Reviews

We have just returned from the Ave Maria trip-Mantova to Venice.We recommend this trip because of the great e-bikes, food, cabin,boat and exceptional crew who were always accomodating and multi tasking. The boat is spacious to hold 40 passengers and has a comfortable upper deck and main dinning room below.Cabins have nice linens and enough storage space especially in the upper cabins where we were. The route started in Mantova with a tour of this beautiful medieval city then took us through farmland and villages. A tour of fair ground artifacts and then a cheese factory- was great. We arrived in Venice to a glass factory on Murano and then the boat was moored pretty close to the centre of Venice. The guides were able to help us get vaporetto tickets and to start to get to know Venice which seemed quite overwhelming at first but all that help was terrific. Super trip.

The e-bikes were new and well maintained. The daily itinerary was planned well. Our guide Hans was experienced and knowledgeable, the other guide Wilhelm needed more mentoring. The food was good, service varied depending on time of day and the boat was clean. Our greatest disappointment was the rude and disrespectful behaviour of the large French-Canadian group with their own guide, Frances, who ignored dining schedules and established service practices on board. The poor attitude of this group had a negative impact on many of us on board. The captain and crew did try to deal with the concerns, but ultimately the group was left to do their own thing and on their terms. As a Canadian on board, I was deeply offended by my fellow French Canadian guests.

Friendly and helpful staff, excellent wholesome meals and smooth organisation made this tour a great experience and an enjoyable holiday. Bruce & Cheryl (from Australia)

Great meals, great staff. Guide could have been more customer service oriented. Some of the routes were too long for mechanical bikes in 30C heat. Bathrooms on boat were not good for anyone over 5’9”. At 6 ft. Tall I could not stand upright. It also would have been nice to know that the bike handlebar stems were adjustable.

The trip was well planned and organized while still being relaxing. Food was great, guides were awesome, crew was great too!

This is the second boat barge trip. Not as good as the first one. Good trip but the days cycling was a bit short most days and too long one day

The number of people on the boat was such that you would get to know people. The bike distances were very doable. The food was great. The rooms were small but very comfortable, would highly reocmmend

Easy relationship. No hassle. We got what we were promissed.

Pros: Fantastic Food, very comfortable rooms, great locations and very knowledgeable guide “Marcel”. Cons: Only one guide for 23 riders promised 2. One paying guest had to do this role, too many rigid dining rules as to sitting etc, no stopping for photos when riding.

The boat was very well designed to accommodate all the passengers and crew, the dining facilities were excellent, and our room was a little larger than I actually expected. The crew were all personable, attentive, and fun! The chef was superb! Esther, in particular, was an exceptional tour, leader. I do wish we had more time and more detailed tours in the cities, especially Ghent and Bruges. The biking was spectacular and the extensive use of the bikeways made for a very enjoyable rides. There was heavy traffic when we were biking on roads going in and out of Ghent. Giving people an option to take a taxi in to Ghent should be a consideration. The people on our bike tour were all great fun and interesting people. I think the shared interest in bicycling rapidly created a bond among us. This was a fantastic experience, and I strongly recommend it!