Bike Tour Reviews — 2011 to 2040 of 6495

Beautiful countryside. The route book gave direction in tenths of a kilometer but our odometer only had whole kilometers. We got lost a couple of times.

Scenery was so beautiful but an e-bike is a must as there were many hills. The tour is marked as moderate but that would only be with an e-bike. Hotels were very nice but one was up a very steep hill with no restaurants around it. Also we had to ride through a long tunnel as the route road was closed.

The scenery was breathtaking, the biking was not difficult with the e-bikes, and the swim stops were amazing. We were riding on roads and some were quite busy so I would not do this trip with children. The air conditioning in the cabins was just ok so if I were to go on the Magellan again I would bring a small fan.

The promenade at Split! Cycling was fantastic and perfect! City tours so informative! Loved the boat, guides and food! Best scenery ever!

The scenery in Croatia is just beautiful. And the seaside towns are gorgeous. Being able to cycle through all of that, connecting the sea with the mountainous terrain, was perfect. The e-bikes made it possible considering the hot temperatures and my age! Our boat, Harmonia, was a very comfortable home for the week. The meals were delicious and beautiful. Swim stops on the boat were great and we also visited many refreshing beaches during our bike rides.

Everything was excellent!
I am thankful for the help with the hotel accommodations before our tour started. The Splendid hotel was very nice. The boat Harmonia was perfect; the crew was kind, hospitable and competent. Our Island Hoping guides were excellent. I even enjoyed the Croatian language class sweet Tara gave us on day one! The food was elegant and delicious. We were under the impression that we needed to pack our own bike helmets, which was a packing challenge, but later realized that we didn’t really need to. Guide Ivan was an excellent shepherd for our group; we learned so much about Croatia; he was quite passionate about his country! We will hopefully be returning for another tour in the future.

Museum in Spakenburg was self directed but very interesting and beautifully laid out.
Using an e bike for the first time really made the daily biking more relaxed and enjoyable.
I would suggest the evening meal be presented as family or buffet style and available earlier than 6:30.

This route was really great. Most of the biking was on dedicated bike paths. Following the route took us through and by many picturesque spots. There were 8 of us on the trip ranging from 11 years old to 46. On days we didn't stop to rest much because of rain, the kids were worn out by the end, but overall the length were good. We stayed two days in Apeldoorn and were happy with that decision as there was a lot to do and see. The Palace Het Loo and the high ropes (klimbos) were highlights. We felt there was plenty to do and see at each stop. And great food along the way. The only downside was that we requested helmets from tripsite but the local guide never got that request. It was frustrating because we ended up buying helmets.

The Berlin to Wolfsburg was an amazing experience. This was my second trip on the wonderful boat, Merlijn and it won't be my last. We already have one booked for next year! The pedaling was fun and easy and the historical sites fascinating with a great guide. I highly recommend this trip!

The Feniks was a fine boat, and the accommodations were better than I expected. There were only 4 other passengers, with 4 crew, so we were well cared for. The bike was comfortable and efficient. The (vegan) food was EXCELLENT. It would have been nice to have more of a mixed group (others were ALL Dutch, but it worked out ok.

Few pointers: there was no internet on the boat, some days we rode as much as 70K, but mostly flat, we mostly docked outside of towns/villages.

Meeting all the pilgrims on the trail was lots of fun. Everyone was friendly and kind. The trail was a challenge at times with lots of rough rocks, quick hills, little streams to cross but we had e-bikes and can’t imagine doing it without them. Probably avoid doing this route in July and Aug because of the number of pilgrims on the trail.

This was our 3rd Bike and Barge experience.
Everything about the Bike and Barge tour on Merlin was first class.
We have been fortunate enough to have enjoyed many large ship ocean cruises and rail holidays throughout Europe and can confidently say that Bike and Barge tours tops them all.
My wife, not being a cyclist hired an electric powered bike and although always being a little dubious about cycling every day finished the tour saying; " We must do this again, it's much better than the fancy cruises".
The accommodation on the barge Merlin although being tight is excellent, the food (breakfast, lunch and dinner) exceptional as were the crew and of course the scenery as we slowly cycled along the Mosel and Rhine rivers was stunning.
Thank you TripSite and particularly the good Barge "Merlin".
We highly recommend this amazing holiday experience to all those young at heart.
The 24 guests (maximum number) on board ranged from their early 40's through to an average age of about 65.
Despite several very inexperienced cyclist on board all managed the ride comfortable

Only one concern (being Australian) and that is that making payment was a bit messy.

Peter and Christine Dearle
Perth
Western Australia

The Primadonna was comfortable, well-organized, had good food and created a good tour of beautiful parts of Europe. The bikes were easy to ride and very high quality. My biggest concern is that without GPS, the routes were impossible. Even the few German speakers had trouble with the routes. I would not recommend this trip to anyone who does not know how to use it. I believe you have to have a specific plan for your phone ( and/or a European SIM card. The ship claims to have wi-fi but it is erratic. I could not text or email most of the trip. The tv’s in each room had no English channels so we were not able to track the news. We were the only Americans on the ship so we good friends of other nationalities and that was great.

This Trip should be rated Difficult and e Bike is absolutely must. Guided wiould be better option for this Trip. Hotels were supereb.

My daughter and I had an incredible time! The crew and the guides were amazing and skillfully managed any complications that arose. Despite weather complications and a variety of skill levels every day was wonderfully executed and incredibly enjoyable for all! The food was delicious and served in portions that ensured no one was leaving the table hungry

Muito Obrigado pelo passeio!!!
Superou todas as minhas expectativas, os guias ofereceram conhecimento e entretenimento e a equipe de bordo muito entusiasmada, a alimentação sensacional. E o tamanho do barco proporciona interação entre os passageiros.
Agradecemos a toda equipe do návio em especial ao Ronald, Steve e Jolene.
Luciana e Giovanni

Até Breve!!!

We loved our entry into Spain from Portugal when traveling on the Camino de Santiago. In the morning hours we boarded a small boat and huddled with our bike, we crossed the river landing on a sandy shore where we disembarked directly on a beach (felt like survivor!). Later that day we entered Baiona where we stayed at the beautiful ancient castle Castillo de Monterreal that sits prominently at the entrance to the bay. The journey rewarded us with deliciously varied seafood, awesome biking and a spiritual uplift which we felt directly when entering into Santiago de Compenstela where hundreds of other people had pilgrimaged and shared their journeys. Don't miss the delicious handmade almond cookies made by nuns (it's a bit of a puzzle to find) and the Portugese Pastal de Nata. Thank you TripSite for everything you truly were our caretaker making our travels safe!

This trip was amazing! the boat crew and the tour guides were phenomenal and made the trip so good.

Dionysus (actuallly there were 2 of them) were our guides and they were outstanding and I can’t say enough about how good they were. The engineer Achilles was awesome and always had a great recommendation for us on every island.

I would use this company time and time again and can’t stress enough as to how much fun this trip was.

The very nice villages on the Danube.

Leaving Innsbruck on the bikes was so exciting! It was wonderful to know that our luggage would be safely transported to the next hotel and we could just enjoy the scenery. The paths were well marked and going in and out of little towns was such a joy. The route was wonderfully planned and each day was just the right amount of biking. Definitely take time to swim in the Kalterer See. It felt so wonderful after a day of biking on a hot day.

We enjoyed the immersive experience of biking through beautiful countryside, villages, and forests as the method of sightseeing - an activity that was entirely new to us.

This was an amazing tour for several reasons. Firstly, there were 7 (rather than a full complement of 14) experienced cyclists over the age of 60, none of whom used an e-bike. This allowed the guide to change the cycle route to reflect our abilities, to show us some special sights and to give us a special experience. Harm, the guide, did this with ease. Secondly, the crew of the Feniks was excellent. This includes Fiona, the captain, Rainier, the assistant and Hilde, the cook. Thirdly, the laundry service was a game changer. If we had understood what this service involved, we could have packed considerably lighter.

Well thought-out rides thru some of the most beautiful farm and wooded country I have seen in my life. Warren & Esther of Galloway Cycling Holidays are lovely people, well organized, thoughtful, responsive.

Enjoyed this Trip very much.

Our bike tour from Bruges to Amsterdam was stellar in every way possible! First, the boat: It was awesome! Our cabin had plenty of room for the two of us and the shower was unexpectedly nice. Second, the crew: AMAZING! All of the crew on our boat were just excellent. The food was so good! Koen made sure that we were all well fed in preparation for our rides everyday and well fed when we got back with lots of snacks and a yummy dinner. Marianne and Tessie were so nice and very helpful around the boat (Marianne is a great dancer too!). The captain of the boat, Xander, was great and very funny. Last, and definitely not least, is our tour guide Wieger. He was such a nice man and so much fun. I really can't say enough about him. Third, dealing with Tripsite: In a word... Easy! They were very helpful and answered all our questions (no matter how silly) without delay. Fourth. the bikes: They were perfect. We used electric bikes and even though there were days that we rode with the power off to get some extra exercise, we were glad that we got them. Sometimes it's nice to get a helping hand once and a while. Some in our group got the normal bikes and they struggled more than we did on certain days. We had planned to ride on our own with the maps supplied by the boat. We're very glad that we didn't because there were lots of detours due to construction and trail closures and we would've never been able to find our way like Wieger was able to. Plus the group dynamic was so much fun. Our group had 23 people in it from Canada, the US, Italy, France, and Germany. It was so nice getting to know them all.
We thoroughly enjoyed our trip and would absolutely do it again!

This was our second Bike & Barge trip. If you are thinking about it, do it! Both trips were with a group of friends. We had a wonderful time together with the crew. I'd recommend going with a group of friends or family. This trip required longer distances which at times were a bit exhausting but much of that had to do with our pace and the weather. Most of the biking on this trip is in the countryside, not many towns to see. Arriving in Venice on the boat was incredible and a great way to end our trip spending two nights and a day in the city.

The trip was wonderful. Riding along the coast line of Denmark was full of spectacular views. The one day in Sweden was beautiful. The bikes were very comfortable and rode well. The pick up and drop off of our luggage was great. The luggage was always at our hotels when we arrived. The hotels were great and the breakfasts were good. We really enjoyed this trip and the opportunity to see different parts of Denmark and Sweden.

The Magellan was a spectacular ship. She's beautiful and steady and had everything we needed. There were 8 crew on board plus 24 guests and we had plenty of room. There was never a feeling of being crowded together because the ship had so many places to sit and relax. Critical advice when selecting a ship during hot weather -- be sure the ship has a covered upper deck! We had wonderful lounge chairs on the upper deck, covered entirely by a sun screen, so it was a very popular place even in the heat of the day. Our crew was amazing, especially bartender Josip, who took such great care of us! The guides (Ana and Shyntz), sailors (Hare and Marko), chefs (Dusan and Milica), and Captain Ivan just made the entire cruise an absolute pleasure.

A couple of other items to mention:
1. Very, very, very few businesses in Croatia accept AMEX. And not one restaurant, cafe or bar accepted AMEX.
2. Only use Bank-owned ATMS. The private ATMs charge exorbitant fees.
3. When you dock at Split, a summer party town, bring earplugs so you can sleep. The town crowd stays up very late, partying, etc. and all the noise from the city and sidewalks floats directly to the above deck cabins.
4. CHOOSE the rafting adventure if it's available during your trip. The ride to the river takes about an hour, but it's worth it. The water is the clearest I've ever seen and we only had to walk around one waterfall.

Pack lightly. Rooms are extremely small but well air conditioned.
I really don't have a favorite part. It was not a relaxing trip as the bruge to Amsterdam tour was. This took us through more crowded towns that were difficult to navigate due to traffic. It was extremely hot which added to the difficulty. Food on the boat was great but breakfast and lunch were repetitive. Crew was awesome and very accommodating.

From our first welcome on Saturday the week was wonderful. The meals were delicious, varied and healthy. Our guide Francesco , was patient, very careful and made sure we kept hydrated, as the days were hot.
The bikes were in good condition. I can’t fault our week, and would be keen to try another bike and barge holiday. Totally recommend.