Reviews

The Paris/Montargis route was great. Lots of rural country roads and great scenery. Our trip had 2 excellent tour guides that accompanied us daily and took the group to numerous very interesting places. The guides also hosted voluntary nightly tours of the villages in which we spent the night.

Based on the company’s website, I expected the Fleur to be small, and it was — both the boat and the cabins were compact but cozy. The common lounge areas were small with limited seating.

One major downside was the strong odor of mildew throughout the cabins. When I first entered my cabin, the smell was so overwhelming and I genuinely doubted whether I could spend a full week in that environment.

That said, the staff were truly lovely. Our housekeeper went above and beyond — she made the experience especially memorable for my niece by creating towel sculptures and even posing her stuffed goose each day. Her warmth and attention to detail were a highlight of the trip.

The bikes were comfortable and well-maintained. Unfortunately, the guiding left much to be desired. The guides often seemed unfamiliar with the routes, and we had to stop multiple times to figure out where to go. This became frustrating and tiring. Additionally, one guide appeared uncomfortable on a bike, which did not inspire confidence. While the daily ride distances were relatively short, the frequent random stops made them feel unnecessarily long and disjointed.

The group was split into two, but the organization could have been better — keeping slower riders together would have helped with flow. Some stops, such as at Fontainebleau, felt overly long, while other potentially more interesting locations, like Barbizon, were rushed. At times, it felt like certain stops were included just to fill time, rather than enhance the experience. We thought this was due to the tour’s master plan and was not the guides’ fault- and our guide, Maryann, was an absolute delight.

The scenery was undeniably beautiful, and I really enjoyed the roads we cycled on. However, I would not recommend this trip to someone seeking a more efficient or active cycling experience — the pace was simply too slow.

As for the food, the birthday cake the chef made our friend was incredible!

The best part of the trip was undoubtedly the people — both fellow guests and the staff. Although I wouldn’t choose to do this particular trip again or recommend it to others, we had a great time. Thanks to the company for the memorable moments we shared on and off the boat.

A wonderful trip on the Fleur. Great guiding from the BoatBike team, Francine and Eric. Amazing food from Steffie, who catered for food allegeries with clever alternatives. Captain Jean Marie and sailor Ivo were a joy to watch with their highly coordinated management of the ship through very narrow locks. The Fleur is delightfully comfortable, with en-suite cabins. Each day was a different experience through the French countryside. Think medieval towns, little villages, farmlands and beautiful paths beside the canal and the Seine, finishing with a cold beer on the foredeck of the Fleur.

This was my first boat-bike tour, although I’ve been on several hiking tours in different parts of the world. I had an exceptional experience: the cycling guides were attentive and accommodating, the Fleur was a well-appointed, clean and comfortable barge, and the food–well! Suffice to say that the chef was first class; as I told him, despite all the biking I not only didn’t lose weight, but probably gained some. I would unreservedly recommend this trip to anyone who is looking for a moderate cycling experience in a scenic corner of Europe.

Competent guides. Friendly staff. Good food.

This was my second trip with Boat Bike Tours. As before the boat was wonderful , meals amazing( thanx Steffie) the bike routes were beautiful and the e-bikes were life saving! The guides Janeka and Will were knowledgeable and fun. The crew especially Martin kept everything running smoothly and smiles on everyone’s faces. The Captain made it through all the locks and navigated a water tunnel through Paris, which was a thrill for everyone! One of the best parts of sharing a boat and bike journey is boarding the ship as strangers and leaving as friends!

The Montargis-Paris aboard Fleur was our 3rd tour and it was OUTSTANDING. Stefanie, who is both boat owner and chef, and her crew were wonderful, caring and responsive. Our guides Hilko and Williem were fantastic. All guides should be this good. Despite, this being a smaller boat, the cabins had an abundance of storage room and the bright decor made them feel roomy and comfortable. The bathroom also had great storage room. The food was incredible. Ample and delicious portions. We had a family group of 10 and the trip exceeded everyone’s expectations. I’ll soon be booking our fourth trip. We are so grateful

The bike trip was very good and the staff was excellent. The meals were delicious and the coffee/tea 24//7 was much appreciated. Things that were different. We deviated a lot from the course planned so that the Ride with GPS was pretty useless. It would have been nice to use it on a day where we wanted to ride on our own. Also, when I first tried to order bikes in the spring, there were only four e bikes available so we didn’t have a chance THEN to obtain one….when we arrived on the boat there were bikes available BUT now they were a lot more expensive to rent. It felt like you should have let us know sooner when bikes were available and offered them at the price in the spring signup. It felt kind of like a scam/ markup ploy. I ended up with a regular bike anyway but I also felt that the regular bike was not as good a quality bike as the ones I used on previous trips. It had less gears and poorer componentry than the bikes I used in the Netherlands and in Belgium. Overall, the trip was wonderful and I will do another one someday! We met such nice people and enhoyed the countryside.

OUTSTANDING Fleur crew and Montargis-Paris guides. This was our 3rd Boat Bike Tour and this one we brought 10 family members. Our trip exceeded everyone’s expectations. Our guides Hilko and William were excellent. Every day they huddled together to plan the next day. They should train other guides. They were masterclass. Stefanie our host/chef & her crew were superb. The food delicious & plentiful. Despite this being a smaller barge, it was the best for cabin & bathroom storage space. Highly recommend this barge and can’t wait to make our next boat bike tour. Lastly, the customer service and responsiveness via email is top notch. Thank you!

The food, guides, chef, and crew made this tour excellent. We really liked the surprise excursions and our guide Geert knew everything about art and history at every French locale.