5 Star Ave Maria boat/barge tour reviews — 31 to 60 of 146

  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.

  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

  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

  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!

  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.

  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.

  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.

  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!

  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.

  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.

  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.

  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!

  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.

  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

  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.

  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.

  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.

  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

  Ave Maria Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
Italy

The most memorable part of the trip for me was riding our bikes in the country between towns. We were able to see the crops in the fields, and the beautiful countryside dotted with houses and the green vegetation of spring. We were in Italy in early May and the weather was perfect - not too warm but not cold either. A particular highlight was riding along a canal and seeing the Ave Maria ahead of us. We speeded up, of course so that we could pass the boat, greeting the captain as we rode by. He responded by honking the horn and putting music on the loudspeaker for us to enjoy. The food was another highlight of the trip. We had fantastic, filling breakfasts, and delicious traditional Italian food for dinner each night. The chefs explained the courses, and where the recipes originated. We were able to nourish our minds and bodies together. Our group was immediately cohesive, and we had lively entertainment every night from card games to karaoke singing. The trip was one of the best I have ever experienced, and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to experience biking in Europe.

  Ave Maria Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
Italy

The 6 member crew of the Ava Maria was fantastic. Food was excellent and the barge accommodations were very nice. I was in a deluxe cabin with a window that opened and the cabin was very spacious and the water pressure in the shower was great and the beds were very comfy. TripSite stated we would be provided with a water bottle for our bikes but we were not which was difficult because a standard bottle of water would not fit in the bottle holder on the bike. WiFi only works in the main dining room which was OK. Bikes are in great condition and the bike guides (Helmut and Alex) were great. There is a fair amount of street riding with some traffic but the guides keep you safe. No diet coke on the boat but they allowed us to bring on our own soda.

  Ave Maria Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
Italy

Biking out of Venice was unforgettable.

  Ave Maria Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
Italy

Biking along the river and the built in tours of the trip.

  Ave Maria Bolzano-Mantova-Venice
Italy

Dinner together on the barge and riding as a group

  Ave Maria Bolzano-Mantova-Venice
Italy

I felt we were treated as valued guests both out on the bike rides and on the barge. Food and ride leaders were excellent.
Would like the option of paper guides for the Bolzano to Mantova part as we did get off course a few times, especially finding the ferry in Riva. Overall, a wonderful experience.

  Ave Maria Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
Italy

The trip was excellent! We loved it. Great to meet people from all over the world. The Ave Maria Barge was just right. The crew was excellent! The crew was helpful and personable beyond expectations. The dinners were really wonderful, I enjoyed going through the small towns in Italy. Our ride leaders knew where they were going and were very informative regarding the towns we visited. I can’t wait to do another bike and barge!

  Ave Maria Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
Italy

It was the wonderful people, (tour guides, chefs and boat crew) of the Ava Maria, that made this tour experience more than exceptional and much more than expected. We appreciated their expertise, knowledge and humourous delivery of all. Five star experience!!!!!

  Ave Maria Bolzano-Mantova-Venice
Italy

Tip. 3rd party navigation tools such as a heads up Garmin Edge are 100% necessary for the self guided section. Also, the self guided section is NOT a beginner ride. Intermediate is more appropriate.

  Ave Maria Bolzano-Mantova-Venice
Italy

The most memorable part of the trip was the people we met. From the crew to the fellow cyclists it was an amazing cast of people and made the experience such a pleasure. Riding with people from England, Germany, Canada and the US led to amazing days in the saddle and wonderful conversations over delicious dinners. When doing these trips the best advice I can give is at dinner move to a different table each evening and meet and dine with the other passengers. The friendships I have made over the years from these rides are truly remarkable.

  Ave Maria Bolzano-Mantova-Venice
Italy

Many beautiful experiences, met new nice people, a uniquely great crew on the Ave Maria, great food.

  Ave Maria Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
Italy

Italy was beautiful, historical, and interesting. But what made this trip stand apart from others was the crew. Our guides were committed to giving us an amazing experience. Hugo shared his knowledgeable of Italian history, economics, culture, and the transitions taking place in their society today. He included interesting stops along the way, my favorite being the Museum of Fairground Rides. He made and shared videos of our daily rides and entertained us with his antics. Francesco was from Italy and helped us with its language and culture while also being the caregiver of our trip. The meals were delicious and the entire crew joined in to ensure our comfort, safety and entertainment throughout the week. This was my fourth bike and barge through Tripsite and all of the crews have been good. This one was exceptional!!