Istria

We had never been on a bike and barge tour like this, and we LOVED it. Istria is simply an amazing place to start with, made even better by the well-appointed boat and the hospitality of our guides, crew, and fellow travelers. It was a perfect mix of relaxing cruising on the boat, the activity and camaraderie of the bike tours, guided city tours, and exploring the history and towns of Croatia on our own. One unexpected and delightful part of the tour was the food served on the boat. Mario, our chef, created magic in his small galley. People were literally cheering and chanting like they would for a rock star when he came out of the kitchen. The rest of the crew were amazing in their own ways: fun, attentive, interesting, approachable, and excellent at their work. I would advise people to choose the e-bikes for this tour and to be comfortable riding in groups, in some traffic, and on some dirt/rocks/gravel. The guides were great at preparing us for the rides, but some of the sections were difficult for someone who may not be a confident bike rider. More "moderate" than "easy". With that, the experience exceeded our expectations, and I highly recommend it!

This bike and boat tour of the Istrian Peninsula was fantastic. We cruised through the beautiful Adriatic Sea. On our daily bike rides, we experienced both lovely smalll villages, the Croatian countryside, and larger port cities with history and buildings going back thousands of years. The walking tours of these cities by local guides were outstanding. Our bike tour guides were excellent. The boat crew was excellent. The food and drink were outstanding. Kudos and thanks to the entire biking and boating staff on our trip! Our boat cabin was small but comfortable, and the public areas of the boat were also beautiful and comfortable and enabled us to experience the gorgeous Adriatic as we cruised through it. Highlights for me were the city of Rovinj and the excellent tour we had through it, and the village of Groznjan with its artists. And the scenic rides. We road quite a bit on gravel roads to avoid cars. These were a bit bumpy at times, but the bikes did fine. There were some steep hills; the ebikes made riding easy. The trip was a good value.

The entire trip was memorable! Thank goodness for e-bikes! I don't think anyone on the boat would have been able to complete most days without an e-bike - there were a few who didn't use them, but they were in great physical condition and obviously accustomed to riding hills.

I was blown away by the quality of the food that was served by Mario out of that tiny kitchen! All of the meals were amazing!

I would honestly say this tour should be advertised for e-bikes only. There were some grueling hills. We have been on numerous bike and barge trips in years past and this was by far the most challenging - and also the first time everyone in our group used e-bikes. The routes were in either very high traffic or on very bumpy and obstacle-filled dirt roads, which made it difficult to take in the beauty around, as you had to focus on what was in front of you. Croatia is a beautiful country - I do wish there were better bike paths though.

Awesome experience. Great, caring, FUN staff! Especially fun with an e-bike!!!!

The towns we visited were great. If you do this tour get the e'bike. We were the only people on regular bikes. The e-bikes had shocks, we did not. It was a constant battle on hills as everyone left us behind. We were ok on flat roads but the hills and rock and gravel trails without shocks were terrible. E-bikes should be required.

Istria is gorgeous, The guides, the food, the crew, and the other bikers were all outstanding. One caution: the description calls the biking easy-moderate, mostly flat with some rolling hills. That is absolutely not true. I rode 152 miles over six days and logged 10,650 feet of elevation gain, with 20-25 percent being on gravel or rocky trails, some single track. Istria is rocky, and much of the gravel was actually imbedded rocks that had to be maneuvered. We did have some modifications due to weather, but the hardest day was as scheduled. Two days had grades up to 14 percent. I planned to book a hybrid, but decided on an e-bike because of another person's review. I bike a lot, but I would have been unable to bike some days if I'd been on a hybrid. Seasoned mountain bikers were better able to handle it, but typical bikers, I think not on a hybrid.
We happened to have a small group with only ten guests. With a capacity group, the boat might seem very crowded. It was very nice with the small group.

Amazing rides, guides, guests, sights and food - and oh yes, the crew! This was an extraordinary week filled with splendid rides through the countryside and small villages, wonderful food on the boat and in restaurants and laughter every time we got together. The guides were our coaches and resources - sharing their knowledge and perspectives on all aspects of Croatia. We had opportunities for language lessons, geography/historical insights and town walks with locals. The boat provided everything we needed and the crew make sure that we were comfortable and well cared for. Great value also!

The people made this tour. Some of the cycling routes were on major roads. Others were on gravel. Our guide Christopher was wonderful. Boat was ok. We had a room that had not been refurbished. Most other rooms had been updated. The main course of each meal was good but the vegetables accompanying them were overcooked and mushy. I would give the food a 5 out of 10.
Bikes were in great condition and repaired by the guides quickly if needed.

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

Most memorable were the seaside and inland bicycle and leisure experiences: swimming the Adriatic was a surprise along with the picturesque medieval coastal cities and medieval hilltop towns. All in the company of fun staff and other bikers, despite the fact that there were only 2 of us from the US. Almost everyone on board spoke English. Mid-June was a great time to go, with lovely green vineyards and olive groves, lots of blooming flowers, more moderate air temperatures with refreshing water temperatures for swimming. E- bikes made the otherwise challenging uphills easy.
Patsy Venema

The old cities and the Adriatic coastline were amazing. The food was fine but not as good as on other bike and barge trips we have done.

the beauty of Croatia was stunning . Everything about the trip was simple and very basic in all of its beauty. The fact we had good weather made all the difference because had it been all rainy it would have made things a lot less enjoyable . Outstanding crew both the 4 guides and the inside crew. They could not have been better !

Great tour leaders and staff on the boat!! We really enjoyed the trip!!!

Our guides Ina and Alvin were fabulous and we loved the staff on the boat.

Bike tour guides OUTSTANDING. Tarins crew accommodating! Food four stars!

Everyday's ride was fun and full of beautiful sights led by terrific guides. The routes took us along the incredible Adriatic coast and to charming interior villages where we mingled and laughed with local folks while enjoying delicious food both on and off the boat.

The trip was rated easy to moderate! I would rate it moderate to hard! If you do this boat trip- get an electric bike! Parts of the bike riding were on roads with traffic and on gravel roads!

The guides were great and fun! The scenery and town were wonderful!

Istria trip was excellent with beautiful seascapes, winding roads through the unfolding countryside. The attitude varied from sea level up to a max of 420m and was very manageable, as the bike were in good working order.

Our guide Ina was very informative and attentive and provided updated advice on eating options. The crew of the Taron was friendly and the meals were delicious.

Dinners on board were amazing! Our cook, Kuki, was creative and as gourmet as a fine restaurant would be!

The trip on Tarin was fantastic! Very relaxed atmosphere on the boat and during the tours. The best sceneries and the tour guides had a lot of knowledge about the places.

Croatia and the scenery were beautiful. However I felt the description of the bike ride was misleading. Most of the trip was on gravel roads, quite a few hills and biking in more traffic than I anticipated. The staff was great and the barge was great.

We really had a great time on this tour. Our young guides did a fabulous job, we enjoyed the Tarin and crew, and Cookie's food was terrific.