Zwaan boat/barge tour reviews — 1 to 30 of 37

4.2 out of 5

 


Helen B.
6 months ago

Verified Reviewer

  Zwaan Super Tulip Tour
Netherlands

Seeing windmills close up was great, but touring Keukenhof gardens was fabulous! We were there for 1.5 hours and could have stayed longer. The tulips and other flowers were spectacular! A lovely surprise was the three course gourmet meals we were served every night by a creative chef.
My husband is an avid bicycle rider, but I'm not. Having an electric assist bicycle took all the effort out of trying to keep up with the group. With this modern technology, everybody can participate and have fun!

Joy E K.
6 months ago

Verified Reviewer

  Zwaan Super Tulip Tour
Netherlands

The crew was fabulous! The tour was good. I thought we were going to stop at a cheese factory snd that did not happen. Most of our group was not thrilled with the bikes-tippy with handle bars that were raised up. The boat was great and meals delicious!

JOYCE D.
7 months ago

Verified Reviewer

  Zwaan Super Tulip Tour
Netherlands

We had a wonderful trip. The weather did not cooperate (rain, hail, wind, cold), but we still managed to have a wonderful time every day. Our travel companions on the boat were fun and we all enjoyed each other. The crew was great! Sietse was our guide, and he is such a lovely person - so kind and humble. He was a wealth of information on the history throughout our travels. He cared for each of us and made sure to keep us safe on our rides. Ilja was our captain and we felt honored to have him - he shared so many wonderful stories with us and even sang for us on our last night. Craig was the best chef we could have hoped for - we were wowed by his meals every single day. Amerens kept us all in line and she was also wonderful. The tulips, towns, and rides were all wonderful, but it ended up being the crew and travelers that really touched my heart.

My only complaint is that the trip stated we would go to the flower auction, but that is scheduled on Sunday and the flower auction is closed on Sunday. The operator clearly knew that the flower auction was closed and not part of the trip, but Tripsite has not updated their itinerary.

Debra M.
7 months ago

Verified Reviewer

  Zwaan Super Tulip Tour
Netherlands

Our guide was sweet and knowledgeable and worked hard to accommodate everyone. And the chef was excellent! Cabins are snug but comfortable—so glad we had portholes so we could regulate air circulation. Tip: be sure you have waterproof clothing, including gloves and shoes! We had wind, rain, hail, and cold most days, but it was still so enjoyable I’d do it again in a minute!
One note: some sites mentioned in the intinerary were unavailable. For example, the flower auction we were looking forward to is closed on Sunday, so we missed that. It was disappointing. Several museums and churches were also closed. Updated info would prevent people from feeling misled.

Carl V.
7 months ago

Verified Reviewer

  Zwaan Super Tulip Tour
Netherlands

Our guide and crew were exceptional! We highly recommend the use of e bikes…

Diane B.
1 year ago

Verified Reviewer

  Zwaan Authentic Holland
Netherlands

The route was wonderful, the barge was great and the guide excellent. The downside was the food. It was not the level of interest and taste I had experienced on another bike/barge trip.

Roxanne L.
2 years ago

Verified Reviewer

  Zwaan Mosel & Saar
Germany

It doesn’t get any better than this !
What a fabulous time. After two years of rescheduling due to Covid we were so excited to take our trip aboard the Zwaan to cycle along the Mosel and Saar Rivers. Totally worth the wait.
The crew aboard the Zwaan was exceptionally helpful and friendly. The rooms comfortable and clean , and always a hot shower. We enjoyed having drinks on the deck watching the sunsets. Our meals were very good and we had fun trying to guess the ingredients and urge our chef to share his recipe. The energy expended from the staff to ensure we we happy and comfortable was commendable.
The cycling path was way going and we were pleased we chose to take our trip in early October because it was the time for harvesting grapes and the process was fascinating. Our weather held out albeit a bit cool at times but it’s better than biking in the heat. The towns we visited along the way were charming. We would have welcomed more time in Read More

Tom S.
2 years ago

Verified Reviewer

  Zwaan Mosel & Saar
Germany

I enjoyed being on a smaller boat and getting to know everyone. Rick is a great cook, Mariska a great first mate and Ed a fun and patient guide
What would I do different, spend more time in the towns we rode through/by Plan some lunches in a town Eat dinner off the boat once or twice

Carol W.
2 years ago

Verified Reviewer

  Zwaan Mosel & Saar
Germany

The reason we booked this trip was the I wanted to see a European rail-trail. It for us, was the highlight of the whole week.

Linda K.
2 years ago

Verified Reviewer

  Zwaan Mosel & Saar
Germany

Biking through the vinyatds.

Susan C.
2 years ago

Verified Reviewer

  Zwaan Mosel & Saar
Germany

The Moselle-Maar Cycling Trail offered a lovely change of scenery from the also beautiful Mosel River paths we followed most days.

Jennifer R.
2 years ago

Verified Reviewer

  Zwaan Mosel & Saar
Germany

See the beauty of the country and spending time with wonderful co-travelers. I was moved to realize the deep history of Germany, see vineyards EVERYWHERE, castles in nearly every view of the mountains, the lovely quaint villages and the friendliness of the people.

James S.
5 years ago

Verified Reviewer

  Zwaan Mosel & Saar
Germany

Biking along the river was incredible and I loved seeing small villages we would not have otherwise gone to. The lodging was way more comfortable than the pictures made the boat look, we were all impressed! The staff was all very accommodating to the multiple people in our group requiring gluten-free meals. Overall an amazing week with my extended family on the bikes and on the boat!

Rosalind K.
5 years ago

Verified Reviewer

  Zwaan Mosel & Saar
Germany

The boat crew and participants were wonderful. The food was beyond belief. The guide did any excellent job of leading the group on the road, but when we arrived at historic areas left us to ourselves. We did not receive any of the three guided town tours that the trip description promised.

Randall O.
5 years ago

Verified Reviewer

  Zwaan Mosel & Saar
Germany

We enjoyed everything about this tour - great accommodations on the Zwaan, wonderful meals, outstanding staff, and beautiful scenery.

Stephen M.
5 years ago

Verified Reviewer

  Zwaan Mosel & Saar
Germany

This was a great trip - many great memories. Most memorable? - I rated it a 4 because we were stuck with the bow cabin on the Zwaan and no one should be given that cabin if they don't expressly want it - too small and too difficult to get in and out - and a much different standard than the other cabins on the boat. We are two taller, older people and the least suited for that cabin, but because we were the last to board we were stuck with it. We were told by Tripsite that we were getting a different cabin but that didn't happen.

Paul D.
5 years ago

Verified Reviewer

  Zwaan Super Tulip Tour
Netherlands

So many memorable things about our bike and barge trip through the Netherlands on the Super Tulip Tour! Our guide arranged a unique tour of a private cheese farm that was fantastic! We also passed by a MIler adjusting his windmill and our guide began conversing with him and we ended up getting a detailed explanation and demonstration about the working of the windmill from the miller. Great. No way to describe the beauty of the tulip fields. You have to see it to appreciate it!! It was a fantastic week. We would do it again in a heartbeat and have been telling our friends and family that since we returned and showed them all our photos.

Elizabeth C.
5 years ago

Verified Reviewer

  Zwaan Super Tulip Tour
Netherlands

We loved the Super Tulip Trip on the Zwaan. The staff was wonderful, very friendly and accommodating. The chef was terrific. Her food delicious and we noticed how well she adjusted the menu for another traveler who had allergies to certain foods. The bike guides were very informative and showed us little out of the way places that we would not have easily found on our own. Our e-bikes were terrific.
We would highly recommend this boat and tour.

John G.
6 years ago

Verified Reviewer

  Zwaan Bruges to Amsterdam
Belgium, Netherlands

The camaraderie is what we will remember most on the Bruges to Amsterdam tour. For the third consecutive tour we were the only Americans and loved the company of our Canadian and Australian fellow- travelers as well as the Dutch crew. (If we wanted to be with other Americans we could stay home).
The actual touring was pleasant rather than spectacular on this our fifth bike and barge trip booked with Tripsite. No Pont du Gard, Bridge of Sighs or Eiffel Tower but there were the Dutch Alps which was a reference to the many canal bridges in the Netherlands. The red soccer shirts adorning the statues of Belgian royalty and heroes reflected local support for their World Cup team.
I like to refer to these trips as "making best friends we'll never see again"

Kenneth L.
6 years ago

Verified Reviewer

Along the Ebro River to La Rioja
Spain

Of course the Rioja wines were what this trip was (mostly) about and they were so delicious for a low cost. It was great to stop for lunch and have delicious coffee and diverse tapas. The scenery was beautiful with great geological formations along the Ebro River. The history was fascinating. We saw cave dwellings from around 500 a.d., churches from 1100 and later. We had an extra day in Bilbao where we visited the Guggenheim Museum and the many festivities in the surrounding park. It was especially enjoyable to talk to local people about their life in Spain.

Bob T.
6 years ago

Verified Reviewer

  Zwaan Mosel & Saar
Germany

The opportunity to experience rural Germany close up was awesome and made even better with the efforts of our guide and crew.

George P.
6 years ago

Verified Reviewer

  Zwaan Mosel & Saar
Germany

The scenery was gorgeous, there were quaint little towns around every bend of the Saar and Mosel rivers. Our bike guide was excellent and very knowledgeable about the areas we were at. The food was plentiful and dinners were way above average. Great tour!

Jeanie R.
6 years ago

Verified Reviewer

  Zwaan Amsterdam to Bruges
Netherlands, Belgium

CycleTours gave us a unique and thoroughly enjoyable way to see a country that was new to us. We cycled through farms and villages where there were no tourists -- met local folks and saw how they lived. Our delightful and knowledgeable guide made sure that the pace of each day's cycling was do-able by people of different abilities -- often we'd cycle for an hour or two, stop for coffee; cycle for an hour or so, eat lunch. Cycle for an hour and stop for refreshment; cycle an hour and we're "home", where bowls of nuts, cookies, and tea/coffee/juice welcomed us.

Julie R.
7 years ago

Verified Reviewer

  Zwaan Amsterdam to Bruges
Netherlands, Belgium

Overall, it was a great trip - boat and crew, bikes, guide, fellow passengers. Where this trip fell short of a previous bike boat trip that I did, was that this trip lacked interesting stops along our cycle route. It felt more like getting from point A to point B with a brief coffee or lunch stop - no tours along the way. From my understanding in talking with the boat owner/captain, the cycling routes and stops are planned by the local partner.(https://www.tripsite.com/about/our-partners/).

Peter N.
7 years ago

Verified Reviewer

  Zwaan Mosel & Saar
Germany

Mosel/Saar B&B, It was a great trip, the barge was excellent, our staff especially the cook (meals) were wonderful and the scenery along the rivers was magnificent. I would highly recommend this trip especially with the barge and crew that took excellent care of our group.

Norval G.
7 years ago

Verified Reviewer

  Zwaan Amsterdam to Bruges
Netherlands, Belgium

Barge food excellent quality, diverse selections and plentiful.

Thelma K.
7 years ago

Verified Reviewer

  Zwaan South Holland Tour
Netherlands

I learned and saw things from the Netherlands that I had never seen before. I loved the cycling through the dunes.

Norval G.
7 years ago

Verified Reviewer

  Zwaan Amsterdam to Bruges
Netherlands, Belgium

Dutch and Belgium rural scenery and bike paths were beautiful, well marked and saw lots of wildlife.

Peter N.
8 years ago

Verified Reviewer

  Zwaan Mosel & Saar
Germany

Great Trip, Great Barge, and Great Staff. This is a very scenic trip along the Mosel and Saar. The vineyards make the view even better. The staff was very helpful and friendly and helped make the trip even better. I highly recommend this trip to everyone.

J. Coffin
9 years ago

Verified Reviewer

  Zwaan Super Tulip Tour
Netherlands

The staff,food and barge were exceptional. Just a wonderful experience. I would definitely recommend the tour.