are: 1. The many many canals along the ride with people in their boats waving to us as we rode by, 2. The beautiful green farmland with cows, sheep, horses grazing and farmers working their fields, 3. The houses and buildings in the very clean towns with the interesting colorful facades, 4. The sheep grazing along the path on the coast; so fun to watch them graze, rest, and wander! 5. Seeing old windmills in a few places but many modern windmills dotting the landscape, 6. The sea in all its splendor, 7. The French fries and mayonnaise, a true taste treat! At the end of each day it became a tradition for us to have a beer to celebrate our ride that day, especially on the very windy days along the coast! Our 27 speed bikes were sturdy and comfortable and easy to use the lock and key, though it might have been helpful to have someone help us the first day to get acquainted with the bikes. The maps with the numbers were well done and helped us navigate, though getting in and out of the towns was sometimes a challenge. Also, not all of us had maps (couples share one) or a pack attached to hold a map; so with only 2 of 4 of us navigating, it was sometimes tricky; every single person should have a map on a self guided bike trip. One thing I wish we would have done was perhaps to stay an extra day in a couple of the towns along the way, both for rest and exploration, and maybe have gone to one of the islands; more emphasis that this was an option could’ve made the tour a bit longer, but less rushed. But all in all, this was an amazing trip that I would highly recommend to anyone that enjoys both biking and adventure!

The most memorable would be the countryside, farms, the wonderful bicycling trails. The cows and sheep :)
very bucolic landscape.

One suggestion for the future to consider.... I think it best to do the trip in reverse of what was laid out. The reason I say this is, because of prevailing winds of the North Sea (Waddell Sea), we had head wind (sometimes severe). Had the tour been as I suggest, we would have a tail wind to our backs. I noted that most of the Dutch weekenders did in reverse of us (They obviously knew their country side best!) great time was had by all! Cheers :)

Loved riding through the farmlands leading to Gent at the beginning of the trip. Beautiful scenery and so peaceful! Our boat tour up the canal was magical.

I would rate this trip excellent and well beyond my expectations. The staff were always cheerful and accommodating. Guides were informative and all of the days were well paced and eventful.

The bicycling each day through fabulous scenery led by a wonderful guy and guide - Mark Van Rossom. The leap-frogging of our comfortable barge each day to pick us at at a new spot along the way from Netherlands to Belgium.
Also extremely impressed with our barge’s captain Coba.

Every aspect of the trip was delivered as advertised. Crew and cycling guide were outstanding. Sailing Home was more than comfortable and food was plentiful and delicious.

The beautiful scenery, wonderful camaraderie, and helpful guides made this a remarkable and enjoyable experience. For those not comfortable cycling who might be traveling with an experienced cycling partner, I highly recommend an e-bike. It took all of the stress away for both is us!

The Magnifique IV was a lovely barge, we’ll set out and nicely appointed. Meals were delicious, the suite was spacious and the bathroom was the equal or better of many we experience in quality hotels. The staff including the guides were excellent and contributed to a delightful week of seeing the Netherlands and Belgium.

It was a fantastic trip. The magnifique 2 was classy with a hard working and friendly crew from the chef to the captain and beyond. We enjoyed everything about the trip. Cycling everyday through farmlands, quaint towns, along dykes and rivers was a truly memorable experience.
We plan to book another bike barge adventure soon. We felt very well taken care of. We highly recommend it !

All was very well done.. food, tours, boat. Great trip.

This tour was incredible!!! We did this with our two teenage daughters 13 and 15… and we were all blow away by the beauty of the Netherlands and the immaculate organization of Tripsite and their team!

The route was a brilliant mixture of history and pristine nature. It was pretty flat so although an effort at times for the teens, not difficult at all… but you felt like you deserved our sundowner drink at the end of the day.

Hotels were all lovely, with delicious breakfasts included. The towns we went through were beautiful and hotels in very central locations.

The bikes were top class, gave us no issues whatsoever. Peter Vos from Tulip tours was incredibly helpful and knowledgeable about the route. Gave us a good briefing and off we went.

We would love to return to do more trips in the future.

Thanks again to all at Tripsite.

Meals were delicious. E-bikes turned the trip into sightseeing rather than difficult exercise. Great way to see the countryside. Rooms were clean, comfortable and air conditioned. Bathrooms were clean and big enough. Crew and guide were friendly, open and accommodating.

Given that the climate is warming it is time to air condition the upper deck.

The sailing experience
I would take another trip with the company in a heartbeat!