Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova Tour Reviews — 1 to 30 of 287

The trip was made more enjoyable by having a great tour guide, Hein. His local knowledge of history, culture and traffic patterns proved to be invaluable. The boat staff overall were also very accommodating and the food preparation superb. Even when we had a slight water leak in our cabin during overnight heavy rain, the crew expressed concern and responded quickly to the issue. Some suggestions for future tours include: 1) Providing name tags for the guests on the first day 2) Look into ways to improve the air flow within the cabins.

Overall we could recommend this tour and look forward to our next adventure.

Great Trip!!
Amazing leaders on the barge.
Would suggest everyone to take
this trip. Venice to Mantova.

The boat and crew were fantastic. The bikes were the best we have experienced so far doing these kinds of trips. Some wonderful excursions and side trips while biking . A few things could be improved upon I think. We all arrived (group of 10) in Mantova and ended up dragging our luggage through town (on sometimes very cobblestone bumpy streets) to get to the boat. Have heard this happens a lot. Taxi/uber service is kind of non-existent. For any older travelers the option of dragging luggage would not be realistic. Something need to be set up for customer pickups. Also, I know from talking to the tour guides that the amount of time we get to spend in Ferrara is an issue. It's a wonderful city and we were in and out much too quickly. Not sure there is an answer to this. Overall an amazing trip with a crew that seemed to be having as much fun as we were.

The crew were amazing how they worked together and made everything flawless.

Loved the whole trip. It is not just a bike & barge tour. Time to tour the cities you stop at is provided.
We did end up with a rainy afternoon, but the tour was flexible enough to work around this.
The crew were wonderful.

It was a wonderful trip! It was the perfect mix of biking, sightseeing, walking tours and fabulous food. The staff was helpful and personable. The cabins were small so we were glad we packed light. I would highly recommend this trip to anyone looking for a relaxing and fun vacation.

Easily the people. The staff were so knowledgeable and friendly I felt like I was part of a family vacation. I have never traveled abroad before and the personal connection with the group that the staff displayed made things go smoothly no matter where we were.

It’s hard to pick just one thing that made this trip outstanding - the food was outstanding- better than I had at restaurants in Venice and Florence - and they accommodated my vegan diet. Biking, touring, and dining with people from all over with an entertaining and knowledgeable guide and crew was just the best. The scenery was beautiful and the little side tours, including to a grappa winery and cheese producer to break up the day were so much fun. A great combination of touring and biking.

1st I have to complement Claudia for all her help! The crew of the Vita Pugna were exceptional, particularly George our guide. This was our 4th boat bike tour in Europe. I would not recommend anyone cruising on the Vita Pugna. The walls were paper thing and we got one good night's sleep. We asked the people next to us 2x to be quiet. They kept talking to late in the night and we felt we were in the room with them. The meals and chef were excellent. Captain was the hardest working one I have ever seen. I definitely would go with this crew on another boat in the future. Bikes were good. Touring/ sites were special. Some people should have rented ebikes as we had to wait up to as 1/2 hour at times for them to catch up and we were not going fast. Crew was extremely helpful both at the beginning during and at the end of our tour. Back to Claudia. she answered all of my questions. Help us get on the right transportation from the airport to the island of Quidecca, where we stayed in a hotel the night before the trip. We met 4 other couples at the hotel. Only difficulty we had was finding the boat on the date of departure. I was unable to load the map for direction. We were finally able to find the boat. I would recommend a separate email at the end with the necessary directions/ map to the boat. One more time I need to mention how much I appreciated Claudia's and the other tour specialists. You were the best I/ we ever have had! Thank you. Steve and Barbara Ferrin.

We loved our bike and barge trip from Venice to Mantova. The guides were helpful and friendly, the barge was extremely comfortable, the chefs were masterful and the scenery was gorgeous! It was one of the best bike and barge experiences we've had.

We had the best of many worlds on our trip. Patient, helpful and friendly guides; outstanding chefs; competent and patient captain and crew. The scenery was gorgeous and we especially loved the areas around Venice and Murano. Our cabin was super clean and comfortable. And our fellow travelers were so easy to be with. We noticed the shower was actually the biggest shower we used during our three weeks in Italy! A little rain towards the end of the trip, but nothing anyone can do about that.

Venice back canals. Swimming in adriatic sea. Feedback bikes should have mirrors or tell people to bring them.

The cruise was interesting and extremely well organized. The tour guide, Hugo, was exceptionally good and well informed. He was a very good riding guide and for tours of the cities we visited, and he adapted to changes in weather very well.

The fun interaction with all the other people on the barge. Also, the fantastic guides and crew - all were great. Food terrific as evidenced by the 5 lbs. I gained!
While the terrain was flat, there was a couple of days when we had gravel and tree roots which made the going a little tougher and hard on the butt and lower back. An additional cushioned seat cover would have helped. Many people had Emile’s which were helpful over the rougher terrain. I never thought I would need one but I am almost 85 and have a broken down lower back. I really struggled on the second day when we did 50 km and some lengthy rough patches. People with e-bikes felt they were very good bikes, heavier than a regular bike but expected. The regular bikes were excellent other than a little more cushioning would help. The scenery along the way is not very interesting.
but earlier reviews mentioned that. It’s more about the fun of the group. This is likely my last bike trip but it was a great one. All of the bike & barge trips are terrific.

This was the seventh bike/barge tour, in Europe, which I have taken. It was a wonderful tour. The boat, the crew and the guides were among if not the best. In particular the quality and the presentation of the food was outstanding,. I have three suggestions that in my opinion would have made the trip more comfortable. The first is quite minor but most North Americans use a facecloth in the bathrooms, I would prefer this to the two handtowels which were provided for each guest, Secondly, on each of my earlier trips better accommodations were made for guests to dry out light laundry or wet clothing. A clothesline set up on upper patio could work well for this, Finally, my experience is that cycling in a group of 31 is awkward and potentially dangerous. Our two guides worked together very well to control the traffic and allow the whole group to cross major roads safely but two smaller groups would mean shorter traffic delays.
Overall a great trip which I will gladly recommend yo others

Hard to pick any single thing - the staff was likely the best part, with great tour leaders, followed by how good the food was!

Food was good, but I would of liked more vegetables at dinners.
It would of been nice to have some organized group activities ( especially the first night) so people could get to know each other better . Just standing up and saying your name and where you were from was definitely not enough. After dinner, so many people just went to their rooms . If there was an organized fun event to do, then people would of stayed in the main room and participated.

Fabulous trip! Tripsite personnel were great and the Ave Maria and staff were outstanding!

The six “ crew members” , especially Sylvia who’s English was great and energy outstanding! Next the food! Amazing. Finally the biking and scenery and tours along the way.
I would definitely recommend others to plan an extended stay in Venice before the cruise begins as it is such a wonderful place and more time is needed to see it all.

It was a great trip, with an additional special treat. I decided to skip the second-to-last day of biking. Rain and maybe thunderstorms were predicted. I REALLY dislike biking in the rain. Plus, I was dehydrated. (Three others stayed behind, too.) I walked into the bow, book in hand, and turned around to wave to captain Andrea in the pilot house. He motioned for me to come up. I climbed up, and we spent a lovely time of ~30 minutes or so, listening to music - Mozart, Vivaldi, Rossini, Luciano Pavarotti. He said that he especially likes Rossini's operas, since they end well. I told him that I will sing the Vivaldi Gloria in December, here in Vermont. As we got very close to the "doors" of a canal lock, he played the beginning of Also Sprach Zarathustra. It was very funny! I'm "smiling out loud" thinking about the unexpected treat - yay!

Also sprach Zarathustra

There were countless unforgettable moments on our trip! Every day was filled with excitement, from leisurely bike rides along the River Po through picturesque cornfields and poplar tree groves to tasting grappa and exploring the captivating carnival museum. Arriving in Venice by boat was an absolute blast, and witnessing the mesmerizing glass-blowing demonstration on Murano Island was genuinely fascinating. The food on board surpassed all expectations, and the crew's warm hospitality, wealth of knowledge, and lively spirit made the journey even more enjoyable. The delightful surprise of receiving a cookbook on our final night was the perfect ending to an already incredible experience. My advice to anyone considering this tour is simple: book it for an unforgettable adventure!

Great crew and food. I thought stops and rides were well planned for a vacation in Europe .

The guide, Giorgio, made the trip memorable with excellent stories, helpful translations, and kept the group together with sweepers and corner helpers. He had a good sense of humor. Also we appreciated the intimate tours of a glass blowing place, a cheese factory, carousel, and fire brigade museums in small towns. The flat roads and bike paths were well chosen, and the bicycles, helmets, and saddle bags were excellent quality and made the rides comfortable. We enjoyed all the Italian food made by the cooks, and dinners were very enjoyable in our cozy dining room. The rooms on the barge were small and a bit tight for tall people like someone 6'6". We would do this again.

The daily stops were so fun as we discovered the culture of Italy away from the big cities. The merry go round museum, the cheese factory & the distillery were all so enlightening. Daniela was a perfect guide. Our chef Sylvia had such a creative way of cooking that I ate so many things I never would have & all were wonderful!

The beautiful landscape,the bike ride, the points of interest. Our tour guide George was excellent and the crew did a great job.

The meals were delicious, staff professional and knowledgeable!

I was a last minute addition to the tour and the staff was extremely helpful in getting me oriented as I had 2 weeks to prepare. In looking back after a couple weeks and in sharing highlights with friends and family I think of the food on board, the beautiful scenery along the bike paths in the countryside's, the comfortable pace of the guide, the stops along the way to learn more about some of the little towns and the support I felt from the staff on board as well as the group of new friends I made as barge mates. Daniela was the perfect guide. There was a choice for self-guided but everyone chose the guided tour. We learned so much from her. From tips on riding in a group, to how to catch a water bus and ferry in the Venice lagoons. As well as the history of the places we visited. She was an awesome teacher, care-giver when riders needed assistance, patient leader when some weren't on schedule and just a great person. Everyone in our group of friends raved about our experiences. I had read reviews and many mentioned the food. Well they were on point. Sylvia prepared some very high quality meals that you might find in a fancy restaurant. Exquisite! All in all, I would highly recommend this trip.

It’s hard to pick one thing. The ride leaders & rides were awesome. They took the time to make sure there was a great bike fit. Food was spectacular everyday. Fresh and delicious. The crew were funny and knew their boat. Rooms were clean and ready for us when we arrived. And Venice to Mantova—perfect. I highly recommend this trip and this boat.

The Mantova to Venice trip cannot be broken into more or less memorable. It is just one great memorable experience. From the skipper who manoeuvres that large ship in tight spaces, to the chef and sous chef with their delicious meals, the skippers mate who cuts breakfast fruits with such delicacy and the guides who have such a knowledge and love of their country. All are top knotch. The itinerary varies with stops on the way to visit local places of interest so that one gets both exercise and to learn about the area.

The excellent Tour Guides! I felt totally safe on every outing! They were so attentive to everyone's needs and requests.
Informed us about the areas we visited.
They were very respectful at all times.