La Mar boat/barge tour reviews — 1 to 11 of 11

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!!

Museum in Spakenburg was self directed but very interesting and beautifully laid out.
Using an e bike for the first time really made the daily biking more relaxed and enjoyable.
I would suggest the evening meal be presented as family or buffet style and available earlier than 6:30.

Best parts: Having the same bed to return to after each day's cycling
Efficiency and pleasantness of staff

Bike , boat, staff and fellow travelers all great fun. Memorable trip for me and still talking about to my mates at home in Australia.

Most memorable parts: The camaraderie of the group and of course the fabulous meal by Chef Franco.

On the Fiep June 3 - 10, 2017. Coba, Gerard, Franco, Karen, Ilse and Laura were our crew and guides. I cannot imagine better. Our passenger group was wonderful. The best vacation ever and I am ready to go again soon.

The food was excellent. We also enjoyed the guided tours in the evenings.

Best week of food ever. Great bikes. Super helpful guides. Would like access to more detailed maps to know better where we were. Really enjoyed the bike barge combination.

It would be good for the guides to have a bike calculator (a little device on the bike that shows distance and speed). The guides varied the speeds more than was necessary. It wasn't bad, but at times faster than "advertised" for the slow group and slower and faster than advertised for the faster group. This is not a big deal, but would be an improvement. Also we often biked a little longer than was in the route descriptions, so those could be looked at. Other than that, the trip was great. And less rain of course :-)

Bruges to Amsterdam was just wonderful and would recommend the smaller group of people. Just 24 was a good number. All the staff on the Fiep were great!

I traveled aboard the Fiep from Amsterdam to Bruges* in July of 2013, and it was a wonderful way to see this part of the world. (*It looks like the itinerary has changed slightly, but on our trip the boat stopped in Ghent and we had to take a train back and forth to Bruges, which was a disappointment I didn't discover until after booking.) I traveled solo but was matched with a wonderful roommate. The accommodations were fine - I believe they've added air conditioning now, which will be a great improvement! - and the crew and chef were terrific. Our tour guide was adequate, and we all agreed that with a large group of 26 she probably should have had some assistance with wrangling everyone, but there were only minor glitches and no disasters. :-) I can happily recommend both the Fiep and TripSite if you're looking for a unique travel experience!