Bike And Boat Tour Reviews page 4
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★★★★★ Lorinda Troppmann 9 months agoTrip of a lifetime
· · UNESCO Highlights of Dalmatia by E-bike and Boat
The trip exceeded all of my expectations. Coming from Alaska, it was refreshing to see the people of Croatia to be set apart from what we see in the USA. I did not see anyone passed out on the streets or strung out on drugs. You could walk freely in the evening on the islands and feel safe. The beauty was breathtaking and the crew was generous in their hospitality. My friend that joined me on the trip talked me into doing an E-bike, and I am so grateful that I did! I was able to enjoy the entire trip that way and still got a great work out. I would do this trip again!
- Countries included in this tour?
- Croatia
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★★★★★ Annik Stahl 9 months agoCould have been better
· · Provence by Bike and Boat
The tour leader (Helmut) was great, as was the boat crew. There were some fun times biking but the miles and miles of harsh gravel was not in the description of the trip. (This was not "country roads" -- this was ROCKS and my back ached for days afterward.) Had I know, I would not have chosen this trip as I just had surgery. I found the food to be absolutely awful. The dinners were beond strange and hey, maybe something besides HAM HAM HAM every day for lunch? I lost 4 pounds during that trip.
While I know there are some great trips to be had with this company (my dad has been on several and said this one was the worst). this was not one of them. Like I said, some fun time biking but not enough to recommend this trip.
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- No
- Countries included in this tour?
- France
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★★★★★ Larry Siegler 9 months agoGreat trip
· · Amsterdam – Bruges by Bike and Boat – Magnifique II (and reverse)
The bike and barge trip exceeded our expectations greatly. We highly recommend this trip. The crew was wonderful and the meals were delicious. There were many additional items that made the trip memorable ie canal cruise, nightly walking tours of the towns, great stops on the cycle ride. It was a spectacular experience.
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★★★★★ Charles Stahl 9 months ago
A Bit Dissapointing
· · Provence by Bike and Boat
Compared to the previous five bike/barge trips I have done with company this tour was disappointing. The boat and it's crew were great, the cabins were clean and as comfortable as possible. No problems there. The breakfasts and afternoon snacks were plentiful and good. However, the dinners were often not edible. The Italian cook was very sweet, but the food was often unrecognizable and tasteless. I am not a fussy eater, but I along with my dinner companions often sent the food back uneaten.
The printed material does say that riding is done mostly along country lanes, but the amount of riding on gravel was daunting. I feel that should be mentioned in the literature. The guide was extraordinary, both knowledgeable and well spoken, not to mention very approachable. The highlights were indeed highlights, but negotiating the busy streets while riding through small towns was scary at best. Perhaps doing this trip is mid-summer would be more picturesque, but the weather wouldn't be as perfect as it was for us in late August/early September. Had this been my first bike/barge adventure perhaps I would be less critical, but with many other tours co choose from, I would not recommend this particular tour.
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- No
- Countries included in this tour?
- France
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★★★★★ Daniela Veludo 9 months agoUnforgettable Danube
· · Danube Delights: Cycling and Cruising in the Footsteps of Royalty
Perfect way to see Bavaria and Austria, exercising safely with the bike and enjoying a very comfortable motor boat. Very good organization.
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★★★★★ Allen Terrell 9 months agoGreat sites, good value
· · Amsterdam – Gouda – Bruges by Bike and Boat
We had a wonderful trip. Many Thanks to your staff, Mariam and Taylor, in helping us..
For the price, the barge was fine, the food excellent and the barge crew terrific.
Caution you to except overly positive reviews from passengers who all filled out reviews on the last night while receiving free champagne. Aliso, while nice, the leader was not too helpful and not much of a mechanic [4 of the E bikes were not charged on our first ride].
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★★★★★ Jill Kaufman 9 months ago
Amazing experience!
· · Provence by Bike and Boat
The small barge experience turned our group of strangers into good friends; the food was excellent; the routes and countryside beautiful; the tour guide was knowledgeable, skilled, and fun! This tour exceeded our expectations.
- What was the date of your tour?
- Late August 23
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- France
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★★★★★ Tim Yancy 9 months agoRelaxed ride along the Danube River
· · Danube Delights: Biking through Four Countries
We enjoyed the structure of the tour, with 3-4 hours of riding per day and details on the many sights to see along the way. Onboard service and meals were excellent, and the boat had a nice mix of people from all over the world. We also liked the time to explore several cities on non-ride days.
- What was the date of your tour?
- August 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia
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★★★★★ Karen Donnelly 9 months agoBeautiful biking and barge
· · Amsterdam – Bruges by Bike and Boat – Magnifique IV (and reverse)
The biking was easy and rode most of it unassisted with 3-5 others. But the first day was with a guide, who was very helpful and knowledgeable about the area. The App we were provided was very good and gave us various lengths of the routes we could follow and places to stop along the way.
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★★★★★ Francis Farrell 9 months agoA Family Danube Adventure
· · Danube Bike and Boat: Passau-Budapest-Passau – MS SE-Manon
As Grandpa, I organized this adventure for my daughter, son and his family. This seemed an ideal year to do it since my grandson, 16, wouldn't be bored and my granddaughter, 12 and the youngest passenger, would be able to manage the biking and appreciate the countries and cultures she'd experience.
The ship, cabins and, except for the grand kids, the meals were good.On the downside, there were very few English speakers including the tour director. He spoke only German but his wife would do a reasonably good job of translating. Many of the crew and other passengers were capable in English. Also, the cruise line offered a "Drink Plan" with unlimited alcohol for 15 Euros/day for all seven days. This would have been 630 Euros for us, all but me non-drinkers - ridiculous!
I'm sure we will take another "boat & bike" trip but I doubt with CD Cruise Lines.
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★★★★★ Ina Graham 9 months ago
Beautiful scenic biking
· · Amsterdam – Gouda – Bruges by Bike and Boat
Fun, knowledgeable guide. Great travelling companions. Amazing gourmet suppers on boat. Extremely helpful crew when husband needed medical attention.
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★★★★★ Joza Groboljsek 9 months agoI had an absolutely amazing time on our trip!
· · Ionian Islands Multi-sport Family Cruise
Everything went smoothly from star to finish, and I couldn’t have asked for a better experience. Destinations we visited were absolutely breathtaking. Accomodation on the boat was comfortable and hospitality & service of the crew was amazing. The tour guides were fantastic too. There was never a dull moment.
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens, Families with young kids
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Greece
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★★★★★ Emma Broadfield 9 months agoAn excellent way to explore the Istrian Peninsula
· · The Istrian Peninsula by Electric Bike
This is a fabulous way to explore the Istrian Peninsula, as you have the opportunity to see the coast and also explore inland. The boat is very comfortable and it is great to be able to get away from the crowds at the end of the day! The towns and villages that you get to explore are gorgeous and the coastline spectacular. Being able to swim off the back of the boat and cool off is an added bonus!
- What was the date of your tour?
- August 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- One
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Croatia
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★★★★★ Stephen Friedman 9 months agoNice trip with some areas for improvement
· · Sail & Bike to Picturesque Villages and Nature Reserves
The itinerary and sights were beautiful. The Elizabeth is a beautiful ship. The engagement of the captain and integration of the tour group left something to be desired.
- What was the date of your tour?
- August 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 8
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Families with teens, Families with young kids
- Do you recommend this tour?
- No
- Countries included in this tour?
- Holland
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★★★★★ Ronald Schwarcz 9 months ago
Extremely disappointing.
· · Sail & Bike to Picturesque Villages and Nature Reserves
The ship was terrible. Our cabin was so small that it could not accommodate two people comfortably. Also, the ventilation was poor and it was always warm and muggy. There was inadequate seating on the deck. No comfortable chaises or stairs. The Captain did not communicate well or do anything help the travelers meet and mingle. It was especially frustrating as my friend and I were the only Americans and there were no native born English speaking traveling. Unlike all other trips we were on, nothing was done to provide us information about the villages we docked at. The captain or crew did not offer to take us into towns and show us around or even recommend bars or other places to visit. There were no daily information sheets, recommendation or even maps. We were completely on our own. The food was marginal at best. The dinner portions were small. Must dinner wasn’t an”event”, everyone was in and out in around 40 minutes. In general the amenities were totally lacking. We believe that the most Americans would not be satisfied with the Sail and Bike tours offered by Bike Boat Tours. On our ship, the crew were friendly and worked hard, but it seemed that they were understaffed. As it seems that they were working a very tight budget. We only had meat was the dinner entree one night and that was at the BBQ. Two nights we had vegetarian main course. We were never taught anything about sailing except helping pulling ropes to raise and lower sails. I could go on and on, but, I will end by saying that the ship was not comfortable and nothing was done to help the travelers fully enjoy the experience.
- What was the date of your tour?
- August 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 10
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- No
- Countries included in this tour?
- Holland
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★★★★★ Nina G 9 months ago
Great trip!
· · Ionian Islands Multi-sport Family Cruise
Great way to have a hybrid vacation - relaxing and active. Staff is amazing, both the crew and guides.
- What was the date of your tour?
- August 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens, Families with young kids
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Greece
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★★★★★ Lysa Farah 9 months agoLeaders and group made this a magical experience
· · Pearls of Dalmatia by Bike and Boat, Romantica
Not only did we have an exceptional trio of guides with us, we had an unusually small group which made usb bond so much easier. Loved getting to know the others on our boat, the Romantica, and travel around the beautiful isles of Croatia. I started off with a regular bike, able to manage the hills fairly easily, but always coming in just a bit later than those on e-bikes. There were some extra e-bikes and we decided on Day 4 to give it a try, and I was sold - it THEN became a vacation!! I didn't mind the effort pedaling uphill the minute we got on our bikes in the morning, but after pedaling on an e-bike, it's just so easy - and I didn't use the "help" that much, but when I wanted it, it was there and I didn't have to struggle at all! Sooooo nice!
- What was the date of your tour?
- May/June 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- my first bike tour
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens, Families with young kids
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Croatia
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★★★★★ Karen Crisp 9 months ago
Above my expectations!
· · Amsterdam – Bruges by Bike and Boat – Magnifique II (and reverse)
This was our first bike and barge trip and not knowing what to expect, my husband and I were thrilled with the outcome! The Magnifique II accommodations, the ship staff, the tour guides, the meals prepared by Chef Michael were all phenomenal and will definitely look at doing more of these.
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★★★★★ Debra Lapre 9 months ago2nd Bike and Barge trip
· · Altmühl Valley and Danube River
The beginning was not as picturesque as one would have hoped. The small towns were quaint and the guide Ilsa was great. She was very knowledgeable about each town and stopped at points of interest along the way. We were vegetarians and the food was somewhat lacking. The room on the barge was nice and the bathroom a good size.
- What was the date of your tour?
- August 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- No
- Countries included in this tour?
- Germany
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★★★★★ Maria Bachman 10 months agoBeyond All Expectations
· · Venice to Mantua by Bike and Boat (and reverse)
This trip was beautifully executed from the minute we came on board. Our outstanding guide, Helmut made us feel welcome and was always attentive to our safety and comfort. The captain Jano was personable and we felt in capable hands with him as well as the engineer, Andrea. The food was 5 ⭐️! Sylvia and Alberto treated everyone with meals based on local traditions and mouth-watering flavors! It was easy to see that a lot of thought and planning went into creating a unique experience traveling through the countrysides of Italy. The charming tours and cappuccino stops along the way were perfectly timed and delightful. The crew fostered an ambience of comaraderie amongst the group. The social aspect of the tour made it even more memorable with lively conversations and the exchange of cultures. We could not have asked for a better vacation - already planning where to go next year!
- What was the date of your tour?
- July-August 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- This was the first one.
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
