Bike Tour Reviews — 4561 to 4590 of 5927

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.

It was 38 degrees in Croatia with very little shade to be found on the biking route. Tip: Recommend an Ebike.

The trip was very good throughout so it's hard to pick one thing as the highlight. Exploring the Roman remains in Trier was something we won't forget, and so was singing sea shanties on deck with the crew!

Most Memorable Part: The 3rd day of riding downhill.
Tip: The first two days are difficult. When you train for this trip be sure to train on hills.

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!

The whole trip was great. We thoroughly enjoyed it and didn't want it to come to an end.

Just finished this trip, in August 2017. We had a 2 bed (twin) room and had plenty of space for our suitcases and also to unpack for a week. Loved the international favor of all the guests, my group of 3 were the only Americans. Biking was easy but with a few challenging hills to keep you interested. Many people used electric bikes, but my 7 speed bike was fine. ( I bike in Northern NJ so I am very use to hills) Experience following a cue sheet would be recommended to anyone who goes on this trip. But most of the routes were easy to follow, although wrong turns is always part of the adventure! Although most of the information said Euros on board, you can pay your ship bill (bar bill) with Czech Koruna, Euros or Credit card. But any excursions you book had to be paid with Euro cash. Food on board was good and seconds were always offered. Boat is docked in the Old Town very close to Charles Bridge. Easy to arrange your own walking tours if you find like I did, the boat offered tours of Prague were a bit high. Wonderful biking in the county side, visiting Castles, and just enjoying the Czech Republic. We had a few grandparents and teen grandchildren on our trip. Each night our tour guide met with the English speaking riders to review the next day's route. I have done many bike and barge trips before, and this was the most comfortable barge I have been on. I would recommend this bike and barge trip for anyone who wants to enjoy Prague and the Czech Republic.

My wife and I did a July cruise on the Merlijn that started in Merzig, Germany and ended in Mainz, Germany. What an adventure. Henk (our captain) navigated the ship perfectly as we sailed the Saar, Moselle and Rhine Rivers over 8 days and 7 nights. We were told that the Merlijn barge was converted in 2006...but the rooms and decor were still very modern. We were pleasantly surprised at the size of our rooms and bathroom. Our two twin beds were placed together, creating a very comfortable king sized bed with "air" controlled mattress firmness. As a 6'3" tall man, the shower accommodated me well, with an adjustable shower head. An inexpensive laundry service provided clean clothes daily if needed.

Jantien (our cruise director and chef) provided great service and the food was excellent....even providing a vegan menu option for my wife. We enjoyed getting to know our fellow passengers, sitting with different people at each meal. Jantien was always there to provide any additional details or service if needed.

We really enjoyed Lia, our bike tour guide. She was very knowledgeable and spoke fluent English, but was fluent in other languages as well. She knew her stuff and provided excellent details along the way. She even walked into the towns and villages with a small group of us at the end of each day.

We enjoyed seeing the beautiful German countryside from a far different perspective than a typical visit would entail. We couldn't recommend a trip on the Merlijn more....and plan to do another bike and barge tour in the future, but next time, we will bring friends too.

In the height of the tourist season 4 of us booked the Golden City of Prague bike/barge and enjoyed every aspect of this route and three nights on the boat in the heart of city. The Florentina is a fabulous accommodation for this venture up the Vltava and Elbe Rivers. The staff provide good but not obsequious service. The food served was a pleasant surprise and our guide was helpful and informative. I would recommend that bikers have experience in wayfinding or be able to download maps to assist them. Along with this skill, the presentations (in English) and the written descriptions/maps in the booklets kept us on track. Much of the bike trails are along the rivers' edge and the condition varied from paved to gravel to rough, but that just made it more interesting.

All the Czech people we encountered were helpful and friendly. We enjoyed the historic towns of Litomerice, Melnick, the birthplace of Dvorak and the many Lobkowicz palace(s.) We did a short bike ride to Terezin and absorbed the ancient and recent history of this fortress. In Prague we especially enjoyed our tour of the Municipal House and a gallery exhibit of Mucha. For modern art and architecture seek out art installations by the contemporary artist David Cerny and the "Dancing House." I was very impressed with the hard work and pride of the Czech people and their commitment to building a new economy.

Our favorite part: Viewing Prague at night from Charles bridge

Lack of access to bicycles/ guide did not do anything but lead the route.

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!!!

Most memorable: The scenery in Venice, Lodi and Chiogga.

Wide range of scenery and experiences especially going on the barge through the tunnel and excellent guiding by Fred.

Most memorable: The local tour operator (Good Places) arranged a lunch and wine tasting at a small winery/restaurant. Excellent food, good wines, tour of the winery, interesting lessons about local wines in Croatia, excellent service and a welcoming atmosphere.
Suggestion: We enjoyed staying in the small hotels with atmosphere and a la carte dinners much more than the big resort hotels serving big buffet dinners. So please look for cosy, smaller hotels with atmosphere.

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.

The overall experience of the barge & bike tour through wonderful countryside, villages & towns was excellent. The barge skipper/owner & staff were very good & most pleasant. The meals were of a high standard & variable throughout the two weeks.
The bikes were also very good. I had ordered an electric bike with our booking but the order did not go through. However, the ordinary hybrid bike provided did the job so I happily stayed with that.
We were also to have a double bunk, but that request did not get through either, but that was OK.

We enjoyed the freedom of making our own decisions with our self-guided tour. We did not necessarily follow the maps and we chose to do completely different things on two days. The area was beautiful with a lot of different environments to enjoy. The hotel had wonderful staff who refused you nothing. The food was delicious and different. We were forced to use our French since there is very little English spoken in the area. We enjoyed the immersion into the community.

What a delight to pedal with a small group meandering along three major scenic Germany rivers in the company of a caring, experience guide, then settling into a comfortable bed on the Merlijn. I highly recommend the Merzig to Mainz route and don't miss the climb to the castles.

Our self-guided bike trip to Drench had outstanding scenery due to well-chosen routes, lovely accommodations with excellent food, friendly people, and the best beer in the world. There were problems with the bicycles from the beginning that were met with skepticism when I called for a replacement for one of them, and the directions were sometimes terrific, and other times terrible. There was one incident with the directions where it called for a left turn, but was actually a right. If these problems could be corrected so they don't happen again, this trip would be 5 star and I would recommend it without hesitation.

Tour route was beautiful, some costal some inland, hotels and food were excellent, I liked the smaller hotels much better than the large one as the small ones were very personal. Local wines were great. Had so much fun that I'm thinking about the next trip.

The guide was great, the scenery was amazing! Better food for lunch. Screen on the window so the bugs cant get in or put in air conditioning!

The biking was wonderful with a great variety of landscapes and villages to see.

Crew, guide, staff were attentive, cordial and helpful. Barge was clean and comfortable. Bike routes were very scenic and interesting. Mary Ann, our guide was very knowledgeable, and simply terrific. Will we go again?....absolutely yes.

The most memorable part of the trip were the people I had the opportunity to meet including the staff who were extremely courteous.

Everything was great! Even when the ship had a mechanical problem, the staff made sure everyone was happy.

Best Part: The small towns and villages we biked along the way.