5 Star Primadonna boat/barge tour reviews — 1 to 29 of 29
Gunnlaugur B H.
7 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Primadonna Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary
The spectacle surrounding along the river, the cycling part, the good service on board.
Tips : It could be a good idea to arrange some stops for tasting visits, local wine, other local indigence, in the cycling tour.
Michael K.
7 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Primadonna Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary
Everything was amazing. Great trip. If you need to rent a bike in Passau for taller ebike riders the shops in passau are great.
Kathryn V.
7 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Primadonna Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary
This is the BEST Vacation!!
I’ve had a lot of great adventures-but the Bike & Barge 4 Countries Tour topped the list.
Riding everyday was my favypart o
Helen C.
7 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Primadonna Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary
Bicycling along the Danube cycling trail was such a great experience! The route maps were good for following our daily ride.
Margaret F.
7 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Primadonna Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary
The food on this ship was amazing - tasted good and also was amazingly presented. The staff was really terrific also. I would go on this trip again, on a different river though. The Primadonna is a first class ship, well-appointed and very comfortable.
Leslie D.
7 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Primadonna Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary
Waking up to a new adventure every day. So easy to get on and off the boat and enjoy the various stops while biking.
Lynette B.
8 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Primadonna Along the Danube - Passau to Vienna aboard the Primadonna
Austria
It was 8 days of awe! From the moment that we stepped on the boat the magic began. Biking along the Danube is something that we will never forget. Every town and the landscape is absolutely breathe taking.
The only suggestion I would have is to ensure that it is made very clear where the pick-up is for the bus transfer. We almost missed our pick-up.
Frederick J A.
2 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Primadonna Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary
Great biking on an iconic river through the major cities in grand luxury.
Sara K.
2 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Primadonna Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary
Very well organized
Suggestions: make coffee available before breakfast.
Food was great and we loved the 4 course dinners, but the wait between courses was consistently a bit too long.
Brian B.
2 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Primadonna Along the Danube - Passau to Vienna aboard the Primadonna
Austria
The boat was awesome! Clean and modern - like new.
I have taken many bike tours in Europe and this was the best.
The daily rides tended to be a comfortable 40-to-45 miles per day.
I rented a trail bike and my wife rented an e-bike - both were very serviceable.
ROBERT P.
2 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Primadonna Along the Danube - Passau to Vienna aboard the Primadonna
Austria
We especially loved the town of Melk and a restaurant called Rathauskeller. It had great food and the waiter, Joseph, was very nice and a highlight of our trip. Another suggestion would be in Schlogen, on your first bike day, get off the ship a little early and go for a hike up to viewing point of the Scholgen UNESCO site.
The bike were really good quality. They come with a bike lock and two rear mounted panniers. The saddles are quite hard after a several hour bike ride, so if you're sensitive to that, I would suggest a gel seat cover of some sort. Most of the towns you Read More visit have awesome pedestrian zones, where you can lock up your bike and just wander from shop to shop without having to worry about cars. The bike paths themselves were very nice. They were mostly well labeled and separate from the street. The worst section of bike paths is actually on your first day, from Ottenheim to Linz. In Ottenheim the signs get a little vague as to which way to go, and entering Linz (a large city) you are on a bike path but facing oncoming traffic that is leaving the city, crossing streets that our actively being used by cars. All other paths were wonderful, and scenic. We felt very safe every day. I also highly suggest that someone from your party attend the nightly briefings on the next days bike path. This gave good information on what to expect. English is definitely not the primary language on the boat, but they do a good job of having a separate time to talk with the English speakers about what to expect. They also assign you a table in the dining room based on your primary language, so that was nice too.
All in all this was probably the best trip my wife and I have ever been on, and will do another one like it in the future.
Jodi A.
3 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Primadonna Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary
We really enjoyed the diversity on the ship. English was definitely the second language, but people did their best to be welcoming and accommodating. It’s important that people understand and are willing to go with the flow! The paths weren’t always as clear as they were supposed to be, so be prepared. We were thankful that all paths eventually went to the Danube!
Diane Q.
4 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Primadonna Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary
The most memorable part was travelling through small Austrian villages! The bakeries and the little cafe’s were awesome!
The food on the ship was delicious and plentiful. I would suggest mentioning to participants that they must bring their own helmets. We had unfortunately assumed we could rent some onboard and were stuck scrambling at the last minute having to go to a local bike shop to purchase some.
Debra N.
5 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Primadonna Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary
We loved the arrival by night in Budapest! It was unexpectedly gorgeous with all the lighted bridges and buildings. Truly amazing. Fireworks were an unexpected highlight of the evening in Linz which just happened to have a celebration. Our third highlight was the last biking day through the Wachau Valley--such beautiful vineyards and small villages! One tip: bring a multi USB plug and more than one adaptor for use in the room.
Cindy T.
5 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Primadonna Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary
As far as the bike routes, I prefer dedicated bicycle paths (not "sharrows") and loved every ride. Most were on dedicated paved paths, but some traversed through villages on very quiet roads. A few tips: Breakfast was the best meal of the day. Check your packed lunch at breakfast, which typically contained a veggie (cheese) sandwich, a cold cut sandwich, fruit, sparkling water, and a pastry. From the breakfast buffet, you can exchange the fruit and add a slice of meat to your veggie sandwich. If you don't like sparkling water, they will exchange that for bottled water at the reception desk. Dinner was good and I thought the portion size was reasonable given the four course meals (the soups were yummy!). Watch the tightness of the breaks on the bikes (the front break can launch you if you're not careful) but the bikes were in great condition. Plan ahead for your massage (which was fantastic). One came with the room and we purchased a second. We chose to skip one day of biking along the Danube, and we're pleased that we had plenty of time to bike around the town in the morning before the ship left port, get lunch, a massage, and a nap, and then bike around the new port we arrived in that afternoon.
Thanks to all the crew on the MS Primadonna, who learned our names and favorite drinks by the second day! We miss you already.
Mark M. • 4 years ago
Cindy,did you feel on the bike rides that you were rushed to get to the destination to meet the boat?
Thanks
Mark
Terry C.
5 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Primadonna Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary
This is the only way to do a river cruise. You are able to see and enjoy the country and at the same time stay active and get exercise. The bike paths were mostly flat, very few hills. The boat was very nice with good food and service. The highlight of the trip was entering Budapest at 10 pm. It was more than amazing. The bike guide really tried to prepare us each day for the following day bike ride, but it is easy to get lost and the maps we were given were not very clear.
Winifred T.
5 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Primadonna Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary
Our most memorable part of the trip was riding with several other cyclists who had better directions, and hence did not get lost!!! We rode through rain and sun, cold wind and steep hills, chic coffee shops and picturesque towns together. This is a wonderful first time experience for our family.
I'd suggest to get to know other cyclists as soon as possible and try to arrange riding together. This would make the journey more fun.
tom • 5 years ago
What time of year did toy take your trip? It appears you had some bad weather We are shooting for September in the hopes we will find good weather
Anna F.
5 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Primadonna Along the Danube-Passau-Belgrade-Vienna aboard the Primadonna
Germany, Serbia, Austria
Primadonna was superb. We had a very relaxing holiday. Crash between boats in Budapest happened the night before the start of our trip so any delays because of this perfectly understandable. The fact that the Danube was very high was again outside the control of the trip personnel and we appreciated the effort put into making our trip so enjoyable.
Anna A.
5 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Primadonna Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary
Most Memorable Part? Cycling the afternoon around Vienna
Jeanne D.
5 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Primadonna Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary
The serene beauty of the country side of Germany, Austria and Hungry. Riding a bike through these wonderful countries was very special. The barge ride was very relaxing after a day of riding.
Laney B.
5 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Primadonna Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary
The scenery was beautiful and the accommodations were great. The riding was a pleasure start to finish. We loved it all and would do it again in a heartbeat!
Jeanne D.
5 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Primadonna Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary
The serene beauty of the country side of Germany, Austria and Hungry. Riding a bike through these wonderful countries was very special. The barge ride was very relaxing after a day of riding.
Jeanne L.
5 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Primadonna Along the Danube - Passau to Vienna
Austria, Germany
Great family reunion and scenic vacation. E-bikes made it easy for less experienced bicyclists to keep up with trained cyclists. Nice to hear all 8 of us laughing while riding!
Janet C.
6 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Primadonna Along the Danube - Passau to Vienna aboard the Primadonna
Austria
Riding along the Danube river was fantastic! We loved all the port cities and the scenery was picturesque. Our favorite memory of the trip was being able to explore on our own each day. Guiding ourselves on the daily rides was challenging but very rewarding. Usually we saw our fellow shipmates along the way and had lunch companions for our daily Danube picnics!
Linda T.
6 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Primadonna Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary
Most Memorable Part? Cruising into Budapest at night. It was breath taking!!
Charlotte G.
6 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Primadonna Along the Danube - Passau, Bratislava, and Vienna (old version)
Austria, Germany, Slovakia
Wonderful, unforgettable trip -- best part was biking into Vienna and spending the day hiking around seeing some fantastic scenery, buildings and people. Absolutely loved the boat. Some on our trip only spoke English and the staff on the boat quickly accommodated them when it became obvious those darn Germans (can say that being related and understanding what they were saying!) weren't going to shut up during the English trip briefing by moving the following days sessions into separate areas. I would certainly do another trip somewhere else sometime with this company!
Susan W.
7 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Primadonna Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary
The cruise was wonderful supported by a fantastic crew on the ship who went out of their way to provide a very positive experience.
I had left my phone at a restaurant on the bike route and it was returned to me within 3 hours...I was so grateful.
Having a tour guide would have been very helpful on certain days of the trip...ie Vienna.
I was very disappointed with the fact that the biking portion of the Wachau valley that was in the itinerary had been eliminated without our knowing until the night before.
it was to have been a highlight for our group and the cruise company said that it was Never a part of the biking route.!
We rented e bikes at an extra cost for the 4 of us because of the distance to be covered that day and otherwise would not have.
All of the cycling group received the same information from Tripsite about the Wachau valley and we were all disappointed.
Otherwise I would highly recommend this trip but do feel that you should update your itinerary so that people aren't disappointed.
Jehiel from Tripsite • 6 years ago Tripsite Staff
Hi Susan,
I wanted to apologize that a portion of the Wachau Valley had to be eliminated from the itinerary. This was because of the low tides and the impossibility of docking at this location.
For 2018 we solved this problem. Only habours running the whole year will be part of the itinerary.
Glad you still had a time!
York C.
7 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Primadonna Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary
Great trip. Boat and river cruise portion of the trip was more than expected. Service and the crew on the boat were excellent, including the food.
Quality of bicycles was excellent. They were mechanically perfect. The only down side of the entire trip were the nightly route planning meetings and the quality of the maps and route guides. It was obvious that the tour leader giving the route agenda had never ridden the bike paths. Her English was not very good which made it even more difficult to understand the route(s). We had to fend for ourselves (asking people on the street for directions) numerous times because the routes were just not made clear. Also, the route was not what was not the same as what was spelled out on the website.
Overall, we were very satisfied with the trip.
Carla from Tripsite • 6 years ago Tripsite Staff
Hi York,
Thanks so much for your feedback! We have good news.... the route guides & maps are currently being updated for the 2018 season. We hope to avoid any confusion in the upcoming tours.
Unfortunately the guide on board was a replacement and not as knowledgable as our usual guides. On rare occasions there is sickness or other factors that prevent our normal guides from being on board.
So glad to hear you still had a great tour!
Sincerely,
Carla
Linda T.
7 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Primadonna Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary
We really enjoyed our experience on the Primadonna! Food was delicious and staff were very attentive. Biking the countryside was a definite highlight! Our most spectacular and memorable part of the trip would be cruising into Budapest at night! It was breath taking!!
We really had a great time and look forward to doing another bike trip soon.
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