5 Star Bike Tour Reviews — 691 to 720 of 4571

The scenery was out of this world. Path was mostly flat and well marked. Wife was glad she had rented an e-bike. Ship was comfortable and staff was friendly. A few cold rainy days we chose to just stay on boat and watch scenery. Places we stoped at were wonderful to visit. There was slight impression we might run short of time to make it to some of the destinations but it all worked out fine. Only issue- while hand sanitizer was very available at restaurant, many guests seemed to bypass it. We came home with mild case of Covid.

Just returned from this tour. This is one of my favorite bike tours of all time. Our guide Antonio and driver Felix were outstanding in meals, information, and great personalities. My wife and I rode e-bikes for this trip and were thankful we did. While some others struggled at times we were able to enjoy the scenery and still get as much of a workout as desired. The route is heavily roads and gravel making the wider tires a much better choice. If your hard core be prepared.
The food and accommodations were very good. Definitely would recommend.

This ride was so well organized and memorable in so many ways. The places we rode to, the food we ate and the local wines we drank made this ride one to remember. Riding through back farm roads with little traffic, seeing the olive trees, dry rock walls and cactus plants, all touched our hearts. The reason we love bike riding is to connect with the land, absorbing the atmosphere of who the people are and how they live. The rides each day were so good, the accommodation was exceptional, you will not be disappointed. Staying at Lecce, Otranto, Santa Maria de Leuca and Gallipoli were highlights along the way, as was walking to the tip of the "heel" of Italy. So special and memorable.

The ease of booking, hospitality of the boat crews, well furnished boat (room, restaurant, lounge), scenic route, & most importantly, accurate offline RIDE-GPS

The whole experience was memorable. I
loved this trip from the beginning to the end . Nikki and Bubi were excellent guides, both fun and informative. We were never left wondering what was happening next. Even the food was very good and the server always remembered our preferences.
Thanks so much to everyone!

It was a great trip, with an additional special treat. I decided to skip the second-to-last day of biking. Rain and maybe thunderstorms were predicted. I REALLY dislike biking in the rain. Plus, I was dehydrated. (Three others stayed behind, too.) I walked into the bow, book in hand, and turned around to wave to captain Andrea in the pilot house. He motioned for me to come up. I climbed up, and we spent a lovely time of ~30 minutes or so, listening to music - Mozart, Vivaldi, Rossini, Luciano Pavarotti. He said that he especially likes Rossini's operas, since they end well. I told him that I will sing the Vivaldi Gloria in December, here in Vermont. As we got very close to the "doors" of a canal lock, he played the beginning of Also Sprach Zarathustra. It was very funny! I'm "smiling out loud" thinking about the unexpected treat - yay!

Also sprach Zarathustra

There were countless unforgettable moments on our trip! Every day was filled with excitement, from leisurely bike rides along the River Po through picturesque cornfields and poplar tree groves to tasting grappa and exploring the captivating carnival museum. Arriving in Venice by boat was an absolute blast, and witnessing the mesmerizing glass-blowing demonstration on Murano Island was genuinely fascinating. The food on board surpassed all expectations, and the crew's warm hospitality, wealth of knowledge, and lively spirit made the journey even more enjoyable. The delightful surprise of receiving a cookbook on our final night was the perfect ending to an already incredible experience. My advice to anyone considering this tour is simple: book it for an unforgettable adventure!

This tour was wonderful! We had mostly good directions on the navigation system (getting in and out of town was sometimes tricky), we stayed in great resorts, we enjoyed the food and wine tastings, and we loved the coastal and inland rides (though some roads were a bit rough). The E-bike made it very enjoyable. The best thing was doing this with friends and family and appreciating the various activities provided in the tour, especially the food! I’m glad we arrived to Lecce early and did a city tour - great city! Wish we’d had another night in Otranto. We had an extra night in Leuca which we probably wouldn’t recommend because there’s not much to do there, but those who did the ride around Leuca enjoyed it. Our favorite city was Gallipoli - riding in along the coast was stunning. Three of us used the extra day to explore the town rather than biking and are glad we did as it is such a cool city! It would be helpful to have the stopping points on the GPS directions (only the wine tasting was on the map), as we had to go back to find the bakery (glad we did as the samplings were amazing) and never found the farm along the road. All in all, TRIPSITE and the local bike company did a fantastic job. I’d highly recommend this tour.

Great crew and food. I thought stops and rides were well planned for a vacation in Europe .

There were so many memorable parts to our trip it is hard to choose one. We loved riding along the incredibly beautiful seashore of Portugal. We stayed in some amazing hotels. We ate the local food of Galicia and tried so many foods that we never would have ordered at home. We rode on every kind of surface imaginable and enjoyed seeing all the walking pilgrims. On arrival in Santiago Compostela we found the cathedral magnificent. It was a fabulous trip. Thank you to our superb guides!

The 60 km day. Great sense of accomplishment. The best guides ever. The staff were amazing.

Biking throughout the islands was majestic and the views were breath taking. There were certainly some steep parts but the e-bikes made them very doable. The guides were super friendly and knowledgeable about the local environment and culture. The atmosphere on the boat was super friendly and relaxed.

People!! Do this trip!!! What an amazingly beautiful country and what a wonderful way to see it. Every time we'd go around a corner we'd say there's no way we could see something more beautiful than that. And then, we'd go around the next corner and it would take our breath away. This country is beautiful, clean and safe. The yacht Harmonia is everything they say it is and more. The crew is top notch, the food was wonderful and we felt very welcome. We had professional and attentive guides that did an excellent job of pivoting when the weather occasionally threw us a curve ball. (Thank you Dora and Alan! You were great!) The E bikes were in excellent condition and perfect for the sometimes hilly terrain. They smartly booked all english speaking guests on the same trip and we all bonded beautifully. It's so fun to be in a group with like minded people all experiencing the same thing for the first time. All in all we felt we got great value for dollar, will highly recommend Tripsite, and will book another trip with them in the future.

Trip was great. I loved it when our guide took us on a bus into the city at night. Even our captain took us on a walking tour one evening!!! The crew did a phenomenal job! Sat with us at our tables during dinners! Even took the time to celebrate somebody’s birthday with decorations and a cake!!! Everyone was made to feel welcome and looked out for each other! The food was amazing, the chef really book his heart into everything he did! Bikes were great. Beautiful scenery, fun stops along the way and learnt some interesting history. I would definitely love to do another trip like this!

Coen and Christina and the crew. We appreciated how all of you worked together to make us comfortable and cared for.
For Elizabeth, the bike ride and for Kathryn the special attention given to me after the injury.

Recommend a suggested packing list.

The guide, Giorgio, made the trip memorable with excellent stories, helpful translations, and kept the group together with sweepers and corner helpers. He had a good sense of humor. Also we appreciated the intimate tours of a glass blowing place, a cheese factory, carousel, and fire brigade museums in small towns. The flat roads and bike paths were well chosen, and the bicycles, helmets, and saddle bags were excellent quality and made the rides comfortable. We enjoyed all the Italian food made by the cooks, and dinners were very enjoyable in our cozy dining room. The rooms on the barge were small and a bit tight for tall people like someone 6'6". We would do this again.

The off road biking was the most memorable. The GPS worked perfectly!
The e-bikes are essential for a comfortable ride! Our luggage always arrived ahead of us an usually already in our room!

The daily stops were so fun as we discovered the culture of Italy away from the big cities. The merry go round museum, the cheese factory & the distillery were all so enlightening. Daniela was a perfect guide. Our chef Sylvia had such a creative way of cooking that I ate so many things I never would have & all were wonderful!

Very nice landscape and interesting visits. The logistic worked perfectly and the guide was very good

Great trip! The chance to ride through small villages and see the large cities too was wonderful and taste the local cuisine and the beer & vino was a great treat! Thanks Tripsite & Euro- Bikes. For the bikes and transporting our luggage..the hotels were perfect!

The Vivienne is a superb boat with comfortable rooms, excellent meals, amazing staff - from Captain Igor to hotel manager Margot to program director Leslie to restaurant manager Najeh to our wonderful server Nidhal and all the crew who carried bikes, took care of rooms, reception, bar and the like. Everything ran so smoothly. Party events were memorable and fun. The Danube cycling beautiful, as were the cities and towns we visited with so many historic sites. We would recommend this trip and this boat to everyone!

The Merlin ship was extremely impressive. The captain and crew ensured all participants were well taken care of. Breakfast, lunch and dinner were fabulous, and the deserts were lovely! Our bike tour guide shared historical information on most outings, which was quite interesting. Additionally, there were tours along the way of castles and wineries - an added benefit. We highly recommend the trip and the Merlin ship in particular!

Day 2 cycle, and Strasbourg. Good balance of riding, time for sightseeing, good accommodations, and smaller paved pathways.

First and foremost, the captain, chef and crew were outstanding. The trip would not have been the same without their host of talents & hospitality. The Merlijn itself was pristine with all the comforts of home. The passengers were treated like royalty. The bikes were upright which allowed for comfort and made the scenic views easily accessible. Our biking guide Ilse, was knowledgeable about all the historical sites we visited. She was extremely patient with her 22 riders. The cycling was easy with predominantly paved trails with minimal incline. Moving through large cities (ie:Trier) was often difficult with 22 riders often separated through stop lights. It may have been safer to split the groups.
It was our first trip to Germany and the scenery was stunning along the Saar, Mosel & Rhine rivers and many photo predominantly were included. We were especially impressed by the day we biked from Cochem to the town of Eltz, enjoyed an enchanting hike to the Eltz castle, toured castle and biked on to Koblenz. Another highlight was the tasting tour by the owner of Storck Winery in the town of Traben-Trarbach. The unexpected meeting of Captain Coen’s parents and rafting with their barge on the Rhine was delightful. We always looked forward to the cruises during and after breakfast!
Overall, the bike & barge was more than a bike trip. It was all the experiences of boating, dining, biking, hiking and making new friends from all over the world. We would highly recommend this trip!
Thank you Coen & Christina for making the magic happen on your Merlijn ☺️

Rating this tour is challenging in a way due the the fact we were there during the worst weather condition's in that part of Europe in years. The Danube rising at unprecedented levels along with flooding. I'm sure you are well aware of all of this. The Vivienne crew and Leslie the tour director did an amazing job of keeping all of us on board safe and making every attempt to help us to continue to have the best possible experience we could given the horrendous conditions.
While we missed out on a lot of cycling and seeing and experiencing this part of Europe, we were very fortunate to be able to do what we could, given the conditions.
Again, Chapeau to Leslie and the crew of the Vivienne!

We like that each day have different options for additional activities that made each day special. We like the difference between landscapes of two rivers.

positive note- Professional friendly crew always helpful. The organisation was magnificent and the food was good and plentiful. The bikes were well kept and great to use. The original plans had to be changed due to the bad weather but other options were available. Riding without a guide meant that extra time could be spent taking photos and exploring what we wanted to do. The extra options turned out to be real gems- the castle at Greinberg was fascinating with all the historic ties, the bike tour of Vienna was outstanding (our guide's voice was loud & clear so that the 2 deaf people could hear the local snippets and frank, humorous commentary), Mauthausen memorial was extra kms & uphill but possible to quick visit time wise. The bus to opera & back worked smoothly. The only tour negative was the constant cold rain but proper preparation, clothing & attitude meant riding without crowds was much easier. On the last day one rider with hypothermia was picked up by van. The organisation was excellent and the evening briefings of what to expect the next day were very helpful.

So pleased with the quality of the hotels! The app worked well and we were pleased with the quality of the bikes—-no problem with them. Especially enjoyed the comfortable seats! Thank you to Victor for delivering the bikes and giving us the necessary information for the tour.

The most memorable part of the trip was leaving Budapest after dark and floating past the lighted buildings and monuments along the Danube. The biking along the River was beautiful and diverse; wine country from Krems to Marbach was very pretty. Most of the routes were along bike paths though some intermittently were on rural roads and through the cities of Vienna and Budapest. Some days biking were very warm, but there were a couple of cold days with temperatures less than 10 degrees C. Its a good idea to come prepared for cool and rainy days both biking and sightseeing; layers with a hooded raincoat was essential. My wife and I are fit bikers riding often in the Colorado mountains, but opted for eBikes on the boat cruise. No regrets on this decision, we road with minimal eAssistance most of the time, but when the winds, and sometimes rain, came up on long rides, or we wanted to catch sites off the main route we had the ability to extend our rides and still make the timing to meet the boat at the next city.

Loved it! We went as a couple and met wonderful people. Two things to suggest
1. Better app navigation
2. Lighter e-bikes ( other companies like VBT and backroads have lighter, safer bikes

Staff couldn’t be nicer and we had a flood emergency which was handled professionally and compassionately