Europe Tour Reviews — 5911 to 5940 of 6184

I have mixed feelings about this tour. The boat was nice- clean, and incredibly well run; the food was good. The Czech Republic was beautiful (albeit unusually hot) and we enjoyed the countryside and the towns. However, if you did not speak German, which was the native language of the tour guide, Hans, you were in for some difficult times. He was outwardly pleasant, clearly organized (although the trip sheets needed updating), and I believe he gave the updates to the German tourists. Unfortunately, he did not provide all of the info in English and it made things difficult for us. He said that the other Germans didn't like it when he gave the presentation and then gave it in English (to all of us together). At one point, we (Americans, Aussies and Swedes) took him to task and he had a meeting with us to discuss - but had difficulty accepting our point of view. Also, the tour excursions, which were supposed to be available in English, didn't all happen. So we missed some of the information that others received. Overall, we enjoyed our time but we had not expected this level of difficulty and I cannot in all good conscience recommend this one to English-speaking tourists. However, if the boat is contracted for anything else - you are in good hands there.

Ok, you've convinced me to add this trip to my wish list!

Great article, Kevin. I can't figure out which would draw me there more: the scenery or the food. Okay, I admit, it's actually the bier.

Our Brussels to Brugge trip was an incredible experience. The biking was fantastic, the boat was great, and the staff superb. We even traveled with wonderful fellow travelers on the trip! So many kind people. I had heard great things about this trip too but it turned out even better than my expectations! What can I say? The food was excellent. The service was excellent. The camaraderie was wonderful. We were on the Magnifique and it was magnificent. Thank you!-Archie, Nancy and Zach August 2015

Food was substandard...cabins stink and are excessively damp and basically the trip plan was an underwhelming experience. WE stayed on the boat for the first night and then as I recall stayed again the second night. We could have stayed at 5 star hotel in town and enjoyed a great meal instead of a barge in need of many repairs.

This was our first bike tour (second for the two other couples in our party) and we truly enjoyed it. It was a good amount of daily biking, a mostly flat ride, with nice places to stop along the way. We liked all of the hotels - though two could have been more conveniently located in town - and the breakfasts were always great. We made use of the printed directions, maps, bike route number system, and GPS to find our way - each system seemed to work better at different points of the journey. There were a couple mix-ups with missing or misplaced signage on the bike route, but other than that, things went smoothly. We've posted pictures and more info about our trip at http://intentionaltravelers.com/4-reasons-self-guided-bike-tour/ . Thanks for a great trip!

Hello some feedback from our bike trip to better the experience.

We had a flat tire and the bike pumps didn't work. We were in a group of four and none of them worked. Also there were no tire tubes! Should we have taken some with us? If so I didn't read that suggestion in the info provided.

We only had two saddlebags
No knobs on kick stands
No stem caps
Odometers only worked on one bike and one bike didn't have one at all
Bells didn't work on all bikes
The handle bars were loose on one bike and that was quite worrisome going down hills
On the bike trip from Dresden to Wittenburg we did a couple of years ago we were sized to our bike by a nice gentle man who took the time to explain aspects of the bike and we appreciated his efforts. We didn't have that attention this time so wondered if the bikes actually were road worthy, especially when we came to facing a fairly challenging route. The feed back from the bike shop in Huckelhoven was that the man caring for the bikes or owning the bikes was not as committed to his responsibilities to do so.. Just a comment they passed on and I am passing on to you.

We do appreciate the ease with which to book these bike trip through emails on line etc.
the hotel people along the trip were so friendly and accommodating and made us feel very welcome.
Thankyou
Cheryl

Ja conheco Budapeste e Praga.Em Budapeste(cidade linda e agradavel)fiz um tour de bike e agora gostaria de conhecer tmbem Viena,entao,gostaria de informaco sobre preco completo saindo de salvador,porem me deixando livre quanto a aida e retorno

Green fields that end at the ocean, sheep for miles, old churches, and some gorgeous and hilly bike riding. Wales is one of the prettiest, friendliest, (and hilliest ) places in the world. Our trip was perfect, thank you Carla and crew. We loved our accommodations in Fishguard. The B&B owners were so helpful and gracious. The routes were challenging and breathtaking. Doing a self-guided tour allowed us the become immersed in the local culture (especially when you need to ask for directions!). I give Tripsite a 10!
Deb

My mom and two sisters and I did this trip last month to celebrate my mom turning 75 this summer. We had a blast! The boat was comfortable and food was delicious, including lots of healthy salads and fruit. The crew was top-notch; keeping things running smoothly and on-time. The riding was wonderful every day, even with a few rainy days. The routes were fun, and full of countless "photo-ops" with picturesque villages, castles, churches and vineyards. We rarely had to climb any hills or interact with cars, so the riding really was suitable for beginners or seniors. We werewith the smaller "English-speaking" group, so had our orientation to the next day's route the evening before. Somehow, despite the four of us thinking we were paying close attention, we always managed to forget something about the route instructions, but part of the fun challenge was finding our way back to the route when we took a wrong turn or crossed the wrong bridge. By the last few days, we started adding a few side trips and explorations to our routes, but still always managed to find our way back to the Patria in time for the coffee, tea and fancy cakes in the early evening. Though the majority of our fellow passengers spoke German, and we don't speak the language at all, we still felt very welcomed. Our only suggestion would be for someone to provide notation on the maps of the public w.c.'s available along the route. As an all-female group, we spent a little more time than we wanted to tracking those elusive locations along the route. Thanks for a great vacation!

My husband and I(in our 60"s) were on the Sailing Home a month ago with 6 friends from Bruges to Amsterdam. We had the most wonderful time. Everything about this trip exceeded my expectations. The boat, our accommodations, the food, the crew were all excellent and I can't say enough about our guide Hugo. He was amazing and really made our trip memorable. He was funny and very knowledgeable about everything we saw so we got info about the countries and the politics. I highly recommended this fun trip for all ages and biking abilities.

We had an amazing experience with Sanders and Els in April 2015 and I can't wait to do it again! The food and bicycles and itinery were all excellent! We had great weather although the northsea beaches were a little windy. I liked being able to pack my lunch so that we had more time exploring delightful Netherlands! Thank you for this fantastic opportunity. Feel free to share our experience with anyone interested in bike barge tour in the future. Thanks again! Loretta Bendz

To say the Dalmatia from Dubrovnik Plus bike and boat tour was most excellent would be a gross understatement of fact! The Harmonia ship was a dream boat - roomy cabins with large baths, a chef that really should get a Michelin star or two and staff that were friendly, knowledgeable and accommodating. We biked up long mountainous terrain and were rewarded with views that were breath taking (we were also rewarded with a nice long downhill ride). After our rides, we would tuck into a cove and swim in the beautiful, blue, clear, Adriatic Sea. It just doesn't get better than this! Bonus - a day trip to Mostar to see the famous bridge. The eight days were over in a heartbeat - I will certainly take another trip like this though how it can be topped is beyond my comprehension. Tripsite has many options so I feel confident that I will find another biking trip that will be equally enjoyable.

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!

Tripsite personnel...Just wanted say that "the girls" had a "blast" on this trip. This was the first one for 2 of the riders and the second one for another rider. Venice was great fun and the water taxi at night was beautiful. Taking the ferries and riding along the water was wonderful. Even the rain a few days did not dampen our spirits. Every little town along the way was a gift to us as we peddled through or visited the sites in the evening. The hill up to the tuscan views was a leg burner and had to be walked but well worth the effort as we rode down into Florence. Thanks from all of us for coordinating a bucket list item for Deb and a great memory for all!

We just returned from our bike trip; Amsterdam to Bruges aboard "Sailing Home" (June 13- 20). This is our third Bike-n-Barge tour and we will do it again. I thoroughly enjoy being able to exercise everyday and have someone make me dinner in the evening. We also prefer the smaller barges.
Bill and Lisa Smoak - Melbourne, Florida

We just returned from our trip aboard the Sailing Home going from Bruges to Amsterdam. The trip was outstanding! Our guide, Hugo, was fantastic. He took time to explain a lot about the country, its people, and culture. We appreciated the walks he took us on in the evenings into town to learn more and explore. The boat was exceptional. the cabins were very comfortable and we enjoyed every delicious meal. The crew was always helpful, positive, and welcoming. We would go on another trip like this next week if we could. We will be back again as soon as we can. Thanks for preparing such an enjoyable cycling experience. Bill and Candy Flink Sacramento, California

The Mast Family
Bike tour Bruges to Amsterdam,
June 14-20, 2015

We really enjoyed the trip. The scenery was beautiful and we got a good overview of the coasts, farm land, waterways, historical sites and the cities. The hotels were very nice, comfortable, varied and had good restaurants in the hotels. The breakfast buffets were great. We particularly enjoyed the smaller hotels. Luggage transfer worked well.
The routes were easy to follow for the most part once we got “tuned into” finding the route signs. With the maps we were also able to alter the route to see some other sites we were interested in.
A couple of things would have made the trip easier:
Equipment:
More specific information about the bikes, which differ from those we normally ride, before the trip started would have helped us to get a good start the first day.
An extra tube for the tires would have helped since some tires required multiple patches.
Route:
The route on day 2 from Vlissingin to Noordgouwe included a ferry across Veerse Meer. When we arrived at the location on Monday we were told the ferry did not run Monday in June (this was in the detail route description but was in Dutch, not in English). We spoke to some local residents who told us the (lengthily) alternate but mentioned that since there were so many of us we could speak to the ferry staff and see if they would run for us (which they nicely did). Our trip would have been much more pleasant (and a couple hours shorter) that day if we had had this information up front.

Availability of help:
It was not easy to contact you when we needed to report an equipment issue after finishing a route after your office hours. We had to resort to emailing you so you did not get the message until the next day. We received an email that we would be called and the battery replaced but we never received a call, maybe because we had a US cell phone. So on the 3rd day someone finally showed up with a replacement bike. This would have been a better situation if:
We could have contacted you after office hours.
The bike people had contacted the desk at the hotel rather than trying to call our phone.

As Jana said, Riccardo from Verde-Natura was the first bike guide we've had and he made things so much easier and enjoyable. He was constantly checking on all the riders and never seemed to mind going back downhill to check on slower riders. Everyone on the Deriya Deniz went to great pains to make sure each of us had what was needed - even supplying food for our picnic lunches. The last evening, we all got a wonderful surprise that was so much fun...but I'll not divulge their secret! The crew really was remarkable. For instance, we had an early morning flight from Naples to Palermo on the last morning of the trip. In order to get to the airport at the proper time, we had to wake at 4:30 am. Every single crew member plus Riccardo got up to see us off at 5:00 am making sure once again, we had what we needed or desired. I cannot imagine a better experience in this singularly beautiful location and highly recommend this trip!

Incredible! This was our sixth bike trip and our first guided bike and boat trip, and it wins the prize. Our Italian guide, Riccardo, was informative, kind, patient and always looking out for our safety, (He also knew the best places for gelato, gratina, pizza and of course, beautiful off the beaten path trails, parks and picnic spots.). The boat was gorgeous (immaculately clean) and our cabin much roomier than I anticipated. The captain was awesome (the epitome of the leader of the vessel, but also with a sense of humor); first mate truly did everything from helping unload bikes to driving us on the dinghy to shore; the chef prepared marvelous dinners, and Olga did everything else to ensure a great trip. Then, there is the biking! Wow! I have never had such exhilarating rides as on the Amalfi Coast. Words and photos simply cannot convey the majesty and overwhelming beauty. The other islands visited were also lovely. And, even though the water was cold, swimming off the boat while anchored at the Isle of Capri is a memory I will never forget. Our fellow travelers were from Switzerland, Germany, Phillipines and Canada and we so enjoyed their company. Thank you to our wonderful boat crew, Riccardo, our guide from VerdeNatura, and Mary from Tripsite for providing an adventure of a lifetime!

Although we are seasoned travelers and fairly fit cyclists, we were new to bike & boat touring, and as a result we probably drove TripSite's Carla crazy! But her patience never faltered; she was generous and gracious with answers to our interminable questions and we arrived in Passau well informed and ready to have a great time.

Our expectations were met and exceeded. Not only had Carla prepared us well, but Rad & Reisen proved to be a world class organization. The accommodations were lovely, the gourmet meals splendid, the route information excellent, the professionalism and friendliness of the crew impeccable, and the camaraderie among fellow travelers delightful. Not to mention the gorgeous Danube scenery, the interesting villages, and beautiful Vienna!

We were so happy with TripSite and Rad & Reisen that we are already researching our next bike and boat trip with them! Thank you for a lifetime of wonderful memories.

Harvey & Sharon Rishe
Salt Lake City, Utah

I just got back from one of the best vacations I have ever had....I biked and sailed the islands of Croatia on board the Odesij. Simply great. We biked about 200 miles over six days...and sailed from island to island. Our host Bernard was great and the other guests on board made the trip fantastic!! WONDERFUL!!!

I'm feeling a strong wander bicycle, travelust after seeing these pictures. Thank you

Took the Jelmar out of Amsterdam and spent 4 days cruising and biking with our guide Fred. Our captain was sure of himself (reference the other comment above) but that is what I look for in a boat captain. Captains must know what they are doing when they traverse the locks, etc. The other folks on the trip were super chilled out and positive throughout. We lucked out and had perfect weather and biking conditions. Highly recommended and the tulips were at their peak!!!!

My dad and I did this trip together in May 2014 - we both love cycling and being outdoors! The views were breathtaking.. breakfasts on board were superb with tons of espresso. The extra uphill biking in Ischia with the guide - totally worth the views at the end! Plus we got to relax at the top with an ice cold bottle of peroni. Boat is the best way to travel, by far, but bring some earplug in case it's noisy at night!! Every night I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow, from long days of biking and exploring. The crew on board was helpful and courteous - our guide was amazing and very knowledgeable (a Quebec native who now resides in Italy). We used TripAdvisor for tips on a good hotel to stay at to fly in & out of Naples (Napoli). It was an amazing experience, and I fell in love with the culture of Italy. I loved the country so much, we extended our trip and went to Rome and Florence on our own after the bike tour was done! I can't wait to do another bike tour.

My husband and I had a wonderful trip. Doing loop rides from one location, instead of moving from one city to another each day, was perfect. It allowed us to become familiar with the area (so many restaurants to try!) and to modify the routes if we desired (for example, one day we cycled to the train station and took a train to Leiden instead of doing a long ride). The folks at TripSite are not kidding when they claim that the Netherlands is a bike friendly place. Certainly the nicest and safest cycling we have experienced! It is hard to say which route was my favorite but Widje AA has a taste of everything - dunes, blub fields, canals, windmills, and charming villages.

I have been on 4 bike and barge tours and I still think the scenery along the Moselle was my favourite!!

My husband and I have just returned from our honeymoon from Netherlands. Five of the 10 days were spent on La Belle Fleur with Sander and Els. I cannot say enough positive things about this bike and barge. I have been planning this trip for 8 years, so there were very high expectations that had to be met, which they successfully accomplished. The barge was very cozy with wonderful food served daily, including traditional dutch cuisine. The bikes (Gazelle) were great in traditional dutch style. Our guide was knowledgeable and kept us on pace of a very full 5 day schedule. I highly recommend this trip if you are looking for an adventure and to experience the country in true Dutch style. I know I will be back to explore more of this beautiful country, hopefully aboard the La Belle Fleur for another adventure.

Beautiful!! Thanks for sharing, Emily!

September 2014...Arrived Frankfurt from Australia and caught train to Remagen. The walk from the station to the hotel took all of 30 seconds....the delightful receptionist had us booked into our room within a few minutes. Rooms were 10/10. Meals throughout our 7 day stay were all satisfying and scrumptious. Rental cycles albeit a bit on the heavy side were most reliable and well geared..and we should know as we rode up most of the cycle paths which the provided cycle maps suggested we ride down. One of the highlights was the Remagen Wine Queen celebrations held over the weekend in the Alstdt...plenty of wine beer food singing and dancing. Our weeks stay was so enjoyable we are going back in 2015.