Reviews

Over all, a good time. Biking distances were appropriate and mostly well marked, the food was plentiful and good. Points off for the following: 1. The wait staff was new and sometimes not attentive ( I frequently needed to get my own water/juice but was told by the manager that I could not do this; service did not improve). 2. Route briefings were a little hard to follow because the director interspersed travelogue info while giving directions. Better to give all route directions together, then sight seeing recommendations. Also, we were told of many attractive sights along the route, but then told to not spend much time at them to avoid being late to the boat. 3. Music in the lounge was too loud during afternoon snacks, which made conversation difficult. I had asked the lounge manager to ask the musician to lower the volume but he only did briefly. Very irritating and chased a few out of the lounge.

Loved the boat and crew. The route and sites were beautiful. However, the two guides put many riders at risk. On the first day the Group 1 leader had gotten us lost so many times that we actually had to turn around at least 8 times. I fell four times because I had to keep looking back and stop to make sure the back of the group knew where to turn because the guide was going to fast through the city. One friend was left behind in a city on the fifth day because neither of the guides did a count before leaving. Even after the incident and riders wanting to do a count, they did not do a count. Many problems with the guides; not acting as a team, not training each other, poor communication, stopping on bike paths, etc. I was very stressed out seeing that I was the one who coordinated 28 people to sign up. Several people fell and had bad experiences. But we also had so many great experiences. Riding to Amsterdam on the last day was awesome. On the last night we all bonded in relief and celebration that no one got seriously hurt. This was my fifth time doing a bike and barge trip. These guides were the worst.

We enjoyed a great experience on the Montova – Venice tour!! The Ave Maria is a well-equipped barge, the crew was fantastic, the food delizioso, and the program content very memorable! Tour guides Hugo G. and Giorgia M. provided well-managed and fun days of cycling, informative sight-seeing, and warm camaraderie! Hugo’s positive, energetic spirit and love for Italy was a positive influence for the group, even on the rainy, chilly, and windy days! Giorgia provided just the right balance of spirit and knowledge, being a native of northern Italy! The crew’s cookbook, the souvenir Montova-Venice cycling guidebook, and the daily videos from Hugo are special extras that will help keep this trip in our memory! We spent our week with an enjoyable group of cyclists, in spite of two days of cycling in the rain!* The engine room was helpful for drying shoes, but more hooks or clothes pins for wet clothes in the cabins or hallways would be helpful. The crew of Francesco, Irene, Dani, and Captain Yano provided such warm hospitality, good conversation sprinkled with plenty of humor, smooth sailing, delicious meals, and were always quick to respond to questions or concerns with a smile! The cycling distances each day were very comfortable for us. The sight-seeing along the way was beautiful, interesting (carousel museum, cheese factory, glass factory, historical sights) and offered a taste of Italian culture and history that was just right for the time allowed! Thank you Boat Bike Tours and partner GiroLibero for a fantastic cycling and barge trip in Italy!!

My experience was excellent except for the speaking locks. Not necessary. Otherwise, excellent staff, food, service and tour guiding. Looking forward to another trip next year.

Our third fabulous cruise with boat/bike. The accommodations were great – clean, roomy, and very comfortable. The meals were excellent as well. Lots of options for breakfast and to make bags for lunch. Dinners were beautifully presented with several options and all tasted great. The tour guides were knowledgeable and very friendly and very attentive to safety. We will do more trips with Boat/Bike in the coming years. They have so many good routes and options across Europe.

The cycling was fun, the food on board the Gandalf was excellent, and the boat/bike staff were brilliant. It’s a really great way to relax, get some exercise, learn something about the country, and generally have an extremely enjoyable time.

The crew were magnificent – friendly, knowledgeable, helpful, skilful and with excellent language abilities. The food was outstanding. The boat more than met our expectations. Overall, very deserving of five stars.

The staff were excellent! The tour guides were fun and knowledgeable, the chef created excellent meals and all the staff were really friendly and helpful. Several people did get a 24 hour flu like illness. But all recovered and staff were very accommodating with needs. We hope to book another trip like this one soon.

The tour was a unique way to see the countryside. The boat was beautifully outfitted for our purposes, the food was plentiful and very good and the tour guides were interesting and informative. We kept a fair pace when biking and had enough breaks and stops so it was manageable for everyone. Everything was well organized and effective. The size of the group was small enough to get to know most of the other guests and enjoy their company. I would do another tour with them

The whole crew of the Ava Maria set the tone for the trip. They worked well as a team while enjoying the trip as much as we were. Always willing to help us in anyway possible. The boat was immaculate and the meals amazing. Couldn’t have asked for anything more.