Belgium Bike Tour Reviews
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★★★★★ Margaret Farran
Not Really What We Expected
Bruges to Paris by Bike and Boat (and reverse)
We are seasoned bicyclists and have taken many bike tours. This tour was disappointing on a few fronts. The course of the tour had to change due to construction on the canal. This would have been fine except the guide, Harm, frequently did not seem to know where he was going. There were a couple of visits to places of interest (mining museum and a short stop at a WWI cemetery) but most times it felt like we were putting in time so as to not arrive hours before the boat arrived at its destination for the night. Our guide never led strolls around a town or provided much history. One evening when I asked if he could show us a pub to have a drink before dinner he said it was not his responsibility. We asked if we could bike on our own (as we have done on many other boat/bike tours in Europe) and were turned down. I pressed on quoting the description for the tour which read: "provide us with maps and all the information you'll need" to do a different distance. At that point Harm back tracked and said he'd provide this info. He never did. I've been biking for over 20 years on tours around the world and I have never had a guide so unhelpful and disengaged.
The food was adequate. Nice dinners but breakfast and lunch were lacking. We needed more sustenance for biking in October. Most tours provide a snack after a day of biking but we could not rely on one each day on this tour. The group bought our own snacks when we could but it was all rather odd. As if this tour had never hosted bikers before.
There was no wi-fi although the description said there would be. We at least had a data package, other people did not. What really gave us all pause was the captain's comments (1) it was too difficult to install wi-fi (I've never found that to be true on a boat) and (2) we really did not need it as we should not be on our phones during a tour. Rather presumptuous I thought. Don't advertise you have wi-fi when you don't.
We had some rain which was to be expected in October. One day it was just too wet to bike. We all stayed on the boat - no wi-fi, cabins too small to lounge in them, and while there was a large library of DVDs the captain announced the monitor did not work, therefore no video watching.
It felt like the boat was tired and the tour and crew either winding down for the season or going out of business.
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★★★★★ Mungo
Nice not to have to pack every day
Amsterdam – Bruges by Bike and Boat – Princesse Royal
Flat terrain, mostly bike paths and not having to pack and unpack are great advantages of this trip. The food and accommodations were better than expected. However, it is not recommended as a self-guided tour as the directions are not complete. Also, as a group tour with 35 people in a large pack makes it too cumbersome.
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★★★★★ ontherun
Great country to visit but maybe not with BikeBoatTours
Amsterdam – Bruges by Bike and Boat – Fluvius (and reverse)
We certainly enjoyed the country and the flat bike trails (lol!) but the company that provided our tour was mediocre at best. They had no concern for safety - did not require helmets, nor did the guides wear them. The bikes had no water bottle holder and the lights on the bikes did not work. Also, after strongly encouraging us to download Ride with GPS, they sent us the daily route but then: did NOT have holders on the bikes to put our phone on and it's illegal there to ride with a phone in your hand! Also, they did not follow the routes as stated in the Ride with GPS so the app was constantly beeping that we were off track and was, essentially useless. The guides seemed to be suffering from burnout. They were nice but did not offer any information unless asked and were extremely disorganized throughout the trip. The food on the boat was adequate but repetitive - same breakfast every day and we had to make our own lunch from the same food every day....unless it ran out and then we were stuck with prosciutto and bread that day. The boat itself was nice and the cabins were nice. Cleaning was not done during the trip unless asked.
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★★★★★ bonnie100
So So Vacation
Bruges to Paris by Bike and Boat (and reverse)
Good bike trip if you like a slow pace. Lots of time wasted at not very interesting sites. Had to "kill" time in order not to get to the barges anchoring site before the barge got there which was usually between 4-6 PM. The barge itself was fair. But some of the scenery in Belgium and France was beautiful making the trip tolerable. Food was average. Bikes were very good.
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★★★★★ doedoe
Know 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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★★★★★ JEC65
A different biking experience
Bruges to Paris by Bike and Boat (and reverse)
Thirteen days of easy to moderate biking. The crew were friendly and helpful. The food was excellent! Lots of extra sightseeing excursions to choose from. Very old boat with very small cabins was the only drawback but price was reasonable.Generally the routes were on quiet roads on all types of surfaces.
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★★★★★ Bernadette
NOT QUITE AS EXPECTED
Amsterdam – Bruges by Bike and Boat – Magnifique III (and reverse)
If you are expecting a leisurely bike ride along a well-marked path, plenty of time to stop for pictures and sightseeing, you will probably be disappointed. The route is not a dedicated, clearly-marked bike path along the river from Bruges to Brussels. It is so long and convoluted that even a guide got lost — twice.
Participants who don’t pay extra for a guided tour are provided a GPS app to navigate the route. Those accustomed to using GPS did o.k. We got lost right away. The GPS wasn’t much help since the signal was weak. We made it to the first town on the route where we ran into the guided tour group and decided to follow them. Some of the group members said the guide had gotten lost before we met up with them. She got lost again after we joined them. A 30-mile bike ride turned into a 55-mile ride after all the back tracking. Batteries on most of the e-bikes expired. One rider was so exhausted that she collapsed on the side of the road. We went past historic windmills, but the guide said little or nothing about them.
On another day, a different guide (after the previous incident, the trip became a guided tour for all), took us speedily through rugged, forested terrain that was more suitable for a mountain bike. It was all we could do to keep up, even though most participants rode their own bikes regularly at home. The route also included short stretches through busy, urban areas.
During the trip, there were numerous spills and a few non-incapacitating injuries. One person had bloody scrapes on her leg, which a passing good Samaritan bandaged. One scraped and bruised rider was possibly saved from a concussion by her helmet. While regular bikes are also available, E-bikes are heavy and harder to balance, especially on take-off.
The boat portion of the trip was much more enjoyable. The boat literally glided down the canal. The rooms were spotless and the crew friendly and courteous. The chef, who announced each night’s offering in a charming way, prepared meals on par with an upscale restaurant. That salvaged what otherwise would have been a rough ride.
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★★★★★ Richard M
Thanks
Bruges to Dutch Border Bike Tour
The guides for the tour were really excellent. Werner and Kim really looked after us and were very professional and friendly.
The bikes weren’t great but they were ok.
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★★★★★ Richard M
Thanks
Bruges to Dutch Border Bike Tour
The guides for the tour were really excellent. Werner and Kim really looked after us and were very professional and friendly.
The bikes weren’t great but they were ok.
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★★★★★ Richard M
Thanks
Bruges to Dutch Border Bike Tour
The guides for the tour were really excellent. Werner and Kim really looked after us and were very professional and friendly.
The bikes weren’t great but they were ok.
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★★★★★ Whydoyouneedthis
Bruges to Paris by Bike and Boat (and reverse)
France between Bruges and Paris is pretty flat and not to scenic. Very historic. Small towns are pretty well deserted and therefore not very interesting. The agriculture is industrialized. Canals, locks and industry of the canals was interesting. Two weeks is a long time seeing castles, churches and industrial farms.
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★★★★★ john k
easy barge tour
Bruges to Paris by Bike and Boat (and reverse)
a great ride without a lot of traffic. small barge only 9 riders and a guide in our group which helps keeping the group together in busy places
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★★★★★ Cheryl King
Enjoyable
Amsterdam – Bruges by Bike and Boat – Magnifique II (and reverse)
Personally, I really disliked the food. Few fish/seafood dishes on our group, plus an entire Indonesian meal. May be fine for some, but definitely was not for me or for some others which sucks because there’s no other options other than what is served. If I had known that I would be limited to what was served. And you got no notice until the meal was being served, I would’ve packed some protein bars and some additional snacks to bring a board. The rooms are great, cozy with a fantastic shower. The staff are fantastic. The bicycles were top rate and our guides were wonderful.
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★★★★★ Kathryn Francis
Bike and barge experience
Amsterdam – Bruges by Bike and Boat – Magnifique II (and reverse)
I thoroughly enjoyed the bike and barge experience. The boat accommodations were great. Staff and guides were very professional, knowledgeable and accommodating. Had to switch bikes on 2nd day to e-bike as head winds and distance made riding difficult. E-bikes should be highly recommended. Meals were fair. Should have a menu and at least 1 other option at each meal. No variety in lunch. Tour should arrange schedule so that guests have option of eating sandwich or lunch at a restaurant. Need stronger hair dryer.
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★★★★★ Virginia Snider
First time bike trip
Amsterdam – Bruges by Bike and Boat – Magnifique II (and reverse)
Wasnt sure what to expect as a first for this experience but was impressed with the comfort and cleanliness of the boat accommodations. Crew and guides were awesome, always helpful.
Compliments to the chef for his presentation on the food, no lack of portions, although the dinners werent always what I was used to eating, I did try some things, great choices for breakfast, Bread was awesome. It was nice to have the appetizers on our return. Would have been nice ,a couple of days ,to take time at a cafe stop to order a lunch rather than take the same sandwich each day .
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★★★★★ Virginia Snider
First time bike trip
Amsterdam – Bruges by Bike and Boat – Magnifique II (and reverse)
Wasnt sure what to expect as a first for this experience but was impressed with the comfort and cleanliness of the boat accommodations. Crew and guides were awesome, always helpful.
Compliments to the chef for his presentation on the food, no lack of portions, although the dinners werent always what I was used to eating, I did try some things, great choices for breakfast, Bread was awesome. It was nice to have the appetizers on our return. Would have been nice ,a couple of days ,to take time at a cafe stop to order a lunch rather than take the same sandwich each day . -
★★★★★ Raystrach
Nice Trip Overall
Amsterdam – Gouda – Bruges by Bike and Boat
Whilst this was a very easy cycling trip, but for us it was a real eye opener as we had never travelled to The Netherlands or Belgium before. It was great to the way the Dutch and Belgians have set up the communities to survive against the ever present threat of inundation. The countryside is beautiful and the way communities are set up is fascinating. The old towns and cities have their own style, different to Spain and Italy, so if you are interested in the old buildings and windmills, you won't be disappointed.
The entire staff on the boat were excellent and meals were superb. Companionship within the cycling group was also very good.
The only thing that was a little off-putting were some changes to overnight mooring spots over the course of the day on a couple of occasions. It didn't bother us that we had to cycle an extra few kilometers, but some cyclists were not used to travelling longer distances, so struggled a bit. I'm not sure why there was this uncertainty, but it took a little bit of gloss off what was a very enjoyable tour.
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★★★★★ Donnan Sharp
Fun!!!
Amsterdam – Bruges by Bike and Boat – Magnifique III (and reverse)
We biked on our own so probably missed some highlights, but GPS helped us follow same routes. Local bikers very fast so needed to pay strict attention!! But in all, totally awesome.
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★★★★★ L Coughlan
Great cycling adventure
Amsterdam – Bruges by Bike and Boat – Magnifique II (and reverse)
Well organized tour although our guide was not aware of road closures or changes a few times. It would be appreciated if more scheduled bathroom stops were available.
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