Holland Bike Tour Reviews (page 10)
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★★★★★ Donna Lee August 11, 2019This is the way to cycle!!!
· · Amsterdam – Bruges by Bike and Boat – Princesse Royal
This bike barge trip far exceeded our expectations. We had the trip of a lifetime with our friends on this beautiful boat which felt like our personal yacht. The two guides and boat crew including the chef Phyllis were amazing and attentive to our needs and beyond. Daily bike routes were well planned and organized. The routes in Belgium and Holland were mostly flat and scenic as well as connected to many historic sites. We would not hesitate to recommend this trip to anyone who loves biking on vacation nor to book another one ourselves for next year!
- What was the date of your tour?
- 7/23-8/1
- How many tours have you completed?
- None
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Belgium, Holland
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★★★★★ Carolozz August 14, 2019
Very enjoyable and relaxing trip
· · Amsterdam – Bruges by Bike and Boat – Princesse Royal
Great, relaxing way to see the countryside.
Guides were very knowledgeable and helpful.
Boat was lovely with a great crew, especially the chef. ..we were catered for very well.
Cabins were comfortable, although I was unlucky, as mine was close to a generator or something similar, which made it difficult to sleep. -
★★★★★ Jim48 August 15, 2019
Excellent experience
· · Amsterdam – Bruges by Bike and Boat – Princesse Royal
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★★★★★ Johnnyo August 18, 2019
Great trip
· · Amsterdam – Bruges by Bike and Boat – Princesse Royal
This was a great trip. The guides (Tom and Wilmie) were awesome. The crew on the barge was exceptional as well. They each were beyond accommodating and just pleasant to be around. The rooms were fine , the ac worked well. The only negative was that the dining and lounge areas had no ac, so were virtually unusable during those 100 degree days.
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★★★★★ Cinful August 20, 2019
Above expectations!
· · Amsterdam – Bruges by Bike and Boat – Princesse Royal
The Bike Barge tour from Bruges to Amsterdam on Magnifique II was outstanding. I put together a group of 15 people for the tour. Each and every one of us was impressed by the boat, bike routes, leaders, crew, food and many other amenities. The riding was at a very casual pace so as to enjoy all of the sights. We had time to explore areas that we stopped at. At the end of each day the crew put out food and drink for us post ride. The dinners were prepared by an expert chef and the state rooms were clean an comfortable. I would recommend this trip to anyone who loves to explore, has a basic level of fitness as well as a fun loving spirit.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 24 July 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- Many
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Belgium, Holland
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★★★★★ Jeffy August 25, 2019
Exceeded expectations
· · Amsterdam – Bruges by Bike and Boat – Princesse Royal
There are many things we discovered about both Belgium and Netherlands as a result of the excellent guides and crew.
Food - excellent and exceeded expectations
Guides were very good and navigated well. They also provided much info about the culture and history.
I believe Bruge to Amsterdam has more tail winds
The "barge" (Magnifique 2) is actually a well equipped ship.
The captain provided a few docking performances and the harbor cruise through Antwerp was fun.
More great memories highly recommended. -
★★★★★ Mardi October 13, 2019
Magnifique II bike trip
· · Amsterdam – Bruges by Bike and Boat – Princesse Royal
The staff and barge accommodations were excellent. Our chef prepared gourmet meals every night that were delicious. The bikes were very comfortable and easy to ride. It was a great way to see the countryside. We went from Amsterdam to Bruges and had a head wind most of the way. I might do the reverse trip if I had known. The staff went out of their way to make us comfortable. Couldn't have asked for a better trip!
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★★★★★ Densi October 14, 2019
Lovely bike trip
· · Amsterdam – Bruges by Bike and Boat – Princesse Royal
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★★★★★ Eric12302 October 28, 2019
First biking vacation but won't be our last!
· · Amsterdam – Bruges by Bike and Boat – Princesse Royal
This was our first biking vacation and what a wonderful time we had. The Magnifique 111 was a beautiful barge with all the amenities. The crew and guides were excellent. Thank you Bas, Ingeborg, Sigrid, Alexandra, Derk Jan, Marnik, Corrie and Wilmie. A special thanks to Corrie and Wilmie (our bike guides) who got up a 5:30 am on our last day to see us off and make sure our taxi showed up to take us to the airport. The meals on board were excellent as well as the service. The whole crew went above and beyond all week. The biking route was very scenic and was a route for beginners. It was mostly flat as described with a few inclines mostly going over bridges. Looking forward to another biking trip.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 10/5/2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Belgium, Holland
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★★★★★ Jennifer Hinchman August 2, 2022
Beautiful trip!
· · Amsterdam – Bruges by Bike and Boat – Princesse Royal
Our guides were so knowledgeable and fun-as were the rest of the crew. We had a great week!
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- This was our first
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Belgium, Holland
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★★★★★ Vickie Brunstetter November 7, 2022
The perfect way to experience the Netherlands and Belgium
· · Amsterdam – Bruges by Bike and Boat – Princesse Royal
I highly recommend this bike and barge. It is so nice to have the barge to come back to every night with food and drinks waiting. To not have tool pack up each day made for a much more leisurely trip. The weather was perfect and the guides excellent.
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★★★★★ Cate Adams November 8, 2022
Loved every minute. Can’t wait todo another
· · Amsterdam – Bruges by Bike and Boat – Princesse Royal
My husband and I booked this trip with several friends but we made many new friends on the trip. The guides were so knowledgeable and they too became friends. Each day we would start with a delicious breakfast, make our sack lunch and head out to get our bikes. The days were filled with wonderful cities and gorgeous countrysides. I don’t think you could have this kind of experience in a car or bus. We would have a morning break for coffee and later a stop for lunch either in city pubs or country inns. We returned back to the boat to find appetizers and the bar ready to receive orders. We could return to the comfort of our room for a hot shower or go in the hot tub. Always places you could find to be alone. The days followed the same routine, but the sites an food were always changing. Speaking of food, our chef did a fantastic job cooking for all 30 of us. The ship Captain and crew all pitched in to get our meals out quickly. Evening were sometimes optional tours or casual strolls along the water. Each day was magical.
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★★★★★ Roberta King September 25, 2022A Splendid Ride
· Highlights of Flanders: Belgium’s History, Art, Nature & Cuisine
This was a great, straightforward ride across Belgium.
We arrived in Brugge a day early to enjoy the town and met with Peter to get our bikes and gear for the ride.The navigation tool (a GPS) proved to be problematic, it was quite small and for us to read as we ride and was hard to follow and the paper map provided was not detailed enough to use for navigation.
We picked up a local bike map in Ghent and then a map book in Antwerp. With the map book we ditched the GPS and designed our own route on Belgium’s super amazing cycling network.
The bike network in Belgium is fantastic and we ride on dedicated roads, two tracks and canals to the Netherlands.
The bikes were great, belt drives instead of chains, which took some getting used to, but were comfortable and easy to use.
The hotels were super charming , unique and for the most part easy to find with help from google maps. Breakfasts were excellent on all stops.
Memorable moment is taking our bikes down and up two escalators to ride the river tunnel into Antwerp, slightly terrifying as we’d never done that before (and hope to not repeat).
The terrain was mostly flat with a few hills on the last day. The towns are lovely and we had fun exploring them.
Highly recommend this adventure, but secure the maps or books before you go.
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★★★★★ Amy Smith September 26, 2022
Great way to explore Belgium!
· Highlights of Flanders: Belgium’s History, Art, Nature & Cuisine
We enjoyed this tour greatly. Peter Fos, who owns the company, welcomed us in Bruges and gave us great bikes for the week. The tour included a Garmin Oregon 700, which is necessary to follow the route's many turns and bridges. One thing we really enjoyed was that each day's route ended at our hotel, which has not been the case on other tours. We appreciated the opportunity to shorten a couple of days by train. Hotels were nice, especially in Mechelen and Hasselt. All were located near the city center - not always the case on other self-guided tours. Be sure to request the brewery tour of Het Anker - it was one of our favorite parts of the trip and others on the tour who had not previously booked were unable to purchase tickets (sold out). We chose this tour in early September, which was a blessing and curse. Temperatures were comfortable, but there were several days with rain, although not the full day.
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★★★★★ Vincent Pouliot August 12, 2023
Superbe Belgique !
· Highlights of Flanders: Belgium’s History, Art, Nature & Cuisine
Très belle façon de découvrir la Belgique et ses petits trésors de jours en jours sur deux roues !
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★★★★★ dsr1691 August 8, 2017Great crew in North Holland on board Zwaan.
· · Amsterdam & The Sea by Bike and Boat
We had a great family vacation on board the Zwaan. The crew and our guide were marvellous and totally spoiled us. Dinner was a meal to look forward to with creative 3/4 course meals with a different country theme each night.
Wind was a bit of a problem and some cycling days were shortened due to strong head winds. Instead the captain cheerfully moved us ahead to less exposed trails. It was recommended that we use the services of a guide which turned out to be very good advice.- What was the date of your tour?
- July 29, 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Holland
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★★★★★ Dewey July 5, 2019
One of the most memorable vacations ever
· · Amsterdam & The Sea by Bike and Boat
This was a marvelous tour of Holland for an entire family: Grandparents through grandchildren - youngest age 12. Every one was ecstatic about the tour. Our guide outstanding, countryside beautiful, accommodations first rate and, best of all, the food was a treasure.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 15 June - 22 June
- How many tours have you completed?
- three
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Much easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Families with young kids, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Holland
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★★★★★ Gisele Berninghaus August 15, 2024
Bike and barge is fantastic.
· · Amsterdam & The Sea by Bike and Boat
Wonderful tour, Ed was a fun guide. Fantastic food and delightful crew. We loved biking The Netherlands and making new friends on the barge.
- What was the date of your tour?
- August 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- First itme
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Holland
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★★★★★ like2bike June 22, 2018Outstanding Tour Operator, Lovely trip in the Netherlands
· Cycling the Dutch Countryside from Zaandam to Kampen
We have been on around 8 bike trips and speaking from experience, Tulip Cycling is top notch/one of the best, if not the best. Peter provided all that was needed for an excellent adventure. Peter was friendly, positive, and he was meticulous in ensuring that the cyclists have a positive experience. He takes care of each group of cyclists, on an individual basis, so that each group gets the attention that they need to operate the Garmin device.
Positives:
* GPS/Garmin navigation, so you can simply rely on the Garmin to direct you. This is very useful, since there are so many opportunities to turn the wrong way in the Netherlands. Using a Garmin made a huge difference.* Detailed maps in case you get lost (we didn't).
* Ability to contact tour operator any time. Individualized service, including an interview at the end of the trip.
* Bikes were excellent, well maintained, locks worked well, breakdown assistance was available.
* We got really bad colds/bronchitis on day 3 of the trip, and we couldn't bike for the rest of the trip. But the trip wasn't over--we took buses and trains to get to each hotel, which worked out well. Peter brought our bikes to each hotel, in case we might want to use them. Incredible extra service!
* Hotels were excellent, and they were at or near the town centers. This is an important point--many other tour operators book top notch hotels outside of town. Being at the center of town, you can easily explore the town and select a suitable place for dinner. Also, most of the hotels had charm/grandeur and many were high end establishments. They were each unique and were not mainstream establishments.
* This tour is excellent. The tour takes you to small charming villages/cities in the Netherlands, heading north of Amsterdam. This is an excellent tour if you want to avoid large cities and traffic. The charming towns and villages were each unique and there was much to see and explore. A lovely trip, we would highly recommend this tour. The route was flat and landscapes were nice. The route was designed well to avoid traffic.
- What was the date of your tour?
- June
- How many tours have you completed?
- 8
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Holland
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★★★★★ kellyandvicky July 8, 2019
Well-planned tour that showed the best of Holland!
· Cycling the Dutch Countryside from Zaandam to Kampen
We had a wonderful trip through the northern coastal areas of Holland; the route was perfect and the hotels were excellent. More specific to our situation: our children (3 and 5) got a little bored after too much time on the bike, but that is not a fault of the tour operators. I suspect that we are in the minority in terms of age range?
Having said that, we had a wonderful time and experienced so many things that we know our children (and us!) will remember throughout our lives. Beautiful scenery, friendly people, comfortable accommodations, and the amazing cycling experience that is Holland. I would recommend doing this tour in combination with 1-2 full days in the larger cities so that you get the experience of the smaller towns (and daily life in Holland) in combination with the excitement and sights of the metropolitan areas.
Specific to cycling: the itinerary and cycling routes were perfect; the tour operators have clearly researched the best paths to take through the country. Coming from the chaotic mess of cycling in America, we were very happy to ride with our children along the suggested routes.
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Families with young kids, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Holland
