4 Star Bike Tour Reviews — 571 to 600 of 894

 


Catherine G.
6 years ago

Verified Reviewer

  Panagiota Cyclades Islands E-bike & Boat
Greece

The boat was very tired. In our room the sink tap was not connected the pipe letting water into the toilet tank fell off the wall. The porthole wouldn’t open. Very few of the lights in our room worked. There was no comfortable seats on the boat, and we did not go where the tour was supposed to go because of the boat not being able to handle the weather. The crew was great.

Ronerto R.
6 years ago

Verified Reviewer

  De Amsterdam South Holland Tour
Netherlands

Exciting bike and barge tour throughout Southern Holland. Definitely proclaiming a successful trip in a beautiful Holland. Safe and crew were very attentive and courteous.
Felt mislead by bike insurance offerer by Tripsite. Later found out bike staff on the barge that if the bike was damaged I would have to pay upfront the amount of damage that I caused to the bike staff and then I can put a claim to the insurance by Tripsite which I would be reimbursed at that time This was a minor snafu and I was very disappointed about the misrepresentation when I was told the insurance would cover everything upon needing the coverage for bike damages.

Maria L.
6 years ago

Verified Reviewer

Bavarian Lakes
Germany

The best part was the Tirol, and the lakes were amazing.

Lisa H.
6 years ago

Verified Reviewer

  Arkona Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary

The beautiful bike paths along the Danube and the great food on the MS Arkona. Found the unguided bike tour confusing. Comfortable beds but loud vibrating boat motor at night made it impossible to sleep. Yay sleeping pills.

Paula K.
6 years ago

Verified Reviewer

  Ave Maria Bolzano-Mantova-Venice
Italy

We loved the varied scenery and warm and friendly Italian people.
The hotel accommodations were very comfortable and more than adequate. We would have been satisfied with a less luxurious hotel in Trento. We would have liked to explore the town and find a different restaurant, but there was no time. That is one of the drawbacks of cycling so many miles between towns; not enough time to explore.
The Ave Maria and the entire crew were first rate. We want to particularly thank our tirelessly helpful and fun-loving guides, Marinella and Stephania. In addition, the food was artfully created and inspired.
Our one complaint is about the poorly written instructions on the 3-day, self-guided part of the trip, which sometimes caused stress. The instructions were not only terribly written, we also had different editions of instructions among our group of 12. The most exasperating time was at Riva del Garda when we cycled back and forth through the town at least 3 times, looking for the correct ferry dock, after asking and being misled several times.

Joyce H.
6 years ago

Verified Reviewer

  Magnifique II Amsterdam to Bruges
Netherlands, Belgium

Recommendation...do the riding prior to your trip that they suggest. I did not and had an uncomfortable bum for a few days, lol.

Pamela B.
6 years ago

Verified Reviewer

Prague to Budapest
Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Austria

This was a wonderful tour with many interesting & historic stops along the way. The portion in the Czech Republic included challenging terrain while the ride from Vienna to Budapest was fairly flat. The hotels were all unique and very different, from botels to spas to penzione. Locations were great, had delicious breakfasts and were clean with the exception of the last one, which I'll discuss later. This trip would have been perfect if a few simple things had occurred: we received detailed information for the trip the day we left for Prague. Since there were some modifications, I lost half a day in Prague getting those worked out. That easily could've been taken care of before we left if we had the detailed info sooner. When we arrived in Prague, the cycling company sent Maps.me files to load. Because of the types of phones we have, it again took some vacation time to figure out how to download. We discovered that these were imperative to smooth navigating along the Read More

Kieron G.
6 years ago

Verified Reviewer

  Carissima Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary

My wife and I just finished this trip with another couple. First of all, remember that you get what you pay for. This cruise is much cheaper than Viking or Avalon or some of the others so you can't expect as much opulence or fine cuisine. That said, everything was fine. The food was good but not great. The walls to the cabins are thin so if the person in the room next to you is a loud talker, you will hear every word. Also, try to avoid the lowest level of rooms - the windows don't open and are noisier as you are close to the engine. The trip it self was great. The cycling was easy and scenic. We had Axel as our guide, and seriously, he ruins you for any other guide. If we went on another cruise, it would have to be with Axel - any other guide would suffer in comparison I suspect. He is Austrian with a very keen sense of humour (He would have to be as he is an Arsenal fan). He went above and beyond.

Denise G.
6 years ago

Verified Reviewer

  Arkona Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary

We had a mixed experience on this trip, having completed two other bike and barge trips on smaller boats (and smaller waterways). This is a wonderful region for riding - much of the route follows bike paths that parallel the river and provide gorgeous views of river towns. Unlike our other trips, participants ride on their own without a guide, and this worked well for us. Because the boat travels from Passau to Budapest and back again, there is quite a bit of travel time on the boat. At times, we enjoyed watching the scenery, but this also meant that our time on land was quite limited. Food was decent and several options were available at each meal. The dining room was noisy and it does take quite a bit of time to serve everyone, with the staff clearly working hard! During our tour, there were engine problems which resulted in a change in itinerary. The company struggled to manage this and identify reasonable options. In the end, they have promised us a partial refund, which seems quite fair. We would have preferred that this offer had come sooner in the process, without the numerous conversations that were needed to help the company understand the concerns of passengers.

Eileen F.
6 years ago

Verified Reviewer

  Fleur Montargis to Paris
France

Awesome trip with a wonderful crew. The only misleading part was the description of easy to moderate biking. The hills of France made this trip more difficult than expected.

Thomas H.
6 years ago

Verified Reviewer

Piedmont
Italy

Overall the trip thru Italy's Piedmont was very well handled, breathtaking scenery, (lots of hills), friendly people nice hotels very well done. One item I would caution others of is the description of the hills as moderate. Some are but 4-5 kilometers of 11 percent grade is more than moderate the 16 percent grade on some short stretches started me thinking of Hors catégorie type climbs. A description of the grades and distances could help others decide to get ebikes or do more training. I did enjoy the ride it was difficult but doable even if a lot of whining did happen.

Wendy K.
6 years ago

Verified Reviewer

  Anna Maria IV Loire Valley Bike and Boat - 2019
France

The crew on this barge and bike trip were outstanding. The weather was unseasonably hot and adjustments were made to the schedule to accommodate everyone's comfort. The route and attractions were well planned and interesting. We had some difficulty with the bikes provided by HAT tours - several (5 in total) punctures and one unfixable issue with a bike. This meant delays whilst the tiress were being repaired - approximately 1 hour per puncture. This meant that we missed out on seeing some of the attractions and had to cut short our time at others. The unfixable problem meant that one volunteer had to return to the boat via taxi and forego the rest of that day's itinerary. I would like to congratulate the crew on this tour as they did their utmost to ensure that these issues kept the disruption to a minimum. The group of travelers were also a very friendly and tolerant group of people who got on well. This also assisted in managing the issues with the bikes.
My Read More

Ruth P.
6 years ago

Verified Reviewer

Highlights of Northern Zealand
Denmark, Sweden

Great trip with wonderful memories and weather. This trip could easily be extended by 1-2 days of more cycling! I was disappointed that we only had 5 days of cycling, though it was advertised as a one week trip!
Also, the information packet sent was not consistent with the descriptions of where we actually cycled to and where we stayed. The route directions provided were very difficult to follow. I suggest that each cyclist is provided with a detailed cycling map of the whole Island of Zealand, not just the north. We found better cycling maps in Sweden!

Kevin Armstrong
6 years ago

Verified Reviewer

Paris to London
France, England

Very nice tour following much of the Avenue Verte. Girolibero and Adriano were fantastic hosts on the unguided tour from Paris to London. The route was probably a little more unpaved then I expected an as such would not recommend bringing your own road bike to do the tour. We met and road with some amazing people from around the world making new friends and seeing areas that were amazing sites in the small villages and countryside.

Paul K.
6 years ago

Verified Reviewer

  Bordeaux Bordeaux - Châteaux, Rivers & Wine
France

Having a guide for this trip was very beneficial. For the first 3 days our guided group consisted of 30+ people. This was too large of a group and was pretty much a pain. We eventually broke into a group of 8 riders with Dorian as our guide, that was perfect. We were able to travel at a much more leisurely pace, visit many wineries, tasting rooms, small villages and churches.

Paula H.
6 years ago

Verified Reviewer

  Normandie Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary

This trip provides a chance to explore the rural areas along the Danube by bike and to visit the great cities of Budapest and Vienna. There is a lot packed into this trip.

Kim F.
6 years ago

Verified Reviewer

  Vita Pugna Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
Italy

Mantova to Venice was wonderful. Very pretty scenery with lots of unique places to stop.

Sandi B.
6 years ago

Verified Reviewer

  Carissima Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary

Cycling past the remnants of the Iron Curtain. WOW!
There were so many highlights, but having Axel as our guide certainly added a great deal to our daily rides. Thanks Axel!

Anne S.
6 years ago

Verified Reviewer

  Ave Maria Bolzano-Mantova-Venice
Italy

We loved the beautiful, amazing mountain scenery (with very few hills) of the first three days. The written instructions, though, are of a badness difficult to describe. We rated the tour 4/5, and the lost star were because of the extremely poor instructions. If we hadn't had maps and stickers on sign posts, we wouldn't have been able to make it through. The frustration really distracted from the overall enjoyment of the trip - an English speaker with an accurate odometer really needs to rewrite the directions. For example, they talked about "crossing a railway" (or maybe a "railway bridge"), so we spent about 20 minutes trying to find a way to cross the railway - but really it meant to pass underneath an elevated railway crossing. Also, the symbol used to indicate a warning (I think of a turn easy to miss) is a hand pointing to the right. One not unnaturally assumes that this means a right turn. It does not.

Otherwise the barge, scenery, activities, food, and guides are all exactly what we hoped for and have experienced on earlier trips. No problems with luggage transfers, and the hotels for the first part of the trip were all great.

Linda H.
6 years ago

Verified Reviewer

Castles of the Loire
France

Excellent routes, well marked and the Châteaus are breath taking. Make sure you have a rain coat.

Linda H.
6 years ago

Verified Reviewer

  Clair de Lune Around Paris
France

Sailing into Paris in the seine was spectacular, what a way to get acquainted for the first time and also enjoy how Parisiennes live and play along the river. Make sure you bring your sunscreen.

Shirley D.
6 years ago

Verified Reviewer

Dolomites to Venice
Italy

I feel the bike should have been rated moderate-not easy moderate!

Peg Hanson
6 years ago

Verified Reviewer

Around Lake Constance
Austria, Germany, Switzerland

I did the 7 day Around Lake Constance. This was my 4th Tripsite bike tour. I will list the positive things first.
I booked the Category 4 hotel package and was extremely pleased with all the hotels. Location was good for all except the Park Hotel in Uberlingen. It is located at the top of a very steep hill and was very difficult to find even after you saw the sign pointing the way!!
The breakfasts at all the locations were amazing and so beautifully displayed. A wonderful way to start the day!
The bikes were comfortable and almost brand new. Panniers, front bag and trip meter were all very nice.
Now the not so positive...
I had read all the reviews before booking and noticed the negative comments about the bike route directions. Since these comments were from a year and 2 years ago I assumed they had improved this info. NOT TRUE. The book with the routes is almost worthless. Getting from city to city was not always the problem but once in a city the Read More

Karen G.
6 years ago

Verified Reviewer

Green Coast of Spain
Spain

Scenery was great, our main problem would be that the advertising did not really give enough information as to the degree of difficulty as while we are both middle level riders some of the many up’s and downs were a lot more than the advertising suggested. The close gearing of the bikes did not help with that either.

Jillian M.
6 years ago

Verified Reviewer

  Zwaantje Bruges to Paris
Belgium, France

The experience of being able to see the countryside, remote villages and sites at a slower pace with the experience and knowledge of a guide is the highlight. It is good to leave your luggage onboard the barge and know you return each evening to great food and rest.

Peter and Denise Marzo
6 years ago

Verified Reviewer

Mainz to Strasbourg
Germany, France

We were on this tour from June 16-23, 2018. First let me say that we had a fabulous time and I'll attempt to breakdown both the good and the challenging.
1. The boat was outstanding (5 star)
2. All the meals were nothing short of scrumptous (all three..every day) (5 Star)
3. The SE staff were knowledgable, polite and always willing to help. (5 Star)
4. Embarking and disembarking was seamless. (5 Star)
5. Our onboard guide was outgoing and fun to talk to. (5 Star)
6. The rooms were tight, but manageable. two single beds, good storage for your clothes and a small but efficient washroom.
7. The bikes were well serviced and enjoyable to ride. If you're not a seasoned cyclist, don't worry, the gears were easy to change and many of the people opted for the ebike option which really helped.
8. Biking directions were a challenge. At first we thought it was a language issue, but many of the German people were getting lost as well. We saw Read More

Ann A.
6 years ago

Verified Reviewer

  Fluvius Bruges to Amsterdam
Belgium, Netherlands

The Brugge to Amsterdam trip was a very flat, easy trip and we recommend it for beginner barge and bikers. Our main criticism was that although the guides were very nice and helpful, we would have liked more information and history on the sights along the way, and more picture stops.

Peggy H.
6 years ago

Verified Reviewer

Sicily
Italy

We went to Sicily in May 2018. Biking was beautiful especially along the sea. Inland there were some areas that had lots of trash. No problems with directions. One or two hills a day.

Susanna from Tripsite
6 years ago

Tripsite Staff

Bavarian Lakes
Germany

If I have to describe this tour in a few words I would say: Green landscapes, horses, Beer gardens, Rivers&Lakes with mountain views. Through every forest, I rode through, I was surrounded of beautiful melodies of singing birds. The beautiful landscapes are filled with horse ranches, hayfields, and rivers. As further south you go the mountain range starts appearing at the horizon that boarders with Austria. The locals are very friendly and the hotel staff was always helpful with local recommendation.
I also loved my bicycle with its NuVinci internal gearshift, it made it so much easier to shift on the uphill terrain.
All of my hotels were clean and comfortable. I especially enjoyed the hotels run by its owners in the smaller towns.
The map and route booked is a great help but you want to ask for the GPS-tracks. I got lost 2x because I wasn't paying attention on the maps. I strongly recommend downloading the GPS-Tracks on your smart device or GPS device.
Read More

Michel D.
6 years ago

Verified Reviewer

  Liza Marleen Bruges to Amsterdam
Belgium, Netherlands

We were very happy with the biking experience, the food, the scenery, our new biking friends, our wonderful guide and the rest of the employees on the boat. We were disappointed at the end of the trip when we were advised that we had possibly been exposed to bed bugs. Adding to the disappointment, ship staff blamed us for having brought the bed bugs aboard the ship.

Other than this issue, we had a wonderful trip!