Bike Tour Reviews — 2851 to 2880 of 6482

I felt strongly the pull of the Mosel River as it flows across 2,000 years of history, spanning the Roman Empire, centuries of struggle between France and Germany culminating in World War II, and the formation of the European Union in 1985. From the bike saddle, we observe workers pruning vines and collecting grapes, children attending school and residents running daily errands. The experience unfolding before our eyes is enhanced by knowing a bit of that local history -- imagining Roman life here from 2,000 years ago, contemplating daily life in a medieval castle in the 16th century, and understanding World War 2 and postwar efforts to establish the European Union and the Euro common currency. All these historical events shaped life along this river; the evidence surrounds you, from Roman ruins, to castles, farms, footpaths, commercial barge traffic, and agriculture. Part of this journey is taking note of the layering of the modern world over deep historical foundations.

I loved all the walking paths and the people we met along the way.

The Trip met or exceeded all of our expectations. I enjoyed seeing the Netherlands and Belgium from a variety of vantage points. Walking into Antwerp old central square at night was magical.

Riding along the river the entire time with beautiful scenery and good bicycling surfaces.

Our tour director made everything we did fun. Thanks Juergen.

I was very disappointed with this trip! Not only were the cabins very small, they were completely enclosed with no external air flow systems. So, when one person in our group came down with COVID, it quickly spread to 4 more.

Since I had been rooming with one of the persons who tested positive, I offered to leave the trip [so I would not spread the virus to other customers] with the understanding that the ship's crew would pay for my hotel stay in Gent Belgium and the cab fare from the boat to the hotel. Moreover, I expected the crew to give me a refund for the portion of the trip I could not use [not the entire sum, but just what they would save on meals, etc.]. However, after packing my suitcase, isolating from the rest of the customers on board, and preparing to deboard, I was told than not only was the crew not going to pay for the items they said they would, the crew insisted that I pay a surcharge of another 30 Euros for increased fuel costs.

The most memorable part of the trip, in regards to TRIPSITE was the well organized reservations made for the hotels, bicycles, the guy setting them up and the various options they offer to us.
The only comment I would like to make is that in the map(s) they were some confusion as of which routes to take. We got lost over 20 times... which by the way is part of the fun!.

I have participated in about ten TripSite tours in the last 12 years, and this was one of the best. It was a photographer's delight, particularly the beaches and towns. The food was amazing: the hotel breakfasts were all very good, even in the 3 star hotels, and the dinners and wine were fabulous yet reasonably priced. All of the hotels were very good. I traveled with four 4 others, all of us in our sixties or close to it. We took e-bikes for the first time and I would strongly recommend them for this tour. It is very hilly, and we would have all been dog tired if we didn't have the power assist for the big climbs. There's a fair bit of traffic on some parts of the tour, but we found the Spanish motorists very polite and accommodating, giving cyclists lots of room. We picked this trip because we thought it was photogenic, and because of the excellent cuisine. We were not disappointed!! Kudos to Ibero Cycle, who provided excellent bikes and support.

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.

A.
The Thalassa, the boat on which we traveled needs immediate repairs to the holding tank/sewage system. The smells emanated into our cabin day and night. To resolve the only thing we could do was open the portholes, run the air-conditioning, and leave our cabin door open all at the same time. We left the boat one night early due to the smell. Two other couples did the same. We were told from day one of the cruise the smell would improve once we began sailing but that was not the case. Our room smelled of sewage fumes the entire trip. Additionally the smell of diesel fumes while in port was excessive. While the captain, crew, and tour guides were good, this boat is not ready for taking people on vacation.
Suggestions:
1. Rework venting systems for ship
2. Leave port the day of embarkation. No need to stay in port and smell diesel fumes from the boats (including the Thalassa) until the next day.

B. The e-bikes we used for this trip were tired and in need of serious repair or new bikes need to be purchased.
Suggestion:
1. Maintenance and repair review of each bike should be undertaken and new equipment installed as needed.

C. We did a tour extension in Athens for 3 days. Tripsite did not send any information about our extension ahead of time. So, while we had a driver pick us up at the airport and we had a nice hotel, there was no tour guide. We had to figure out what was planned for us on our own. Tripsite referred us to our Greek contact of whom there was none.
Suggestion:
Better contact between Tripsite and their overseas vendor to be sure travelers have made appropriate contact with local guides.

This trip was a disappointment compared to our previous week on the De Holland. This barge has no ventilation. The lower rooms were very damp and moldy smelling. We would have to open the door to the hallway after we showered. No fan in the bathroom and no way to eliminate moisture or odors. They were not using a proper disinfectant spray between groups so the virus germs can stay in these damp rooms. One woman entered the barge with Covid. She ended up passing it to 9 people.. They were all asked to leave the barge on their own expense. People need to be aware of this potential expense. Guides were ok but best for experienced riders. They encouraged independent travel but they are in the process of changing from the GPS maps so it was confusing and we frequently were lost and had to look at the map. No serious troubles.

We highly recommend the Rotterdam to Cologne trip. We went early September and the weather was beautiful. Water level worries caused some anxiety but in the end, there was no issue and the boat travelled along just fine. The E-biking was effortless as it is relatively flat. The scenery, especially in Netherlands, wonderful. The staff on our boat were friendly and helpful. The food was very good and our selections for our packed lunches was wonderful. We returned each day to a nice tidy cabin with our bunks pulled up to allow seating. Housekeeping did a great job. One suggestion: the maps need a review and update. In some instances, our group and other members from the boat were all at a particular location, quite confused as to the next step. Eventually we all ended up in the correct place but a few times, it was a large group consultation to solve it! Be sure to have a live smart phone at hand. We resorted to it a couple of times to navigate.

Using Tripsite to book our bike/barge trip took a lot of stress off of our trip planning especially during the pandemic. Whenever I emailed, I got a quick response and I was able to rebook easily more than once. The boat, Princess Katherina, was well run. We met many new people and even though we were the only USA participants, we were seated with other English speakers who became quick friends and travel mates. I was always pleased with the vegetarian options for dining and all food choices overall were exceptional. The 34 staff onboard contributed to efficiency and support whenever we had questions or needs. The bike routes were well marked and the panniers and front pack for holding the map worked perfectly. I would definitely get an e-bike next time as I struggled a bit with rainy weather but as seventy and seventy-two year olds exploring a new country, the trip was flawless. If you like castles, abbeys, river trails, this trip is perfect! Don't miss the pear cider at the small farmhouse on day two or the Mauthausen Memorial if you go. The Memorial and the Abbey in Melk were highlights of the trip even though they were a bit off the beaten path. Also, having an upper deck cabin was essential for me as I had never slept in a boat before and I preferred to have access to fresh air. Book this trip and have fun!

Vienna and Budapest were definite highlights as well as the bike ride from Krems to Melk which was fabulous!

Excellent accommodations

The route and scenery exceeded my expectations.

Crew and guide were fantastic.
Our dinners were amazing. Chef put much thought into selecting and preparing our evening meal always paired with a fabulous wine.
Enjoyed recapping our day’s ride after dinner with our guide, Mickey.
Each day brought a new adventure of riding. Lots of variety.
Might include a walking tour of Avignon as part of the trip.

We loved riding through the beautiful countryside and stopping to see the important landmarks along the way.

The entire experience was wonderful aboard the boat and biking the islands. The crew ensured we were fed healthy delicious food and we safe biking the hilly terrain.
The only bad experience was poor communication prior to the trip about COVID requirements.

Arles (Van Gogh & Roman buildings), Barbegal Acqueduct, Les Baux, olive oil mill visit, Pont du Gard. Camaraderie on board the Caprice and while riding. The hospitality and warmth of the Caprice crew. So many other great sites and experiences too. Our guide Miki was great; bike routes were pleasant and relatively free of traffic interference. I felt safe while riding and saw a lot little things along the ride that interested and pleased me - things you don't see from a car, train, or bus.
One area needing improvement: Poor WIFI aboard the Caprice. Higher capacity and more reliable WIFI would have been appreciated.

The route, the people we met

My son and I loved our bike tour of northern Denmark. The hotels were great - especially the breakfasts. Christian set us up with the bikes and moved our luggage to the next hotel. He seemed committed to making sure we had a good trip. I highly recommend this tour.

Wonderful. This was our 4th ride of the islands. Beautiful as ever. Great crew and great companions from all over on the boat.

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.

Hotels were pleasant. Well organized tour.

Great biking on an iconic river through the major cities in grand luxury.

Most memorable was riding atop the dikes in the Netherlands. The meals and lunch prep was a highlight of the trip. While my bike was adequate, I feel the preparation wasn’t adequate. I had to have the rear brake adjusted prior to use and the rear derailleur would jump gears. They should have been inspected prior to use. The maps and directions were not as clear as they should have and instructions in English were limited

This was a beautiful tour of northern Portugal. We rode through vineyards, along beautiful rivers and the Atlantic coast. The accommodations were excellent and the suggested restaurants gave a great example of classic Portuguese food.

The trail was beautiful. Loved going thru the eucalyptus forest the aromas lovely. Being next to the rivers and ocean was great. Most of the trail was covered with shade making the hot days most enjoyable.
Hotel accommodations were nice. Liked having different styles of hotels - each had their own character.
Recommend to have a couple more food recommendations for lunch as some restraints were closed Mon & Tues due to being late in the season.
All our bike were new models- well maintained. Our host made sure several times during the trip that everything was working ok.

Our staff. Hans and Wilfred were exceptional.