Holland Bike Tour Reviews (page 9)
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★★★★★ dsr1691 August 8, 2017Great crew in North Holland on board Zwaan.
· · Amsterdam & The Sea by Bike and Boat
We had a great family vacation on board the Zwaan. The crew and our guide were marvellous and totally spoiled us. Dinner was a meal to look forward to with creative 3/4 course meals with a different country theme each night.
Wind was a bit of a problem and some cycling days were shortened due to strong head winds. Instead the captain cheerfully moved us ahead to less exposed trails. It was recommended that we use the services of a guide which turned out to be very good advice.- What was the date of your tour?
- July 29, 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Holland
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★★★★★ CamL June 29, 2017Excellent cycle tour
· · Bruges – Antwerp – Amsterdam by Bike and Boat
Such a great way to experience a country! Easy cycling with great sights and experiences. The group wasn't too big, the boat was comfortable and the food was healthy and delicious. The guide kept us moving along excellent trails and he found good places for us to lunch. All the sights he stopped at were very interesting.
(Would like to add a photo but can't)
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 10-17 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Much easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with young kids, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Belgium, Holland
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★★★★★ Le Buts June 21, 2017
Discovering the Natherlands
· · Bruges – Antwerp – Amsterdam by Bike and Boat
Excellent value, great tour, excellent food! We will gladly do another one of these small group tours one day. The group was a great size to give the opportunity to get to know each member of the group. Wonderful places and scenery.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 10 - 17 June 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Belgium, Holland
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★★★★★ Shawn June 8, 2017
Great scenery, great boat and easy biking
· · Bruges – Antwerp – Amsterdam by Bike and Boat
The food on the boat was terrific, our guide provided wonderful walking tours of the towns and cities and at the end of the day, we can rest, sitting on the top deck of the boat, and look at the views.
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★★★★★ Glen June 8, 2017Tulip and Windmill Barge Tour
· · Holland’s Southern Relax Tulip Tour
This was my third bike trip with Bike Tours.Com., but my first guided tour. Sietse, was an excellent guide, who kept us on a schedule but allowed us time to see things, gave us adequate coffee and lunch breaks. He always told us much information about each place as well as a voluntary walk at night in each town that we docked at, one does not get that on an unguided tour. Our chef, Nicole, was excellent, who I appreciated being on a gluten-free diet. The meals were healthy as well as delicious. The biking trip had very good trails with lots of canals and wildlife as well as windmills and of course the beautiful tulips, tulips, and tulips!
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 6-13
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with young kids, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Holland
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★★★★★ Tahoe Gal June 7, 2017
Excellent--Exceeded My Expectations
· · Bruges – Antwerp – Amsterdam by Bike and Boat
Everything was perfect on the Liza Marleen. Captain Els set the tone that was professional and relaxing. Chef Mariah's culinary creations were inventive and delicious. Guide Bert's attention ensured a carefree day of riding. And then there was the scenery! Riding was easy and the distance perfect (30-is miles a day) made for days I will remember for a long time. Room was more comfortable than many boats similar size with AC and fabulous showers.
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★★★★★ Beana June 7, 2017
Bikes and Boats! And Lots More!
· · Bruges – Antwerp – Amsterdam by Bike and Boat
Comfortable bikes and idyllic rides. The Liza Marleen was a comfortable barge with great staff. Food terrific. A wonderful combination of touring and history, city walks and countryside explorations.
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★★★★★ go for it June 2, 2017Adventure of a lifetime!
· · Amsterdam – Bruges by Bike and Boat – Princesse Royal
Everything could not have been better. The small group(30)was just right for riding and for socializing on the boat. The staff were so helpful and friendly. We had an excellent guide whose pride in his country and knowledge of history shone through.
The bike routes and stops for lunch and for evening walks were idyllic. The bikes were well maintained and comfortable to ride. Coming to the boat for a first class meal at the end of the day, was a delight. -
★★★★★ Allan May 6, 2017Great way to explore a foreign country
· · Holland’s Super Tulip Tour
A really enjoyable way to discover a new country. We were fortunate to have a very helpful tour guide ,along with a first class chef providing excellent meals as well as very helpful barge staff. Our boat the Anna Anatel accomadated 17 guests and was an ideal group size for this type of activity.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 22/4/17-29/4/17
- How many tours have you completed?
- 4
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with young kids, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Holland
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★★★★★ Markh May 1, 2017
Great cycle tour!
· · Holland’s Super Tulip Tour
We enjoyed the tulip tour very much. Our guide, Maria, did a wonderful job. She is very knowledgeable and makes everyone feel comfortable. The crew of the Sailing Home were also great! The bikes were in excellent condition.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 8-15 April 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- 5
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with young kids, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Holland
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★★★★★ Debbi April 28, 2017
Tulips--Bike and Barge
· · Holland’s Southern Relax Tulip Tour
We had a fabulous time. Great food, scenery, guide and fellow travelers. The only complaint was weather related--COLD! Not the fault of anyone but the weather gods.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 4/15/17
- How many tours have you completed?
- 10
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Much easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Holland
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★★★★★ Shari April 27, 2017
Tulip Tour... beautiful
· · Holland’s Southern Relax Tulip Tour
Beautiful scenery. Great guide. Good food. Nice sturdy bikes. Great crew.
I wish the coffee was better, and croissants in the morning would be nice.- What was the date of your tour?
- 15 April to 22 April
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- 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?
- Holland
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★★★★★ KarylC April 27, 2017
Tremendous Tulip Tour!
· · Holland’s Southern Relax Tulip Tour
My husband and I enjoyed this tour beyond measure! The room on the barge, tho tiny, was functional and cozy. Our guide Burt was super cool and knowledgeable of the area. There was 26 riders, so perhaps a second guide would have been helpful, but it worked just fine with one. The scenery was unbelieveable and we LOVED seeing the tulips and riding through the bucolic countryside. Be sure to dress warm! My favorite pull was through the Dunes, otherworldly habitat for Holland. Every meal on the barge was delicious and the staff was friendly and helpful. If you like riding bikes and appreciate flowers, gardens, and bird life you will love this tour!
- What was the date of your tour?
- April 15
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Holland
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★★★★★ Hawkeye November 7, 2016
Still Great Even In The Rain
· · Amsterdam – Bruges by Bike and Boat – Princesse Royal
This is the fifth bike and barge tour that my wife and I have done in Europe. Overall very enjoyable even though we had rain and cool weather! The boat was very comfortable and provided great meals. Our guide Paul was very knowledgable and patient in guiding a large group of cyclists through at times congested trails. The terraine was flat but cycling in Holland can be demanding.
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★★★★★ Casual Cruisers October 27, 2016Pedaling in the Polders
· Best of Holland South: Canals, Windmills & Historic Towns
Peter of Tulip Cycling met us on the morning of our first cycling day. He was on time, the bikes were well prepared and Peter, a very personable host, was very patient and thorough in explaining everything to us.
Cycling was as described: flat, mostly trails or roads that see very little if any vehicle traffic.
Hotels were mostly fine. The Mastrichter Dom in Gouda was a disappointment: the room was clean and the attendant friendly enough but the room was small, awkward and noisy. Peter explained later that there have not been any appealing in-town hotels in Gouda but that the situation was being remedied with the opening of a new hotel presently.
The Hotel de Plataan in Delft was charmingly decorated and nicely equipped but the elevator didn’t go to the top floor (You’ve heard if such things?) and our rooms were on the top floor. Emergency egress wasn’t up to US standards but we otherwise enjoyed the stay.
The use of GPS for route tracking was nearly a winner. Peter has carefully prepared the GPS routes with many waypoints so that it’s generally very easy to know where to go. A couple practical limitations with the GPS displays caused some consternation: the displays are small and not bright enough for the brightest daylight conditions. We often had trouble discriminating between the colored line for the travelled route and those for streets in general. This necessitated frequent stops to peer at the display while shading it or stooping to get close to it.
As a route tracking strategy I think it is a great innovation (I have done half a dozen trips following the map and narrative system). With a better display this would be an obvious choice.
The cycling is not strenuous. The paths, roads and terrain were friendly. By the fourth day we had seen enough of the polders! They are charming and scenic enough but a bit repetitive after a while! The towns and cities were very interesting. We wished we had had more time to spend exploring those.
Our last day did not go according to plan as Tulip Cycling required the return of the bikes at 4:00 PM. We asked for an extension but it was not allowed. We could not complete the route in the available time so we hopped on a train for the last several miles. This was not a major disappointment for us but it certainly might be for some travelers. This detail should be clear at booking time.- What was the date of your tour?
- late Sept. 2016
- How many tours have you completed?
- 6
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Holland
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★★★★★ GatorDavid October 24, 2016
Fantastic Way to Tour Netherlands and Belgium!
· · Amsterdam – Bruges by Bike and Boat – Princesse Royal
We had never been on a barge trip, and did not know what to expect. The boat was very well maintained, the food was great, the cabin was clean, comfortable, and adequately sized so that we could sit in the cabin when we didn't want to be in the common spaces. The crew, staff, and guide were friendly, approachable, accommodating .... they really went out of their way to make guests comfortable. The bar was well stocked, and very reasonably priced. The guide (Paul) was knowledgeable, patient, and was fine if we rode with his group or out on our own (which we did most days). Overall, this bike tour was a great value considering the accommodations, service, food and quality of food, bikes, guide services.
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★★★★★ Elena October 12, 2016Great experience!
· · Amsterdam – Gouda – Bruges by Bike and Boat
Perfect way to experience a country. The staff of the boat was the best, very friendly and always trying to pleased you.
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★★★★★ Barbarella529 October 10, 2016
RideEurope2016
· · Amsterdam – Bruges by Bike and Boat – Princesse Royal
A most delightful week meandering through the countryside in both The Netherlands and Belgium. Fabulous bike trails, perfect weather, great group, and an outstanding tour guide. Exceeded my expectations for sure. The barge was superb, the bikes easy to manage, the briefings each evening were thorough and precise. Simply wonderful experience.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 17-24, 2016
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Much easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Belgium, Holland
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★★★★★ Laners October 6, 2016
Everything I expected and more!
· · Amsterdam – Bruges by Bike and Boat – Princesse Royal
I hate to write reviews but this one deserved a moment of my time. A great trip, a beautiful barge, a unique way to see this part of the world. I can truly say this was a trip I will remember for years to come.
Not recommended for children. -
★★★★★ nino September 26, 2016
mystery ship
· · Amsterdam – Bruges by Bike and Boat – Princesse Royal
I saw how civilized people should live. great country great food great people!
- What was the date of your tour?
- first 2 weeks of september
- How many tours have you completed?
- 0
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with young kids, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Belgium, Holland
