5 Star Netherlands Tour Reviews — 121 to 150 of 1442

Beautiful scenery. Amazing guides. Excellent food and drink. Friendly, knowledgeable, and accommodating staff.

My husband and I had a wonderful trip aboard the Magnifique II. The crew was great and the biking was outstanding. Loads of fun!

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!

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

The two guides, Hetty and Tim, made the trip. Meals in the Iris were very good. The crew was friendly and helpful. Bikes were comfortable and were easy to use. The nine day trip was perfect.

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.
On the TripSite side of things, Carla was very helpful with scheduling

What an incredible trip and we are SO thankful to have chosen the Merlijn barge. The crew were so nice and the barge was beautiful. I would HIGHLY recommend this trip and this particular barge. They have GREAT bikes available, incredible tour guides, helmets with speakers in them to help make the tour very safe and informative.

I like the size of the group. The crew were hospitable. The food on the barge was delicious !

The rides and the landscape and the quaint communities were great.
The staff was super and the food was top notch.

The route, along with sites were outstanding. Great Captain and Crew.
Overall outstanding trip.

This was an amazing trip, the boat was clean and well appointed, the crew and tour leaders were exceptional, the food was incredible and the rides each day were so lovely riding through the country side and in and out of all the little towns and bigger cities. We did the guided tour and were so happy we did. Our tour guides were informative and communicated well about what to expect each day. Our first bike/barge trip and we are hooked!