Boat Bike Tours Reviews 

This is the second time I've done a review but I keep getting reminders so maybe the first time didn't work. Anyway, the boat was great, the crew was great, the routes were wonderful, the guides were outstanding, and the food was truly incredible. The chef should get a raise.

I loved the bicycles, routes, being able to eat and sleep on the boat.

The trip around Southern France was made very special by the guides, staff and our fellow travelers! What a unique and special experience to realize what kind, wonderful people there are from all parts of the world. Plus we enjoyed the local history, food and spectacular French countryside and villages.

This tour around the Northern Netherlands exceeded our expectations in everyway. The boat was lovely and comfortable. The staff and guides were all friendly and helpful and made the trip truly enjoyable. The meals were all excellent. The self guided tours were easy to follow with options on how to navigate and which routes to take. The biking was truly enjoyable, mostly on cycle paths separate from car traffic, and the scenery was spectacular. The weather was glorious, which obviously helped make it even better. We will definitely be looking to do more tours.

This is my second Boat Bike Tour . The company members are reliable, conscientious , friendly and safety conscious. We had a wonderful trip meeting like minded people and falt valued at all times .

Despite historically record low river water levels, the captain and crew of the boat safely navigated from Passau to Vienna and back to Passau. To make up for not sailing to Bratislava and Budapest and riding bikes in the vicinity, the tour scrambled to arrange daily bus tours to both cities at no added cost. We opted for Bratislava, which was lovely, but the drive to Budapest was about 4.5 hours one way with only 2 hours in the city and not worth it. Instead we cycled around Vienna, and made the best of a bad situation. However, it was so hot one day, we just stayed on the boat to rest from all our riding and stay cool in the air-conditioning.

The meals on board were usually very good, especially when there was dinner service. The one dinner buffet was bad for us vegetarians, having only salad and what looked like the previous week's leftover veggies sautéed into a salty gelatinous blob. I would have liked more heat and exotic spices, like the Hungarian dish, which was full of flavor. Protein options for vegetarians were limited, mostly egg dishes and cheese, and very few legumes. Most of the dishes were bland and lacked flavor.

The on-board musician in the lounge was unremarkable, using synth backing and turning recognizable songs into muzac slop. I'd prefer original songs by the artist, or creative interpretations, not bland renditions.

Unfortunately humanity is stupid, ignoring the effects of our behavior on the planet and climate. Unless we stop these destructive behaviors, this experience will be only a taste of the coming climate apocalypse. Stop driving cars, and instead walk, bike, or ride transit. Eat less meat, dairy, and eggs. Buy directly from farmers, avoiding large corporate stores. Live simply, so we can simply live.

boat was perfect, Captain Bart was an amazing addition to a great staff. The guides Peter and Ester were a very knowledgable team. The Chef catered to everyones needs, desserts were wonderful.

I was on Maqnifique IV. I’m one of the Biking Babes. I’ve already wrote a review about the dangerous area where the crew did the test ride the first day. My friend Ruth was hit by a motorcyclist, a hit and run, police, ambulance, hospital, brain concussion, road rash etc. Thankfully she is ok today but still suffers from headaches.
Unbelievable, shocking actually, that NO ONE has yet contacted her to see how she is doing. Inexcusable!
The majority of the staff was wonderful but….Anne treated participants as if they were third graders. Very Bossy uncaring was the opinion of all the riders!
Because of the first day experience putting riders in such a dangerous area I cannot recommend your tours. I decided that day that I would NOT ride at all on this tour! We were told that there have never been any accidents to bikers on your tours. I certainly can’t believe this to be true.

What a great time! Wonderful, scenic ride, beautiful boat, great food and we enjoyed the other passengers. Best part? Amazing guides and staff!

Beautiful countryside and cycle paths, excellent tour guides, lovely food on board, brilliant staff. Great company on board.

Our accomadations and food on the boat were very good. Our group (12) found doing a cycling trip on the larger boat was not what we preferred. Not as well organized. Leaving the boat too late in the morning made us rushed throughout the day touring. We have all gone on the boat/bike barge with about 30 people and found it much better. Also having a tour guide is much better, which we had on the smaller barge boat.

We had a great time on the boat and the cycling paths were great- well maintained and beautiful scenery. Service at meals was fantastic. Leslie worked hard to keep us informed

This was our fifth boat and bike tour with this company, and unfortunately it was by far the least enjoyable. We’ve had wonderful experiences on previous trips, which makes this one all the more disappointing and leaves us questioning whether we will book with them again.

One of the issues was that this was advertised as a boat and bike tour, but in reality it was often a choice of boat or bike, not both. Whenever the itinerary indicated there would be a morning sail to our cycling departure point, we were instead instructed to disembark and bike to that location. As a result, those of us who wanted to participate in the cycling missed much of the cruising experience we had paid for.

Similarly, the itinerary regularly listed both a short and a long cycling option each day. In practice, we were never given a choice. Everyone was expected to complete the longer route, with daily elevation gains ranging from approximately 800 to nearly 2,000 feet. That may appeal to some cyclists, but it was not what was represented in the itinerary and removed the flexibility that attracted us to the tour in the first place.

The problems started on day one when we were trying the bikes. I immediately told the guide that my bike was too big for me, but my concern was dismissed with, “No, it’s fine.” It wasn’t, and it made riding much more difficult and potentially dangerous given the paths we were guided to than it should have been.

The guiding throughout the trip was poor. The guides frequently got lost, often speaking to each other in Dutch or German even though everyone in the group spoke English. Instead of providing confident leadership, they seemed unsure of the routes and regularly relied on each other to figure out where to go. On one day, what was supposed to be a 24-mile ride became a 44-mile ride because they got so lost. That is simply unacceptable on a guided cycling vacation.

The routes themselves were also disappointing. Rather than using enjoyable cycling paths, the guides repeatedly chose rocky, overgrown single-track trails with deep ruts, fallen trees, and thorny branches. These sections were difficult, unpleasant, and at times felt unsafe. They were completely out of keeping with what we expected from a guided leisure cycling tour.

The timing of the trip also seemed poorly planned. Much of France is effectively closed during this time of year, and this should have been anticipated by the tour operator. As a result, we rarely had opportunities for coffee breaks, and lunch stops were usually at dirty picnic tables—if we could even find one. Guests were instructed to use the “green door” (the woods) for bathroom breaks. It often felt like we were simply trying to get through the day rather than enjoying the beautiful Burgundy countryside.

Perhaps most disappointing was the guides’ lack of local knowledge. They appeared to know very little about the region beyond what they could search online and were unable to speak enough French to communicate with locals or translate during tours. One of the main reasons for choosing a guided trip is to learn about the history, culture, and places you visit. Unfortunately, we received very little of that. Even the navigation—which should have been the guides’ primary responsibility—was consistently poor.

Another disappointing aspect of the trip was the apparent favoritism shown by the guides. They seemed to focus their attention on a small group of guests while largely overlooking the rest of us. For example, my husband volunteered to serve as the sweep rider on several occasions, helping ensure no one was left behind. The guides never acknowledged his efforts and instead publicly credited another guest who had not actually performed that role. While recognition itself is not important, the incident reflected a broader pattern in which certain guests appeared to receive considerably more attention and appreciation than others. On a group tour, everyone should feel equally welcomed, included, and valued.

Burgundy is a beautiful region with so much to offer, but this tour did not do it justice. Between the misleading itinerary, the lack of promised route options, the loss of the cruising experience, the unsuitable cycling routes, the constant navigation mistakes, the guides’ limited local knowledge, the apparent favoritism toward a handful of guests, and the dismissive attitude toward guest concerns, this trip fell far short of the standard we have come to expect from this company. Sadly, what should have been another memorable vacation ended up being our most disappointing experience with them.
We usually start planning our next tour with Boat and Bike tours as soon as we get home, but I’m second guessing after this experience. We will revisit after some time passes.

It was remarkable and would do this again. Seemed to be very organized and thought out. The staff were all very friendly and professional.

The guides were amazing, as was the itinerary. Guides were experienced, flexible, and attentive. The combination of the seaside and farmland to cycle along and through was scenic and a great contrast. A recommendation for some of the less experienced cyclists would be a more detailed explanation of the trails which when unpaved could be a little difficult. My third BB trip and I was not disappointed.

An awesome vacation. We were so well looked after. The cycling was scenic and relaxing, just the right distance and wonderful stops along the way. Beautiful boat, great guides and fabulous food. Literally note perfect.

The crew of the boat and the tour guides were 5 star plus. The ship was always clean, lots of food and the Cordon Bleu chef’s meals were themed creatively and tasted Magnifique 😉! The bicycles were in great shape. Even the Netherland’s pesky weather co-operated with great cycling conditions.

The boat bike trip was fantastic, especially the staff on board who took such great care of us all! The Waddenzee route with sailing and the visits to the islands were definite highlights but the rest of the trip was good too.

Wonderful staff, amazing food, beautiful islands, extremely well organized, professional, comfortable accommodations, and an overall fun time.