Bike Tour Reviews — 3031 to 3060 of 6495

Biking through the country side in Belgium and the Netherlands. Very beautiful villages, and the open fields in the countryside. And of course the people we shared the trip. with.

The barge crew and the bike guide were fabulous. Friendly, accommodating, informative, flexible, and knowledgeable.

The trip was excellent! We loved it. Great to meet people from all over the world. The Ave Maria Barge was just right. The crew was excellent! The crew was helpful and personable beyond expectations. The dinners were really wonderful, I enjoyed going through the small towns in Italy. Our ride leaders knew where they were going and were very informative regarding the towns we visited. I can’t wait to do another bike and barge!

The enthusiasm of our tour guides was excellent. They helped the family (our group of 6) a couple of times by sacrifice of their personal time and attention.
Some better orientation on ebike and gears would have been helpful. The "sore-butt" syndrome for inexperienced riders was worth it.

Bob W

My wife and I have just recently finished this trip and we can highly recommend it.We have done three boat and bike tours and this has been the best. The Thalassa is well appointed for such a trip,from the adequate cabins with AC ,lots of space to relax,frequent stops where the Captain would drop the anchor for swims,friendly crew and excellent meals.The two guides Catarine and Johanese made this run so smoothly.Catarine s background in Archeology most informative for us. The group on board were a mix of families and single travellers twelve in total . The bikes were of good quality,made in Germany.I am seventy years of age and we chose E bikes which I recommend as there are some challenging hills on the islands. The islands and coast lines are stunning. For us it ticked all the boxes.

Kinderdijk was amazing.

My husband and I enjoyed our week long Lakes and Castles cycling tour of rural Sweden and Stockholm. Carmen of Nordic Trails organized a great trip to include a visit to Stendörren nature reserve, Tullgarn Royal Castle, lake swimming, wild blueberry picking, a two-night stay in beautiful Trosa and a return to Stockholm from Mariefred with its historic Gripsholm Castle by steamboat. The tour was mostly on lightly travelled roads and bike trails. We enjoyed our hotel stays in modest inns with friendly staffs. While we travelled with another couple, the trip would also be suitable for families with older children. Carmen's riding instructions and maps were excellent and she also offered helpful GPS routes.
Note: We brought our own road tandem equipped with 32x700 road tires, and we were able to handle the varied surfaces reasonably well. (No flats!)

We had a wonderful time, and will go again on yet another (our third) Tripsite tour! The staff was Friendly, creative, and responsive. . . There were so many interesting people from all over, which enriched our travel experience. The scenery was uniformly beautiful and full of history, whether watching it as we sailed, biking through it, or taking a tour of one of the cities. . Our room was very comfortable -- we enjoyed sitting on our "balcony" and watching the Danube flow by . . . The chefs did an outstanding job in terms of quality, variety, and presentation and we enjoyed every meal.
I would advise future travelers to read the itinerary carefully and to plot it on a map so they would be clear how much time is available for sightseeing in certain cities. We spent longer traveling on the boat than we realized. The upside is that we did a lot of reading!

I was very excited to be going on this bike tour of Holland/Belgium. It was a great chance for some father-son bonding, especially after a 3-year vacation drought due to the pandemic. If anything, the trip was even better than I imagined. The guides (Hans and Arnold) were fantastic, the rides were gorgeous, the accommodations were luxurious, the food was excellent—a really top-notch trip and a very affordable price. I also can't say enough good things about Walter and the crew of the Magnifique III (Corrie, Inge, Albert-first mate). If you're thinking about it, book-it you won't be disappointed. The only piece of advice would be to bring padded shorts or a gel saddle, especially if you're not used to being on a bike saddle for several hours a day. The only other piece of advice would be to wait until the 2022 summer travel chaos has subsided; and/or consider flying into/out of Brussels, instead of Amsterdam.

It was the wonderful people, (tour guides, chefs and boat crew) of the Ava Maria, that made this tour experience more than exceptional and much more than expected. We appreciated their expertise, knowledge and humourous delivery of all. Five star experience!!!!!

Although we enjoyed the trip, there is no one thing that stands out as the most memorable. However, there are some things that need improvement:
- The food. This was a top-rated boat but some of the food was sub-par. For instance, you do not serve vegetables from a can!
- Having electric bikes and regular bikes in the same guided groups is a mistake. The regular bikes do not have a chance and the pace keeps getting quicker and quicker, pushing the ordinary bikes aside. There should be separate guides for the two types of bikes.
- Riding through the cities was terrifying, particularly in The Netherlands where everyone rides bikes. We have been on another boat/bike tour down the Danube (with RadReisen) and our tours of the cities were by bus with riding only on the fringes. It was much safer and you saw and learned about so much more.

The guided bicycle tour was the most memorable part of the trip. Our guide, Thomas, was so knowledgeable about local history and culture and made sure we never got lost. The staff were remarkably friendly and helpful, and the food was varied, fresh, and delicious. From our point of view, join the guided bike tour to catch all of the local highlights and be efficient with your ride. Our fellow bike tour members were fun, energetic and competent even though our ages ranged from 29-71. Relax and don't worry about when and where you'll meet your group and what you'll need to bring. There is always someone available to clarify logistics. Take advantage of the extra activities like bus tours and concerts. They add even more richness to the experience. Finally, though we don't speak German, we always felt "in the know" because all communication was offered bilingually. Truly a great experience. We're looking to book our next one!

Tip. 3rd party navigation tools such as a heads up Garmin Edge are 100% necessary for the self guided section. Also, the self guided section is NOT a beginner ride. Intermediate is more appropriate.

Crete is a fabulous place - breathtaking beaches, a rich and ancient history, wonderful food, warm, welcoming people. However, the island is rugged and mountainous, and presents some serious challenges for the cyclist. While we were dropped off each morning high in the mountains, there were still many steep sections that were challenging to navigate, and at times the winds at the summits were quite serious. The trip is listed as "easy to moderate", but our experience suggests that it should be in the moderate to difficult category, and - certainly for less experienced cyclists - we would highly recommend renting an electric bike to help with the steeper slopes. In any case, the tour was a great experience - the cycling was rigorous and exhilarating. We enjoyed the chance to ride through remote mountain areas, stopping in small villages, visiting historic sites along the way, breaking for lunch at small taverns with stunning views to the coast. The beaches on the south coast were stunningly beautiful, with crystal clear water and long, sandy stretches of coastline. And the food - indescribably delicious!

The most memorable part of the trip was the people we met. From the crew to the fellow cyclists it was an amazing cast of people and made the experience such a pleasure. Riding with people from England, Germany, Canada and the US led to amazing days in the saddle and wonderful conversations over delicious dinners. When doing these trips the best advice I can give is at dinner move to a different table each evening and meet and dine with the other passengers. The friendships I have made over the years from these rides are truly remarkable.

Many beautiful experiences, met new nice people, a uniquely great crew on the Ave Maria, great food.

Ease of living on the boat including meals, rooms, drinks, comfort etc.
Did not like hybrid bikes as I usually ride a road bike.
Would have liked to have biked or sailed into the wine region

Being in France on a bike with new friends and having a wonderful barge and crew to meet our needs.

Biking town to town is a great way to get to know a country; you see places off-the-beaten trail, ride through tiny towns, national forests and coastal cities, sample local specialties from seafood to wine to dessert. The comradeship, meeting new people was also great.

Suggestions? Drink water and wear lots of sunscreen!

The captain and staff were all very personable and worked well together. Steffi is amazing!

The countryside was beautiful and excursions interesting. Luckily, we had magnificent weather, which made everything feel perfect!

The wine tastings could have included a brief tour, like the cider tasting excursion did.

Riding along beautiful fields of wheat and sunflowers. Enjoying outside. A stress free vacation in nature.
Wine tours: there was not any information/education about the grapes. A missed opportunity I thought.
The first chef on our boat was not very good. Food is a big part of a vacation. That area needs attention we all felt.

We had a wonderful time. The rides were amazing, although some were very difficult. We could tailor our days to fit us best, and it was easy to find a different way if we wanted to shorten or include less hills. The hotels were all beautiful, top notch places, in the very best locations for each city or town. Ignacio and Borja with Iberiocycle did everything within their power to make sure we were well taken care of. They communicated with us every day, fixed what needed to be fixed and got us on our way. We were a large group, 15 riders, and therefore not so easy to accommodate, but they did. The people of the northern coast were so friendly. Drivers were extremely courteous, even on the very curvy narrow mountain roads where it took a lot of patience for them to make their way around us. Because of the pandemic, we waited nearly two years to complete this trip from when it was originally planned, and we had the very best time. Thank you Ignacio and Borja from the Salty Dogs

We had a wonderful time. The rides were amazing, although some were very difficult. We could tailor our days to fit us best, and it was easy to find a different way if we wanted to shorten or include less hills. The hotels were all beautiful, top notch places, in the very best locations for each city or town. Ignacio and Borja with Iberiocycle did everything within their power to make sure we were well taken care of. They communicated with us every day, fixed what needed to be fixed and got us on our way. We were a large group, 15 riders, and therefore not so easy to accommodate, but they did. The people of the northern coast were so friendly. Drivers were extremely courteous, even on the very curvy narrow mountain roads where it took a lot of patience for them to make their way around us. Because of the pandemic, we waited nearly two years to complete this trip from when it was originally planned, and we had the very best time. Thank you Ignacio and Borja from the Salty Dogs

This was a self guided tour and the directions provided were terrible. Spent a lot of time lost

Biking through the small villages was very picturesque. Only regret was not having a GoPro to video as we were riding through.

We liked cycling by the river and seeing the beautiful sights. We were lost a couple of times so would have liked more detailed instructions.
We also liked the places we stopped for the night and some of the side trips like at Hrensko and Terezin.

Our week on the Ave Marie far exceeded our expectations. Hardly words to convey how fabulous it all was. This is the 3rd such adventure for us. Our Girolibero Provence Bike and Barge was absolutely wonderful. Our Loire Valley outing with another company was pretty awful but returning to a Girolibero guided trip erased all those memories. How to praise the comfortable boat, the outstanding meals, and then the crew of 6 who went above and beyond to ensure every day was totally enjoyable and to remember forever. The crew worked so well together taking such good and kind care of all of us. We made new friends, saw so much and learned so much as Hugo and Giorgio shared so much of their vast knowledge of the Po River Valley. We miss all of them so much and wish we lived closer. Thank you Girolibero for making all this possible.

We just returned from this cruise less than a week ago. I cannot express how wonderful it was. The scenery was breathtaking, the staff outstanding. The Swiss Crown was a beautiful boat to call home for a week. The staff on board were delightfully pleasant and accommodating. They made every effort to make it a positive experience for everyone. The dining room was beautiful, and our table had a great location. It wasn't too loud, we could easily hold a conversation with our fellow travelers. We had previously taken this trip on the Charissima and found the dining room was too noisy. The food was tastefully prepared with many regional dishes. At 1600 hr everyday they had a dessert / coffee hour that was very special, the staff were readily available for more coffee.
Though there were only a handful of English speaking travelers, Jergen was an enthusiastic program director. He was very accommodating to locate a bicycle that would fit our very petite daughter, even getting extra bikes just in the event that one didn't fit. He went out of his way to obtain a concert ticket for my husband when he didn't sign up in the required time frame. He did give us good directions and if we had questions he was available to answer them. I enjoyed this trip more because of the staff, boat and riding. Overall better than our previous trip, and I thought that trip was awesome. We constantly talked about the beauty of the river, the birds chirping in the forest, the food and the staff. I would love to travel on this boat again.

This was a fantastic bike trip! The weather forecast for our trip was not favorable but we had only 1 rainy day and we were prepared with rain gear. The route was beautiful and very safe. French drivers are very aware and respectful of cyclists. So many beautiful places to see! We highly recommend on the 5th day to visit the gardens and Benac castle. There is a choice to visit 2 other castles that day but the gardens include lots of walking as does exploring the castle. The optional ride in Sarlat is well worth it but don’t miss the canoe on the Dordogne. We did both. We stayed an extra day in Sarlat in June because high season is July so it was not mobbed. A lovely experience! If you do not speak French just try a few words and you will be well received. If you expect a non English speaking French person if they speak English they will say no and not attempt to help you.

Where to begin for a tour that was wonderful for the easy to moderate rides, stupendous for the foods we were given, joyous for the chance for two 60 yr old sisters to be together for our 3rd Tripsite bike adventure! The tour operator, Guilia, was kind and very prepared so we began smoothly and ended the same. In between we had some easy rides, some challenging rides (weather very hot this July!), 2 flat tires and a whole lot of smiles with breathtaking towns, juicy figs, cherries, olive trees and grapes bordering our riding paths. A cold beer or Rose was our prize at the end of each ride! We were given 4 Tastings: wine, cheese factory, Meat/Cheeses, and more wine!! And dinners to make any who love Italian cuisine salivate! We felt safe throughout our travels. Some of the paths could use some work but we are always the "cup 3/4 full" kind of people, so we plowed through everything and were so happy. We arrived in Matera a day early to enjoy its beauty and would have loved to end with an extra day in Lecce had we known how lovely it was as well. We LOVED the places we stayed!

A sign of a great trip... looking for our next tripsite adventure together before we have finished this one!!