Netherlands Tour Reviews — 61 to 90 of 1805

Cycling in The Netherlands is wonderful and this trip took us to a great variety of settings. We cycled into small towns, past historic sites, through beautiful forests, across pretty meadows and felt comfortably safe the whole time. The route allowed for stops along the way while still feeling like we accomplished a good ride by the end of the day. The De Nassau was comfortable and accommodating. The crew and guide, Wilma, made us feel welcome and assisted us with any needs or questions we had. The bikes were well-maintained and comfortable. Thanks for a great trip!

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.

This was our first bicycle/barge trip and it was a fantastic experience from the beginning to the end.
The cycle routes were safe, beautiful and easy to follow. We really enjoyed each day - even when the weather wasn't perfect. Visiting the Hanseatic cities was also very interesting: I enjoyed the walking tours in the evening.
Overall, I loved the trip and wish it was two weeks long!

The staff were delightful! Thank you. I loved the ride through the National forest.

I loved everything about this trip!
The Iris was fantastic. Loved the crew, accommodations and food. Our guides, Wim and Alice, were also excellent. They were both super kind and helpful. The route thru picturesque Dutch towns and lovely, green countryside was idyllic. I can’t imagine better hosts than everyone we encountered on this wonderful tour!

Our Bike and Barge trip on the Merlijn was top notch. There were many highlights including our daily cycling trips guided by our fantastic knowledgeable guide Franciene, who hails from the Netherlands. She told us lots of ‘stories’ along the way and planned each of our outings with great care and personalization. Our Merlin accommodations were top notch. Can’t say enough about our crew. They were amazing professional, friendly and took care of our every need. Christina our co-captain and chef extraordinaire served us fantastic meals every night. I would love to do more exploring with the Merlijn crew in the future.

The barge is excellent and the food service great. The staff were very organized and pleasant. The bikes were excellent and the best helmets with the microphone communication with the guide who was also excellent. The routes were well planned and the tours from the boat were good. It was great to have a flexible day where one had a choice to bike and hike, bike and kayak or chose to go on your own excursion which several people did- a day in The Hague and Delft. Highly recommend this tour!

Martin was a super guide. Bikes were fun- mine could have been a bit smaller but it worked. Bike paths were great. Accommodations were perfect for us- comfortable and nice restaurant.

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.

The only worry in the world we had was where to stop for a coffee or lunch. The hotels that were arranged were beautiful and the historic towns we stayed in were really fun to visit.

Imagine cycling along dykes and rivers and canals in the softest light of the morning and seeing on the horizon 19 windmills! That's what happened on the ninth day of our Barge and Bike Tour. We cycled past 19 historical windmills at Kinderdyke. That was how I dreamt cycling in Holland would be. Just magical.
Every now and again you would glimpse through the reeds and rushes, water fowl and swans. and if you were lucky enough to be there just at the right movement, you would see the cygnets climb onto the backs of the mamma swans to have a ride. All that there amongst the fairytale windmills.

A more relaxing and natural side of the Netherlands. A nice balance of biking and sightseeing (Ecomare, Shipwreck and Beachcombing museum, Frisian ice skating museum, oldest, operating planetarium). I really enjoyed wandering the canals and streets of Harlingen. Tripsite staff and the boat crew were very good - as always!

The guides were excellent and it was fun when they interacted with us. The entire staff were professional not to mention talented - all were very personable and could not do enough for you. The meals were exceptional!!!! It was fun when guides would add in some things on our rides, like the man who Has created different bikes that we all could try. We were fortunate to have people who interacted! Thank you for a great trip.

I ticked the bucket list of cycling in the rain - lol. The weather was less than ideal, so that was a bummer, but the biking lanes and scenery were fabulous, along with the quaint villages and squares. The food on board was absolutely amazing - kudos to Rutger. The crew Jolien and Daniel were awesome; our cabins and the ship were always pristine; they made excellent drinks and were so friendly and helpful. Our guides were superb - great at making sure every one was comfortable on their bikes and getting us where we had to be and they had so much knowledge of the history of every single place we visited and cycled by. Our captains Andres and Matthias did a great job sailing the Magnifique 1 with help from the sailor Jowel. What really struck me is that everyone worked as a team all pitching in to load bikes, set the tables, do the cleaning, cook the food, secure the barge . . . It made for a very welcoming, cozy atmosphere on board and by the end we were all sad to go home.

This was our first bike and barge experience, yet we had heard many descriptions from friends. We went with excitement and high expectations. And from the moment we were greeted and introduced the boat the Accommodations, pleasantness and service level of the Merlijn crew exceeded every expectation we had by far! Our guide Francine was also superb. Her local knowledge, skill and experience made the ride safe and extremely enjoyable. Highly recommend this boat and crew.

We had a wonderful time. The combination of biking everyday and returning to our comfy accommodations on the boat was perfect.

The last two days were the most beautiful weather-wise. Loved the scenery, farms, birds, farm animals, gardens, homes, windmills. Just beautiful. The meals on board were delicious. Met some fun people. Loved our upper level rooms!

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.

The cycling itself.
Meeting other cyclists.
Certain staff members approach were very appreciative and attentive and others not so much.
Meals were not great. Made mostly from frozen or highly processed food. Lack of availability of free cold drinking water for cyclists was a concern.

The first few days of bicycling around the Netherland were the best, after that it became a bit monotonous with lots of farm land.
The boat was great.
The food was ok but would benefit from more fresh vegetables and fruits and salty snacks after the day of biking.
The hospitality staff were a bit too rigid in applying rules for access to drinking water or coffee. We were refused a glass of drinking water because the kitchen was closed but there was water at the bar!!!
There should be more guides to help with issues when biking. At one point we had one guide for 60 people biking in two different routes! It was difficult navigating at times and would require more support.

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.

The crew were amazing! It was wonderful watching them as a well oiled team and they were always cheerful. Fabulous food, the ship was spotless and the guides were informative.

How our guide, Ronald, guided us into new discoveries each day, how he added info and history on special places, and how he kept us all on the road together.

The beautiful landscape and communities we road through as well as expert guides. The crew of the Iris and the amenities were amazing also.

My wife and I rented e-bikes for the trip which allowed us more time to enjoy the sights and restaurants along the way! The routes chosen for us were perfect and navigation was easy with the information and GPS tracks provided through Tripsite. One highlight was the scenery as it transitioned though cities, pastoral country-side and the beaches of the Netherlands. Another highlight included the many people we chatted with along the cycle paths or at picnic tables as we ate our lunch/snacks - it's amazing what we had in common with the people we met along the way! Biking is definitely an adventure we will do again.

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.

Our Skipper Willie is amazing! Watching her maneuver our large schooner into tight spaces was remarkable. She was also excellent informing us about conditions, explaining the dam, etc. On the other hand, she was very sensitive to the needs of her crew and willing to help do anything when needed.

Biking was great, even with constant modifications to the initial itinerary. Our tour guide was vigilant and made sure everyone stayed or got back on track! We really enjoyed getting to know our guide, he certainly made our experience more enjoyable.

The Merlijn is a beautiful boat, very clean and up to date. The bikes are brand new, easy to use. The food was wonderful and the staff so friendly and attentive. I don't have anything negative to say about this experience, it was so much fun.