Reviews

Thoroughly enjoyable, next trip booked, more intended.

The crew and Leslie were all great. The boat needs either to be retired or completely renovated. The rooms were way too small, there was minimal storage at best, and the fold down bed was very uncomfortable. I don’t expect a small room to have the amenities of a cruise ship, but these were below average in my opinion. The food was ok, but the portions were very small for the main course. My husband and son-in-law on a few occasions were still hungry following dinner. Budapest was a huge disappointment since this city was the main reason I booked the cruise. I realize it’s no one’s fault that the river levels were very low and that we had to be bussed into Budapest, but the time allotted to visit was therefore cut short and I missed out on a lot of the highlights that I was planning on visiting.

We did Amsterdam-Bruges on the Magnifique in July. Wonderful trip! The crew was great (professional and competent), food was good, bar prices quite reasonable, our cabin pleasant, small bathroom surprisingly nice, our guide Tom was great, rental bikes were very comfortable. Loved being able to unpack on day 1 and settle in for the week. In the morning, all we had to do was get dressed, eat breakfast, pack our lunch, clip the bike bag (provided) onto the bike (with lunch, water, rain gear, snacks), and roll out at a civilized hour, usually about 0900. The daily rides were about right for us and we enjoyed them. Ride for awhile, coffee break at a local establishment, ride for awhile, stop for lunch, ride for awhile, stop for afternoon break, ride to the barge. You can ride with the group following the guide or ride on your own using the maps provided. The first ride seemed rather like a herd of cats and we wondered if we would prefer to ride on our own, but we ultimately decided to benefit from the knowledge of our terrific guide and stayed with the group–everyone sort of settled into where they liked to be in the group and the riding went smoothly after the first part of that first day. Upon our return to the barge there was coffee and cake or a drink from the bar, a hot shower, and a nice dinner. Most evenings provided an opportunity to take a walk as well. The barge sailings were also interesting–Dutch and Belgian countryside, the enormous port of Antwerp, several locks, and more. The itinerary featured well-known locations as well as a lot of small, off-the-beaten path places you’ve never heard of and lots of kilometers through Dutch and Belgian countryside. We also enjoyed our traveling companions, who came from the US, Canada, the UK, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and Brazil. Everything was pretty much as advertised. Our only complaint was that our cabin was usually a little warmer than we would have preferred; it did eventually cool down more after an adjustment to our air conditioner. We should have asked sooner than we did. Overall a great trip, good value, we’re looking forward to doing another Boat Bike Tour

Bicycle guide Felix and Captain Hans with crew onboard Gandalf gave us a memorable summer vacation! If possible, bring your own bikes, although the rental bikes onboard seemed allrigth, but you know your own better :-) Birte & Preben Bensen, Denmark

Excellent trip. A great way to see a new country from the back of a bike and of course about the easiest cycling you can get – nice and flat apart from the bridges over the many canals. Great to be based on a boat and not have to keep packing and unpacking. The cabin was comfy and the crew were great fun and friendly. The food was more than adequate – plentiful breakfast from which you made up your own pack-up for lunch. The 3-course evening meal was also good (not cordon bleu of course) – amazing what came out of that tiny galley. Only niggle – a bit of an issue with the gears on the bikes but nothing major but meant I had to walk up the one and only hill (slope really).

The route around the northern Netherlands was charming. The barge was comfortable, cozy and very clean. All the staff were friendly, helpful, and efficient. The food was well prepared and pretty healthful with interesting salads and good vegetables. I liked that we were able to prepare our own lunches. The only aspect I would like to see improved is the clarity of the biking directions. Fortunately, we had maps, so when we got off track, we were able to find our way.

We had an outstanding 2 weeks aboard the Fluvius. The accomodations were quite adequate and functional. The crew was exceptionally good from our tour guide ‘Jack’ to the rest of the crew: the 2 Czech waitresses, the Captain, the 2nd mate, and the CHEF!! You could do well with future guests by improving the WIFI. All in all FANTASTIC. Tom & Phyllis Losinski

It was a very nice experience, especially not having to move lodging every day! Great to keep the same cabin all week! As for the tour leader, he was a bit quick most of the times with takeoffs. I think he should have been more accurate with the times, I mean, when you tell people that we are leaving at 1530 for a tour, you don’t leave at 1525… He did that on sevaral occasions. Else he had good knowledge of everything, and I am inclined to do this trip again at some point.

Last year 24 of us were part of a USA coast to coast bike tour. The couple from The Netherlands arranged for us to take the boat/bike tour on the Fluvius. With additional friends and family we totaled 31. This was the perfect way to travel and see the country. Cabins, with private baths, were clean and comfortable. Many of the hassles of travel were eliminated because we could be in a new place every day while without having to repack and move luggage. The chef served a good breakfast and a 4 course dinner every night. We also were provided items to pack for lunch. Evenings began in the lounge. it was the perfect place for all of us to get together. Our guide was most patient with 31 bikers of varying abilities. There was ample time planned for stops in various communities and museums. He also took us out on evening walks in the towns. I would only make two suggestions to improve the experience. 1) Divide large groups into groups of no more than 12 of similar cycling abilities and desires. We would have preferred to go at least 60 kilometers a day at a pace of 24km/hr. As a group of 31 we averaged 14km/hr and 30-40 km. Perhaps the guide could alternate days with a group. On days without a guide a group could just follow the route sheet set up for long or short rides. 2) Provide more information about cycling laws and customs prior to setting out. I’m sure we endangered ourselves and annoyed drivers because we didn’t understand all the intersection rules. I’d recommend the trip to anyone who really wants to see The Netherlands. It’s an especially good trip for couples or groups who have bike riders and non-riders among them.

Fantastic boat an crew. Fod and service Very good. Biking on the Island of Croatia could not be better