Ave Maria boat/barge tour reviews — 31 to 60 of 202
Nathalie M.
10 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Ave Maria Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
Italy
My husband and I travelled as a group of 8. The staff was fantastic. The Ave Maria barge was spacious and we loved the food onboard and the upper deck was fantastic to relax after the rides or before breakfast.
Neil H.
10 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Ave Maria Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
Italy
The trip was very good abd the staff was excellent!
Louise R.
11 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Ave Maria Bolzano-Mantova-Venice
Italy
Excellent trip, ver well organized. The hotels for the first three days were excellent, On the Ave Maria, the crew and the guides made the trip really, really enjoyable. The food was fantastic and the accommodation great. Would highly recommend to anyone.
Renee R.
11 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Ave Maria Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
Italy
This was our first barge and bike trip. It exceeded hopes and expectations in all ways, organization, daily planning, leadership and communication by Elena and Alex who left no detail unattended to. They were caring, very knowledgeable and outstanding leaders, showing compassion and support for a struggling participant, while ensuring those struggles did not impact anyone else. Alberto and Elisa provided delicious, very high quality meals changing daily to meet our local geography and always with joy and enthusiasm. Riccardo's knowledge of his boat as captain and ability to immediately attend to any issues was consistently impressive. This experience has made us return home with a strong desire to book our next bike and barge trip as soon as we can.
Carol W.
11 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Ave Maria Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
Italy
So hard to pinpoint any one moment. The crew, guides, chiefs, captain and assistant were all so fantastic and knowledgeable.
The only thing I can suggest is heated drying racks in the bathrooms and drying facilities for shoes.
Barbara A.
11 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Ave Maria Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
Italy
The crew on the boat was fantastic. Hugo the tour guide was very knowledgeable and quite fun. Giorgia was very patient and extremely helpful. They were all great. I loved the food too. Hugo really went out of his way to make sure that we saw things and had a very full experience
Sandra M.
11 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Ave Maria Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
Italy
Despite rain every day
The guides and ship crew were upbeat and wonderful
Nothing dried on the boat so bring rain gear
I was lent waterproof pants and that was a blessing
Need waterproof, not water resistant!!!
Plenty of caffè stops and the guides were very knowledgeable
Bernard D.
12 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Ave Maria Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
Italy
The accommodations on board , the food, and the staff were excellent.
Elizabeth J.
12 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Ave Maria Bolzano-Mantova-Venice
Italy
The dolomites were incredibly beautiful. The food aboard was the best we’ve had!
Scenery from Mantova to Venice was agricultural for the most part. A broad mix of surfaces to ride on and some detours on the self guided which could be confusing.
Lora G.
1 year ago
Verified Reviewer
Ave Maria Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
Italy
This is an unforgettable trip that everyone should take! The guides, chefs, crew and captain were all knowledgeable, kind and fabulous!
Dale S.
1 year ago
Verified Reviewer
Ave Maria Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
Italy
The crew, guides, and food were great - Thankyou for a wonderful time. The Ave Maria is a very well appointed barge. The trip exceeded expectations and we have taken several bike and boat tours with Tripsite.
Wendy V.
1 year ago
Verified Reviewer
Ave Maria Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
Italy
Our crew and tour guides were fantastic. Not to mention the food onboard was outstanding.
Donna W.
1 year ago
Verified Reviewer
Ave Maria Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
Italy
This was a trip of a lifetime for me. Hein and Marjolein were wonderful trip leaders and so knowledgeable about the cities we visited. They made the trip a delight and handled any glitches that arose seamlessly. It helped that they had lived in the area for several years and were familiar with the customs and history of the Veneto.
The food provided by Alberto and Daniele was superb and plentiful, and reflected the cuisine of northern Italy. And Jano was amazing at piloting the Ave Maria through the canals and lagoon. Francesco did a great job anticipating and fulfilling our requests throughout the trip.
The Ave Maria was a perfect vessel for our weeklong tour of the Po River valley of northern Italy. The staterooms were very comfortable and had ample room for two people and their belongings. It was very interesting to hear about the transition of a derelict barge into the sleek Ave Maria that was our home for a week.
I would love to do another trip with this group to explore a new area of Europe in the future.
Ric B.
1 year ago
Verified Reviewer
Ave Maria Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
Italy
The trip was awesome. Everything was 1st rate. We loved all of our staff. Each person on the staff went the extra mile to make the tour very special!
cynthia w.
1 year ago
Verified Reviewer
Ave Maria Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
Italy
This was our second bike and barge with tripsite. It exceded our expectations. The room had plenty of storage, the staff was outstanding and the meals were all excellent. Our tripsite vacation was perfect.
Diane C.
1 year ago
Verified Reviewer
Ave Maria Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
Italy
Ave Maria is a beautiful comfortable well equipped boat. The staff was courteous, helpful, pleasant and efficient. The food absolutely the best! plentiful and with great variety. Our tour host Hein and Mayleine were awesome. They were well informed about the historic and local areas that we traveled thru and were humorous, kind and considerable for all the guests needs and abilities.
The tour was a well planned route thru some lovely back roads and small towns and cities. The bicycles were very good and easy to ride. It is very difficult to choose just one memorable part of the trip it was well worth the time we waited to enjoy the Boat/Barge.
Laurie H.
1 year ago
Verified Reviewer
Ave Maria Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
Italy
Seeing venice on a sunny day from the roof of an historic building.
Biking through the countryside and villages.
Excellent food.
John L.
1 year ago
Verified Reviewer
Ave Maria Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
Italy
Arriving into Venice on the Ave Maria. In beautiful Lido we turned in our bikes and by the way they were terrific bikes. I even named mine. I hated to to see "Lisa Marie" go into storage but what came next was even more spectacular. To arrive in magical Venice by boat on a glorious fall day with brilliant sun glistening off the buildings and the water was breath-taking. The fact that the crew had arranged pizza and cocktails only added to the experience. And then that sunset! What a day!
Gary M.
1 year ago
Verified Reviewer
Ave Maria Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
Italy
Not to overlook the moderate exercise we got on bikes everyday, which was helpful because the delicious food our crew served was difficult to turn down. I would have Read More preferred longer distances, but the biking was as advertised: easy.
A couple of tips: take precautions to protect yourself from Covid. If you choose a water taxi to get you around Venice, ask the boat driver when reserving your ride, and again before you board the boat, what the fare is; the cost tends to inflate when it comes time to pay the bill. And ask your tour guide to reserve tickets in advance to see the interior of San Marco Basilica and the Doge's Palace in Venice. I didn't do this and was unwilling to wait in a long line to get in, so I missed both. But we did see a number of other unbelievable churches from the Rennaissance era all week in Verona, Mantova and Venice.
Barb • 8 months ago
Thanks for the great advice about the water taxi and reserving tickets for San Marco Basilica and the Doge's Palace. Do you think the tour guides on the Ave Maria would be able to reserve those tickets once we are there on the boat, or is there another way you would suggest?
Also, I wonder if you have a recommendation for how to get from the airport to the boat? Thank you very much. Barb :)
Barbara D.
1 year ago
Verified Reviewer
Ave Maria Bolzano-Mantova-Venice
Italy
Enjoying all the regions of Italy with the chefs coordinating the evening meals with regional specialities was a delight. Everything was so well executed....bikes..tours...meals....coffee stops...museum and cathedral visits...super fun.
LISA C.
1 year ago
Verified Reviewer
Ave Maria Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
Italy
This was an absolute memorable trip! Our guides Sylvia and Francisco did everything possible to make sure we enjoyed. The brought on tours, day an night. The food was great food. The cooks and engineers were great. The quality of the bikes were perfect. Having 31 guests was great because it is easy to get to know everyone. I would definitely recommend
Kay B.
1 year ago
Verified Reviewer
Ave Maria Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
Italy
It isn't possible to pick out a "most memorable part." We will treasure memories of it all: the delightful and accommodating crew on the Ave Maria, the extraordinary food (where did those two men train?), the city guides that lead us around Venice and Mantua, the beautiful countryside viewed from excellent bikes, our always upbeat bicycling guides, and the terrific company of fellow bikers. It was the perfect up close and personal way to experience this part of Italy.
Ward A.
1 year ago
Verified Reviewer
Ave Maria Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
Italy
Crew was amazing. Everyone helpful. 30 person biking too big. Suggest it be split into 2 15 person groups.
Bethia W.
1 year ago
Verified Reviewer
Ave Maria Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
Italy
The boat crew, Andrea, Dani, Alberto, Francisco and the two Stefanias were such excellent hosts. They created a friendly community atmosphere that brought all of us strangers together. They worked hard to make sure we were well taken care of on board and on the bikes and taught us so much about the culture, the ecosystem of the Po Valley and history which made the trip an educational experience. The local and regional meals they serverd were culinary masterpieces as memorable as any artwork we saw. I highly recommend this trip to cyclists of all ages and abilities. I would like to do it all over again! Thanks for a fun and exciting trip.
Judith L.
1 year ago
Verified Reviewer
Ave Maria Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
Italy
Dinners on the boat. The pace of biking was not to my liking. Not enough time for pictures. I felt pressured to keep up with the group. Planned stops were longer than needed. Would have liked a slower pace with more, shorter stops. Many of the roads were rough, and roads through cities were scary with traffic.
Appreciated that all on the trip were from USA. Trip leaders and crew were very nice.
Tripsite Staff • 1 year ago Tripsite Staff
Thank you so much for your comments. I'm so sorry that you didn't find this tour enjoyable, it is always so difficult to coordinate groups and be attentive to everyone's needs. Our guides do their very best but of course, there is always room for improvement. For those wanting a more individualized experience, this particular tour does offer GPS tracks for self-guided riding. In any event, I will mention your remarks to the guides and we will strive to be better!
Linda N.
1 year ago
Verified Reviewer
Ave Maria Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
Italy
Margaret Jay B.
1 year ago
Verified Reviewer
Ave Maria Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
Italy
Lovely route, wonderful guides, comfortable accommodations. Absolutely superb food!
Bring your own water bottle - despite the tripsite literature, one is not provided
Tom B.
2 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Ave Maria Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
Italy
Very well organised trip - the tour guides Silvia & Francesco were outstanding. Full of life, informative and funny.
The boat , Ave Maria, was very comfortable and well set out.
The bikes were excellent - we had electric ones.
The scenery, countryside and towns were lovely.
Nancy P.
2 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Ave Maria Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
Italy
The food on the trip was excellent. We enjoyed the local fare, the wine pairings from the various regions .
The crew work very hard to deliver a positive experience . Helmut was a great guide offering lots of information about the different places we stopped at. We loved the cheese factory tour and tasting
Lawrence B.
2 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Ave Maria Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
Italy
Seeing Italy from a closer perspective than on most tours.
Bikes worked well, and the food and tour guides were excellent
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