5 Star Netherlands Tour Reviews — 1021 to 1050 of 1442

The trip, from start to finish, far exceeded our expectations. We were welcomed aboard by a very lovely crew and shown to our cabin. Accommodations, while "cozy" were clean, attractive and storage spaces were very thoughtfully planned; it never felt claustrophobic. Meals were as good as any four star restaurant and my gluten free needs were met without any problems. I cannot say enough about the crew and our guides; they were outgoing, caring, accommodating and fun to be around. I can say as much for the guests. I felt as if I was with old friends (not just the "old friends" with which we were travelling.) The bikes were in good condition and guides made sure everyone had a bike to fit their size. The tour, scenery, quick visits to churches and castles, even the little unexpected things, like vending machines filled with chilled strawberries, remain fixed in my memory as the most special experiences. We were very lucky that the weather was perfect each day. The ride and short stops in beautiful little towns added to this wonderful trip, and our guides, Tom and Hilko made each stop interesting and fun. I could go on, but suffice it to say, this will not be our last trip with Tripsite!

The whole trip was fantastic. The food was amazing, staff was wonderful and the barge was comfortable and gorgeous. Bruges and Ghent were our favorite stops.

It is difficult to highlight one part of the trip as the whole experience was excellent. I have done bike/boat tours before and the accommodation on this historic ship was by far the best ever. The rural scenery in the Netherlands is extraordinarily beautiful and the Issjelmeer is stunning. Actually, perhaps the best thing was the staff. We felt like personal guests on this trip and as if the staff were long time personal or family friends. The organization was informal but efficient and the food was home cooked and excellent. There was a variety of activities from cycling to sailing; exploring historic villages and towns and swimming in the sea. Best ever trip.

The entire barge and bike trip was superlative! But what impressed me the most biking and barging aboard the Magnifique besides the excellent accommodations, great and varied food, breathtaking scenery, and cultural stops, was the professionalism of the staff. The Bruges to Amsterdam crew of six were constantly working to make our week safe, enjoyable, and deplete of any hitches. If you have never even thought of a trip like this because you deemed it too adventurous, please reconsider! The 30 miles per day of riding were pretty easy even for a casual rider, and for anyone who has concerns about “keeping up” or has some physical limitations, e- bikes were available that leveled the playing field. I think that biking through a country really gives you an appreciation and in-depth feeling you would never get by touring more traditionally. And all those calories burned allows more ingestion of Belgium’s famous chocolates and fries! Absolutely loved this trip!

Magnifique III was so much better than imagined. Great looking barge inside & out! Dining room glowed, friendly bar, wonderful creative chef. I’m a “foodie” and never expected such fresh delicious meals. Room accommodations small neat clean would have liked little more room so 2 people could unpack their suitcases.
Staff was friendly attentive and did their jobs efficiently. Bike trip was well planned, I personally would have liked to have been able to stop a few more times to enjoy scenery surroundings & picturesque small towns.
I recommend a bike/barge trip through Tripsite... I would consider another!

Although this was a bike-barge trip, I did not bike; rather, I stayed on the barge each day as it progressed along the rivers and canals. It was very pleasant and relaxing watching the scenery. Each day I was able to disembark at least once prior to arrival at the destination for the night to walk around nearby towns or along paths. The crew was extremely gracious and accommodating to my presence on the barge.

It would be difficult to pick one specific memory as the most significant. I loved the companionship of my fellow riders. I recall one beautiful afternoon as we rode through countryside reminiscent of a Van Gogh painting. I was impressed by the open friendly manner of the local people in the small towns through which we rode.

Great ship, staff and scenery.

Everything was fantastic. Each day they gave route instructions. I tried to follow along with the instructions with the ride, but in reality, I would have missed several turns if I had not stayed with the group. So even though theoretically, you can do self-guided, I think in reality it would have been a mistake. I believe the first day the route guidance indicated some photo places that we did not stop at. Either the guide didn't want to, or we had gone a slightly different route. I do think the guides modified the routes slightly based on wind, riders etc. But all in all FABULOUS trip - thoroughly enjoyed it.

Our bike and barge trip with Tripsite from Brugges to Amsterdam was a wonderful trip we will remember always! The Magnifique II was luxurious, the food was amazing, the scenery was gorgeous, and our bike guides were fantastic. Overall we would recommend this company to all our friends and we are already planning our trip for next year!

Great scenery, wide, flat, bike paths along with pleasant sailing in lovely weather.

Our trip through south Holland was a history lesson with activity all in one. We had the day to enjoy countryside, beautiful gardens, canals and the old brick homes and cities along the way. Each morning we had fresh local baking to start our day and pack a lunch. We enjoyed a wonderful three course supper every evening experiencing different cuisines and fresh local produce. Many evenings a history walk was included after supper, finishing the day with some information on the city we were near. The week went by too quickly. ( I would recommend bringing earplugs to help sleep as some of the mooring places were noisier than where we live.) All in all a very wonderful holiday, we would do it again.

Most Memorable Part? The travel through the countryside and villages. The trip exceeded our expectations. The two guides, Tom and Hillo knew their stuff and created a culture of camaraderie for the bikers. This trip provided an opportunity to witness life in the countries of Holland and Belgium.

The bike and barge from Amsterdam to Bruges on the Magnifique was extraordinary! Whether you were aboard the boat or the bike there was never "a bad view". The route was a great mix of small villages, farmland and cities - our guides were fun and knowledgeable about the history of each region. Thanks to the fantastic staff of the Magnifique, the entire trip was memorable. Our fellow guests were a wonderful mix of folks from many countries and it was fun getting to know them. Thank you Tripsite for making the booking of this trip so easy - I would highly recommend your company to anyone considering this type of trip.

Most Memorable Part: The lovely scenery and the excellent condition of all the bike paths.

Most Memorable Part: Biking thru the countryside of Netherlands and Belgium

Really enjoyed the bike/barge tour on the Gandalf. The food & scenery were great. Enjoyed cycling into the forest & small towns. On the down side, be prepared for some wind. If new to cycling I would recommend getting the electric assist bicycle. The terrain is mostly flat but there are some hills which can be challenging with head on wind. Our guide, Fred, was very knowledgeable & friendly. He took good care of everyone.

The full range of stimulating experiences of all things Dutch with so many things different every day. The impressive first day, in particular, through and out of Amsterdam set up exciting anticipation for subsequent days that was maintained. If one highlight has to singled out, which is somewhat unfair, it would be the spectacular and unique ride over the Zealand Bridge and competing there with the raw forces of nature. Our tip would be to ensure you use the route maps and GPS in combination noting the advice that there are variances, and each evening check out the actual start of the route for the following day.

Most memorable part: We stopped at a small bar and had a fabulous time dancing and singing!

A fantastic tour, with knowledgeable guides that led us through Holland and Belgium. Everything aboard the Magnifique III was top notch and any concerns we had (our room was a little musty) were dealt with immediately and to our satisfaction. The biking was very enjoyable, primarily on bike paths and even when on roads the cars are very respectful of bicyclists. The routes at 50km lengths sound daunting but were the perfect length to fill the day along with frequent breaks for pictures and beer! I do recommend saddle time prior to the trip and bike shorts! The bikes were in excellent condition too. Overall one of the best vacations we’ve ever had. Highly recommend. If you are more adventurous you can download the maps on your phone and go self-guided. Many in our group did that and had no issues.

The bike ride from Amsterdam to Bruges was a great way to connect 2 tourist destinations and get a different experience going through the amazing countryside. The fact that the Netherlands is so bike-friendly makes all the difference! The [local partner](https://www.tripsite.com/about/our-partners/) has a lot of experience with planning the right routes and selecting optimal locations to stop at night.

There were 3 of us from the USA traveling together. They told us to lock our bikes and take the key with us when we went into a store or restaurant. Toward the end of the trip we ( all 3 of us ) went into a store and did not luck our bikes. When we came out of the store one of the bikes was GONE. We took one of our other phones and called the USA to have the spouse lock the missing phone and track the bike on the GPS. The missing bike was 6 miles away at a big store. The shop owner called the police- the police went to the store- closed the store down for 45 minutes and locked all the 4 doors to the store. The police walked into the store looking for the red and black bike bag- saw it- walked up to the man , who was using the stolen phone and arrested him. He had stolen bikes before. They were so happy to catch him this time. The police never found the helmet and the man took $100, US dollars. They found the bike in the front of the store, as we knew the bike's # and brand. The phone was recovered. The thief was put in jail for 2 nights- we were told. The bike was returned to the barge. The victim was returned to the barge by the police. Lesson learned- NEVER LEAVE YOUR BIKE UNLOCKED and TAKE the KEY! On a lighter note- the wildflowers and wildlife a long the canals, were unbelievable! Would do it again, but lock our bikes.

[CycleTours](https://www.tripsite.com/about/our-partners/) gave us a unique and thoroughly enjoyable way to see a country that was new to us. We cycled through farms and villages where there were no tourists -- met local folks and saw how they lived. Our delightful and knowledgeable guide made sure that the pace of each day's cycling was do-able by people of different abilities -- often we'd cycle for an hour or two, stop for coffee; cycle for an hour or so, eat lunch. Cycle for an hour and stop for refreshment; cycle an hour and we're "home", where bowls of nuts, cookies, and tea/coffee/juice welcomed us.

Most Memorable Part: Sharing the beautiful scenery while biking with great friends

The barge staff, tour guides and fellow bike riders were the best part of this tour! Please know that this is definitely a bike tour. We zipped through towns at a steady pace but it wasn’t unbearable for a novice bike rider like me. However there wasn’t much time to visit any towns and do some sightseeing.

Most Memorable Part: Riding through the Belgian countryside

The guides were truly terrific.
The routes and stopping cafes were wonderfully thought out. Bathrooms at stops were very clean. Pace of rides was perfect for a first time experience.
The food on board was outstanding. Chef Alex was sensational!
The lunch meat, cheeses,and bread selections were great for making our road food.
This was our first Bike and Barge experience. It was wonderful!
Thanks to everyone!

A lengthy bike trip through the Netherlands gives you an opportunity to drill down into their culture on a wider scale. It helps that they all speak English. The Dutch really seem to have figured it (life) out. We have much to learn from them and bring back their best practices...such as their capability to get anywhere in the country safely on a bike. How cool is that?

We were a family of 6 adults (aged 22-62) who did our first bike/barge trip and we are so fortunate that we booked the Merlijn and did the Amsterdam trip. It couldn't have been a better trip. Everything was perfect from the accommodations to the food to the bike ride itself. Most of all though it was the crew on the Merlijn that made it so fun for all of us. Henk & Jantien are so friendly and accommodating and their staff, Gisbert (sp) who led the daily bike tours & Jaqui & Clara who do a little of everything were all so kind and awesome with everything they did. The bikes are very new and ride great. The E-bikes are a whole lot of FUN. If you feel too guilty about using an E-bike you can turn it off and pedal like a regular bike. Jantien even went out of her way to get a birthday cake for our daughter-in-law. Henk leads an excellent Karaoke night which should not be missed. It was truly a great family vacation had by all. Thank you crew of Merlijn.

Scenery was excellent, dinners on the boat were superb, and the guide (Peter) was friendly, helpful, and competent. Suggestion--let there be hot water for tea or coffee available any time--not just till 6PM. Also, supply plastic bags for packing lunches--or advise people to bring their own.