3 Star Bike Tour Reviews — 151 to 180 of 327

The beauty of Croatia is breathe taking! The boat was comfortable and roomy. We found that we didn’t do as much biking as we had hoped. The rides had numerous long breaks with often nothing to do. One thing we were very upset with was the guides wouldn’t phone for a taxi or other means of transportation at the end. There was something about the boat having a transfer company which was extremely expensive but they weren’t allowed to provide anything else! Never experienced anything like this before. The food was ok, but far too much cheap fish for my liking.

Making it up the hills. Make sure to pack extra water and snacks for yourself

The boat breaking down (and the way the crew accommodated the changes).

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.

First 2 days along the Atlantic beaches is great.

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.

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.

Visiting the windmills

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

Beautiful scenery on some of the islands.

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

Biking through the vinyatds.

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.

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.

The trip started out on a sour note because the De Holland was not moored at the De Ruijterkade West location shown in the Tripsite "Final Travel Information" PDF, but instead was across the IJ river next to the Buiksloterweg ferry terminal. Despite being told by Tripsite that the document would be updated with last-minute changes, the document was not updated with the correct location, and none of the passengers who booked through Tripsite were notified of this critical change. (We heard that Boat-Bike Tours, the organizer of the tour, DID notify the passengers who had booked directly through them.) We followed the De Holland on the Vesselfinder website so we knew where it was moored, and we notified a few other traveling companions, but a portion of the Tripsite group showed up at De Ruijterkade West and the boat management had to arrange for their transportation to Buiksloterweg, which delayed the departure. To our knowledge, Tripsite has never acknowledged or apologized for this serious mistake.

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.

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.

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.

The Moselle-Maar Cycling Trail offered a lovely change of scenery from the also beautiful Mosel River paths we followed most days.

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.

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.

The people we traveled with and the shared adventures as well as the beauty of 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.

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.

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.

The entire crew was fantastic. The ship, Fortuna, is over 20 years old and it had some issues. In particular the air conditioning, The upper deck rooms had adequate a/c but the lower deck rooms, the lounge and the dining area were very uncomfortable. There were several people on this cruise who did not partake in cycling, some had mobility issues, the elevator did not work and it was difficult for them to get from there rooms to the other decks.
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 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.

We just returned last week from the 4 country Danube trip on the MS Fortuna. I have to begin by saying that the entire crew was fantastic. The food was great and the food selections were plentiful. The cruise director, Leslie, was the absolute best. His knowledge of the bike routes, the cities of Vienna, Budapest and all of the small villages in between were very helpful. The optional Budapest by night folklore tour was a lot of fun.
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 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!

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.

We really overall enjoyed our bike & boat cruise from Bruges to Amsterdam taken July 2-9, 2022 on the Fluvius boat. But there are few comments that I would like to make in hopes that Tripsite finds them useful.
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 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.  SHOW MORE 

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.

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.