Europe Tour Reviews — 6001 to 6030 of 6184

In May of last year we embarked on yet another Bike and Barge trip with the assistance of your organization. We were on the great barge Ava Maria, Montova to Venice. We have travelled extensively over the last 40 years but have never had such a great experience as this. The trip was well planned led by a terrific tour director who was not only knowledgeable but great fun. The staff of the barge were exceptional providing all on board with a superb experience, great food and friendly service. As has been my experience with Tripsite in the past, my expectations were exceeded and given that we are now planning another adventure in France with of course Tripsite. Thank you for MAKING our vacation!

We had an absolutely fabulous time in September this year on this trip. Cycling was fantastic-Francien an excellent guide, Inma a wonderful gourmet cook. The crew was always helpful and cheerful. The group of fellow cyclists were great fun - lots of laughs. Thank you, we will be back!!

The Prague-Dresden trip is one of the best trips I've taken. The route goes along the Elbe to Dresden. It's much like the Danube with small towns and nice places to stay. The day we started (May 27th) was the first day of rain that tormented Europe for a week. One day our ride ended, we had just checked into the hotel only to be followed by all night downpour. For most of the ride we escaped the rain. I had a long trip back to Vienna by train because of tracks being washed out and the Austrian railways being shutdown. Quite an adventure. We had a blast… even in the floods!

We spent 2 weeks in the Barneveld townhouse and loved it. This is an ideal alternative for the more independent traveler who wants to bike and explore at your own pace. We used Barneveld as our home base and did a lot of cycling in the nearby National Park. The townhouse is located near the edge of town and you can be cycling through tranquil farmland within 10 minutes. Bike paths in Holland are flat and typically in excellent condition making longer distances doable. I preferred to use an electric bike and Hennie made all the arrangements for me with a very good local bike shop which was about a 10-minute walk from the townhouse. The townhouse is not your typical vacation rental. It is a lovely home with comfortable furniture and excellent appliances including a full size washer and dryer. The kitchen has everything you could possibly need. There is even a private back patio where you can hang your wash outside if you prefer and dine when the weather is warm. There is a large supermarket at the end of the block and many restaurant and shopping opportunities, all within walking distance. All in all a great location. We loved it!

This was my third bike/barge trip and the best yet. I loved being on the Feniks. It's a very comfortable barge. The captain was very attentive to all our needs and I appreciated his ability to work around some of the problems re two of the canal locks being shut down for repairs. The guide was good also and made sure some of us slower people were not left behind. It was a great group of people and I thoroughly enjoyed the biking and the wonderful French countryside.

The bike trip from Passau to Vienna will always be one of the highlights in my life! It was the first bike trip I had ever taken and it couldn't have been better! The bikes and maps were given to us, the hotels arranged and everything was incredible! If you want an experience in your life that will remain with you forever....do this trip! I'm 65 and it was so much fun! I have told all of my friends to plan this trip and experience the trip of a lifetime while biking along the Danube. Enjoy!

Just completed this trip - we'll summarize by just saying "OUTSTANDING"! Enrico (our guide) couldn't have been better - surely gave us more info (and time!) than we expected. The boat's crew was outstanding too - food couldn't have been better! And we loved the cycling...even with (in spite of?) two days of rain. Our tandem bike was (surprisingly, for a rental tandem) easy to ride and control, even through some of the tight turns in the towns on the tour. Hard to find/fit tandems that are enjoyable to ride for both cyclists - Girolibero did their homework! We're already planning another tour for next year, and what a feast to choose from!

J & B Wilson, 10/23/2013

2013 trip was on Harmonia. Marko & Stefaan the guides were great. Food was excellent. Crew was excellent.

Only disappointment was that we had a deck cabin midships which was adjacent to the galley on the Romantica three of the seven nights, so no view. There was no AC and the room was 25C. Couldn't open the windows due to smokers and people/noise on Romantica before 1am. Romantica blocked the breeze anyway so opening the windows didn't do any good. Quite unpleasant sleeping. The guides did not have a solution when asked!

Also, guides said bike locks were not needed and never showed us how to use the locks. To boot, the asked that the e-bike keys be left in.

My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed our Sept trip from Bruges to Amsterdam on The MS Magnifique, booked through Tripsite.com. Comfortable cabin, great food, hot tub wonderful after long days of biking! Crew easy going but always helpful and attentive. Multi national fellow passengers all good company. Definitely encourage bringing your own gel seat cover! I had an electric assist bike which I'd highly recommend if in any doubt about managing the occasionally challenging distances. Already thinking of booking another similar trip next year.

My husband and I did the bike and barge tour from Bruges to Amsterdam Jun 29/2013 - and had the most amazing time!! Right from my first contact with the folks at Tripsite to the end of our tour - everything was perfect. Carl the Captain, Tom the guide and all the rest of the hardworking fun loving crew were amazing. We cycled some of the most beautiful countryside, Tom was very funny and looked after everyone - the ages on our tour were 16 to 77 - and we all felt comfortable. You can go at your own speed or go strictly with the group. The Magnifique was a beautiful and very comfortable boat - I loved it and I would be very hard pressed not to choose her again for our next trip - we are hoping to do a trip during the tulip season and maybe one in the early fall:) I actually wanted to book the return trip when we cycled into Amsterdam - but we were going to a friends wedding in Italy so had to continue on:) I really can not say enough good things about Tripsite on the organization side (friendly, knowledgeable and efficient; and the the crew of the Magnifique - they were all Magnifique!!!! Can't wait to go again.

This was our first experience with an inclusive tour and we were a bit apprensive about the lack of freedom. No worries! It was a great trip and we would do it again. The small boat/group was key. Great food, excellent tour leader and first rate crew. We would not want to be in a larger group. Three cheers for the older and smaller boat!

We just wanted to let you know how much we enjoyed our experience on the August 31st Brussels to Bruges Bike and Barge tour. The accommodations, the staff, the food and even the bikes were all top notch. Peter is a wonderful chef, Leah was a great guide, Walter and Carel were great captain, Carel barbecue was over the top!! It took us a few days to adjust to the biking, as most of us have not done much city biking. But by the end of the trip most of us were doing pretty well. Larry and I would recommend this trip to anyone!

Our bike group of 11 cycled with the Merlijn on August 17,2013. This was a 10++. Everything was spectacular. Henk, the captain, and Jentien did everything possible to make this the very best. Our rooms, the food, the bikes, our guide-Klaus-, the crew, the ship were great. We are so spoiled. Everyone on board was like family. We sang, did kareoke, danced and of course went biking. The Main trail was all paved and easy. Klaus made it interesting for us by going over car bridges, rail bridges and little ferries. We were introduced to the "cornering" system, which we found very helpful. Do not think twice about booking a tour on the ship Merlijn. Thank you Tripsite for helping arrange this for our group. Our pre and post barge trip to Wurzburg and Berlin was alo lots of fun.

We took the Venice to Mantova tour in September, 2013. The AveMarie is a luxurious boat. We were very happy with our cabin and our accomodations. The crew was exceptional and went out of their way to meet any needs. Martina, our guide, was also exceptional. The food was excellent. The bikes were standard, sturdy hybrids, all in good repair. The roads and bike paths were 90% flat and easy but 10% harrowing because of traffic! Wear a helmet. The camaraderie made the trip special; I think the Girolibero crew gets credit for creating a sociable atmosphere that made the trip fun for everyone.

We just returned from our trip and wanted you to know how much we enjoyed it! Thanks for your help.

The shirt and shorts were a big hit!

The routes and towns for this trip were perfectly selected. The hotels were charming and the staff was friendly and accommodating. The bikes were high quality and in nearly new condition. We found the written route instructions, written in English, were very thorough and detailed for each day of riding.. Yes, we did manage to get ourselves a little lost on a few occasions but in retrospect the fault was always ours for not following the instructions carefully. Because of the detailed road maps included it was always easy to get ourselves back on track. The suitcase transfer was flawless- we never felt rushed to get our bags ready in the morning and they were always waiting for us at our next hotel. Our group ranged from mid 50's to mid teens and all of us were equally captivated by the scenery and region's history. This was a great trip and we look forward to taking another vacation with Tripsite.

We took Mantova to Venice tour Aug. 10th. The guide (Amermario) was top notch. The food was heavenly. The five person crew did everything possible to make us comfortable-including one unscheduled stop to pick up a rain soaked 30 riders! Ave Marie was super-including wi-fi!

We just got back from Amsterdam on Saturday. What a fantastic trip. We actually did more miles of biking than the itinerary listed. But that was fine. We had a great group of people. You don't need to be in fantastic shape for this trip but you should brush up on your basic bike skills. If you have not ridden in 20 years you may want to ride on some bike trails. It's a leisurely pace but it's not the mileage but the time in the saddle. On our longest ride we went about 35 miles but probably spent over 5 hours in the saddle. How will your tushy feel?

Our boat was the Tijdgeest, Gerritt (captain), Franz (deckhand, waiter, dog wrangler, and all around good kid), Eva (if I could keep her she would be my personal chef) are the crew. They did a fantastic job and the service was great. Food was great. After a long day of riding if Eva would have cooked a sock I would have eaten it. Rooms are small but livable. Comfy place to take a nap, sleep and get cleaned up. Nothing more. DO NOT over pack. Bring your own helmet and gloves. Bike shorts a must. Sun screen YES.

You will see a lot of country scenery. Pray for overcast skies. We got it and it made the ride even better. You will make a few stops along the way. Coffee and chocolate is your friend.

If you are nice they will make some allowances for food preferences. I am gluten free so they served me some dishes with no gluten and gave me a basket of gluten free bread for breakfast and to make lunch. Yay for Eva again. Also my wife does not eat pork. Again, yay for Eva for fixing that problem.

The only fair part of this tour was our guide. To be fair he did get us where we needed to go with only a couple of times getting, should I say it, slightly lost, but maps are a good thing. He did not tell much about what we were seeing and had to ask him to explain more about the cities and towns. If you don't care about that kind of stuff I guess you could google it. Bring a small camera for taking pictures. I have good biking skills and can take them while I am riding but there is plenty of time to stop as you ride because the pace is very slow. Make sure you have a sweeper who will wait with you. Ride at the front as it will give you time to take some pics as the rest of the group goes by.

For the money this trip has the most value and is well worth the price according to some of the people who we were traveling with and had been on these types of vacations before. If you don't get along with a small group of people who are from different countries or are not of basic fitness rethink going on this tour. We have people from Germany, Spain, New Zealand, Austrailia, Brazil, and the U.S.

Also, you may want to like dogs or at least tolerate them. Schnitzel is the real boss of the boat. He's a good dog and is mostly out of the way until we start to dock and then he's got to work. We had the honor of taking him for a nice walk.  SHOW MORE 

El itinerario y el programa previsto se han cumplido con precisión. El itinerario realizado está muy bien estructurado para hacerse una idea general de los tres países en los pocos días que hemos estado. El viaje recorre de forma amplia los países con sus pintorescos y verdes parque naturales y con sus tres capitales. El viaje ha sido muy intenso y lleno de interés.

La combinación de bicicleta y autobús ha funcionado perfectamente y las bicicletas no han dado ningún problema. Siempre el vehículo de apoyo estaba cerca por si hubiera alguna incidencia.

Buen itinerario, bellos paisajes, ciudades con historia y buena comida. ¿Qué más se puede pedir? Podemos decir que el viaje ha sido estupendo. Recomendable.

I had a fantastic time onboard the IRIS on the Amsterdam to Bruges tour 8/3/13. The IRIS is a great vessel for this kind of tour. Our air-conditioned cabin was spacious with plenty of cabinets and closet space and we easily stored our luggage underneath the bunks. The private bathroom also had well thought-out storage space and towel racks.

On this tour, I was able to put my worries and my wristwatch away and simply enjoy myself. Our guide, Wouter, took good care of us and was knowledgeable about each town and village we visited with him. The food was superb! Our chef, Clive, prepared inspired three-course dinners for us, including some local dishes, like Flemish stew. All in all, it was one of the best vacations I’ve ever had.

Thanks to the folks at Tripsite for booking this tour and providing really detailed information to me prior to the trip. I would like to mention two additional points that would have been useful to know. First, as to the meeting place of the boat, it would have been really helpful to know the boat would be moored near the very prominent and visable NEMO museum. Secondly, I appreciated that the e-mailed instructions gave us guidance on the customary amount to tip the crew. I just happened to ask one of the crew if the tip included the Guide as well as the Crew, and found out that it did not! Luckily, I learned this in time to (1) withdraw more money from an ATM, and (2) spread the word to as many guests as possible. Please tell Wouter that if someone forgot to tip him, it was probably because we were led to believe the tip included his services as well. I hope to sail with Eurosail again soon! Thanks for a great vaction!

It's nice to jump into the lake after riding the bike under the sun. The beaches were easily accessed. The guesthouse in Arbon was very comfortable. My friend and I enjoyed the tour very much.

The tour was excellent. We’d have no reservations about booking another tour comparable to this, or recommending the trip to others—in fact, we already have. We enjoyed every minute.

We were somewhat anxious about how the trip would work out: would we find the boat ok?; would we be able to get everything on-board ok?; would we have a good time? The trip worked like clockwork—everything worked exactly as it should!

Our accommodations on-board the Angela Esmee were quite comfortable. The rooms were small, as we expected. However, they were very comfortable. Additionally, we spent very little time in our cabin. Most of our time was spent either on the bikes, walking in the great port villages, on the top deck, or in the dining salon, enjoying the company of the others on the tour or the wonderful staff. Food on-board the ship was very good, and quite filling. Just right to get us off to a good start, or to replenish us after a great day of riding.

The staff was most accommodating. We really bonded with Arie, the tour leader. He proved to be very helpful, and knowledgeable. However, beyond that, he was personable! He is very well schooled, and has a great sense of humor. He was someone we enjoyed spending time with on our vacation. In addition to Arie, the Captain and ship’s crew (Matthew, and Peter), the hotel manager (Yvonne), cook, and the wait staff and cabin cleaning crew were all very personable, and willing to help with anything we needed.

The cycling was fantastic. The tour routes were obviously well thought out—they led us through picturesque small villages, and natural terrain. Traffic was negligible throughout the routes. Additionally, all of our many stops resulted in very positive, enjoyable conversations and interactions with everyone we encountered. At one stop, we were offered tea, coffee, and great conversation when we stopped into a local hardware store along our route between Enkhouzen and Hoorn. We also encountered the Wervershoof bakery owner’s wife, a fantastic lady, at one of our many bakery stops. There’s a reason Dutch Apple Pie is famous, though in Wervershoof, it’s the cookies that steal the show.

Thank you for helping us arrange rental of the Hase Pinos! They were quite enjoyable for the trip. TomTom rentals(info@tomtomtandem.nl) really went out of their way to help us get the bikes adjusted and to ensure we were comfortable on the bikes. They were with us for approximately two hours before departure to ensure everything was just right. In addition, Tom left us with a tool kit with anything we may have needed during the tour—fortunately, we didn’t need anything, the bikes performed flawlessly. I would suggest that you offer these Hase Pino Tandems as a routine option. There may be others who desire such a bike—especially cases where one rider is significantly stronger than another, or for cases where one rider may have a physical limitation that wouldn’t allow them to participate on their own. The advantages of the Pino are that two riders will stay together with their heads so close that they can carry on conversations. Plus, both have a beautiful view of the route ahead. My wife actually rode with her i-phone/camera dangling from a wrist strap—ready to snap photos at a moment’s notice, which she did quite often. During our tour, we encountered one other Hase Pino. It appeared the rider in the front may have been blind. Nevertheless, on this bike they could still participate in the ride.  SHOW MORE 

We have just returned from our holiday on the Anna Marie Agnes which we thoroughly enjoyed. The whole voyage and cycle riding was well planned and, Ida, the guide could not have been better.

We were allocated a dining table with a total of eight English speakers who all gelled from the first meal and we sometimes met at path side cafes.

I loved the Northern Tour aboard the Elodie. It is a nice small boat with a wonderful crew and fantastic bikes. I hope to do it again some day.

Just back from a wonderful bike and boat trip through the Provence. We, along with 18 of our friends from B.C., Canada, had booked the boat for ourselves and we can't say enough good things about the time and adventure we had. The staff - Lizzie, Amin(?) and Rose were perfect hosts, captain and chef. Our meals were wonderful and our guidance from Lizzie supreme. Thank you for giving us a trip to remember.

For the most part we really enjoyed the trip! We felt the boat staff (Lizzie, Rose and Amine) worked very hard in sometimes difficult circumstances to provide us with a great experience. Lizzie in particular was super-friendly and attentive to our needs.

Please feel free to call me 604-340-2580 to discuss the parts of tour that could be improved upon (boat mechanical condition with ongoing power failures; sub-standard bikes; quality and variation of the menu and food overall; and tour expertise.

Beautiful ride for the whole family. Our boys are 8 and 10 and they did great because it was fun jumping in the lake. It was just right for a family of four. A lot of things to see on the way including castles, cathedrals, and the kids got to feed a monkey. The trails were well marked and we did not get lost. The accommodations were wonderful and the people very friendly. I would do this tour with my family again!

We will do it Again. A perfect way too reelax and see new Things every day. Meet new pepeole from other continents. good groupe size on the Iris and the crew made us feel very comfortabel and "hyggeligt" (cousy). New city every night with out packing our stuff. We are on in a new route when posibel.

We had a fantastic time on this trip. There is so much good to say. The hotels were great, the breakfasts were fantastic, and the luggage was always already there waiting when we arrived. The routes selected were just beautiful and had a varied type of sights. We saw charming villages, beautiful landscapes of different types, and cycled along polders and through some forests and dunes. There were ferries and drawbridges and all sorts of amazing water engineering feats. We left our hotel vouchers home, and called the emergency number on Sunday morning. The person immediately picked up, and told us a full package with vouchers was waiting for us at our first hotel. Perfect! The Dutch people were very friendly and welcoming, and we did not have one single negative encounter with anyone. We learned some polite phrases in Dutch before leaving, and people seemed to appreciate that. The ONLY criticism I can make was that the directions were sometimes a little confusing, and the accompanying maps were not perfect. We will make some suggestions directly to tripsite, but I would recommend buying the comprehensive Netherlands cycle map as a supplement. You could also rent an odometer, so that you could follow the directions better. The bikes were exactly as promised, though I might consider renting something lighter next time. There is a reason they have all of those windmills in Holland: the wind! But basically, it was a fabulous trip. I'm already looking at some of the others for next year. This is an honest and reliable company, and they delivered all that they promise.

We recently completed the Innsbruck to Bolzano bike tour and it was incredible. The scenery along the route was spectacular! The difficulty of the trails was reasonable with very little vehicular traffic except in the towns. The hotels were also very nice and well located. The only exception was Hotel Chrys in Bolzano. the hotel was rather dated and it was quite a distance from the center of town. However, the incredibly helpful staff at the Chrys made up for its less than ideal location. I would highly recommend this tour and would love to do it again one day. Biking allowed us to see areas and small towns we never would have visited if we were travelling via car or train.