Reviews

Great holiday! Well organized, great food. Good country to bike in!

The cicling experience has been great and all the routes very well prepared and very interesting so we can enjoy Holland a lot

Great tour with very helpful and attentive staff. Bikes were well maintained and great support for any needs. Food and service on the boat was very well done. We will be back in the future for another tour.

Just finished a weeks trip in south Holland on de Amsterdam. The barge was very comfortable and well presented. The food was delicious – plenty of food at breakfast to prepare lunch including a piece of fruit and water. The bikes were of a good quality and the bike staff were very helpful. The only thing that spoilt my experience was because of the large number of Germans on board the English speakers felt like second class citizens. For eg On the second last day after ordering a drink in the bar I was told to move because there was not enough space for the Germans to have there briefing. As the sun deck was closed because of low bridges I had to go to my room to have my drink. Also the only English channels on the TV were US stock market shows.

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.

The boat bike tour itinerary done by the company was reviewed in our national press so from the onset there was no issue with trustworthiness. From the point of booking online to the end of the tour at the pier in Amsterdam, things were highly organised and efficiently run. All meals were adequate, and the daily dinner 3-course menu was well-thought out with variety (though for a sea facing country with lots of water, seafood and fish were not found more on the menu). Although the weather was cloudy & chilly at times with some rain, I must admit that gives the 6 day ride an added dimension of fun and adventure. Day 5 in the nature park & bison country (unfortunately they were a bit shy and no where to be seen) with the strong winds & hills to Bloemendahl aan see & Zoondvoort was the most interesting & challenging and became one of my favorite rides. Peter & Pauletta tried their best in the English briefings but guess no matter what, there will be some things lost in translation. It was ensuring to see them on some routes and rides also. Here are a few things which Bike Boat Tours may wish to look into to improve their services: 1. The information sent out upon full payment could be improved: a, the meeting place on Day 1 was not clear on the map, b.the daily 100 Mb internet provision is probably unlimited(?) c. do encourage people to check in as early at 2 pm for bike fitting etc as it was vague that there was some of these activities. 2. The daily briefing could include info’ sheets (rather than vaguely saying this is interesting) about the places en route, and suggested time that is required to explore the things in a particular area. 3. Quite a few times, there were some anxiety to come back not too late or worse making the wrong turns. Thus, the last 10 km should have more details on the route. 4. Some of the arranged visits e.g. to the chess farm was excellent. Could perhaps also include to some Dutch cattle, vegetable, flower farms and other Dutch cottage industry so that we can experience even more of the more rural, agricultural part of the Dutch life e.g. we saw a pig farm on the last day and we thought it would be useful to see a modern farm. 5. The Ride with GPS is the best and it’s use should be strongly encouraged Inevitably without the GPS we got into wrong turns. 6. Found it strange that the bath soap bottles were never replenished throughout the 7 days? 7. The ‘boat’ part of the tour was not particularly highlighted e.g. going through the locks were fascinating and perhaps some running commentary would be useful and educational. Also the history and developments of some canals, bridges and the important roles they are in the Netherlands.

Comfortable tasteful vessel. Spacious, really roomy, well appointed cabin. Competent, professional, friendly guides. Helpful friendly crew. Good basic food. Excellent drink packages. Well designed cycling routes with good options for short and longer rides. Well documented navigation aides and effective phone app. Bikes well maintained. Always ran to schedule. Lucked out with compatible table guests and enjoyed the social interaction. In all “De Amsterdam” was a wonderful way of exploring a very beautiful, bike friendly country.

Every one was really helpful. And the views were fantastic. Enjoyed the whole trip.

Boat Bike Tours exceeded my expectations! We had a very comfortable room with plenty of space, and in-room bath, storage, and a television for our week’s voyage. The food was outstanding- breakfast was full of choices and we made our own lunches and dinner was surprising inventive and delicious. Wait staff were great. The tour leaders on our tour, Peter Verstraeten and Janneke Reitberg, were simply lovely people. We had many conversations with each of them and I felt totally supported on rides. I also felt that the others on the crew were very welcoming and nice. The bike tech woman Nicolette was a delight! ( I didn’t get her last name) I’ve already recommended to at least 10 people to take your tours because we had such a nice time on the boat and on the bicycle rides. Holland is a beautiful country and I hope we can return again to either Holland or any of the other countries that you do tours in because now I believe this is the way to travel! Having your own floating hotel with all the amenities added to seeing the places up close and personal on a bicycle. Doesn’t get any better than that.

A great introduction to bike tripping for the new or reluctant cyclist. Ship was comfortable and clean with basic but not posh amenities. Food was good, not great, with little variety at breakfast . This trip was not about the food or entertainment, however. It was about bike touring the Dutch countyside. Bikes were of good quality, nearly new, with comfy seats. Routes were well planned, with options for shorter rides as needed. Pre tour briefings were very helpful if a bit confusing at times. Tips and tour highlights were greatly appreciated. Aside from so so breakfast, only downside to ship was smokers in pretty much every outdoor area, making deck impossible to enjoy. Staff should set up a clearly marked smoking zone at the back of the top deck.