4 Star Netherlands Tour Reviews — 61 to 90 of 269

Great trip. The captain, guide, chef, and crew were wonderful. They made me feel very welcome and safe. While meals could be served earlier (breakfast at 8 and then heading out to ride at 9) and (dinner at 6:30 which lasted until about 8) the meals were very tasty. One thing I wish were different, we had our destination "tour" after dinner when everything was closed and often walking around in the dark. We didn't therefore get to really experience the lovely towns we were docked in because we left at 9 each morning and had little time to explore. It would be great to have a timeline and not just the riding itinerary because we could have gone faster through the open fields and farmland if we knew the plan for the day and seeing the towns, cities, villages. Our guide was very fun and made the days throughly enjoyable.

Riding our bikes through the countryside and small towns. The staff and food on the Fluvius was spectacular. Renting e-bikes was definitely a plus

Trip was a good value but communication was not very good . The chef and the food and waitstaff were very good . There was a huge engine issue and we lost a day of biking . This was out of your control but the communication about what was going on was really poor .
Meike the chef should be the standard , she was terrific .

Outstanding ship, and the tour guide was nothing short of fantastic.

Beautiful country and biking was great unfortunately we didn't have great weather. Can’t forget the beautiful tuplips.

It could be beneficial to avoid starting boat bike tours the day after a large celebration in the country/city from which we are departing. Our tour started the day after a massive celebration in Amsterdam called Kings Day. This required that we enter the city on the day of celebration which was not only more expensive but also precluded the possibility of visiting any of the sights as they were closed. Perhaps scheduling these trips several days after or before might be beneficial.

This trip had a great staff. Ana went out of her way to prepare food to fit My dietary needs. The ship is going to be repaired better. Out tour guide , first mate and captain was great. A good time was had by all. No one had control of the weather. ( a little cold windy and wet some days). Loved the Tulips! The country side and flower market were real high lights.

Weather! Gale force winds, rain/hail and cold. Bring warm clothes and rain gear. Tulip fields were amazing.

Koehkenhoff was great as well as the guides. A small boat allowing for lots of personal attention

Keukenhof Gardens. E bike was great for riding with wind.
Be sure to bring rain gear (jacket and pants) and disposable gloves to use as liners if rain is predicted. Wear layers in cooler weather.

The Tulip gardens were beautiful as well as the tulip fields we biked past on way to garden

Lifelong bucket list desire and was able to ride thru fields of Tulip Farms. The crew on the Barge was truly first class (food, hospitality, and cleanliness). The two guys were knowledgeable of the region (Thomas and Rikko). Always willing to help. Suggestions: separate bike groups by e-bike and non/pedal bikes. The pace was often difficult when mixing the two into relax and very relax. Pace sometime was pushed thru very windy conditions. Also, bottle cages on bikes would be helpful. Lastly, a few of the stops/villages were 'closed' by the time we reached at the end of the tour day. This was disappointing such as Altmaar. It is lovely to walk around a bit after all day cycling. The guides were open to more frequent stops of shorter duration. When pedaling a non ebike, it is often challenges to start riding after a long break. Overall, we would recommend to tour to others and look forward to joining another adventure/journey in the future.

The tulips were of course the highlight of the trip. Not really much time in most of the towns to do a lot of exploration.

I would recommend getting an ebike even though terrain is level the strong winds make for harder biking than anticipated.

I loved the scenic routes through multiple towns every day. Take some time to stop and walk around in some of the along the way each day. The hotel accommodations far exceeded my expectations. They were all fantastic and in great locations. The staff at each were very helpful.

Be prepared for any weather. The weather can be unpredictable, so it's better to be prepared for anything!

Amsterdam was beautiful. The staff and crew were wonderful. The ship was beautiful and comfortable.

The most memorable part of the trip was spending time with family. I enjoyed the experience riding through the Netherlands countryside best. The crew was very friendly, professional and accommodating. If you have specific dietary requirements plan ahead. Lunch options are provided although limited selection as they are the same items provided for breakfast. Another note for lunch, it is a good idea to bring a reusable container to put a sandwich in. Sandwich wrappers are not available. (We used our napkins)
Overall a wonderful trip.

Our guide and crew were exceptional! We highly recommend the use of e bikes…

The scenery was lovely! We enjoyed our active vacation - we self guided our biking days & between the maps, app, & instructions from our guide beforehand we didn’t get too lost. The staff of the Normandie was amazing!

A trip of a lifetime. The best way to see the small cities of Holland and Belgium at a leisurely pace with like minded people. Our North Star our guides Hester, Ester were amazing. They had very good understanding of the routes and the history of each city. Drum roll for an amazing crew on the barrage. The food and service was spectacular . If you want a slow, luxurious bike tour this is the trip to do!

The program o the trips was excellent and the chief guide also.

The most memorable part was being with friends and meeting new friends from Australia!
Pack clothes for both extremes hot and cold!
Food was just okay

Small suitcase, rooms have little storage
Super nice shower
PLEASE have Tripsite reflective vests available at the START of the trip NOT mailed to us. That would make us a more safe and cohesive group on the roads and especially in crowded cities

Loved the biking through the many forests along our routes. Loved all of the biking, but especially the forests!

Most memorable was the excellent guiding from Wilma who gave us so much information about the routes.

It was wonderful visiting the cities and small towns each day in addition to the countryside.

The people on board. And the food. Stella was great, too. I liked the open windows in the upstairs rooms. Also, coffee or cappuccino, espresso 24/7.

The quality of the boat's amenities, the cuisine and the areas travelled through were exceptional.
My last bike and barge was more than a decade ago. Since then the growth of e-bikes has accelerated. On this tour, 24 of 34 riders were using e-bikes. I'm not convinced that mixing e-bikes and regular bikes is viable.

Great trip the tour could use a rundown on the operation of the e-bikes. Bikes were great but a rundown on removal and locking the bike needed to be done. Seat adjustment needs to be covered as well. Crew was great just more time for the operation of e-bikes is needed

Good trails, good food and the app “Ride with gps” was the best.
The bikes were good, seats comfortable.
The bar on the ship had reasonable prices.
The Fluvius boat needed updating. The room smelt musty and the air conditioning didn’t always work.
The first day something made us late so we were given our bikes at dusk to try them out and get adjustments made. Not enough time before it was dark.
It was pretty bad to run out of water numerous times.
The ice machine didn’t work so occasionally they bought ice.
The staff turn over was incredible. None of the staff seemed to be with the company very long.
The guides were excellent. We did self guided and we think that had GPS on us as everytime when we weren’t sure which way to go a guide would show up and help us out. The app was very good to tell you when you were off course.
This was my first bike and barge trip so I can’t compare it to another.

Our trip was truly awesome! We were on the Fluvius biking from Bruges to Amsterdam. The biking was great and made easy with the gps they provided for us and the help of our bike coordinators Linda & Hans. They were the best, always there when we needed them, helping us reroute when we encountered road obstruction. My husband had a flat tire and they were right there helping. always making sure everybody was having a good time. The Fluvius provided me with an e-bike, even though I hadn't asked for one, to accommodate me, as they couldn't find a regular bike for my size. I was very thankful for that, making me appreciate the trip even better. All the Fluvius staff were superb. Even the captain made a point of talking with everyone, making sure things were to our liking. The food was excellent as well. The entertainment was a lot of fun and it brought us all together in spite of our language differences. It was a great night.

If we had any criticism whatsoever it would be the moisture challenge for the lower cabins. They would greatly benefit from moisture extractors.

Thank you for a truly wonderful and memorable trip.

We highly recommend this tour for its scenic itinerary, charming villages, and cultural experiences. The Sarah compares favorably to other Standard Class barges. The staff were welcoming and attentive and the meals well prepared. Our guide, Wilme, created relaxing, amusing, informative and safe routes that adapted to all skill levels. This was our 9th bike and barge experience and we are already planning our 10th. As far as advice, it is more for the traveler than the host. Knowing your comfort level with the various barge classes will allow you meet your expectations. Swapping amenities for intimate small canal and passenger capacity works for us, but not for all. Finally, practice paying at home with your phone pay apps as Europe is increasingly cash less and even credit card adverse. For us, nothing beats seeing Europe at the speed of our bikes!

The ship’s crew on the Magnifique IV was outstanding. Hardworking, pleasant, efficient and the ship was very clean. The food was very good.

The tour guides failed to give clear instructions and some times were rude to the passengers. They did not follow the ride GPS even though they insisted on us downloading it. One time they would not allow us to enter a museum because we came “late” even though the museum was opened for another hour. They were not a highlight of my experience.