Belgium Bike Tour Reviews
-
★★★★★ Margaret Farran 2 months agoNot 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.- What was the date of your tour?
- October 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 20+
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Do you recommend this tour?
- No
- Countries included in this tour?
- Belgium, France
-
BikeTours.com staff reply from bozena_kusovac October 24, 2023
Hello Margaret! We're so sorry to hear about your disappointing experience. We deeply regret that it did not meet your expectations, and we sincerely apologize for any inconvenience you encountered. We truly value your feedback and are committed to improving our services. Your input is crucial in helping us refine our services. Your comments about the tour route, lack of historical information, and guide foremost, are duly noted. We will address these concerns diligently and work on providing a better experience in the future. Thank you very much for bringing this to our attention. We value your 20 years of biking experience and hope to have the opportunity to provide you with a more engaging and rewarding tour in the future.
-
★★★★★ Margaret Medernach 3 months agoBike tour
· Bruges City Bike Tour
Great tour. Guide was very informed and knew the city well. Very enjoyable ride through Bruges
- What was the date of your tour?
- October 5 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 5
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens, Families with young kids
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
-
★★★★★ David Baker 3 months ago
First time bike-barge touring
· · Bruges to Paris by Bike and Boat (and reverse)
This was our first time doing a bike-barge tour. We chose this tour based on positive recommendations from friends who had been on it before. Their recommendations and suggestions were spot on so when we took the tour we were well prepared. The crew of the barge were very pleasant and accommodating. If you're expecting five star cruise accommodations you'll be disappointed, but the dinners were outstanding and the cabins fulfilled our needs. There was maintenance on our original route so the captain had to take another route which meant all our rides had to be redone by the ride leader. We still had interesting and enjoyable rides. It's important to be a flexible traveler in order to truly enjoy this type of tour. We stayed in Bruge two days before the trip and we stayed two more days in Belgium after the tour and would recommend anyone taking this trip to do likewise.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Belgium, France
-
★★★★★ David Baker 3 months ago
Great experience for first time bike tourists
· · Bruges to Paris by Bike and Boat (and reverse)
The tour met and exceeded our expectations for a first time bike tourists. The barge captain had to make a detour due to construction which required changes in the itinerary but the crew and guide took it in stride and still gave a great experience.
-
★★★★★ Linden Bentley 3 months agoGreat organization, fantastic biking.
· · Amsterdam – Bruges by Bike and Boat – Fluvius (and reverse)
The biking staff we very helpful and knowledgeable. King and welcoming, understanding of all levels and the territory. The daily rides by digital “ride with gps” was pretty much flawless, and the app staff very fast and helpful when a problem arose.
The boat staff very warm and helpful. The cleaning staff timely and great for cabin cleaning. The chef; warm, funny and talented. Food delicious. -
★★★★★ Frank Boyle 3 months agoBeautiful & flat ride across the Netherlands
· Amsterdam to Bruges: Cycling through South Holland and Zeeland
The scenery was spectacular, as was immersion into the historic towns and restaurants. The local tour company was particularly wonderful, reimbursing us no questions asked for the cost of repairing a worn out tire. I HIGHLY recommend downloading the optional GPX file to your phone and making sure you can use it before you arrive, we found it much easier to see the tricky navigation turns on the phone than on the small (and often hard to see) screen of the small Garmin GPS device provided.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 4
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens, Families with young kids
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Belgium, Holland
-
★★★★★ Tom Hawkins 3 months ago
Trip postponed
· · Amsterdam – Bruges by Bike and Boat – Fluvius (and reverse)
We were unable to do this fantastic trip due to an injury. We are how every very excited about doing it next year. It sounds like a fantastic experience!
-
★★★★★ Richard Goldsmith 4 months agoA step into the world of Germany
· · Germany, Netherlands, Belgium by Bike/E-Bike and Boat
The A-Rosa Sena is a brand-new river boat. It is great. Every spacious room has a balcony. The food, all served buffet style, is abundant and delicious with many choices. The biking was well-planned and executed. They took very good care of us English speakers. The pace was fine. The countryside was beautiful. The trailside lunches they prepared were lovely. The leaders were knowledgeable and friendly. All around it was a great trip. Oh, there were only three passengers on the boat and one in out tour, who spoke English but we enjoyed that as we got to brush up on our Gremna.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 6
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Germany, Holland, Belgium
-
★★★★★ Larry Siegler 4 months agoGreat trip
· · Amsterdam – Bruges by Bike and Boat – Magnifique II (and reverse)
The bike and barge trip exceeded our expectations greatly. We highly recommend this trip. The crew was wonderful and the meals were delicious. There were many additional items that made the trip memorable ie canal cruise, nightly walking tours of the towns, great stops on the cycle ride. It was a spectacular experience.
-
★★★★★ Allen Terrell 4 months agoGreat sites, good value
· · Amsterdam – Gouda – Bruges by Bike and Boat
We had a wonderful trip. Many Thanks to your staff, Mariam and Taylor, in helping us..
For the price, the barge was fine, the food excellent and the barge crew terrific.
Caution you to except overly positive reviews from passengers who all filled out reviews on the last night while receiving free champagne. Aliso, while nice, the leader was not too helpful and not much of a mechanic [4 of the E bikes were not charged on our first ride].
-
★★★★★ Karen Donnelly 4 months agoBeautiful biking and barge
· · Amsterdam – Bruges by Bike and Boat – Magnifique IV (and reverse)
The biking was easy and rode most of it unassisted with 3-5 others. But the first day was with a guide, who was very helpful and knowledgeable about the area. The App we were provided was very good and gave us various lengths of the routes we could follow and places to stop along the way.
-
★★★★★ Ina Graham 4 months ago
Beautiful scenic biking
· · Amsterdam – Gouda – Bruges by Bike and Boat
Fun, knowledgeable guide. Great travelling companions. Amazing gourmet suppers on boat. Extremely helpful crew when husband needed medical attention.
-
★★★★★ Karen Crisp 4 months ago
Above my expectations!
· · Amsterdam – Bruges by Bike and Boat – Magnifique II (and reverse)
This was our first bike and barge trip and not knowing what to expect, my husband and I were thrilled with the outcome! The Magnifique II accommodations, the ship staff, the tour guides, the meals prepared by Chef Michael were all phenomenal and will definitely look at doing more of these.
-
★★★★★ Vincent Pouliot 5 months agoSuperbe 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 !
-
★★★★★ Brian Hallgarth 5 months ago
Fantastic Bike/Barge Trip
· · Amsterdam – Bruges by Bike and Boat – Magnifique IV (and reverse)
This Brugge to Amsterdam bike and barge trip exceeded our expectations in many ways. The barge was deluxe, clean and comfortable and the food was good. We had an upper level stateroom and think it was worth the cost.
The biking was easy although there were very strong winds a few times. We tried e bikes. About half the riders used them. This was our first experience with e bikes but at age 66 I will rent one again although we are long time , long distance cyclists.
We did expect more independent cycling and some cycling instruction for new riders riding in a large group. However, the route was tricky with so many paths to take so we stayed in the group. The small towns and scenery were a wonderful experience. The guides and boat crew were very knowledgeable and personable.
We will look for a similar experience in the future.- What was the date of your tour?
- July 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 9
- 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
-
★★★★★ Katherine Fackler-Chapman 6 months ago
Perfect trip to combine cyclists and non cyclist friends
· · Amsterdam – Bruges by Bike and Boat – Magnifique IV (and reverse)
Our guides Corrie and Hetty were knowledgeable and friendly, the crew of Chris , Alexis, Hella, and Ingaborg were helpful and gave great service, and the meals from chef Michel were outstanding. We will definitely do another trip with this company. Flat terrain and e-bikes or comfortable hybrids allowed people of all cycling levels to enjoy trip, and the small size allowed all of us to make new friends!
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Belgium, Holland
-
★★★★★ Constanza Bahamondes 6 months agoWonderful experience
· Bruges to Dutch Border Bike Tour
Beautiful landscapes with great company. The guiade always was worry for our safety and every was very clear. She had a good sense of humor and gave us a nice evening.I totally recomend to take this tour!
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 30th
- How many tours have you completed?
- 10
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
-
★★★★★ Constanza Bahamondes 6 months ago
Nice and best way to know Brugges
· Bruges City Bike Tour
Excelent way to know Brugges with amd excellent guiade. She told us a lot history about the city and every was very clear. I recommend that tour!
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 29th 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 9
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
-
★★★★★ Constanza Bahamondes 6 months ago
Wonderful experience
· Bruges to Dutch Border Bike Tour
Beautiful landscapes with great company. The guiade always was worry for our safety and every was very clear. She had a good sense of humor and gave us a nice evening.I totally recomend to take this tour!
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 30th
- How many tours have you completed?
- 10
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
