Panagiota boat/barge tour reviews — 1 to 24 of 24

This trip met all of my personal goals and expectations. The biking was challenging and the tour guides were excellent. The meals were great and well prepared. The ship crew members anticipated our needs. There is no better way to truly experience the beautiful Ionian Islands than by bike and boat. Otherwise you would only see the port villages unless you hired a car or van to take you to the scenic views. My only suggestion would be to include more historical stops.

Turquoise waters, views galore, fabulous fresh and authentic greek food, scenic bike rides and good company with fabulous guides.
Do not expect luxury accomodation (it's more like camping) and everything else makes up for that!

This was a fantastic trip. My whole group was really impressed. The bike guides (Dionysis and Demetrius) were fantastic. They really did a good job supporting us during the rides and on board the ship. The crew worked really hard and their worked showed. The food was exceptional. I highly recommend this trip.

The island of Ithaca was the most beautiful and inspiring. I deeply appreciated the guides--their patience, their support, their advice for a better ride. I am also grateful for the flexibility of the tour in regards to adjusting the itinerary for adverse weather conditions; the captain always kept our safety in mind but the staff made sure we didn't miss out on any opportunities for the trip.

My only recommendation would be for the Tripsite staff around answering traveler questions. I read the material sent by the coordinator but, when it provoked questions and I reached out for clarification, all I received back was copies of the printed material again. I would have preferred more direct communication regarding the questions incited by the material.

I wrote this on our last cycle day of the trip and it best defines what a fantatstic time we all had.
"A satisfying last day of travel with Tripsite.com aboard the M/S Panagiota.
Kaz & I started with a pre-breakfast swim. The water was much warmer than I’d expected and proved to be a great way to wake up.
From Arillas Beach we set off on an “updulating” course (luckily I had our tail end Guide, Rhapael to keep me compenay) with our first stop at a Greek Orthodox (former Monastery) Church, St Athanasios, Perdika. A rich history and interesting “story time” around the Greek Orthodox Church by Isabell (our other fantatsic cycling guide).
A drink stop at Kantina Meeting and then, mostly, “updulating” to Syvota for a quick and last, bicycle load, before anchoring at our last swim spot and another fantastic char grilled lunch of beef Pattie’s, chicken and pork skewers.
Once back in Corfu, we took a walk into the old town area, had ice cream at Papagiorgis (mmmmm!) and then sat in a shady square to take in the mayhem of Greek’s doing what they do best! This does NOT include parking and we spent an hour engrossed in the mayhem and ‘near hits!’.
The last night dinner was held over a fine selection of fried cheese, slow cooked beef, peas with potatoes, finely sliced fried eggplant and a moist honey & apple cake with a light caramel sauce.
A couple more ouzo’s and the day was done.
We all depart tomorrow at 9am for all points on the compass.
So many memories, trials and tribulations plus a new motto from David (Vermont, USA); “Head down, legs moving” to live by.
Thankyou to the crew of M/S Panagiota, our cycle guides, Isabell and Raphael and Tripsite.com for a great experience.
Efcharistó

Our guides Isabell and Raphael were fantastic. They made every ride, every meal, every port come alive and exciting. They were very knowledgeable and able to share the history of all the areas we rode through. Route was awesome .
We also had a wonderful cohesive fun group of international riders.
New friendships and memories made
The boat needs some updating and maintenance to its electrical , air conditioning and plumbing. Great crew!!

First day we cruised to Paxos and coming into an island we came up a pod of dolphins. The crew started making calls to them and banging of the boat's railings. The dolphins put a good show for us. It was magically. The biking was hard, but the views were BEAUTIFUL! and with an E bike it was very doable. I applaud the die-hard riders who did it without any E! The Ionian Sea is so Gorgeous, Calm and peaceful. The swim stops where beyond my expectations. And the ports were charming and romantic. The sunsets amazing! The food was incredible on the boat, we had a very good chef! Our tour guides were the best!!! The crew was very attentive and accommodating. Honestly this was the best bike and boat tour we have been on. This was our 4th one!

The Islands that we visited were stunning. The scenery on way to islands

The booking proces, support and information shared before from Tripsite was very helpful. It was the anticipation, it was the excitement, it was the ease of organising and it was the simplicity of planning.
The boat & bike trip was absolute amazing. We enjoyed every minute of it. When we booked the trip we thought the accommodation might be too small or too uncomfortable, but that was not true. We have had the best experience ever…the opportunity to sleep outside under the stars and wake up every morning looking a the most beautiful sun rises. The boat was cosy, very relaxing and the crew spoiled us with delicious dinners, sight seeing, comfort and relax time. The sailing crew was amazing and knew the best swim stop locations and harbours to dock the boat. During the bikes tours we have seen real beautiful Greece, combined with inspiring tours.
This great family holiday adventure provided us happiness and high Holiday spirits. We hope we can book many more inspiring & relaxing boat & bikes trips soon.
Thank you for this great experience, we highly appreciated your support and the great support from the crew.
Best holiday experience ever!

We liked the feel of the rustic boat, the Panagiota. Although far from luxurious, we found it comfortable. The cook, Nondas, along with the engineer and grill master, Makis, offered healthy and delicious creations for each lunch and dinner served on board. Dimitris and Alexandros were excellent guides, always attentive, helpful and knowledgeable. We couldn't have had better weather and each swim stop proved rewarding. The waters of the Ionian sea were breathtakingly clear and blue. The diverse set of fellow travelers also added exponentially to our adventure, with a special mention to Martin from Germany, who graced us with guitar and song our last evening on board. As our tour was the final one of the season, we also enjoyed the more quiet side of the many roads, ports and attractions we encountered.

Susan & Neal

This was our first bike tour & wont be the last! It was fantastic. The trip was well planned & everything worked smoothly. The guides, Demitris & Alex were the best, keeping us informed of the days activities, & always willing to answer our questions. The boat ride, scenery, plus informative facts about the area were excellent. Meals were outstanding, as well as the camaraderie between the guests. Our tour had only 13 guests, so we got lots of personalized attention! I would highly recommend this tour to anyone who wants to experience the Ionian Islands up close & personal by bike rather than from the seat of a tour bus!!!

Biking the various islands is always a delight. The views can be magnificent and the riding a lot of fun.
The boat, however left a lot to be desired. Their was a significant amount of black mold in our bathroom. Several of the cabins leaked in the rain. There is no reason for this except for poor maintenance. Wood requires varnish and that was sorely lacking on this boat. On other trips (4) that we have been on the crew was always busy working on the boat. Not so with this boat. The crew sat around and did not do a good job of looking after the customers. I would never recommend this boat to anyone.
On the other hand, the two bike staff members were outstanding. They were able to react quickly to changing weather conditions and provided an outstanding experience.

The bike rides and touring the cities where we docked the boat. Some of the hills were steep and tiring and more e-bikes would be great.

Two weeks before our departure, we were notified that a negative Covid test was required to board the boat. This was after the date for cancelation. Two of the members in our party tested positive and could not board the boat. Neither one was symptomatic.
We experienced rain on the second night of the trip and two cabins leaked… a lot. Beds and clothes were soaked. No one offered to clean the clothes or dry them, and the leak was patched. It leaked again the next night.
The trip was cut short due to weather and we were loaded onto a bus and sent back to Corfu.
There were def opportunities to continue with some biking, but it was not a consideration.
Disappointed to say the least

The guys in the itineraries were awesome! It was a beautiful trip even though we got delayed with rain. They always had something interesting for us to do. My only constructive criticism would be the actual crew members on board the boat. They usually were just sitting around, smoking or reading on their phones. They should’ve been wiping down tables and chairs on the deck after a rainstorm so that we could sit outside. This was never done. We had to ask them for water to drink and or towels to wipe down I feel for the money they should’ve been coming up to us and asking us if they could get us anything or do anything for us. My roommate and I were also in a cabin that leaked on the bed every time it rains!. This should’ve been remedied long before the boat left off! The captain was great he did a good job! It really was a fun adventure. Thank you!

When on a trip that has many destinations, especially where travel includes boats and water, anything can happen to change the trip and require you to alter our expectations. I had one thing in my minds eye while the sea and the boat had another. This trip was a test of the adage "go with the flow". Even though we didn't get to visit all of the islands in the itinerary, because the group of people on the tour and the guides and crew, they made the best of it. Substituting a bike ride in the rain for a visit to an olive oil museum and winery. Swapping a long rolling boat ride for a bus and ferry that included a tour of a beautiful cave and folk museum.

The boat was old. You can look at this two ways, unique or in disrepair. I chose to look at it as unique, but others on the trip were forced to live with the disrepair issues. Be prepared to have your patience tested with some of the "features" in the cabins.

These are memories that, along with the bike rides, gave me more that what I was expecting for this first time trip with Tripsite and the country of Greece. I'm looking forward to the next trip in the Netherlands with a Tripsite Boat and Barge tour.

The entire experience was wonderful aboard the boat and biking the islands. The crew ensured we were fed healthy delicious food and we safe biking the hilly terrain.
The only bad experience was poor communication prior to the trip about COVID requirements.

The scenery was fantastic, especially from the high points and we were fortunate to have dry sunny weather all week.
The guides and crew were great and once you had adjusted to the compact cabins it was thoroughly enjoyable.

Outright tip: the e-bikes really take the sting out of the challenging climbs

The guides were fantastic—could not have been better. Rides were beautiful with little traffic, and food was great.

This was a trip of a lifetime! What a way to see the Ionian islands. We are bike riders but opted for the e-bikes, just in case. It was perfect- and if you wanted to push yourself- you could turn off your bikes. Which maybe necessary with the unbelievable food served on the boat! Our guides and crew were incredible- sleeping below deck was a little warm, but they have an air conditioner- but If you could bring a battery operated fan to fasten on the curtain rod of porthole- it would make a difference- but this minor suggestion is not a complaint by any means! Highly recommend the trip and trip site made it that much easier! I look forward to the next adventure!

We felt like we were stars in a movie. People came to stare at our boat and see what all the Fun was about. Our swim stops in coves and bays were magical. The bicycling was a blast. Our guides we like friends we had known for years The food was better than excellent. We really didn’t want to leave.

As we biked on the Cyclade islands of Greece, it was the amazing views across the Aegean and the myths and stories told to us by our guides that was the most memorable. The Greek food on the boat was also fantastic!

The boat was very tired. In our room the sink tap was not connected the pipe letting water into the toilet tank fell off the wall. The porthole wouldn’t open. Very few of the lights in our room worked. There was no comfortable seats on the boat, and we did not go where the tour was supposed to go because of the boat not being able to handle the weather. The crew was great.

Great Staff and Crew and Fellow Passengers.