4 Star Bike Tour Reviews — 901 to 930 of 1207

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

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!

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.

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

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.

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

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 situation changes. It is even more challenging when you do not speak the language. The locals are more than friendly and always willing to help. However they often assume we know more than we do and even their help does not get us to our destination. A suggestion would be to provide the cyclists with GPS or a HOTSPOT so that we could download the routes on our phones. I realize that if the customer is from Europe they can do that easily but those of us from the USA depend on a wifi connection for this service. I stayed recently at a hotel in Madrid that provided each room with a Hotspot at NO EXTRA charge. If a mid level hotel can afford to do this you would think a cycling touring company could do the same. I realize Tripsite does not have control over some of these situations but if they could encourage this company to try some more advanced methods of guiding their clients I am sure everyone would be happier. I had a wonderful holiday with fabulous weather, beautiful scenery and memorable meals. I will be booking with Tripsite for my next cycling tour. Just wanted to raise this issue to help future travelers be aware.

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.

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.

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 no vineyards, one castle, and we traveled through many cities. We had three in our group take spills, mainly because of the city routes we had to take. The "Look for Signs" were often non-existant or hard to find and we found that our group of 10 cyclists were spending too much time conferencing, trying to find the correct route.
Twice we encountered local people who actual lead us to get us back on track. This was definitely challenging, but boy did we bond!! We stopped in small towns having lunch in the town squares, trying local beers and cheeses. Restaurants willing to let us eat our bagged lunches in their restaurant when we bought some drinks.
Suggestions:
1. Arrive a couple of days early to explore Mainz, it's a beatiful city.
2. We flew in and out of Paris and the train system is amazing, but I would suggest closer Airports (Frankfurt to get to Mainz and Paris for Strasbourg).
3. Get comfortable being lost and embrace the journey. We always found our way and have some incredible stories about our rides.
4. Talk to the locals they are magnificent and were always willing to help.
The bottom line is that we are already planning our next bike and barge adventure, there are lots to choose.
My actual rating would be a 4.5 out of 5

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.

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.

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.
I did this tour in mid-May and I remember dealing with headwinds while riding south. This made the skill level of this tour feel harder than what I expected. Looking at the climate of the area June - October has definitely calmer winds.
[Ask me if you any questions.](https://www.tripsite.com/about/our-people/susanna-girolamo/)

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!

We loved the scenery, the historic towns and the lovely hotels. It was much more challenging than we expected. We followed your guidelines and felt prepared but this is not an "easy" ride. It is, however, a beautiful ride with breathtaking views.

The vistas on this trip were the most spectacular we've seen. Coming down a hill and seeing the cliffs along the coastline and the roaring ocean, the picturesque villages and green fields dotted with cows was unforgettable. Hearing the clanging cowbells only added to the experience! The accommodations were top notch and including breakfast was the way to go. However, anyone taking this trip should be prepared to climb many hills. Not sure this is "easy to moderate" until the last day!

The Italian barge staff and guide Carlos made the group feel like family. We laughed so much every day. It was sad to leave at the end of the week. Cycling, scenery was all very nice.

The Netherlands is a unique and beautiful country. We loved everything we saw. The flower auction was amazing. The Keukenhof was not to be missed. Our only problem was riding in a group single file through Amsterdam. We were strung out so long it sometimes took 2 or 3 lights to get through an intersection. We were so far back from the guide we couldn’t say “let’s stop and check out that windmill”. We were spoiled. On the Danube trip we could go at our own pace with detailed maps. I would suggest people download the map app and go it alone. But really, how can you complain about springtime and hyacinths?

Just one tip that we should have more of the history explain on the bike trip, not enough info on the places we were seeing.

We were unfortunate to do this tour when the weather was unseasonably bad. It would be a much better experience with good weather and tail winds! However, the tour providers kept in touch and made the tour as good as it could be under the circumstances.

We had a great time along the Danube river! The cycling was very good and the bikes adequate. The crew of the Theodor Korner were especially nice and competent. The tour guide was really on his game! Unfortunately, the boat itself needs a thorough rehab- our stateroom had an odd odor and was extremely noisy due to mid-ship engines. If we decide to do the Danube tour again we will choose a different boat!

Wachau valley was my favorite part...small towns, great shops and wine.

Bike , boat, staff and fellow travelers all great fun. Memorable trip for me and still talking about to my mates at home in Australia.

Beautiful scenery. If you are an experienced cyclist, consider splitting off with a smaller group. The group was too large with varied skills, making the ride less than it could have been.

We loved our trip on the Danube! From the first day to the last, we enjoyed the food, scenery and new friends. Would definitely recommend.

I took the Lorraine Tour this September. I was happy I chose to go Toul to Wasserbillig direction since it ended in a greener, more rural area. I love the countrysides and small villages best so this ended my week on the most positive note for my personal taste. There were interesting towns/cities to see along the way but this was also a bit more industrialized in some areas than tours I have taken in the past. If you are from the American midwest (I grew up in Ohio) you will swear you have been transported home many days it looks so similar. Others on our tour found it quite beautiful however. I was very impressed with the WWII memorials along the way. Even though I prefer a self guided tour I found our tour guide to be very pleasant and considerate of our physical abilities. I was disappointed with the conditions of the path one (our longest) day since I have been accustomed to fully paved trails on all my other tours. That day was exhausting due to the conditions of the route. They say this will eventually be fully paved at some point though. The La Belle Fleur was an excellent, clean, comfortable, and well maintained boat. The staff took good care of us and the food was fine. I especially enjoyed the camaraderie of the very small group. Having taken both large and small bike-boat tours I think this is one of the best aspects of a small tour. If I were traveling solo this size group would definitely be my preference. Overall, another wonderful week doing what I love and loving what I did.

I actually crashed my bike at the end of the first day, tried riding an ebike the next day but found it too painful. Therefore I spent the remainder of the trip on the barge, totally loved it. My suggestion for others would be to make sure to train, most of the people on our trip felt that they were being pushed and that the distance biked each day was too far. Also, for myself I felt that the bike was just too big for me and that contributed to my accident. Our guide (Fred) was delightful as were the crew of the Gandalf and the meals were fabulous. So, overall a great experience in spite of the spill.

Most Memorable Part: The people and the beer!!

Most Memorable Part: The friendliness of the local villagers and our fellow travellers.

The boat and the bikes were good, the food was good and sufficient, the crew was friendly and helpful. The scenery was not always beautiful, part of the tour leads through industrial area.