5 Star Poland Tour Reviews — 1 to 30 of 32

The country side that we cycled through.
Excellent bikes and great navigation system.

Navigating through the backroads and pathways, stopping in small towns for coffee and bier. Charming landscapes, interesting canals and features and our floating hotel always waiting for us at the end of the day. Norbert our cycle tour host was excellent!

I liked that the lodgings were often local, with a historic flavor of Czech or Poland, rather than bland international chain hotels. Having the breakfasts and dinners included was great, so convenient and we liked all the meals. The riding routes were very nice, with good scenery, small villages and minimum busy roads. Riding surfaces were often bumpy so the Specialized Diverge bikes we rode were a good match for conditions. The GPS routes worked perfectly, loaded onto my Garmin 1040. The phone APP was brilliant, with so much helpful info and the link to RidewGPS was great, even though I was using my Garmin. We wished we had requested a rest day in Olomouc; it is an interesting town and a break from so many consecutive days of riding would be nice.

A fantastic trip from one great city to another. The route was extremely well planned, making use of the vast network of cycleways in both countries (putting the UK to shame!). Although the surface quality was generally very good there some rough sections where the hybrid or gravel bikes came into their own. If you are used to a road style bike with drop handle bars I would definitely opt for the gravel bike as the best overall option as it handled the off-road sections well but was faster and lighter on good surfaces and hills.
The route is well planned to select interesting and historic towns for the overnight stops with the hotels always being close to the centres. A highlight is the quality of the support provided by both Tripsite beforehand and the guides during the tour. Lukas gave us a very detailed introduction and was always in touch throughout the journey to make sure everything was going well. The Tripsite App gave us lots of very useful information and the gps files made route following a breeze.
Thankyou team for a great experience

A great route with such history and two great cities! Would highly recommend not only the route, but the tour company. I was provided with Ride with GPS files in advance and a host of maps and other information upon arrival in Prague. They also use the "Trip Plans" app, which not only gives you the routes, but historical and other information about the towns you will be passing through and restaurant recommendations!

Great communication during the ride as well - even making a route change along the way due to road construction (they updated the Ride with GPS file in seemingly real time).

I have done a dozen or so self-guided solo bike trips around the world and often have had very little support - this team made it easy and they were always just a WhatsApp text or call away.

Looking at booking my next tour with them now...

Thanks!

Scott Nelson

We loved the trip. Lovely scenery and fascinating sites to see along the way. Accommodations were delightful and we stayed at some lovely old residences. Bikes went well and the GPX tracks made all the difference and we had no problem navigating along the various trails and roads. We so appreciated how responsive the local bike company was and if we had any queries we could send a message on WhatsApp and we received a reply straight away

This was the most organized non-guided trip I have ever been on. We had a driver stay with us the entire week and provided support if you had a flat or any bike trouble. They picked us up or dropped us off to safer starting and ending spots so that we could stay at beautiful hotels and not have to ride on very unsafe fast roads with no bike lanes. They organized guided tours in some of the cities we stayed in. The hotels were top notch, really really nice. The routes were well organized and detours were sent to us a week prior due to road construction. I couldn't recommend this trip enough. Poland cities are beautiful, clean, the food is great and very inexpensive. The countryside is beautiful. Poland's cities are unlike other European cities now. The cities feel safe and clean. Please put this trip on your bucket list. Well worth it!

Boat and Crew was absolutely Fantastic. Lia our Bike Guide was Amazing.

I very much enjoyed my self-guided Prague-Krakow bicycle tour. I traveled solo and chose upgraded accomodations and extra nights in Prague, Auschwitz and Krakow, which I would recommend. Unfortunately due to a canceled United Airlines flight, I was only able to spend 1 night in Prague. All of the personnel were quite helpful. The itinerary was clear and managable. W the exception of my last day in Krakow, my bags always arrived before I did (usually between 12-1). Two hotels charged me an additional city tax (Hotels Clement and Trinity). Be aware that there is a significant amount of off road gravel, dirt and rough riding, which for me added to the adventurous quality of the trip. I also chose an upgraded gravel bike, which I highly recommend. I don't know if I would upgrade the hotels again, in that there were at least 2 nights I was in 3 star hotels when 4 star options were listed on the itinerary. The Ride w GPS ap was at times confusing. For example, multiple times it indicated I was off course, when I doubled back to look for a missed turn, it then indicated that in fact I was going the correct way. The ap guided to the city center and not to the final hotel destination. Therefore, it is essential to get a sim card and have internet access to map to your individual hotel. Definitely bring a back up phone battery and a method for attaching it to your phone on the handlebar. I was also informed that the contract w the luggage carrier was to deliver the bag by 5 pm. Therefore, you may want to carry a change of clothes in your pannier. As mentioned, that only occurred one time (Krakow) where I had to wait a couple of hours to change out of my sweaty bike clothes. I especially enjoyed Olomouc and Krakow (go to the Schlinder museum). Overall, I would recommend Tripsite and I'm already looking for my next self guided bicycle adventure.

It was a perfect tour in perfect weather conditions. It includes nice landscapes, and some historical interesting sites (Peenemunde) and technical (ship elevator). The crew was very pleasant, and the tour operator was great. Thank you!

Riding the trails through the beautiful forests!

Great tour and fantastic boat. The Merlijn had it all - amazing food, friendly professional crew, gorgeous interior design, solid internet, spotlessly clean, and great communication. Several passengers had special diet requests that were thoughtfully accommodated. There are many small special touches - personal cabin intro, laundry folded neatly on bed, flavored cold water after biking, different table decor each night, espresso and small snacks available at all hours.

Our guide Lia was super energetic, friendly, knowledgeable and catered to the group's "wants". The first day fell into the moderate category - challenging surfaces (cobblestones, tank tracks, grassy sandy trails) and a long grunt up a hill in a field. Each day got easier with the last being an easy flat paved surface. Lia provided lots of information about the area's history, especially around WWII and its impact preunification. We visited churches, a castle, an artist's studio, and a concentration camp (briefly).

Tips: brush up on WWII era history before trip, reserve ebike early (6 onboard), ok to pack light as laundry is provided (for a fee).

I've been spoiled by their outstanding quality and don't want to book anywhere else. I'm looking forward to my next trip on Merlijn next summer!

My first bike trip in E.
Very good planing and local and history knowledge from Lucaš , Jan and Michaela! I enjoyed it so much I could do a repeat next year! Great Crew! Little rain the last two days but they made it work. Recommend it to anyone who’s into Cycling- History- Culture- gastronomy - new experiences. (E bikes make it possible for those not so fit. )

I don't think I had a single memorable moment. The older Buildings, learning the History, enjoying the Food, a few memorable people, the Niepolomicka Forest and the Ojcow National Park were all highlights. Once in a lifetime highlights. Though for me personally, the National Park and Forest are in my heart along with Kazimierz Dolny.
The highest compliment I can give is less than one week after returning home, I am already planning a return trip. Whether I do a Tour with your Company in the Bialowieza Forest or modify what we just did. To do that I would use my bike and carry my clothes and probably make use of the completed Vistula Cycling Route from Wisla to Szczucin then pick up your route to Kazimierz Dolny. I would spend a couple of days in the Ojcow National Park and Niepolomice to visit the Forest. I can see this taking two weeks or more.

Loved the buffet meal in Poland-delicious food, great sitting outside by the water, great band & fun dancing!

The hosts and tour guides were wonderful. The cabins were superb. The air beds were a treat. Everything was clean.

This trip gave insight into East Berlin; life during communism and now. I have spent a lot of time visiting Western Germany - small quaint towns; beautiful hillsides, etc. This trip was more farmland and very rural. The bike path was varied terrain. Many times our lunch was in a small park or church with no town nearby. The Merlijn is a fabulous small boat (22 passengers) with exceptional owners. This was our second trip with the Merlijn.

The trip was great! The food was prepared by the wife of the captain and it was delicious. The tours were well planned and excellent. We rode 170 miles in 6-days and this is the first time I actually lost weight on a vacation trip. They preferred the tips for the crew to be paid in cash (Euros). Would definitely do another bike and barge again. The attitude, experience and knowledge of the captain and crew of the bike and barge definitely makes or breaks a vacation like this one, but the captain and crew of the Merlin were excellent!

The most memorable part of our bike and barge trip from Malchin to Berlin was the day we biked on the Isle of Usedom. The landscape was beautiful, the beach front area was full of interesting shops and restaurants where we ate spaghetti ice, a childhood favorite treat of my husband. He has waited years to share this moment with our kids. We topped off the day with a swim in the Baltic Sea which was full of big waves and surrounded by soft, white sand.

One of my favorite parts of the trip was jumping off the boat into the canal. It was the end of a long, fun day of bike riding. The canal was clear and perfect for jumping. Everyone jumped off and everyone did fun tricks. The funniest was when Paul fell off and I never could keep a straight face around him again (Paul didn't get hurt except his pride btw). Captain Henk even put down a ladder to make climbing to the dock easier.

The entire trip was memorable. We had dinner at a restaurant on the dock one night and celebrated a birthday. The live band was excellent and it was a great opportunity to get to know our fellow travelers.
We booked the trip as we knew that East Germany and Poland was somewhere we would probably not travel to. We were amazed at how vast, undeveloped and beautiful the countryside is. The biking and barging was great!

Really enjoyed the quality of the bike paths in Germany.

Have done a number of trips with Tripsite and this ranks among the best. The Merlijn was a first class barge run by a first class staff! The biking through the forests and countryside of East Germany and Poland was magnificent and very ably guided. Would recommend this trip to anyone. Looking forward to next years adventure with Tripsite!!!

Great Crew! Very friendly! Food was amazing. Never mind trying to pack a small suitcase, pack a big one there's plenty of room under the bed.

This is a trip that we probably would not have done on our own. It was well organized with a great crew, about (the Majestic) and guides that were most informative and will to do anything for the group. We had a great diversity in biking ability but all were handled with respect and in a light and friendly manner. The trip through the forests and lands of East Germany and Poland was magnificent and would recommend this trip to anyone. As repeat customers of Tripsite I can think of no reason to book with anyone else! Looking forward to next year already!

We've already recommended this trip and Tripsite when friends and family ask us about our experience.
We'd also like to complement Bird Service--the Polish bike tour affliate who organized the trip. Bird Service did a great job arranging all transportation, hotels & dinners.

I feel our guide could have been a little more organised with our daily route but I also have to remember that the biking from Berlin to Malchin is a route that has not been done very often.
I am unable to pick one outstanding moment. Just being able to bike in eastern Germany & Poland was so outstanding & while biking to think of all the history of the area. It is also wonderful to think that efforts are being made to make a vast ecological area over the next few years in some of the region along canals where we were biking.

The owners of the barge are on board and are involved in daily running of the ship. They made me feel like a guest in their home!

EVERYTHING stands out! From the greeting & service by the staff, (Lydia/Denisa) the guide Jack, the Captain & Jontein who ran the whole enterprise, Merlijn. The food. Lovely ever-changing table settings, The ample, fresh cabins, fresh flowers, excellent bikes and super maintenance & care, knowledgeable, friendly guiding thru the towns, memorials, history of the area. Capable, expert, amazing,skill of the Captain thru the narrow canals & rivers. The homegrown entertainment. We are putting a deposit on '18. ('17 is BOOKED!)

The Merlijn is a terrific vessel and the owners, Jantien & Henk and their staff are first rate.
Highly recommended.