Netherlands Tour Reviews — 1381 to 1410 of 1805

A number of things stand out. First, the size of the room (which was shown as 4 single beds but ended up being a tiny room with two bunkbeds where we could not all stand in the room). Second, the fact that after active days covering 50 Kms or more there was no water provided (a bottle of water was provided at breakfast only) and no food available in the hours before dinner. Third, all meals had to be taken at the same assigned table reducing any opportunity to mingle with other guests. Fourth, on an active holiday with healthy active people, the meals did not include any colorful vegetables. The staff were mostly lovely and the rides were picturesque, but the overall experience was not positive.

Great vistas of remarkable vineyards. More WWII history info prior to the trip and designated site visits would truly be great.

Bike and Barge in Belgium and Holland was a whole week of memories and is at the top of my favorite trips! You are surrounded daily by beautiful landscapes and architecture unique to the Netherlands. The bikes are perfect for extended times of riding and you are on bike paths close to canals for most of the trip. This is an active vacation which I prefer but is never too difficult. Everything is done for you so there was never any worries and I was relaxed all week. Meeting people from around the world is amazing. I had the fortunate experience of meeting a special couple from Australia and that was a bonus! I hope to do this trip again in the near future.

Overall this was a great experience. The boat was clean and the staff friendly. The itinerary and scenery was beautiful. The only negative was that the website had several inaccuracies. For example, the mileage each day was much longer than published. Also, the number of meals provided was less than published.

Great experience, although a very large group to be riding together. The food was good but not great. Made some friends and really enjoyed the trip.

What I enjoyed most about my Boat & Bike trip were the rides through the countryside in the early mornings when it was quiet, and the only sound was the hum of my bicycle. Secondly, were the times we moved the boat during breakfast. I found myself staring out the window at life and business along the canals. Lastly, the new friends we made, from Britain, Australia, and Canada!

The country side, the guide was very personable and knowable of the routes, sites with a very positive and safety conscious attitude. More time in some of the major centres (Gent, Antwerp) I would recommend that travelers arrive at least one day preferable two in advance of the bike & barge departure and stay at least 2 days afterwards to enjoy the cities of Bruges and Amsterdam. The availability of e-bikes was essential so that those less experienced in pedalling the distances could enjoy the biking part of the trip.

I really enjoyed the variety of the tour, including bike rides through pastoral countryside and alongside canals, and walking tours through fascinating historical cities and towns. The food and drink were highlights, both on and off the boat, and I really enjoyed traveling with a great group of fellow travelers. The crew and guide were fantastic! The Tripsite guidebook included suggestions for tipping the crew and guide. Our group felt that the suggested tip amounts were not adequate, so we tipped a lot more than what was suggested.

This was our first time at a bike & barge trip and it was a great adventure! Staff was amazing and the other guests all gelled - we all worked together to have a fun experience. Getting to see various areas in Northern Holland up close was amazing. Be prepared for weather changes! Layer and bring clothes for rain! But most of all be prepared for a great vacation!

We just completed an 18-day independent cycle tour with Tripsite. They mapped out a custom route, provided GPS and map navigation, amazing hotels in the centre of the communities, and luggage transfer.
The the day we met cycle company representative in Amsterdam and throughout the trip we had the support to ensure our trip was memorable.
Every hotel was an experience with a local flavour in the centre of town. It was close to shops, dining, and filled with friendly people.
The cycling was fun with lots to see and the opportunity to visit towns, sites, and some great riding.
If you want a great trip either a custom, pre-packaged, group, or independent, Tripsite is your first and only choice.

I really enjoyed everything about the trip: the scenery, towns and villages, camaraderie, guide, food , music evening. All was wonderful!

The most memorable part of our trip was people we met, we made some fantastic new friends. The Dutch countryside was especially beautiful, just like out of a fairy tale. Lots of other great countryside and small villages as well, quaint and old European.
The rooms on the Fluvius were poorly ventilated, and the A/C was extremely noisy. The dining room, lounge, bar and upper deck were great.
One of our rides included having to take a short ferry ride. We were all asked to pay .70 cents for this. Many of us felt that was being extremely cheap, and should have been included. Really...70 cents!!!!
For each day of cycling we were only given 1-500ml bottle of water. This is not even close to daily requirements, especially given that on several days we were riding in 30 degrees C. It should have been at least 2L/person/day.
Our guide lacked enthusiasm. He told us to fill our empty water bottles in the bathrooms, he talked about bathroom breaks in the pre-ride briefing but despite being told (during the ride) that we'd need a break, he just kept going. Rarely did he stop for photos; there was some beautiful countryside that many of us would liked to have captured. For the most part, the only time he stopped was for coffee and lunch. He did not seem overly concerned about safety; when there was a car coming from behind the riders would shout "CAR" and that kept getting shouted up the line. One time I was behind the guide, so we both heard it at the same time...the guide then very flippantly said "Good for the car". Crossing major intersections was dicey; many times he would cross despite the traffic, while the group would then wait on the other side until it was CLEARLY safe to go. This seemed to frustrate him.
My bike was great, but it would have been nice to have a water bottle holder mounted on the frame, and include a cycling water bottle for it, which people could then take home. Not all bikes were the same; some had 2 hand brakes, while others had a hand brake and a foot brake, which took some getting used to for those that were assigned that type of bike. There was no option to swap.
The Fluvius crew were amazing. Very, very hard working, yet personable and great senses of humor! Shout outs to Alex, Nadia, Marianna, David & Captain Arno!!! (PS, we hope everything is okay with Nadia's mom).
Despite the negatives, we had a great time, met some amazing people, saw stunningly beautiful countryside, had lots of fun & laughter. And, we would go again!!

We had a wonderful time. The accommodation was above expectations, very clean and more roomy than expected. The food was excellent, plentiful, diverse and attractively presented. The staff was welcoming, helpful and made the trip extremely enjoyable. There were extras above what we expected...guided trips into the various cities in the evening and even entertainment with Music and dancing. We stayed with the guide every day and appreciated his expertise at choosing routes that were scenic and avoiding as much of the traffic when we did have to go through the cities.

Best Part: Cycling to Delft. The town was beautiful!

Most Memorable Part: Amsterdam and a week of perfect weather

I have done this trip from Amsterdam to Bruges as well. I found this version to not be as enjoyable. The reason was there was not as much on the route to see and take in. I think that there are some differences do to which barge you are on which may restrict the routes. Bruges is amazing as was Amsterdam but in between nothing exciting. The barge was amazing (Sailing Home) with a wonderful chef. I love this style of touring and have done 8 of them and will do more!

My wife and two other couples did this trip in August 2017. The crew was great the boat is very well appointed, the rooms are small but function well. The evening meals were great, breakfast was limited most days to bread cheese and cereal.
Now the bad part:
The crew turns off the air conditioning at 10:30 at night and does not come back on until the morning. So one would wake up in the middle of the night sweating and not be able to go back to sleep, The bedding, our clothes and all other items in the room would get moist and moldy from condensation.
The Bicycles were not the best, they were quite used and most of the seats were loose and could not be tightened which made for long days of riding...

Most memorable Part: The crew on the boat, dinners and the tour on canals throughout the Netherlands and Belgium. The cheese shop was the best and also the small cafe's.

Riding through the Dutch countryside on dedicated bicycle paths was most enjoyable. The system of numbered paths is ingenious! Keeping up with the front of the group was a challenge, not always a welcome one. It's best to be a strong rider even on the "easy" tours.

The Southern Tour from Amsterdam in the Netherlands is a wonderful trip. It was my first time on a cycling tour and I felt that I received all the information that I needed in order to prepare and to make a wonderful experience. The route had nice a diversity between cycling and stopping in Dutch cities. The crew was very helpful and friendly, and the food was great. My bicycle couldn't have been more comfortable. I highly recommend this trip.

Certainly it was a wonderful trip and I would recommend it to anyone HOWEVER our chef was fired on the 3rd day (the regular chef was on vacation), our stressed out guide was less than patient with passengers and we had 3 kids, 8 years old and younger who were poorly behaved and due to the insensitivity of their parents interfered greatly with the enjoyment of our trip. This created unnecessary tension for the the guide, captain and for the passengers. This family caused great delay in the itinerary starting on the very first day. I think in future children under the age of 16 should be prohibited from these biking trips. These kids, even their parents, were incapable of riding a bike for the distances required in the itinerary. All that aside we would book a bike and barge trip again but would be certain to inquire about age requirements. Thank you.

The meals onboard were great! Sander was an expert chef, Eric a well informed and pleasant captain, and Nico was a constant source of entertainment. The general attitude of the he crew was above and beyond.

A wonderful way to see the Netherlands and experience different parts of the country. Food on the barge was excellent. I do recommend you practice a lot before the trip to prevent saddle sores. Proper biking pants helps a lot.

Most Memorable Part: The trip to kinderdijk was fantastic.

Bike / barge trip was great. However, there was a family on board with 3 children under age of 6. This affected our daily bike trips and the atmosphere on the barge. Children under the age of 12 should not be accommodated on these trips- especially when the parents, let alone the children have had little biking experience- especially considering the distances we needed to travel.

The combination of beautiful bike routes and coming back to amazing meals each evening made for a vacation I would consider doing again.

Barge: in our premium room neither the bed lights, the TV or the hairdryer worked. The Jacuzzi was cold. Clearly the barge had electrical issues.
Routes: the trip description said we could follow the routes and bike on our own, stop for photos, etc. This was not possible as the routes changed, the stops were prescriptive by the guide, and were for coffee/beer/bathroom breaks, rather than impromptu photo breaks
Routes: we would have liked to have spent more time in the Netherlands, less time in Antwerp. The "photo op" on the top of the museum in Antwerp was a waste of time.
Group dynamics: we lucked out; group dynamics were great!

Most memorable part: Getting to know many friends from different countries.

The group was lovely, the guide knew a lot and explained it very good, (he shouldn't bring his 7 years old son with him!) we think that a biking tour guide must have good, modern flat-wheel repairing set!!!

What a dream vacation! Eating like a king every morning & night, and riding far enough in the time between to feel like you're burning it all off. My wife and I had a wonderful time with the three couples from our church who made the trip with us; the pace was leisurely enough for the least athletic of us, yet brisk enough to keep everyone's attention, with lovely scenery throughout. We're only back a few weeks and already thinking about where to take our next biking vacation! Thanks for such a memorable trip.