Tulip Tour - 8 day Tour Reviews — 61 to 90 of 209

Cycling through the Netherlands was wonderful! The tulips were spectacular, whether in gardens, fields, or pots along the route. Our local guides were friendly and genuine. The Magnifique I was spacious in the common areas and the crew helpful in every way. An ebike is great for battling the headwinds.

The Fleur staff was terrific and our guides Japke and Brian were great fun.

All of it!!! Loved bicycling through the beautiful countryside with the never ending flowers, water, green fields full of fowl of all kinds, beautiful historical homes and buildings, delicious food, windmills, cheese markets and the personal friendliness of the attentive and informative crew of the Zwaantje. Honestly, these people made us feel so welcome and were so accommodating to our needs. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay and will return again to visit.

Our guide was wonderful. He was flexible and went out of his way to bring us to see things that were of interest to us. Also, the food was delicious and accommodating to special diets.

My highlights were the tulip fields, Keukenhof, the flower auction, and the functioning windmill. I also loved the camaraderie with staff and fellow travellers.

Some improvements:
The rating was easy but I think that pertains to the flatness of the path. biking between 30-65 kms per day wasn't easy with the wind conditions. Some clarification might be useful.

Also, some of the times and plans for the day were fluid and sometimes confusing. Still liked it an awful lot though.

When I read reviews of trips from former guests…I am always a little cautious about the use of hyperboles. However, I have to say that my expectations were far exceeded on this tour and it was thanks to the ship La Mar, the crew, Captain Marnik and especially the tour guides Michiel, Mijntje and Anne. They all worked amazingly well to create the best tour I have been on! I ended up selecting a comfort class level because that was what fit my timeline and availability but I have to say it was delightful and lacked nothing (Marnik your renovation looks great!). Cycling through the countryside and stopping in small towns and farms gives you a very different perspective of what a people and a country are about…and this trip delivered that…I have a new and wonderful impression of the Netherlands and all the wonderful people who live there. Thanks for an amazing adventure!!

Great tours, especially the cheese farm, and of course anything tulip related, and windmill tour. Beautiful boat, excellent bike rides.
Great guide.

Biking through the Netherlands was an unforgettable experience, particularly during the tulip season. The lush green farms, cows mooing, sheep bleating, birds singing and the people were so friendly. The sights we saw were incredible. Quo Vadis did not disappoint! The captain and crew aim to please and they did. Our tour guides were amazing. All set the bar high! The food was great, our rooms were small but cozy and very comfortable and the common area was relaxing. I highly recommend this trip! We can't wait for another trip!

The room on the boat was clean with enough room to get around, the shower had a lip to contain the water and there were hooks and a closet for clothing. The group size of
23 was good to get to know everyone. The cycling in Netherlands was amazing - there were special bicycle lanes everywhere and the scenery was beautiful. We paid extra for special diets and unlike on other bike and barge trips, this one was worth it!

Absolutely beautiful scenery-the best way to see this charming country is on a bike. The bike paths are very well maintained. I would suggest considering an e-bike. I did the first 4 days on a regular bike and this was fine. But after a day of rain and headwinds, I tried an e-bike-it was awesome! Our guides were great (Alice, Wolter and Timothy), were helpful, personable and really helped make the trip the incredible experience that it was. The food was fabulous-thanks to our amazing chef, Jules. Loved Reik (not sure of spelling of her name). Entire crew was great!

The staff and crew on the Iris did everything in their power to give us an enjoyable experience. It was obvious they all enjoyed their jobs and wanted us to share in that joy.

The barge and staff were fantastic! The meals were fabulous. The bicycle was much better than I anticipated. Overall it was a well organized trip. They kept us busy with biking and each night there was a walking tour. I highly recommend this trip and am planning another one on the same boat in the future.

The biking guides were personable, knowledgeable, well organized. The staff on board the Iris were top rate, helpful, interactive. The itinerary/biking paths followed/led were varied and quite interesting - loved biking through the villages and countryside. Most memorable: Keukenhof, biking past all the tulip fields, past the windmills, receiving tidbits of historical info from the guides.

The boat, staff, food were all excellent. Could not have asked for more. The weather took an unexpected turn which I'm sure dampered my experience, but could not be avoided. The thing that I am upset about was the itinerary and guide. Perhaps it was my inexperience, but when the trip is advertised and easy and beginner and with descriptions of biking through the countryside, I did not anticipate having to navigate busy city streets and intersections. I was anxious, fearful and frustrated, owing to my inability to do it. I had a bad bike wreck and am still (2 weeks now) unable to walk and am seeking medical attention. I also had a very negative response to our guide. We had a group of 22 and one arrogarnt, surly guide. We needed and I thought we were promised 2, at a minimum. I received very little instruction of biking traffic rules and not much help on settings for my ebike. He did not believe it was his job to teach us to ride ebikes and he didn't. He made it clear that he did not like to guide with ebikes and most of us had them. Attempting to wrangle 22 bikes through busy intersections was complete chaos and for me, pretty disastrous. I was only able to bike 2 days out the trip before my accident took me off the bike. I have always known that a guide can make or break a traveler's experience and now i have experienced it. I would not recommend this trip or experience to my friends. I have heard from others that the self guided trips offer more autonomy in group size, pace and enjoyment, but I doubt that I will ever try even that. This experience has cured me from bike and barge. I'm sorry to be so negative, but this is honest feedback.

The tours were very educational & informative. We only had 1 guide and he was pretty cranky & could be insulting to several of the ladies. To be honest the women were not prepared either.

Overall, a great trip. The crew and guides on the Iris were wonderful and helped to make the trip a memorable experience. Thought the tour itinerary was a great balance of Dutch culture, historic towns and places, canals, dikes and locks, windmills, and fields of flowers. Fun seeing the Netherlands on a bike. Chef was amazing and the Food was superb. Made good friends and enjoyed everyone on the bike tour. I would recommend this trip to anyone who wants to experience the beauty of springtime in Holland.

What a wonderful experience I had never been to Europe or out of the country, and it did not disappoint

The boat, crew, food were wonderful. It was apparent that a second cycling guide would have been an advantage as it was difficult for some riders to keep the pace.

Wonderful holiday. Barge is very clean spacious and the food is outstanding. Snacks were always available after a ride and the crew is extremely accommodating. Each day our bikes were ready and off the barge, our guide was knowledgeable of the history, area and always showed us some hidden gems. We were a very large group 23 riders, I think the guide could have used another guide for assistance. The scenery speaks for itself

The most memorable part of the trip was bicycling to see the tulip fields, the parade of flowers, and one of the largest flower auctions in the world.

Oh wow, what an awesome trip!! From the scenery and sights to the food on the Fleur, everything was wonderful! The staff on the boat was welcoming and took good care of us. Our guides, Patrick and Karin, were great fun and knowledgeable.

This was my 4th Tripsite tour and was by far the best. The Fleur was delightful: clean and beautifully decorated. The food prepared by the amazing chef, Steffie, was amazing. Each day she presented a culinary treat that was on par with the finest restaurants. Our guides, Karin and Patrick, were knowledgeable and fun. We cycled past small villages, pastures of sheep and cows, saw amazing birds, and charming canals. Of course, the tulips were gorgeous every way you turned. We became friends with the other passengers, and the camaraderie made the trip even more fun. If you take this tour, you will not be disappointed. Just be prepared for all types of weather conditions and cold temperatures. An ebike made the cycling against the wind manageable. The entire trip will be a lifetime memory for me.

Tulip exchange

It was a great time of year in the Netherlands. Caught the flower parade, 4-20 day, Kings day and the tulips in bloom!

The most memorable part of our trip was keukenhof gardens. It was amazing. We also liked Aalsmeer which was fascinating and the North Sea. The bike ride there was beautiful and different from any of the other biking we did. The neighborhoods and homes were beautiful as well as the forests we rode through. Then it was just a treat to be on a beach when we got there. Our week was cool windy and rainy at times. My best suggestion would be to have layers to dress in. The panniers for the bikes are very spacious to hold layers and jackets if you need to remove any. Gloves were very helpful as well as gators for our heads/necks. Another suggestion would be to be practiced up on your bikes in some crowded conditions as Amsterdam biking was brief but a little hairy. Use an Ebike if you’re out of shape. The wind was brutal.

We took this trip obviously for the tulips but what a pleasant surprise to have such an amazing crew and guide team. The meals were gourmet, the lunches amazing, snacks waiting on our return and a friendly face welcoming us back. The captain mingled with us when not driving the ship to its next location. And the guides..Wim and Brian did a fabulous job Wims knowledge is amazing. And then there were the little towns we biked through that we would have never seen any other way! A total experience that well exceeded my expectations! Bravo!

Seeing the large tulip fields in full bloom. I liked the ship the Iris. The crew were wonderful. They sure treated the riders great. I really enjoyed our bike tour guides, Ferry and Maaike. They were very knowledgeable and did a great job of guiding us. Several times, the Iris could not get to the designated stopping point for the evening due too bridges being out for maintenance. so they had to reroute us to a different location to catch the Iris. The food on the Ship was very good. Coen, the chef, did a great job of creating meals, salads, soups, and deserts. I have one suggestion. Please have the chef create more authentic Dutch cuisine. I asked Ferry about this, and he said that there is really not much concerning Dutch cuisine. He said it was mainly poor man's food. Anyway, I would have liked more of the Dutch poor man's food. The weather did not cooperate. I know the weather can be bad, and it was. It rained a lot every day. The wind was constantly blowing, and the temps were in the low to mid 40s. One day the temperature reached the mid 50s with the sun shining in the afternoon. The last 2 days it was rainy, cold, with a very strong head wind. Over all I enjoyed the trip, but the weather could have been better.

This trip exceeded our expectations. EVERYTHING was well done.... We would highly recommend....

This trip was amazing. The pre-planning info, the easy to follow arrival, and the overall organization made my first trip an enticement for future excursions. The crew iof the Iris and our guides were engaging and easily created a family-like experience. Every day was greeted with smiles and experiences which made all of us feel the excitement of the voyage. Thank you for the great memories!

Oh my, this is a difficult question as every part of our trip on the IRIS Tulip Tour was memorable! We loved the biking and felt totally immersed into the Dutch culture as we meandered through cute villages, lush green grazing pastures adorned with baby animals (lambs, ducks, goats, cows), by castles, windmills, and, of course, the spectacular, vibrant tulip fields! Our tour guides were, hands down, the best tour guides ever!! Genuinely, wonderful people who were so knowledgeable about their culture and history and eager to share! Each stop we made on our bikes whether it for a coffee break, lunch break, or a site to see, was unique and fabulous! We loved the different cafes (w/ to-die-for pastries and treats), lunch stop areas (an old schoolhouse; a beach on the North Sea; adorable towns), and the many Dutch experiences (castles, windmills, cheese farm, tulip fields, and the spectacular tulip gardens at the Kuekenhof)! The boat staff and meals were amazing also . . . first class!!! We all felt spoiled and loved. Our rooms were perfect with plenty of space - with every detail of design being well thought-out. Last, but not least, we relish the friendships we developed with our delightful fellow bikers/bargers! If you enjoy "active" vacations, then this is a trip of a lifetime!!!

Suggestions for others:
1. Be sure to do some bike rides (and make sure you are comfortable on a bike) before coming on this trip. Also, if you plan on using an electric bike, practice at home first.
2. Rain pants and a good raincoat were my best pre-trip investments! Dress in layers and be prepared for all types of weather! The weather is not a problem if dressed properly. Also, bring two pairs of gloves so you always have a dry spare pair.