3 Star Bike Tour Reviews — 61 to 90 of 235
Tom N.
2 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Vita Pugna Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
Italy
The boat breaking down (and the way the crew accommodated the changes).
Patricia H.
2 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Alva Douro River E-Bike & Boat
Portugal
The biking experience was ok but not great.
The most disappointing part was having a German ship and guides. Maybe we didn’t do our research but we had not expected this. As we would not want a bike ride in Germany by Portuguese guides. Also, totally unsustainable practice to bring the van and bikes back and forth from Germany.
Gregory F.
2 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Portugal Atlantic Route
Portugal
First 2 days along the Atlantic beaches is great.
Lorne E.
2 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Classic Tuscany E-Bike tour
Italy
The routes were good and the right length each day. I would have like to have received the route information details in advance as requested so that stops could have been planned. We received the route details only a few days prior to the trip. In addition the GSP provides was somewhat difficult to use and didn’t always provide good directions. Ended up using my cellphone GSP which provided better directions. Without the cellphone we would have wasted much more time with the GPS provided. Upgrading to a newer GPS is needed.
JV • 2 years ago Tripsite Staff
Thanks for your business and feedback. Rebooting our business (and the tourism industry in general) has resulted in more delays (including route information) that we would have liked. These issues have been addressed for the 2023 season and your GPS feedback has been noted as well. Have a wonderful fall!
Joe S.
2 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Panagiota Ionian Islands
Greece
Biking the various islands is always a delight. The views can be magnificent and the riding a lot of fun.
The boat, however left a lot to be desired. Their was a significant amount of black mold in our bathroom. Several of the cabins leaked in the rain. There is no reason for this except for poor maintenance. Wood requires varnish and that was sorely lacking on this boat. On other trips (4) that we have been on the crew was always busy working on the boat. Not so with this boat. The crew sat around and did not do a good job of looking after the customers. I would never recommend this boat to anyone.
On the other hand, the two bike staff members were outstanding. They were able to react quickly to changing weather conditions and provided an outstanding experience.
Tripsite Staff • 1 year ago Tripsite Staff
January 27, 2023: A further update to this comment. Due to it being a traditional wooden boat, after long dry periods, it is not uncommon that such a boat will leak some water (the Panagiota is one of the oldest ships in our fleet). In such a case, it is important to inform the crew and if mattresses or bedding have been effected, a quick and suitable solution will be found. However, after the winter, and the colder weather, this should not be an issue as the wood has swollen and should be water tight. Later in summer months a ship is more Read More susceptible to such problems, however It has been the highest priority of the Panagiota to maintain the ship and look especially after the leaking problem to avoid this in the future. It is always the top priority of the crew to look after the guests for the most safe, clean, and quality experience on board. After 15 years of successful operations, we are looking forward to the year to come!
Michelle M.
2 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Fluvius Bruges to Amsterdam
Belgium, Netherlands
Visiting the windmills
Victoria A.
2 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Panagiota Ionian Islands
Greece
Two weeks before our departure, we were notified that a negative Covid test was required to board the boat. This was after the date for cancelation. Two of the members in our party tested positive and could not board the boat. Neither one was symptomatic.
We experienced rain on the second night of the trip and two cabins leaked… a lot. Beds and clothes were soaked. No one offered to clean the clothes or dry them, and the leak was patched. It leaked again the next night.
The trip was cut short due to weather and we were loaded onto a bus and sent back to Corfu.
There were def opportunities to continue with some biking, but it was not a consideration.
Disappointed to say the least
Tripsite Staff • 1 year ago Tripsite Staff
We are so sorry to hear about your experience on the Panagiota, your disappointment is totally understandable. The Greek harbor authorities implemented mandatory testing for all boats and we were required to comply; the rule caught us by surprise and we would have loved to give our travelers more advanced notice had that been possible.
The situation with the leak in your cabin was very unfortunate, we can imagine how uncomfortable that was for you. I'm glad we were able to come to a resolution with you and would like to again express how sorry we are!
It is also quite unfortunate that the weather disrupted your tour the way it did. Any boat is ultimately at the mercy of mother nature and the captains sometimes have to make tough calls in order to keep our travelers safe. We appreciate your feedback immensely, we are constantly striving to be better and you help us do that!
Judy P.
2 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Love Boat South Greek Aegean Sea
Greece, Turkey
Beautiful scenery on some of the islands.
Robert B.
2 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Olympia Mainz to Strasbourg
Germany, France
The boat was wonderful as was the staff. Food too was excellent. There were two central problems with the trip. The first is the route. We had anticipated that the trip down the Rhine would be in beautiful sections building t instead we spent a week in heavily industrial areas where there was little along the river that was beautiful at all.
The second problem was that it appeared that no one from the company had checked out the route of the biking since it was first established since roads had closed and there were continuous diversions. As a consequence we (and when I say we i mean many of the bikers) were lost within 15 minutes of departing every day. While the trip was billed as "self guiding" clear and accurate maps are needed
Tripsite • 2 years ago Tripsite Staff
Thank you so much for taking the time to write to us.
We're so sorry your experience was less than stellar. The Rhine river is quite beautiful but there are certainly some sections that are more scenic than others. It seems this route needs some heavy updating, especially considering all the closures you have mentioned. Getting lost is no fun, and again I offer our apologies for the lack of proper direction. We will be making changes for the coming departures to ensure this route is as beautiful and scenic as our travelers expect.
Linda K.
2 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Zwaan Mosel & Saar
Germany
Biking through the vinyatds.
Donald K.
2 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Swiss Crown Along the Danube-Iron Gates
Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia
The ship and the food were a very favorable part of the trip, lovely.
The bike tours were boring and ill described by the guide. Less farmland and more quaint villages would have met our expectations. The last day was the best.
William W.
2 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Primadonna Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary
Ship was very nice and staff were friendly and helpful. Everything was spotless clean and bed was comfortable. Dinner meals were pretty mediocre and some of sack lunches included greasy deep fried items. Bikes were in excellent condition and the bike routes were fine, but the written descriptions for navigating the routes were indadequate.
Tripsite Team • 2 years ago Tripsite Staff
Thank you so much for your comments! I'm sorry to hear about the route descriptions, the ability to navigate is essential on our tours and so this issue will definitely be addressed for the 2023 season. We supply GPS tracks as well, which definitely make the riding easier.
Harrison and Sharene K.
2 years ago
Verified Reviewer
De Holland Authentic Holland
Netherlands
Regarding the tour itself, biking from town to town was well designed and wonderful -- beautiful countryside, lovely towns. We used the Ride With GPS app, which had a few route errors but in general was an excellent, well-executed tool. (Without the app, there were a number of signage errors or absences along the routes that could have caused problems.) The evening tour of Deventer was very well done; the local tour guide was excellent and the evening was perfect for it. We rented e-bikes and they were in great condition. The staff on the boat were all kind and helpful and friendly and the boat was exceptionally clean.
We thought Frans, the bike tour guide, could have done a better job. He was nice, but despite having many years of experience doing this, his evening talks were not always very clear, and he did not mention a number of places along the bike routes that would have been nice for people to know about, most importantly the Airborne Museum in Oosterbeek, which was on the map if you knew where to look but was not highlighted by Frans. We did enjoy the evening Frans played the keyboard in the dining room.
The biggest disappointment was that we had to sit with the same people at dinner every night. We understand there are logistics involved that make it much easier for the staff, but this requirement eliminated what could have been a prime opportunity to get to know others. We happened to be assigned the same table as our best friend, whom we obviously already know very well. We had little in common with the other three and were stuck with them (and they with us) for the whole week. There must be some way (perhaps a buffet a couple of times during the week, or a dinner in town one night) where we could have a chance to meet others, which would have made the trip much more rewarding.
Carla • 2 years ago Tripsite Staff
Hi Harrison,
I am so sorry the ship had to move at the last minute. Unfortunately I was not notified of this either, but sometimes these last minute changes can be made by docking authorities without much notice. Please note, all of our tours include emergency phone numbers, including directly to the ship and also my personal cell phone, in case there are ever any kind of problems we can help you with!
Carla • 2 years ago Tripsite Staff
Hi Harrison,
I am so sorry the ship had to move at the last minute. Unfortunately I was not notified of this either, but sometimes these last minute changes can be made by docking authorities without much notice. Please note, all of our tours include emergency phone numbers, including directly to the ship and also my personal cell phone, in case there are ever any kind of problems we can help you with!
Carla • 2 years ago Tripsite Staff
Hi Harrison,
I am so sorry the ship had to move at the last minute. Unfortunately I was not notified of this either, but sometimes these last minute changes can be made by docking authorities without much notice. Please note, all of our tours include emergency phone numbers, including directly to the ship and also my personal cell phone, in case there are ever any kind of problems we can help you with!
Carla • 2 years ago Tripsite Staff
Hi Harrison,
I am so sorry the ship had to move at the last minute. Unfortunately I was not notified of this either, but sometimes these last minute changes can be made by docking authorities without much notice. Please note, all of our tours include emergency phone numbers, including directly to the ship and also my personal cell phone, in case there are ever any kind of problems we can help you with!
Alan B.
2 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Fortuna Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary
Different city tours were the memborable part both positive and negative. We loved our tour with Peter in Vienna on bikes we did not like our tour with a different Peter in Budapest, he was rude to one of our rides, very opinionated against the West defense of Ukraine, and then left us in the middle of town since he had another tour to go to.
the communication about the departure from the very beginning was a fiasco and then throughout the German presenations were about 50% longer than the English ones. BUt Leslie the Tour Director did a great job overall.
Kathleen M.
2 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Caprice Provence - Wilderness of Camargue
France
The guide, the itinerary and the chefs were superb!! 5 stars for them!! But the boat, and specifically the boat owners, get a 1 star. How cheap can they be??!! They didn't even provide a plastic bike water bottle. And they charged a hefty fuel surcharge, even after the price of fuel had plummeted. This was my third bike and barge, and I will never go on another barge owned by this company.
anna • 2 years ago Tripsite Staff
Thank you so much for your feedback. We always recommend bringing your own reusable water bottle as most boats are looking to limit their plastic usage. I understand the fuel surcharge is super inconvenient, no one enjoys charging this! Unfortunately, gas prices in France continue to be historically high. We look forward to eliminating this surcharge in the near future. I do hope you were able to enjoy the tour despite your negative experience with the boat, if we can do anything else for you don't hesitate to reach out!
Susan C.
2 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Zwaan Mosel & Saar
Germany
The Moselle-Maar Cycling Trail offered a lovely change of scenery from the also beautiful Mosel River paths we followed most days.
Jennifer R.
2 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Zwaan Mosel & Saar
Germany
See the beauty of the country and spending time with wonderful co-travelers. I was moved to realize the deep history of Germany, see vineyards EVERYWHERE, castles in nearly every view of the mountains, the lovely quaint villages and the friendliness of the people.
Darcy and Debbie D.
2 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Romantica National Parks of Dalmatia
Croatia
The crew were great and meals above average. Unfortunately there were not enough ebikes and the ride is very tough. The e bike riders were always way ahead and it was almost a race instead of enjoying the country side. Only stopped to swim twice, the captain seemed more concerned with rushing to the next port to get a spot on the dock. We were below deck and the ship stayed running when parked which made it very noisy to sleep. Wifi was very limited on the boat and most cabins did not have wifi. We had a great trip with friends but would suggest looking at all cruise line options for your trip needs. The Dalmatian Coast is beautiful.
anna • 2 years ago Tripsite Staff
Thank you for taking the time to write this feedback, it is invaluable to us! I'm so sorry the ebikes were sold out at the time you reserved, you are correct that it is very difficult to keep up with ebike riders while on a regular bike. We do have an ebike-only version of this tour for anyone wanting a guarantee of this option.
Being rushed around is no way to experience a destination so I'm sorry to hear you didn't get the time you wanted to swim and enjoy. We have already discussed this issue with the boat which will be rectified for future departures. Croatia is too gorgeous to rush through!
Barbara W.
2 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Connemara
Ireland
The people we traveled with and the shared adventures as well as the beauty of Ireland
Doug K.
2 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Connemara
Ireland
Loved the off day in Clifden. Ireland is beautiful and the people could not be more warm. But do not recommend biking in Connemara. Many, many hills make it moderate at best, and there are no shoulders on very narrow lanes.
Mary C.
2 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Connemara
Ireland
We only had 6 in our group so we were self-guided. From day 1, we felt the tour was incorrectly rated as easy-moderate. All 6 of us are seasoned riders but the hills, especially Day 1 were in the “difficult “ category. Four of the riders had been on previous tours with other companies. The directions for each day were lengthy and confusing, often requiring us to stop often to reread them. Some of the restaurants suggested we’re out-of-the-way only for us to later come across a nice one on our route. Caused us to question whether the person writing the directions had ever taken the trip. Luckily, we had a rider who would use his GPS which proved more helpful than the written directions. It was a fantastic trip because of the riders and the beautiful countryside. The ranking of difficulty needs to be changed as a novice biker would not be able to complete this tour.
Denise P.
2 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Primadonna Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary
Overall the trip was enjoyable. But the food was quite bland. Also they asked about food restrictions/ preferences, but did NOT accommodate them in any way. The directions for the biking were lacking in detail and the maps could be more zoomed in, especially on the days with many turns and route marker variations. It should also be made clear that many of the routes were directly beside busy roads. It is a great itinerary.
paul k.
2 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Fortuna Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary
The food and the meal selections were excellent. Leslie, the tour director, was also fantastic. He constantly went out of his way, above and beyond, to ensure that all guests were taken care of.
Most of the biking route was scenic and safe, there was one stretch, appox 4km's that was on a very busy highway . The highway was narrow and carried many large buses and trucks. At the captain's party on the last night of the cruise, it was mentioned that the Fortuna was going to be replaced by a newer ship next year and Read More also the routes were going to be changed to avoid that particular stretch of highway. This is a positive sign and I would have rated this trip much higher if it were not for the 2 above mentioned problems.
I would recommend the Budapest by night folklore show, it was very entertaining. Again, the entire crew did a fantastic job.
anna • 2 years ago Tripsite Staff
Thank you so much for your feedback and your honest comments about the tour.
The Fortuna has indeed been replaced and I am sorry that you had to experience the boat outside of it's best years. We are striving to use only the very best vessels in seasons to come.
The route has also been revised, as no rider should ever feel unsafe on our tours! Luckily, the Danube has a wealth of dedicated bike paths and so this stretch of highway will avoided for future departures.
We thank you again for taking the time to review this tour, your comments are invaluable and will help us do better.
Paul Karolionok
2 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary
The ship, Fortuna, is 20 years old and it had it's drawbacks. We had upper deck suites and it was well worth the extra cost, the suites were great. Many of the people that we meet were in the lower deck cabins with little air conditioning. The air conditioning on most of the ship was poor, especially the lounge area and dining room. The elevator did not work. There were several people who opted not to cycle and just take the river cruise, some needed assistance and the boat was not at all handicapped friendly. We were told that the Read More ship Fortuna will be replaced by a newer vessel next year.
The bike paths themselves are well marked, and for the most part very scenic and safe. There is one stretch near the end of the trip that requires cycling on a very busy and narrow road. One cyclist was run off the road and spent the next day in a Vienna hospital being treated for a broken foot. At the end of the trip, at the Captain's party, we were all told that in addition to a newer ship next year, that that particular route would be changed to avoid that dangerous road.
Based on this particular trip, I can only give this trip a rating of 3. With the changes schedules for next year, I would rate this much higher. In finishing, I have to say that the ENTIRE crew was fantastic, they did an excellent job!
Paul Richter
2 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Innsbruck to Munich
Austria, Germany
This is a ride through the Inn Valley and Southern Bavaria passing through charming towns and villages with unsurpassed scenery. Hotels along the way are as expected. However, the route on Day 5 is extremely difficult, with almost 2700 feet in climbing. The bicycles provided are fine for the flat portions on the first three days of riding, however, not adequate for the extremely challenging route on the fourth day of riding. There were other minor details that could have been addressed make the entire tour more pleasant. Overall, we enjoyed much of the tour and the memories made. This tour has great potential, but some changes should be made to make it more enjoyable.
Angela H.
2 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Fluvius Bruges to Amsterdam
Belgium, Netherlands
First of all, we worked with Anna Zdancewicz at Tripsite and she was an amazing communicator. She provided clear and detailed answers to any questions we had and was very timely in her response to us via email. We also spoke with her on the phone a few times and enjoyed the conversations as well as the information. We would definitely use Tripsite again for another booking and we often recommend Tripsite to others.
The upside of our trip was Jack, our bicycle tour guide each day. He was great and very knowledgeable of the sites we rode to and also he gave a few evening guided walking tours which were also excellent. We really enjoyed Jack and his helper Johan, who was the “Sweeper”…taking the rear positon of all bike riders keeping us all Read More together.
The downside of the cruise for us were issues concerning the boat, Fluvius. The Fluvius is a small and pretty old boat with up to 44 passengers. This boat is well-worn and old and definitely shows it. It is clearly in need of a facelift and major update throughout the entire boat. Even the bed linens and bed comforter was just a little too old and did not seem crisp and fresh. The dinners served on the boat were very good and well presented. We did not want to eat fish and they kindly gave us something else as a substitute. However, the breakfasts were really lacking and uninspired. But worst of all were the lunches that everyone had to put together themselves every day to take with them on their bikes. The bread for the sandwiches was always very dry. And overall, the items one could pack for lunch were very limited and not very tasty or appealing. If you wanted to just have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, you had to open about 7 or 8 small packages of each to make one sandwich. The choice of fruit was just so very limited and the drinks offered were juices boxes that tasted not great. For water, you were given a reusable plastic bottle that you were expected to fill yourself each day in your bathroom. We never did that. Instead, we bought bottled water to take with us.
The cabin we were in (which was one of the two very best ones) did not seem very clean. The shower did not seem well scrubbed out after the previous guests. I understand that there is not much time between one set of guests disembarking from a cruise and the next group arriving. However, rooms need to be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized between groups and clearly this was not done. I also felt that the overall ship could have been cleaner.
Another aspect of this cruise I would like to comment on is the bikes. The majority of riders rode ebikes. The ebikes on the Fluvius were old and should be replaced. I noticed also that most of the bikes were dirty even on the first day of use which proved to be just a sign of their overall condition which was poor. My own ebike required maintenance twice during the week. There was only one guy who was in charge of maintaining all the bikes and he definitely seemed overwhelmed with the responsibility of this.
Our tour guide Jack mentioned that the boat had recently been purchased by a young entrepreneurial type of guy. Perhaps Tripsite might let the boat owner or local partner know about these short comings and needed changes. Also, it might be helpful if Tripsite conducted an annual review of the boats you represent to be sure things are up to par and meet your standards and the expectations of your clients.
On a final note, I would like to say that we enjoyed the daily rides and felt that Jack, the tour guide, did an excellent job. Without him, the overall experience would have been less enjoyable.
George T.
2 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Loire Valley - Tours to Angers
France
On the whole it was a great trip and I would like to do something like this again. But as with most things in life it could be improved. I would leave out Azay le Rideau. It was not much of a town and the hotel was below par. I would include “rest days”. For example I would have loved to spend more time in Chinon. So cycling all the way to chinon on day one then a rest there. And so on… For mid summer I would include an option not to have a hotel breakfast. On the really hot days (40c) we tried to get away at 6am to avoid the heat and have our cycling mostly done by lunch. It also means less traffic on the road. We had some good hotels and some rally poor ones. I think tripsite needs to work on consistency.
anna • 2 years ago Tripsite Staff
Thanks so much for your feedback. Your honesty and helpful comments will allow us to make the improvements necessary.
We will definitely examine the hotels we use on this tour, sometimes availability determines which accommodations we can actually use, but moving forward we can certainly eliminate the not-so-great hotels.
Changes will be made for the future!
Johanna Maria V.
2 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Wending South Holland Tour
Netherlands
This was my third Tripsite Barge Biking Trip and as good as ever again.
Highly recommended.
Excellent guide who ensured that everybody was happy.
Despite the large age difference from10-92 years, the group of 18 pax jelled well together.
A trip that combines nature, culture,exercise, education and relaxation in a most balanced holiday that one could wish for.
Michael S.
2 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Fleur Northern Burgundy
France
Being in France on a bike with new friends and having a wonderful barge and crew to meet our needs.
Anne C.
2 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Amboise in the Loire Valley
France
The most memorable part was the quality of the bikes. Negatively memorable. They were very heavy. Definitely not of the same quality we had on the barge. I recommend a different supplier. Otherwise enjoyed the area and the hotel.
All Tour Reviews by Country
Boat/Barge Reviews
- Magellan
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- Normandie
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