5 Star Netherlands Tour Reviews — 661 to 690 of 1464

The crew on the boat made everything delightful !!

This was our first bike and barge tour. We travelled on the Gandalf, the captain and crew aboard are wonderful, friendly. Daily up-dates and briefing from the captain and our guide were very informative. Food AMAZING, can't say enough about that.... Our guide Ron was also amazing, friendly, very well informed and full of historic information...
Bikes worked very well. We enjoyed every minute of this tour. Travelled with a great group which made for an excellent adventure. 5 star's thanks to the crew and people.
Thank you Tripsite for all assistance navigating the pandemic.

Seeing all the sights, travelling with friends and also meeting new ones. The crew and guides were very helpful.

We loved seeing the beautiful countryside, small quaint towns and unique places away from the usual busy tourist sites. It was so fun to get to know our fellow passengers and the staff on the ship was excellent, to include our outstanding guides!

Having been home not even one full week, I am STILL at a loss of words to fully describe our tour- it was however, definitely a 'masterpiece' of a trip (if a trip can be so described!). Over the 52 years of our marriage, we have been exceedingly fortunate to have been able to travel not only all over the U.S., but to numerous other countries and places both on our own as a couple and with my husband's career. Late in life we have both discovered bicycling and had often thought we'd love to take a biking vacation. Unfortunately 3 years ago, having discovered he had Afib and needed open heart surgery resulting in a double by pass, we thought that dream would not materialize. Fortunately health improved, miles were logged in practice, and a trip optimistically booked with Tripsite. As we anticipated the trip we were apprehensive about whether Covid would sidetrack our dream, but fortunately we were able to go. The trip was everything and much more than we had dreamed!!! We LOVED the accommodations on the barge- the Magnifique IV is a beautiful ship, with seemingly everything well thought out and beautifully designed. The food- breakfasts, afternoon snacks, dinners- ALL delicious, attractively presented and unique. Chef John was not only skilled at his craft ,but went out of his way to be personable and to graciously AND humorously immerse himself with the onboard group. He is a treasure!
The rest of the crew were similarly efficient and personable. They never displayed any fatigue (hard to believe because they seemed to toil nonstop!) and they were always pleasant and accommodating! Captain, Hank was pleasant and visible whenever he was not at the helm. I recall him telling my husband about the barge and various aspects of river travel, and several passengers were fortunate to have visited the wheelhouse. Now for the two tour guides- Hester and Marie- I could take hours to describe them! They were truly the backbone of the cycling trip! Each very different in personalities, they lead their group of cyclists each day with the utmost care and confidence. I truly felt that we were in very knowledgeable and very capable hands. As all of my biking was with Marie's group, I must say I was most partial to her demeanor- she is very concerned about her group members, very willing to adapt her speed and pace to the group as a whole. She was always cheerful, very willing to answer questions whether it be about the route or what we were seeing along the way. I felt that she was capable of addressing any issue, and therefore felt very safe.
All-in-all this truly will stand out in our memories as one of the very best decisions we ever made insofar as a vacation was concerned. We met lovely fellow travelers. A few with whom we hope to have laid a foundation for a lasting friendship. We have successfully checked off and have proudly accomplished another item on our 'bucket list' . At ages 73 and 75 we can say we biked from Amsterdam to Bruges without the assist of Ebikes... and have come home with 100's of pictures and limitedness memories to last forever! It certainly was (in our opinion) an excellent value for it's worth. Thank you, thank you!!!  SHOW MORE 

We travelled with our adult children, another couple and my 83 year old dad who did not bike. We had a fabulous time, and still think about the trip even after some time has passed. It was a great way to see the country. Although billed as tulip tour, it was much more of a whole area tour. Yes, the tulips and other flowers were beautiful, even if we were at the end of the season, but being outside every day, riding bikes was a great experience. Our kids probably would have preferred a more high intensity trip, but the balance worked out well. Highlights for me included how the group as a whole gradually became a team. pushing into head winds through the dunes was the most challenging, and the last 2 days including the dunes, a few wrong turns and the amazingly easy bike back into amsterdam we probably my highlights.
suggestions for others: our guide, Pete, did his best to keep everyone happy in terms of difficulty. there were times that were seriously challenging for some of the members(specifically the dunes day). My suggestions include: if you haven't biked before, please do so. An e-bike is not a solution to poor biking skills: they are heavy and hard to start. There is a lot of stop and go in the cities, especially Rotterdam. Especially if vegetarian or vegan, consider bringing/ buying at lunch stops extra food/ more or diverse food. One of the lunch/ coffee stops in particular had fabulous food.
even though he didn't bike, my 83 year old father had a great time hanging out with our captain and crew and still logged something like 12,000 steps/ day.

We loved everything about this trip! The boat was clean and comfortable, the crew was wonderful (especially the tour guide, Andre). We loved the cycling through this beautiful country! It was especially exciting to ride through the countryside and explore the unique towns along the way. We were so impressed with the incredible bike path system and the friendly people we encountered.

Bikes were top quality and the tour instructions were excellent. It was an excellent route. Food on the Normandie was good and the accommodations very comfortable.

I want to thank tulip tripsite ' team for all the great organisation, nice hotels booking, great bikes and GPS assistance.
We enjoyed a lot the trip. (6 days/6 nights). Thanks also to have informed us about the things to see /do.
We enjoyed a lot the Biodiversity Centre in Leiden, we highly recommend. We also enjoyed very much the spa in Gouda, it was a great experience after a day biking. The spa should actually be recommended in the trip-advice.
Thanks to all, Cécile and family

Biking through the gorgeous country side - stopping at the cheese shoppe - the attentiveness of the staff and the camaraderie of the fellow bike riders!

Tips - do as many activities as you can - yet if that doesn't work for you - spend a lovely day on the barge- reading , writing or simply enjoying the gorgeous scenery.

Really loved the trip - biking was flat, fabulous and scenic!

The trip was fantastic! The ship itself was comfortable and offered flexibility in seating with the upper and first decks, lounge area and dining room. Cabins were nicely done with storage room and comfortable beds. The crew was wonderful making sure every need was met. Having self guided before, we loved the guided option which led us through lovely villages, to coffee shops, picnic stops, and in through larger towns and cities without a worry. It was nice to have the option of not biking, and enjoying cruising the river or even to self guide as you wanted. The bike guides were fantastic engineering safety with a bounty of beautiful sights and history and facts of the sights. Having an after dinner stroll led by the guides was an unexpected treat. Hightly recommend this beautiful, relaxing, carefree yet full of activity vacation.

The "directions/highlights " paper along with the offline downloaded directions were terrific. The company's expert experienced routing took us thru scenic backways and villages that we may have missed by simply following a directional app ourselves. We enjoyed being able to ride at our own pace, stop where ever we chose, visit sites, museums, villages, or take photos on our own timeline. This also allowed us to begin the day's ride on our own schedule, enjoy a picnic lunch or lunch in a village center, and return early or later, have a coffee or beer along the way, still knowing when dinner was being served!

The guides were wonderful, the staff on the boat was so friendly and attentive, cabin accommodations were lovely as was the boat itself, and the biking itself was fabulous! We met lots of really great people and ate lots of good food. ALL of these things made it equally memorable.

Crew and both guides were professional, knowledgeable and very friendly throughout the trip. Our chef Wendy was superb and prepared wonderful dinners...also prepared crispy bacon and delicious scrambled eggs to start of out day. Our guides shared interesting stories and history about relevant sites we visited...all in all a great trip!!

Fourteen strangers came together for 11 days of cycling, with lots of laughing, good food, and camaraderie. We learned a lot about the places we saw and by the last day we were all friends.

An excellent biking experience through beautiful countryside and on top of dikes allowing views of the sea and dunes. Then on to the boat for delicious food and an after dinner tour through picturesque towns and cities. It's my favorite way to visit a country.

We lucked out with the most gorgeous weather and didn't need to break out any of our raingear. We enjoyed meeting our fellow travelers. The meals were fabulous and our tour leaders were knowledgeable and informative. Others may find some extra comfort if they bring added bike seat cushion (memory foam or gel). The tour leaders adjusted our itinerary when changes had to be made due to high winds and we still had a good time. Most memorable was seeing Kinderdijk, swans nesting on the polder, and storks on their nests.

The whole trip was great. The evening events on board were really special - the barbecue with the toast for the 30th anniversary couple, the beer and chocolate pairing with Peter and the farewell dinner with the toast for our 50th anniversary and Hester’s wonderful oboe concert. The whole crew was terrific but our guides were outstanding. The atmosphere was always convivial and we made many new friends.

The bicycle ride along the canals and fields of endless tulips! The staff and service was excellent. We highly recommend this trip to everyone.

It was a magical trip. We learned everything about tulips, chesse, windmills and much more. Try the E-bike, you exercise and also you enyoy the ride in a better way.

The attentiveness of Christina and Koen and all the rest of the staff on the boat. The only comment i have is that with 24 riders and quite a varying degree of riding abilities, I think two guides and divide the group into two would have been better.

Since this was our first Bike and Barge experience we have little to compare it with, but found we enjoyed the total package. The accommodation on the Gandalf was clean and the crew made it feel more like at home instead of just a place to sleep. Can't say enough about our guide, Simon, who spent many hours insuring the biking portion was smooth and profession. Even when the unexpected happened he calmly got us up and running again. The little personal touches he added gave the group a great deal of comfort in navigating in a foreign country.
Suggestion: If you are not use to riding 40 km a day, the e-bike option goes along way to improving the enjoyment level. A purchase of a local "SIMM CARD" that has data is very reasonable and give you a local phone # to communicate with the guide and/or the boat. TIP: call your guide on the first day so that he has your phone number registered on his phone.

Visiting the Keukenhof Gardens & riding through the countryside of the Netherlands. Wildlife and Windmills were abundant.

This is hands down, the best way to see Holland. Our guide Piet and the crew were amazing. My husband, brother and I (in our 30’s) as well as my parents (in their 60’s) all had the best time. The rides were relaxed and gave us a chance to really take in the incredible views. I would not hesitate to suggest this trip to anyone.

The guides and crew were wonderful and really made the trip special. Although you will be riding and walking a good part of the day, don't expect to lose much weight as the food is delicious

The leaders stopping along the way to educate us on the history of the area we were biking through.

The biking route was just perfect. The scenery and sights were wonderful. Staff was friendly and knowledgeable.

The new bikes were so great to use. There were 2 smaller people on our trip that had bikes that were too big for them. One had a couple falls and we were always afraid they might be injured.

Another thing that could be helpful is to have some more road safety tips. The shark teeth at intersections, the red path is for bikes etc. While these were explained to us it might be more helpful to see a video with these actually shown. I loved having Lenny as sweep the one day just reinforcing "you are on the right so he will stop " and "he has shark teeth so you can go".

Thank you for a wonderful vacation

The visits to the the lovely villages in our bikes. The great meals in the evening. The great breakfasts in the morning. The wonderful sense of togetherness

My wife and I have just completed our first Bike and Barge tour. Amsterdam to Bruges on the Gandalf. From the Captain Hans, crew and Nishka (the dog) they made a very comfortable and enjoyable trip. We spent a lot of time with our guide, Simon, and I can't say enough about the profession way that he handled his job. Planning of the daily routes, briefing, finding a wonderful spot for lunch break, the evening walking tours(for us that had enough energy), providing city maps and all the little extra personal touches added a great deal to the overall experience.
Since my wife had not been on a bike for a few years, the rental of the e-bike was a very welcomed. The tour is on flat ground but there overpasses and distance that the option of the e-bike should be considered.

The guides and staff were extremely engaging and accommodating . The chef selection of food and wine pairings exceeded expectations . The guides were knowledgeable and personable . The tour route had the right balance of cycling , exploring and relaxing .
To improve
Rooms stuffy . Better ventilation needed for sleeping . Suggest a check to set the climate control .
Two members of our group required extra small bikes not available .
Face clothes in rooms .