Reviews

I thoroughly enjoyed my week aboard the Lefde van Freslan. The trip was interesting, varied and it all went very smoothly despite some wild, windy days. The ship itself was remarkably comfortable and it was far better than my opinion when I stepped aboard a few years ago. The public areas are spacious and well laid out with plenty of room for all the guests. My single cabin was small, as you know, but adequate with a good size bathroom. It had everything I needed with perhaps a space under the bed to store a suitcase. Other twin cabins onboard were remarkably spacious. The idea of putting up the sails appealed to everyone onboard and there were many enthusiastic helpers. Sails were hoisted, even the topsail, at every opportunity. The crew of just four were brilliant, nothing was too much trouble and nothing phased them. They all worked tirelessly to make everyone’s trip the best it could be and still had time to chat and offer advice where needed. A big thank you goes to chef Peter who’s menu and presentation gave me some of the best meals I have experience on a boat and bike trip. Plus he always had fresh cakes or cookies for afternoon snacks. Brilliant. The bikes, mine an e-bike, worked perfectly, with more than enough battery left at the end of the day. The whole group only had one flat tyre and no mechanical breakdowns during the week and that was quickly dealt with. The itinerary was fascinating, a great mix of wild natural beauty, Dutch culture and history and wonderfully varied cycling paths. I enjoyed the art galleries, museums, a traditional market or two, the coffee shops – especially the Heartbreak Hotel – and the views across the North Sea beaches. I appreciated the widespread internet access. The seafood on the islands and the frites were great, I often came back with my sandwich lunch uneaten. The trails through the woods and beside the sand dunes and polders were great fun. We had more than enough information with the app, map and junction sheet. No one got lost, no one was likely to. I took lots of photos, especially on days when we had brilliant sunshine. I have no hesitation in recommending this trip to anyone who enjoys cycling, including those occasional cyclists, and the romance of a traditional sailing ship. And my goodness, wasn’t it brilliant to see those rows of old and restored sailing boats in every port we visited.

Exactly as expected. Wonderful guide, he was knowledgeable, funny and loved his job. Ship crew were accommodating and helpful. Tour provided beautiful countryside, good food, ship was adequate. Rides were well planned, lots of time to ride, break, tour, eat….perfectly orchestrated.

The guides were fantastic and the ship was beautiful. Would have enjoyed longer cycling days.

The boat and the staff were great. The tour guide did not help our experience. He spoke very little English and it seemed he got a little frustrated when we asked questions. Buying the drinks package, this should be an all day offer and not have a start time of 1600. Not to have a latte in the morning seemed to be a little ridiculous.The bike tours where mostly good and needs some updates for ferry expense and timings. Some ferries didn’t run until 0930, so when we docked we couldn’t take the ferry. This made us have to plan the day differently for biking.. Our morning briefing for biking was a waste of time but may have been fine for the German speaking cyclists. However the crew was fantastic and made the experience memorable.

All of the staff- Floris, Lauret, Carolina and Peter were extremely competent at their jobs, and so friendly. Food was delicious and rooms were comfortable. The area we biked was beautiful and trails were lovely.

The accomodations were 2 star level poor ventilation and air system rooms very damp and cramped. The food was average but their seemed to be an issue with the amount of food available, their seemed to be some kind of rationing with the amount of food available. The staff was luke warm and somewhat blunt and not really accommodating. The bicycle tour was through Burgundy country but very little wine vineyard tours, I think the selection of sites to see during cycling should be reviewed . I would probably lean towards a 2.5 score on this experience. I would not recommend it to others

Every aspect of the trip was great. Our guides were very helpful, informative and helped to form our group from being strangers at the beginning to becoming friends by the end of our tour. The boat staff could not have been better – great food and service. The Istrian coast was stunningly beautiful. We highly recommend this tour.

Food average was average, snacks after bike day were packaged cookies, windows in our cabin looked like they hadn’t be washed, guides sometimes started the tour again before the sweeper was ready, on change over day they were loading the boat again while we were trying to relax(very unprofessional, should have done it when we were out biking), staff was kind and courteous, Meals had a good variety with lots for those with a bigger appetite, felt like we were on a regimented schedule, never knew what time we were getting back to boat at the end of the day, Rooms always felt damp

We had a great experience. It was our first Boat and Bike Tour so we did not know what to expect. Our guide, Nina, was excellent and tailored our ride to our wishes. The boat was nice and the crew was very helpful. I would definitely recommend the tour and hope to return for another.

This is my third trip with Boat Bike Tours, and all have been exemplary. On this most-recent trip, all went well. Every member of the staff were wonderful, the captain, first mate, chef, housekeeper, and guide. The barge was fine and th cuisine was excellent. The rooms were clean and well kept. Because I am an experienced cyclist, I prefer to self-guide using Ride With GPS, which worked just fine. Using the Ship Finder app allowed me to track the barge and meet it easily.