4 Star Netherlands Tour Reviews — 31 to 60 of 307

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.

Staff were great and worked very hard for all of us during the week. Unfortunately strong winds kept us docked for a day so we lost a day riding north as planned and caused other changes in the itinerary which apparently is not common but can happen. Food was very good and enjoyable to meet others from other countries during social hours.

The mix of beautiful countryside and vibrant cities and towns.

The views cycling Bruges, the countryside, windmills etc
Boat was nice, food was good, nice staff.

I recently completed the Authentic Holland trip aboard the Magnifique II. The vessel was well-maintained, staffed by an excellent team, and featured outstanding cuisine. I greatly appreciated the expertise of our guides, Erna and Niels, who provided valuable insights into the region. Our itinerary included cycling through wooded areas, along dykes, and through scenic towns and countryside. Each day, mid-morning, we sstopped for coffee and toured historic villages.
The only aspect that did not meet expectations was the absence of a visit to Amsterdam Castle Muiderslot. Although we stopped in Muiden for lunch and had time to explore, the tour description included a photograph of the castle, which led to the assumption that the site would be part of the program. Guests were permitted to visit independently, but time constraints made this challenging. Incorporating the castle’s entrance fee and allocating a dedicated visit period could enhance future experiences. Overall, I found the bike and boat tour to be highly rewarding.

The Boat was very comfortable. The crew were amazing! They were always smiling, quick to fill requests or anticipate needs. Very hard working and clearly worked as a team. The chef did an excellent job with the food.
Riding bikes in then Netherlands is a dream. The country is so bike focused.

There were a couple of times that could have been improved or communication could have been better.
I feel we wasted a lot of potential exploration time in Antwerp due to waiting hours for a bridge to be raised. I know this is not the fault of the Captain or crew but I do think that an alternate way for getting us to Antwerp could have been found, a water taxi or even disembark and hop on a bus. We were so so close to the city but were stuck on the boat.

Additionally time in Ghent was minimal as the boat did not stay in Ghent

Overall the trip was very enjoyable.

The most memorable part of the trip was the gift of breezing through the many changing landscapes of this region, at our own pace, stopping for a coffee to be part of the community for only a few moments.

All along thebjourney the countryside evolves from the super cycle friendly amsterdam end to the more car centric life at the Masstricht end. The towns and vilkages are interesting but not stunning in the way the Mosel tour us. There is large scale terraforming going on to modify the flooding pattern of the Mass River which I found of great interest. And not least is the instant group dynamics of the folks on the tour.

It was actually Maastricht to Amsterdam. It was a wonderful tour. The history in the towns, cities, and villages is impressive, as are the great bakeries.

We are a family of 4 with kids age 12 and 6 and we bike regularly at home, including over longer distances. We had a wonderful time on this trip! The biking distances were just right for us, we enjoyed the solitude and self guided aspects, the maps and instructions were helpful, the hotels were great (including excellent breakfasts everywhere) and we loved the combination of the biking with exploring historical places and culture. We also opted to extend our stay in Amsterdam and keep the bikes, which worked out well for us. Everything related to luggage worked well.

The one thing that didn't go perfectly was the trailer bike for our younger son. The trailer was basically just old - it was giving out and even with my husband tightening it it was veering off to one side. This took away from some of the enjoyment of the rides on the last couple of days. We recommend the company overhaul their stock of trailers.

rain otherwise ok.
cabin is n the boat . even after several requests the AC was not fixed . it was very uncomfortable. I was actually berated that I opened the sliding doors in order to try to get some cooler air inside. in retrospect I should have taken my pillow and sleep in the lobby.

Most memorable were the amazing rides through the countryside in the sunshine. Assistance from the cycling crew was amazing!

Disappointed to hear that participants who chose to remain on the boat were restricted to only certain areas.

Would have liked more snacks and drinks post cycling.

The people were wonderful - warm, welcoming and knowledgeable. The countryside was beautiful and historic. The room was clean and comfortable. All in all, it was a great experience.

Trip was great overall. De Holland was also very good, rooms, etc., were very good. Food was ok. On board staff seemed a bit rigid & could have been a bit more flexible. Tour guides were very good though there could have been at least one or two more guides for the number of people riding. Boat crew were very good. Overall, a great trip & would do it again & recommend it to others.

What an amazing trip . We lucked out with beautiful sunny, weather and two good friends as cycling mates. We thoroughly enjoyed cycling from Amsterdam to Bruges The guibo app along with paper information/maps and route numbers helped us successful stay in course. The distance travelled each day was doable and allowed us with time to enjoy leisurely lunches, explore churches/historical buildings and local markets.( great tips in info / map booklet provided) We even dipped our toes in the north sea at two of the sandy beaches,The category A hotel choices were great and centrally located in cities/ towns,. We especially enjoyed the historical hotels -Hotel Mondragòn and Hotel Mauritz . Kudus to the chef at hotel, Mauritz where we enjoyed the best rack of lamb ever.Although we only met three additional cyclists from the Dutch bike company, we had many opportunities to meet other travellers and locals who thoroughly enhanced our experience. Ending at the Velotel in Bruges also gave us the opportunity to meet other cyclists and learn about their trips and travels. We’re ready for our next cycling adventure . Thank you very much.

It was a great way to see a lot of the country in a short period of time, without feeling stressed by schedules. Marcel was particularly excellent as a tour guide and information resource. The crew was friendly and accommodating. The food was good enough- I didn't expect 5-star meals , but there was lots of it, and most meals were quite tasty. The Hanseatic League map was great, and coupled with the Ride with GPS app, I never felt concerned that I was lost or stranded in a foreign country. The length of rides was appropriate, and when my bike began to squeak mid-trip, a new bike was immediately provided.

The scenery. The culture. The guest connections and the helpful guides, not to mention a few amazing dinners.

The trip was great. The boat - the last time to be used for this trip - was nice except no A/C. The crew were so friendly - the food was good especially the last night's dinner. The bike guide was such a nice guy, very experienced but he did to provide good safety briefings or information about each day's activities. There was a lot of down time and he spent time sitting in cafes instead of showing us the small villages and towns.

This was a good tour, however slightly misleading in description. It was rated easy but for some reason, most people rented ebikes, so the tour guides ran it at a fast pace as if ebikes were expected on the first couple of days. Thankfully after a couple of days they divided the bikers into a fast/slower group for those of us on regular bikes. After that, we had a great time. The boat staff was very friendly and went above and beyond to serve us at the bar, meals, cleaning rooms, etc. Sadly we ran into a few issues with the boat itself (A/C did not work 2 days, plumbing issues one day). The staff worked to correct these issues as soon as they could but it was very difficult to sleep in the hot cabins 2 nights. The beds were fairly comfortable and the dining room was very nice, although sweltering during dinner with no A/C in that area every night. The chef Chris, tried hard, but had a few, not so successful meals. He should probably simplify his meals so that service could speed up between courses - sometimes as long as 30 minutes between courses. I watched as many guest did not like the "fancy" meals including the crawfish or the raw meat appetizers. A salad might have been a better choice to appeal to more guests.

Beautiful cycling routes.
Excellent tour guides as shown when one of the woman had a bad fall when cycling . This was handled so well as she had to be taken to hospital.
One could put all trust in the tour guides knowing that we were well looked after.
My previous Barge/Bike tours were on smaller barges which I do prefer.
Fluvius twice as big. Fully booked so always standing in queus for breakfast etc.

I thought the guides and crew did an excellent job. The rooms were comfortable and the biking portion was excellent the food was great and everything was very accommodating. The only reason I gave it less than 5 stars was that the booking process and status updates were a bit more confusing than what we are used to. We should have been able to log in to check our account status and to check the details of the trip. The final documents were only provided a month before the trip and well after the final payment had been made. It added to the confusion prior to the excursion and also made us uneasy about whether the trip would be pleasurable. Work on developing a better website with better interaction.