Reviews

A pleasurable and relaxing trip. The cycling was very simple and slow (much slower than our normal riding level) but is meant for all to enjoy and that is what we did. The countryside is fabulous and you have lots of opportunity to stop to take photos, enjoy a coffee or snack and take time to talk with your fellow riders or the locals in the villages and towns you go through. The boat is very comfortable with rooms larger than we expected, the staff were extremely friendly and accommodating and the food was excellent with more than enough of it. Overall, a great experience.

The Barge was comfortable, with small but adequate en suites. The food was really good and plenty of it. Special diets (in this case vegan) were readily catered for. Bikes were good, though if you are not much of a rider, the electric boosted option is a smart choice. This is especially useful if you are faced with strong headwinds (all those windmills are there for a reason!). The journey was very scenic with plenty of options. If you don’t feel like riding on any day (for whatever reason) you can stay on the barge, or catch public transport and go site seeing (in our case, The Hague for one day) then meet the barge at the next destination (which is usually ony a short walk from the centre of historic cities). Multi-lingual Captain Albert-Jan and assistant Christiane are tolerant and capable hosts. Would happily do it again. And very reasonably priced into the bargain.

This was an amazing experience for my husband and I. Everything from the crew, the guide, the bike rides, the food to the weather, was EXCELLENT! Our guide Lea was very knowledgeable about the towns and their history and also had a great sense of humor. The bike ride pace was just right. Our chef, Leroy prepared amazing meals, the captain was available when needed and the rest of the staff was always friendly, helpful and very hard working. The bikes were also in perfect condition. I would highly recommend this experience. Families would also enjoy this with children 12 years and up as long as the kids were in to bike riding.

It was an amazing experience, realy worth to do it. Next year I Will try to do it again! LOVED

Service and staff excellent,scenery and cycleways great

I bought the trip My Story Passau Budapest with Boat Bike Tours. The communication with the company has been excellent. Information was sent swiftly, the description matched what we met. We had a minor issue concerning one days dealy due to machine problems on the boat, and it serves the company well that this matter was handled swiftly with no discussions. Concerning the trip that was operated by Rad + Reisen it was very well organized: very good experiences, good fodd, helpfull people and a superb package for the trip. However the machine problem was not handled well by the company so I am glad I did book thru Boat and Bike Tours. I can only give the best recommendations to the company.

Praise: We loved every member of the crew. They were very pleasant, helpful and informative. The dinner food was excellent. Every aspect was well managed. All areas were kept clean. Our daily bike tours took us through lovely countryside. We saw interesting parts of the countries. The amount of cycling was reasonable. Criticisms: Unfortunately because of the abnormally high temperatures, the dining room was too hot to enjoy for most of the trip. We were told that the air conditioning wasn’t working there. That should be remedied. The crew did remove us to the outside deck on two occasions, which was kind of them and much appreciated by all. The a.c. did work, although irregularly in our bedroom. We were offered food to package for our lunches. Again, because of the heat, that didn’t work well, and we ate rather slimy cheese sandwiches. On the whole, we enjoyed ourselves and had a fun trip.

We had a great time on this tour, which was very well organized and gave us the option to either ride or sail to the next stop.

We had an amazing week on The Gandalf in mid July, 2016. Our trip left Amsterdam on July 9 and arrived in Bruges on July 15. There are some wonderful things about The Gandalf. It may not be for everyone. The accommodations are simple, but extremely comfortable. Two beds and not a whole lot of room to move around but all you do is sleep in your cabin–and shower, etc. The crew is super friendly. The food is fantastic. We saw other boats with white table cloths and fancy dining spreads and could not have cared less. The Gandalf’s food was stellar; terrific variety in the dinner from night to night. The final Dutch feast, hosted by ship owner Hans, was non-stop. And delicious. Our bike tour guide was Fred, a very friendly and compelling figure who handled a variety of situations with ease. Broken bicycle seat? No problem. (Don’t let that make you think the bikes are not in good condition; this was a rare event to be sure.) We handled rain and lost riders with no problem at all. He made it look easy and encouraged people to ride every day, if they could. We really like the smaller size of the bike group and community on The Gandalf–just 20. This made for a more intimate feeling, I believe. The variety of riding days was fantastic and Fred knew a variety of colorful places to stop and grab coffee or beer. The pace was good but at the most we rode for five or six hours a day, with plenty of breaks. In the evenings, there was always an interesting town or city to walk (or ride) to and poke around, grab an evening beer or glass of wine. Fred made sure there was time for museums or castles–whatever the day encountered. It was Fred’s “Magical Mystery Tour” and my wife and I both could have gone another week; it was that much fun. You really get into a groove. Fantastic organization. Fantastic crew on The Gandalf and this was a great way to see The Netherlands and western Belgium, particularly Antwerp, Gent and Bruges. I’d recommend The Gandalf and this company for travelers who are flexible, open to new experiences and just want to have a good time.

This was my first cycling holiday and unusually I was travelling alone. I didn’t know quite what to expect but all my worries were soon dispelled from the moment I arrived at the boat. The MS Zwaantje is a purpose built barge with everything needed for a comfortable and pleasant stay. The cabins are quite sufficient for two people and I heard no complaints whatsoever about the size, facilities or comfort. The captain, crew and guide were cheerful, efficient and welcoming. Nothing was too much trouble for them and I felt that they enjoyed giving the best possible experience. The food served was plentiful and of a very high standard, my waist size grew despite all the cycling! The cycle trips and evening walks were well planned and flexible depending on the weather and the ability of the cycling group. Cycling with a group of people of different nationalities was enjoyable and as there were a few English speakers on the tour, it was conducted in English, an important point for me as I have no other language skills at all! Even the group of people on the tour went out of their way to speak English so that I was included in the evening gatherings. The tour involves some beautiful scenery, quiet roads and reasonable tracks, there was very little time spent on busier roads but even those had cycle lanes. The bikes were of good quality, well adjusted and well maintained. The pannier bag supplied was solid and more than adequate to carry the essentials (water, food etc.) and other items for the day or room for any items purchased during the day. Our guide was able to sort out any problems we did encounter (puncture). You need to be relatively fit to do this tour (or hire an e-bike) and there is always the option to stay on board and take a rest day. At the end of the tour I would have happily stayed on board and done the tour back again from Epernay to Paris! Give half a chance I would go back and do it all again.