Reviews

I had a lot of fun on this boat bike trip (Maastricht to Amsterdam). The guide was upbeat and the short stops on the daily rides were interesting and enjoyable. However the guide seemed disorganized and I found most of the meals rather disappointing. If I go on another trip with this company, I will choose a premium tour.

Fantastic meals. Beautiful countryside.

This was our first boat and bike trip ever. It was a great experience and we will likely gather a few others and do another. The guide was excellent, the food was very good, the skipper and crew were great. Everything went as planned and we not only enjoyed the riding through The Neterlands, we learned alot. The other riders were friendly and engaging. Our only hiccup was finding the boat in Maastricht. If you are looking for a luxury cruiser, the Gandolf is not that. If you prefer a small group with a wonderful crew, good food and a boat with character, this is your boat.

The boat bike tour on the Gandalf was excellent! Our guide, Mihael and the rest of the crew were super professional while at the same time made us feel so at home. Our group was truly a community as the tour continued. The food was amazing, you just have to trust me! It’s very comfortable on the boat and the staff does everything to make you feel welcome. There were many side trips and excursions in the little towns that we really enjoyed. The tour inside of a windmill was a highlight! We really loved this tour and we have done other bike tours in the US and in Europe. Hans is quite a wonderful host and Girard, the skipper is fun to talk to and even let some guests drive the boat!

Our guide Simon was terrific – he kept us informed, led great trips during the day and we loved the walks at night in the towns-and all of the crew couldn’t have been better or more welcoming. My family and I are still wondering how in the heck the cook was able to produce such good and abundant food in that little kitchen.

The ship is small and cozy and the owners are nice and work hard to please and make it a good experience. However, operating a ship with a 3 person crew is not enough. We have been on many boat and bike trips and we were never involved in loading and unloading bikes of the ship as it was this time. Cabins #1 and #2 are to be avoided, smallest and stinkiest of the 13. The thing most people remember from trips is the meals and in this case 2 of 6 were vegetarian (33%) that were very very low cost. First and last meal should always be the most memorable and in this case they did not deliver on the first meal. Good breakfasts but if you were slow you ended up with very little choice of breads or cold cuts. Having to ask is not my style. The tour is excellent and lovely places were visited. The instructions for the paths taken were poor, not the typical map like paper instructions with detailed info. Just the numbers of the cycle-paths. Overall we enjoyed the small group of people, the food was acceptable and would be better with some changes as mentioned above, improve the deck space for sitting during sailing and get another crew member to help with the chores and the bikes. Good people, well intending but need improvement to make this a 5 star tour.

The quality of the bikes could be better. Bikes should have water bottle cages. The amount of time spent at stops while on the tour should be reduced, especially if there is nothing to see. A list of participants and countries should be given to everyone. The routing was very good and enjoyed the stop at the cheese factory and the castle.

We booked the Maastricht to Amsterdam ride from September 17 to 24 2022, and it was great. The boat was perfect for what we were looking for, with private and quite cabins, each with their own bathroom. As shown on the company’s website the cabins aren’t huge, but they were exactly what we were expecting. The dining room and outdoor sitting area were also great, along with all of the meals provided by our wonderful chef. The crew overall was fantastic, always eager to ensure our trip went great. In particular our guide Simon was amazing, both during the guided cycling days as well as entertaining us all in the evenings with songs and trivia contests. All in all the trip was fantastic and we will definitely use Boat Bike Tours on our next trip.

We had a really nice trip. We brought a group of 11 and all had a great time. The crew was very friendly, informative and helpful. Not to mention lots of fun! Enjoyed learning new games to play ( thanks Sander and Robin!!) Our guide, Simon, did a fantastic job!! We learned a lot from him. Such a great way to see the country!!

I have been fortunate to have taken many vacations, this one however, topped them all. Our boat, crew and fellow passengers were all excellent travel companions. Wilmie, our guide was helpful, informative, knowledgeable and knew just when to take a break. Our Captain, Sander was friendly, got to know us and helped the crew and passengers whenever the opportunity presented itself. The rest of the crew, Marlene our hostess, Pietro the chef and Krzystof were all amazing as well. The cycling was very well planned out and the nightly tours of the various towns we were in were a bonus and only helped those on the tour to get to know each other better, while having a more culturally immersed experience. Location, food, boat and crew were all wonderful. All in all a fantastic experience. Thank you!