Reviews

Hansa Highlights – Great Tour! In spite of the cold and rain, we had an amazing tour through the Hanseatic region. It was a nice combination of history and pleasant country cycling; we loved riding through the forests. It seemed our group took the replacement boat, the Rotterdam, in stride, in spite of the need to use busses some. The guides were great, both organized and cheerful, and made the extra coordination look simple and effortless. It was a bonus to repeat with Paulette, also a guide on our Southern Holland Tour last summer. If we are able to come back for a third Boat Bike Tour, we would be delighted to be on a tour she is leading. Thank you for a wonderful vacation!

I received no information about the trip, just a demand for early payment from Boat Bike Tours. My friend had to email to get details of where to meet etc. The guide and route map were adequate but we got lost several times, as did many other people.

The route we biked was fabulous and I would recommend it to anyone. Absolutely stunning scenery. The boat staff was fabulous, going the extra mile to make our experience wonderful. The wifi and coffee maker broke down but again, our captain, Meye, worked hard to get things repaired. Being without internet for a few days when far from home can be frustrating. Meye, Chris, Claudia, Alv and Kamil worked hard as a team, all pitching in to do what was needed. The meals were great and our cooks responded to any of our special requests. My one concern is with our guide, Geert. He did not listen to his guests, he argued with them and then talked about them in a disparaging manner, he didn’t know where he was going lots of times. He needed to be told on several occasions to slow down and he never looked back to see how his group was doing or how far behind they were. He would start telling information before the last of the bikers were there so they missed any of the interesting information that he had to share. He is a nice man and tries hard, but I do not think he has the skills to deal with a wide range of personalities. He was very knowledgable about art history and architecture history. Geert did an excellent job of helping everyone make their connections after disembarking and I really appreciated him taking us to the train station so we knew how to walk there the following day. Your itinerary needs to be looked into. For instance, we were told we were going to a German beer garden with great German music and dancing at Bingen. When we crossed the ferry, there was nothing. Things like that do not start until higher tourist season. Many of the places on our itinerary were closed when we arrived, either due to renovations, a regulary closed day or low season. The guide needs to know this before we go. When we were in the major centres, it would have been nice to be able to participate in something cultural, like a concert, ballet, theatre. You could provide some options for the guests at their own costs, but have the guide help book them for anyone interested. One of the highlights for me was the wine tasting evening in St. Goat.

The crew were friendly, helpful and readily available and our two guides were wonderful. The boat was small and spartan, as expected, but comfortable and became our home for the week with a great bunch of fellow cyclists. The food was outstanding – delicious and plentiful! The bikes were in good shape and smooth to ride and while the days were cool and often wet we certainly enjoyed the rides (and fun stops) on this terrific tour.

We went on the 8 day tulip tour, but the tulips were mostly all finished blooming. The trip was from May 4 to 12. We noticed a poster advertising the tulip festival from April 1 to 30, so it is obvious to me that we were scheduled outside of the tulip blooming window. That was disappointing. Otherwise, the trip was great. The guide was exceptionally well-versed in the history of The Netherlands and gave great evening town walks. The food was excellent. The room was very small, but we did not spend much time in it. The crew was great and the bikes were comfortable and in great condition. Overall a great tour.

A great adventure for a reasonable cost! The crew of the Fluvuis was delightful, the food was surprisingly upscale, the accommodations were nicer than the photos, most of the bikes were brand new and perfectly adequate, the routes were engaging. The group pace was slow for us so we cycled on our own, following the routes, and had no problems. Hardcore cyclists take note – this is a slow, easy ride. Be prepared for cruiser bikes, 10 miles per hour, lots of stops, no inclines.

This was my first bike/barge trip and it met my expectations. It was well run, the food was excellent and the cycling directions easy to follow.

We had an amazing trip aboard the Fluvius. Onboard we were very well taken care of by the captain and crew. The food was delicious and the amenities were exceptional. Our bike excursions through the countryside were very picturesque and our knowledgeable tour guides gave additional historical perspectives that were educational and interesting. We also received nightly tours of the city which were very informative. All in all, we would highly recommend this trip to anyone who is looking for a biking vacation. The only unfortunate aspect is that the WIFI was not operable during the course of the trip which limited our research of looking up additional historical facts.

For the most part it was a very nice trip. The E bikes we got were great, looked almost brand new and they worked perfectly, the regular bikes looked like they were a few years old and they were in fair condition. A few people had to get adjusted along the way which should have been done at the beginning of the trip. The crew of the boat were fantastic, always there to help and always had a smile. The captain Meya was exceptional, always asked if we were doing okay and if he could do anything to better our experience. The food was good, however not as good as we experienced on the Iris a few years ago. From our experience on bike tours such as this, the tour guides always went over road safety, signs and their meanings, bike safety and rules of the bike paths as well as making sure the bikes fit everyone on the first day. This didn’t happen on this trip, several people had to have adjustments along our route, which slowed us down, and signs were explained as we encountered them. The guide, Geert seemed as though he had some experience as a guide although from my opinion it had been several years since he’d done a trip like this. If he continues on he should be trained from a more experienced guide. As far as our routes we went on, no daily maps were provided and very little explanation of what we would encounter during the day, luckily we had the GPS and on several occasions we told Geert we’d go on our own and meet at the boat at the end of the day. Needless to say, it was very confusing following him. Condition of the rooms were nice and clean and made up every day, however the sheets in the beds and the towels were old and rough to the touch.

I never knew a boat/bike trip like this existed. My sister and brother in law suggested since we both love bike riding. It was a great time. We traveled in the first of May and the weather was not the best. We had cool and rainy days. But the whole crew and all the other passengers made the best of everything and we had some wonderful bike rides. The countrysides, canals, windmills and UNESCO sites were memorable.