Reviews

Excellent very well organised tour

Wonderful cycling along the Danube, experience on board the ship surpassed our expectations – great service, fabulous food. The reason for only 3 stars is that communication left a lot to be desired. Having done other cruises, including along the Rhine, we are used to more information in advance. For this tour we didn’t even receive our embarkation dock information – and there is over 3 kms between locations in Passau. We had to call the night before to inquire and find out. Once on board, the information was also lacking. Directions for cycling needed more detail. The docking in Bratislava was not as instructed – the boat ended up being far away from where we had been told it would be. No one from the boat was on the boardwalk to direct us. Fortunately we came upon one of the other very confused and frustrated groups from our tour who had a phone and were able to call to find out where we needed to go. Excursions for the “rest” days were not up to par. Happy to provide more info if interested (don’t want to make the review too long!). Overall, we loved our experience on board and thoroughly enjoyed the cycling when we weren’t lost. Would probably try another company next time.

Outstanding experience!

Four of us travelled on the Southern loop bike tour. Oh, what to say – it was just great. It was an absolute highlight of our European adventure. Peter and Paulette were knowledgeable and welcoming hosts, and every effort was made to stop us getting lost. All the staff were friendly and efficient. The food on board was great and the option to make our lunches each day was helpful. We loved the visits to local farms and shops, and especially appreciated the coffee stop recommendations. I agree with the suggestions made by the Two Happy Bikers below, and can’t stress enough how useful the GPS was. We also got to meet and chat with other tourists but were able to ride during the day without being in a huge group of people. We learnt lots about the Netherlands, and saw many different environments. The bikes themselves were excellent, our experience with hired bikes elsewhere wasn’t so good. My only negative comment is that there is a big difference in riding levels between the dutch and aussies. I still remember Paulette telling us that it was “Just a little ride…not even quite 50k” . So I’d suggest that unless you are a very regular rider that you get an ebike, and a gel seat cover to go with it. I would highly recommend this trip to anyone who can ride a bike, and I would love to do it again.

Great and knowledgeable tour guides. Our family with kids 11 & 14 immensely enjoyed the bike rides through spectacular scenery. E-bikes were ideal. The New Star boat was top notch. Highly recommend this trip!

The barge was very comfortable, meals attractive and delicious, tour leaders knowledgeable and personable, and the bike tours varied and beautiful. Altogether, a wonderful experience going from Bruges, Belgium to Amsterdam.

The boat: Very comfortable, easy to get on and off, 5/5 The bikes: ran well, minor glitches only. 4.5/5 Bike support: Just a little lacking in assisting with comfort at bike handover. 3/5 The “hotel” on-board staff were superb. Responsive to any requests. Friendly with greeting each passenger. 5/5 The organization of the schedule was excellent; briefings were informative. Cruise director: initially found him to be curt and impatient with questions of clarification. Warmed a bit through the 7 days. 4/5 There were two other guides with two other groups that detracted from the rest of the guests’ experiences. Both were rude to guests who were not in their particular group; butting in lines and literally pushing others aside.

Efficient, effective, and good value. Your was excellent.

We have just completed the Hanseatic Tour on the Gandalf between June 23 and 30th. We can say, without reservation, that this was a fantastic tour and would recommend to anybody who wants to experience the real Netherlands. The guide, Fred, was excellent and very knowledgeable of the area. The Gandalf was a home away from home with great crew, accomodation, and absolutely amazing food. This is our second tour with Boat Bike Tours and certainly won’t be the last. Dave and Christina Musselwhite ( Canada )

Great trip, fabulous crew, friendly boat. Only problem with the experience wad problems with communication after the deposit was paid as we were not notified of your receival of monies and it took a few emails from me before our confirmation came through, making the rest of our holiday difficult to plan.