Belgium Bike Tour Reviews (page 7)
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★★★★★ doedoe June 12, 2016Know what you are getting.
· · Amsterdam – Bruges by Bike and Boat – Princesse Royal
Mostly older folks (50 and up). Nice and comfortable ship. Not luxury. Small but adequate room, like any cruise room. Towels were rough/worn. Put out daily the following in the am scrambled eggs, bacon, bread, condiments, lunch meat to make your own lunch (tomatoes and cucumbers), fruit, greek yogert, cereal, coffee , tea, 1 bottle of water. Dinner food was excellent, no choices, given plates of food at dinner (including appetizer and desert), no seconds but it was adequate, nobody complained. Tea/coffee before dinner 4pm to 5pm and at breakfast but none after dinner like Americans usually do, but you could buy some at the bar. We took this cruise because they advertised that you would be given maps and directions if you wanted to do the route yourself rather than go with the guide. The guide discouraged this and said if you got lost the ship would leave without you if you were late. The directions were really not adequate to do it yourself. He was a bit rude at times throughout the trip. Consequently the pace was fast without time for pictures, seeing the sites, enjoying the scenery. Just a fast paced ride through beautiful scenery with occasional brief predetermined stops. The routes were very scenic but can't say I fully enjoyed them. Stressful to worry about losing the group if you stopped to take off your coat or take a picture. Rest of crew was very nice but very overworked. Not bad for the price but not what we were looking for and they should advertise more truthfully. Would not have done it if we had known. Also $50 extra for gluten free but not much extra was provided (just gluten free bread and I had to ask for it most days). Bring your own bread and save $50.
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★★★★★ dmoise April 27, 2016Highlight of our trip to Europe!
· · Amsterdam – Gouda – Bruges by Bike and Boat
During our long-awaited 7 week European trip, our Bike/Barge adventure was the best part. The local NL based company that organized the tour is great. From the comfy accommodations, to the well planned biking, our week was filled with memorable adventures.
With warm and friendly fellow travelers and an outstanding skipper and crew, we enjoyed delicious meals, informative city walks, fun bike routes with some challenging weather and amazing sights on the land and water. Our biking guide led us with confidence and patience (despite widely varying experience/strength) and added important information on culture and history wherever we traveled.
The smaller size of the barge with only 9 guest rooms, made the entire experience that much more personal. This was also the most affordable week of our vacation! We couldn't have asked for a better introduction to the Netherlands, Belgium and to the wonderful bike/barge experience. Outstanding; we can't wait to go again.
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Families with teens, Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Belgium, Holland
Video: Enjoying every moment!
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★★★★★ Gay and Snuffy April 26, 2016
Best Bike and Boat hosts ever!
· · Amsterdam – Bruges by Bike and Boat – Princesse Royal
Zwaantje Boat, Bruges to Amsterdam..fantastic hosts Marjorie & Martene, Trudie & Matthew, guide Felix, all welcoming, friendly with superb meals (especially arriving from the rain and cool temperatures, hot soup, drinks and home made baking). Great group of people on the tour and can highly recommend this relaxed and lovely bike ride experience. Well done Marjorie and Martene....best wishes for many more successful seasons!
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★★★★★ Darryl April 8, 2016
Summer 2015 Baotin' and bikin'
· · Amsterdam – Bruges by Bike and Boat – Princesse Royal
My wif, son and I had a great time going from Amsterdam to Bruges. Gerat guide and fellow bike riders. all ages lots of fun good equipment and excellent guide, Tom. Lots of fun and food stops along the way,=. very relaxed ride and boat. Highly recommend. Darryl, Chandler, Arizona
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★★★★★ Natalie123 December 9, 2015
Outstanding itinerary and tour company
· · Amsterdam – Bruges by Bike and Boat – Princesse Royal
I went on this tour as a staff member at BikeTours.com. I did this itinerary, but not on the Fluvius (the boat described on this page). I was on the Magnifique, which can also be booked on this site. Here are the parts of my review that you can find on the Magnifique's tour page that apply to this same program on the Fluvius...
Biking is such a part of Dutch culture, so we got to explore the country like the locals live it while benefiting from great infrastructure (dedicated bike paths, good signage, friendly drivers). The landscapes were charming: gardens around every cottage, wide green fields divided by canals, windmills. The Belgian countryside was also beautiful and you're often following river paths, but the Netherlands' villages stole my heart.
The cycling is leisurely: flat, distances not too long, plenty of breaks for snacks and stretching. The guide was great, but my friend and I decided to go off on our own a couple of days, armed with the route numbers that the group would be following so we could catch up to them if needed and find our way back to the boat. We got a bit lost one day on our own, but that became its own adventure and we didn't mind at all.
The thing I like the least about touring is having to pack and unpack every day, so it was a small luxury to be able to unpack on day 1 and not think about bags again since we were in the same cabin all week.
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Families with teens, Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Belgium, Holland
Video: A typical scene along the route - cows and sheep aplenty, quiet and well maintained bike path, and of course windmills!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nczbAMMMCM4 (404)
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★★★★★ Natalie123 December 7, 2015
Leisurely luxury through classic Europe
· · Amsterdam – Bruges by Bike and Boat – Princesse Royal
I went on this tour as a BikeTours.com staff member. I was excited to check out this ever-popular bike and boat tour because our clients usually give it rave reviews. Now I know why!
Biking is such a part of Dutch culture, so we got to explore the country like the locals live it while benefiting from great infrastructure (dedicated bike paths, good signage, friendly drivers). The landscapes were charming: gardens around every cottage, wide green fields divided by canals, windmills. The Belgian countryside was also beautiful and you're often following river paths, but the Netherlands' villages stole my heart.
The cycling is leisurely: flat, distances not too long, plenty of breaks for snacks and stretching. The guide was great, but my friend and I decided to go off on our own a couple of days, armed with the route numbers that the group would be following so we could catch up to them if needed and find our way back to the boat. We got a bit lost one day on our own, but that became its own adventure and we didn't mind at all.
The Magnifique is cozy. The cabins are small (as expected) but comfortable, the dining room and bar are nice communal spaces for relaxing with new friends, and the hot tub on deck is the very best place to watch the passing scenery! The food is excellent, and the guide took us on a walking tour each night after dinner to learn about whichever city we were docked in overnight.
The thing I like the least about touring is having to pack and unpack every day, so it was a small luxury to be able to unpack on day 1 and not think about bags again since we were in the same cabin all week.
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Families with teens, Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Belgium, Holland
Video: Pedaling along a canal-side bike path in Bruges
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WgZNJQ3t40 (404)
