Bike Tour Reviews — 331 to 360 of 5897

Coen and Christina and the crew. We appreciated how all of you worked together to make us comfortable and cared for.
For Elizabeth, the bike ride and for Kathryn the special attention given to me after the injury.

Recommend a suggested packing list.

Great canal cruise to many historic cities….study up on thèse before thé start of thé trip.

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 off road biking was the most memorable. The GPS worked perfectly!
The e-bikes are essential for a comfortable ride! Our luggage always arrived ahead of us an usually already in our room!

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!

Very nice landscape and interesting visits. The logistic worked perfectly and the guide was very good

Great trip! The chance to ride through small villages and see the large cities too was wonderful and taste the local cuisine and the beer & vino was a great treat! Thanks Tripsite & Euro- Bikes. For the bikes and transporting our luggage..the hotels were perfect!

I think Matera is unforgettable. It’s an impressive city. The experience to see how to prepare all those delicious cheese in Noci was amazing. I’d suggest an optional thing for the end of the biketour, that is a Spa Day. It would be nice to have a massage and a relaxing time after all.

The Vivienne is a superb boat with comfortable rooms, excellent meals, amazing staff - from Captain Igor to hotel manager Margot to program director Leslie to restaurant manager Najeh to our wonderful server Nidhal and all the crew who carried bikes, took care of rooms, reception, bar and the like. Everything ran so smoothly. Party events were memorable and fun. The Danube cycling beautiful, as were the cities and towns we visited with so many historic sites. We would recommend this trip and this boat to everyone!

The Merlin ship was extremely impressive. The captain and crew ensured all participants were well taken care of. Breakfast, lunch and dinner were fabulous, and the deserts were lovely! Our bike tour guide shared historical information on most outings, which was quite interesting. Additionally, there were tours along the way of castles and wineries - an added benefit. We highly recommend the trip and the Merlin ship in particular!

Being pulled up by the police for riding on the motorway. It was so scary - we had no option but to keep going. This was between Stanstad and Sarnen. This is despite paying for the kamloot app. Days 1-3 were good. We don’t like riding on roads - but 4-5 was not so fun

Day 2 cycle, and Strasbourg. Good balance of riding, time for sightseeing, good accommodations, and smaller paved pathways.

First and foremost, the captain, chef and crew were outstanding. The trip would not have been the same without their host of talents & hospitality. The Merlijn itself was pristine with all the comforts of home. The passengers were treated like royalty. The bikes were upright which allowed for comfort and made the scenic views easily accessible. Our biking guide Ilse, was knowledgeable about all the historical sites we visited. She was extremely patient with her 22 riders. The cycling was easy with predominantly paved trails with minimal incline. Moving through large cities (ie:Trier) was often difficult with 22 riders often separated through stop lights. It may have been safer to split the groups.
It was our first trip to Germany and the scenery was stunning along the Saar, Mosel & Rhine rivers and many photo predominantly were included. We were especially impressed by the day we biked from Cochem to the town of Eltz, enjoyed an enchanting hike to the Eltz castle, toured castle and biked on to Koblenz. Another highlight was the tasting tour by the owner of Storck Winery in the town of Traben-Trarbach. The unexpected meeting of Captain Coen’s parents and rafting with their barge on the Rhine was delightful. We always looked forward to the cruises during and after breakfast!
Overall, the bike & barge was more than a bike trip. It was all the experiences of boating, dining, biking, hiking and making new friends from all over the world. We would highly recommend this trip!
Thank you Coen & Christina for making the magic happen on your Merlijn ☺️

Make sure you don't get booked on s boat as a hotel, dirty and bugs. They say gravel bikes but they are not. They do not send a mechanic to set up bike, just a tour guide who knows nothing. Bike was dirty and needed oiling. They said safety checked but found issues when given the bike. If traveling in pairs they only give you one copy even though you paid full price for both. They also only give one lock when we were told each would get one. Printed map and instructions not accurate. No instructions to specific hotels. Breakfast and luggage pick up times do not align.

We were looking forward to enjoying this well-planned out trip, mostly on well-maintained cycle paths, but the weather had different ideas! All started out great in Vienna on a warm and sunny day. Our hotel in Vienna was pleasant and the trip guide / Austrian partner, was very helpful and patient with the many travelers needing his guidance. But then Storm Boris hit with torrential rains and strong winds! We struggled through mostly wet and rainy days. However, we got great support in changing out our bikes, due to mechanical and ergonomic issues when we arrived in Bratislava. There certainly were some very enjoyable moments, especially the hotels and food (we chose the half board option) but we cut our riding short on the fifth day to avoid additional days of rain and cooler temperatures. The local partner helped us with securing a hotel in Budapest a day early and with a train ticket from Komarom to Budapest. We know that our trip would have been totally amazing had the weather cooperated! There was no way to predict the unexpected 10-year deluge in Central and Eastern Europe.

Rating this tour is challenging in a way due the the fact we were there during the worst weather condition's in that part of Europe in years. The Danube rising at unprecedented levels along with flooding. I'm sure you are well aware of all of this. The Vivienne crew and Leslie the tour director did an amazing job of keeping all of us on board safe and making every attempt to help us to continue to have the best possible experience we could given the horrendous conditions.
While we missed out on a lot of cycling and seeing and experiencing this part of Europe, we were very fortunate to be able to do what we could, given the conditions.
Again, Chapeau to Leslie and the crew of the Vivienne!

We like that each day have different options for additional activities that made each day special. We like the difference between landscapes of two rivers.

positive note- Professional friendly crew always helpful. The organisation was magnificent and the food was good and plentiful. The bikes were well kept and great to use. The original plans had to be changed due to the bad weather but other options were available. Riding without a guide meant that extra time could be spent taking photos and exploring what we wanted to do. The extra options turned out to be real gems- the castle at Greinberg was fascinating with all the historic ties, the bike tour of Vienna was outstanding (our guide's voice was loud & clear so that the 2 deaf people could hear the local snippets and frank, humorous commentary), Mauthausen memorial was extra kms & uphill but possible to quick visit time wise. The bus to opera & back worked smoothly. The only tour negative was the constant cold rain but proper preparation, clothing & attitude meant riding without crowds was much easier. On the last day one rider with hypothermia was picked up by van. The organisation was excellent and the evening briefings of what to expect the next day were very helpful.

Budapest and Vienna were fabulous cities to see. I would suggest that more info, printed the day before on bike routes be given out to everyone. The info meetings were hard to get all of the details and minimal route information changes. Also, bike routes for each day should be based on temperature and wind direction with advisories about how much water to bring along, where to get more. The bike route that was suggested for Bratislava was terrible: prior information on the 30 mph wind gusts that we headed back towards the boat in and 90 degree temperatures made the trip difficult and dangerous: my husband almost suffered from heat stroke and we could not find any place on route to get water after making the return after the bridge crossing.

The most remarkable part of the trip was the beautiful countryside we saw on Funen, and getting a brief picture of the Danish 'personality'. I loved having an e-bike as it made the hills a breeze, although I found the bike very heavy when trying to maneuver it crossing streets etc in the cites.

So pleased with the quality of the hotels! The app worked well and we were pleased with the quality of the bikes—-no problem with them. Especially enjoyed the comfortable seats! Thank you to Victor for delivering the bikes and giving us the necessary information for the tour.

The most memorable part of the trip was leaving Budapest after dark and floating past the lighted buildings and monuments along the Danube. The biking along the River was beautiful and diverse; wine country from Krems to Marbach was very pretty. Most of the routes were along bike paths though some intermittently were on rural roads and through the cities of Vienna and Budapest. Some days biking were very warm, but there were a couple of cold days with temperatures less than 10 degrees C. Its a good idea to come prepared for cool and rainy days both biking and sightseeing; layers with a hooded raincoat was essential. My wife and I are fit bikers riding often in the Colorado mountains, but opted for eBikes on the boat cruise. No regrets on this decision, we road with minimal eAssistance most of the time, but when the winds, and sometimes rain, came up on long rides, or we wanted to catch sites off the main route we had the ability to extend our rides and still make the timing to meet the boat at the next city.

The biggest downfall of the trip was the bike directions. It should be emphasized to be prepared to use digital routes and give them upon arriving. Unless able to provide them, people should be told to bring a mount for the phone on the handle bars, rain protection for the phone and earbuds. The detailed directions are not usable. We'd still be trying to get of Odense!?
The lodgings were personable and great except not crazy about Hotel Faaborg Strand. It was too far out to go on a rainy, windy night to town for dinner and they had only one selection on the dinner menu. They cater to conventions. A place in town would be much better. The ebikes were of very good quality. Giving people the rules of biking in Denmark would be useful. We had rain, cold and wind but still loved the beautiful scenery and especially loved the islands.

Annita is a great tour guide! She made special arrangements to get us into chateau that weren't open when we were in the area. Most of the small towns we went through on our rides were closed up during the hours we were there (12-2) making it a challenge to find points of interest beyond the scenery. We did go to a lovely Goat Cheese Shop and did a great cheese tasting. It would be good to add a wine tasting in Sanserre to the itinerary of this trip.

The Lycian Coast is absolutely beautiful. The water is the most gorgeous color of blue and so clear!
The bike riding was very hilly, so E-Bikes really made the difference.
The Admiral (ship) needs attention to detail. The crew worked day and night to correct issues: sewage smells, a/c, non functioning lights, plus much, much more. Until the boat is overhauled, I would not recommend it.
We also took the Extension to Istanbul. The Faros Hotel was amazingly helpful; truly service oriented!!

Loved it! We went as a couple and met wonderful people. Two things to suggest
1. Better app navigation
2. Lighter e-bikes ( other companies like VBT and backroads have lighter, safer bikes

Staff couldn’t be nicer and we had a flood emergency which was handled professionally and compassionately

.The trip was well managed by Lesley.He was great. The boat staff were not very helpful so that was a bit frustrating at times.Food was good. Lots of activites. Biking was fabulous.

The bikes, the ship, the crew and the food! All were fantastic! We definitely feel that our experience aboard the Vivienne was a value commensurate with the cost. The upgrade to a Superior room was worth that little extra cost as the views were beautiful. The bikes were in great repair, the e-bike controls were easy. None stop scenery as we rolled through woods, urban roads, country trails and picturesque towns. Even the weather did not disrupt our enjoyment as Captain Igor and all crew worked to keep us safe and entertained during three days of nonstop rain and 30-year record flooding on the river. We have great stories to share!

The staff on the Clair de Lune were fantastic, funny and hard working. The food was beautifully prepared, nutritious and delicious. I enjoyed the visit to goat cheese farm, moving through the locks, exploring beautiful old towns and traveling in a bridge canal over the Loire River. A couple of days were less interesting. Don’t forget your rain jacket.

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