Reviews

I loved this tour. I loved the experience. It was very well done, well planned and I had a tour guide who was excellent. This tour was not “fancy”, however it was a great value for the money. Accommodations were clean and comfortable. And the bikes were excellent. I used an e-bike and it worked very well. While breakfasts and lunches were fine, I was not crazy about the dinners. But nor did I waste away :) . I would do another tour with this company.

Even though the weather didn’t cooperate (cold, windy and wet), that didn’t slow down the enthusiasm and fun. The staff made the trip so enjoyable. The food, accommodations, staff, bikes, etc. were all first rate. All the guests got along and formed a cohesive group. We’re so glad we were part of the group.

We had a most excellent time with the Boat and Bike Tours. Our tour guides Esther & Tom were the best. They gave us tips on what to do and how to react in certain situations. We had the e-bikes which made the trip easier in the needed areas. Our accommodations were very comfortable and clean every day. The captain Walter and crew were very friendly and would give the time for a little chat. The chief Pettr made the most delicious meals we have had in a long time. We give this trip a 10 out of 10 in all aspects and highly recommend it. Way to go Boat and Bike Tours.

This was our first bike and barge experience. We had an amazing time. No complaints

Boat was very clean and comfortable. All staff were more than willing to help with any questions. The bikes were kept in perfect condition . There was normally a choice of a long or short tour each day with both having a guide or if you wished you could go out on your own with excellent directions from the guides. The food prepared for us was 5 star all the way with a minimum of a 3 course dinner each night. All in all one of the best holidays my wife and I have ever had.

Magnifique crew and all services were premium. The guides were good for routes and mechanics but not so great on communication and touring. I do not recall a single time that the stop signal was given. Consequently, there were fast stops and riders bumping each other on occasion. Consistently I had to ask why we were stopping…coffee break? Water? Lunch? Where are the toilets? Where is potable water? Never provided without asking, then of course only a few of us had the information. Tom seemed bored. Esthe, seemed unaware of group need for communication. Nothing awful, but I would say premier ship and average guides.

Great experience and would do it again. The only minor complaint I have is with the bicycle maintenance. That could improve.

So much to love about this concept of a barge cycling trip but a few rocky bumps distracted – be sure to request an XL bike if that is what you use at home, no matter what your inseam says. Beds are short if you are over 6’2” in height – and narrow. Twin-sized but we understand rooms on a vessel like this can’t be much larger. Dinners varied and well prepared. Packed lunches monotonous, lots and lots and lots of bread and cheese. Wine and beer prices reasonable – staff delightful. Not a lot of opportunity to stop and take pictures except at planned coffee and lunch stops. Felt like we were in a race sometimes and there was confusion about our routes from time to time, not enough info shared in my opinion, on the areas we visited except more formal sites like UNESCO. All in all a positive experience and staff tried to rectify mistakes made by admin.

Another wonderful holiday with Boat Bike tours. Our guides Anika and Andre were fantastic and the crew on the boat were great as well. Food and service impeccable!

I had previously taken this exact itinerary on this company’s smaller barge, the Fluvius in 2017 and that experience was fabulous and inspired me to subsequently make several bike/barge trips throughout Europe. Because of the pandemic this reservation was pushed out twice in 2020 and 2021. It was originally made by a former cruise mate of mine who was unable to make it this year and because I had also had cruise reservations to other destinations also cancelled during this period I decided to assume her reservation and introduce this experience to another friend of mine. BoatBikeTours cannot be faulted for the fairly heavy rainfall our group endured, and while the crew was friendly and optimistic and did a good job with food service and maintaining the cabins, it appeared that the disparate staff were all fairly new and the guides while perhaps experienced were not as familiar with the routes and equipment and perhaps the company standards for safety that I had perceived in 2017. My specific criticism is of the encouragement and optimism for the day #1 long ride through mostly pouring rain particularly as clients have not yet become completely familiar with their rented equipment. While everyone is anxious to ride on these vacations, I feel the leaders should have prepared modifications and recommendations so that the clients are not arriving back at the barge at the end of the day truly miserable. In 2017 there was one scheduled riding day like this and it was discouraged precisely for this reason. I personally was very negatively impacted when midday our guide decided to “save time” by steering the group off road through a “shortcut” of narrow, muddy, uneven paths, clearly unsafe for the conditions. I took a spill that while not completely sidelining the rest of my European vacation impacted my mobility greatly and I returned home 2 weeks later to discover I had fractured my ankle and required immediate surgery. Our guide appeared to have no clue as to how to use the first aid kit, alternate means for transport, had little follow-up upon returning to the barge, and made no attempt to document the incident or file a report. Fortunately I was helped and advised by a fellow client who happened to be an ER physician and I take responsibility for assuming I was nursing a sprained ankle, but in hindsight a proactive X-ray should have been encouraged and might have prevented additional damage that was done. I realize we must all take responsibility for our own safety but I do question the judgement and qualifications of this guide and hope the company does have appropriate safety protocols and training for their staff. On a guided tour such as this, one does become captive to the situation and must rely on the judgement of the leader.