Bruges to Paris

Paris to Bruges

Day 1: Paris - Bougival
Day 2: Paris (Bougival) - Auvers-sur-Oise, 26 or 28 mi. (42 or 46 km)
Day 3: Auvers-sur-Oise - Beaumont | Beaumont - Creil | Creil - Pont-Ste.-Maxence, 26 mi. (43 km)
Day 4: Pont-Ste-Maxence - Compiègne, 28 or 34 mi. (44 or 54 km)  
Day 5: Compiègne - Pont l'Évêque, 26 or 31 mi. (42 or 51 km)
Day 6: Pont l’Évêque - Haudival | Haudival - Péronne, 29 or 34 mi. (47 or 56 km)
Day 7: Day in Péronne
Day 8:  Péronne - Ytres | Ytres - Moeuvres, 24 or 33 mi. (40 or 52 km)
Day 9: Moeuvres - Cambrai - Arleux | Arleux - Pont Malin, 21 or 31 mi. (35 or 50 km)
Day 10: Pont Malin - Denain | Denain - Doornik (Tournai), 29 or 31 mi. (47 or 51 km)
Day 11: Doornik (Tournai) - Oudenaarde, 26 or 27 mi. (41 or 43 km)
Day 12: Oudenaarde - Ghent, 27 mi. (45 km) 
Day 13: Ghent - Aalterbrug | Aalterbrug - Bruges, 21 or 28 mi. (34 or 44 km)
Day 14: Bruges, 13 or 23 mi. (22 or 38 km)
Day 15: Bruges

Sections in italics are traversed while you are on board the ship. On some days you can choose between a longer or a shorter cycling route. Please note that on the shorter routes you may not be able to visit all the highlights mentioned.

Day 1: Paris - Bougival 
Embarkation and check-in at 2 p.m. in the center of Paris.  If you would like, you can bring luggage on board at 11 am but the cabins will not be ready for check-in. After a welcome by the captain and an introduction to the crew and tour leader, the boat will cruise through Paris and moor outside the city center. After dinner onboard, enjoy a short walk through Bougival.

Extra nights in Paris before your tour are recommended so that you have time to explore this beautiful city. 

Day 2: Paris (Bougival) - Auvers-sur-Oise, 26 or 28 mi. (42 or 46 km)
After breakfast, you will cycle along quiet towpaths along the river Seine to St. Germain, located on higher ground. The gardens of Le Nôtre provide a magnificent view across Paris. Next, you will ride through a forest area to Conflans for a picnic on the pier amongst the terraces. After a short stop at the Pontoise Bridge, you continue cycling across the picturesque Chemin des Monts to the church of Auvers, famous for Van Gogh’s paintings. You will have the possibility to visit Van Gogh’s grave at the local cemetery during a short evening walk.

Day 3: Auvers-sur-Oise - Beaumont | Beaumont - Creil | Creil - Pont-Ste.-Maxence, 26 mi. (43 km)
You will start your day with a sailing breakfast to Beaumont and from here, begin cycling following the Oise River upstream. You will pass the abbey of Royaumont, one of the best-preserved abbeys from the 13th century. During the afternoon you will visit the splendid Chateau de Chantilly, a magnificent castle and its art gallery, the Musée Condé, which houses one of the finest collections of paintings in France. The bike tour ends in Creil, and from there, the boat takes you to today's destination, Pont-Ste-Maxence

Day 4: Pont-Ste.-Maxence – Compiègne, 28 or 34 mi. (44 or 54 km)  
The bike trip starts in Pont-Sainte-Maxence. This town owes its name to the fact that in the Middle Ages, it possessed one of the few bridges over the Oise River. Therefore Pont-Ste-Maxence became the place to stay the night for kings and merchants, who were on their way to Flanders. Your biking begins here and after a short distance, you pass the abbey of Moncel, which in 1309 was founded by King Philip le Bel. Before you reach your destination, Compiègne, you will cycle through the forest named after this town “Forêt de Compiègne”. French kings loved to hunt here. The longer tour adds some more miles of forest and also the little town of Pierrefonds, where you can admire the exterior of the impressive castle. Compiègne owes its architectural wealth to the proximity of Paris. The gardens of the Chateau de Compiègne are definitely worth a visit.

Day 5: Compiègne - Pont l'Évêque, 26 or 31 mi. (42 or 51 km)
Today you leave the river Oise to continue your trip by way of the canal system connecting France and Belgium. In the morning you cycle into the most northern part of the forest of Compiègne.  Here you visit the “Clairière de l’Armistice”, the place where the French and German generals signed the Treaty to end World War I. You can visit the small but interesting museum. The route then leads across the Aisne River and through the forest of Ourscamp. In the afternoon you will spend some time in Noyon, where you can visit one of the oldest Cathedrals in the country. After your visit, you will cycle back to the canal at Pont l’Évêque, where the Zwaantje will be waiting for you.

Day 6: Pont l’Évêque - Haudival | Haudival - Péronne, 29 or 34 mi. (47 or 56 km)
Today you continue the cruise on and along the Canal du Nord. The construction of this canal was already planned in 1903, but it took until 1966 to finish the works. It was built to replace the older and smaller Canal de St. Quentin, constructed by Napoleon in 1801, to transport coal from the mines to the north. During breakfast, the barge will navigate to Haudival. Here your cycling itinerary begins through gently rolling, open, countryside to the art deco town of Ham, located on the banks of the River Somme. You will pass through other picturesque villages all the way to Péronne. The barge will be moored just outside this charming town with its quaint square and church as well as a castle and the fascinating Grande Guerre museum.

Day 7: Day in Péronne
The boat will stay in Péronne. You have time to visit the museum, rest, and do some shopping. Today there is no dinner on board. You can select one of the local restaurants.

Day 8:  Péronne - Ytres | Ytres - Moeuvres, 24 or 33 mi. (40 or 52 km)
The first part of your cycling tour goes through the valley of the Somme River. Later you will continue through the sparsely populated open and rolling landscape to Ruyaulcourt. At the end of WW1, this area was the frontline of the battle around the Somme.

The Canal du Nord has 2 tunnels, which the barge has to sail through. The longest one is the tunnel of Ruyalcourt, which is 4,350 meters (2.7 miles) long. As soon as are all back on board, the Zwaantje will pass this tunnel. Above the tunnel is the watershed between the rivers Somme and Escaut (Scheldt). From there the barge, therefore, goes downhill in the direction of Arleux. The boat will moor in Moeuvres, an outskirt of this town.

Day 9: Moeuvres - Cambrai - Arleux | Arleux - Pont Malin, 21 or 31 mi. (35 or 50 km)
Your cycling tours lead to the city of Cambrai, once a Roman provincial capital, and an important destination for pilgrims. Worth seeing are the impressive restored buildings of the city fortress, built under King Charles V. Then you will cycle through the marshlands of Chantraine to rural Arleux where the boat wats to take you to the lock of Pont Malin.

Day 10: Pont Malin - Denain | Denain - Doornik (Tournai), 29 or 31 mi. (47 or 51 km)
Today the boat follows the Canal du Grand Gabarit for a few hours, passing through a former industrial area of northern France. Old coal mines and steel sites border the canal. You will start your bicycle ride in Denain. The tour goes through open farmland, through little mining towns towards Lewarde, where a mining museum can be visited.

Once in Belgium, you will cycle through the so-called “white land”. The charming little fortress town Antoing lies at the heart of this region and since the Roman days, (white) limestone has been mined here. Today’s destination is Doornik (in French: Tournai), one of the oldest cities of Belgium. Now you are in Wallonia, French-speaking Belgium, where all towns and villages have both a French and a Flemish name. Up till the beginning of the 17th century, Doornik was ruled by the French. Here, tapestry weaving gained in importance, while the cloth industry became less important. In the various museums of the town, excellent examples can be seen. In 1940 the entire city center was destroyed after a German air raid. However, the town has been renovated splendidly. Especially the cathedral Notre Dame (12th and 13th century) is worth seeing, as well as the Belfort, which was built at about 1200.

Day 11: Doornik (Tournai) - Oudenaarde, 26 or 27 mi. (41 or 43 km)
Now the barge sails downstream the river Scheldt and after crossing the language barrier you enter the Flemish region. From here onwards, Flemish is the spoken language. Your target today is Oudenaarde. In former days this little town was situated on the border of the French and German Empires and as a result, it was involved in wars frequently. Since Oudenaarde was right in the firing line, there was always someone on the lookout. The statue of the most famous watchman, Hanske de Krijger, stands atop the splendid city hall. In the first half of the 16th century, this city hall was built of sandstone in Brabantine late Gothic style and it is one of the most beautiful city halls of Flanders. Oudenaarde is also known as the town of the tapestry weavers. Their tapestry is famous all over the world.

Day 12: Oudenaarde - Ghent, 27 mi. (45 km) 
Shortly after starting your cycling tour at Oudenaarde you briefly stop at the ruins of the old abbey of Ename, located at the river Scheldt. You keep on following the river towards Ghent, your destination. Ghent is a lively university town with a rich history. The town arose in Roman days on the confluence of the rivers Leie and Schelde. This favorable location brought on quite some wealth with a peak in the late 13th and early 14th century. The cloth industry was a source of great richness in the late Middle Ages. In the city, many patrician residences have been preserved. In the “Lakenhal” – Cloth Hall – (1425) the cloth traders gathered. The most important church is St. Baafs Cathedral, which was constructed in different centuries and in different styles. In the cathedral, several masterpieces of medieval painting are to be found. “The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb” by Jan van Eyck is the most famous of all. You may wish to take a city tour by boat or visit the old castle Gravensteen.

Day 13: Ghent - Aalterbrug | Aalterbrug - Bruges, 21 or 28 mi. (34 or 44 km)
While enjoying breakfast you will cruise the canal Ghent – Bruges to Aalterbrug. Here you will start your cycling tour. Today your cycling tour goes through the pleasant flat countryside of Western Flanders to Bruges. Bruges, also called “Venice of the North”, is said to be the most beautiful of all Flemish cities. Its old center, which dates from the Middle Ages, is almost completely intact. In past ages, Bruges was a metropole, a center of trade and art, which you can still fully enjoy. 

Day 14: Bruges, 13 mi. (22 km) or 23 mi. (38 km)
Today the barge will stay in Bruges. An optional bicycle ride through the pleasant countryside around Bruges will be offered but you can also choose to spend your time in the beautiful city of Bruges and visit a museum or explore the shops.

Day 15: Bruges

Bruges to Paris

Day 1: Bruges 13 mi. (22 km)
Day 2: Bruges ­- Aalterbrug | Aalterbrug - Ghent, 21 or 28 mi. (34 or 44 km) 
Day 3: Ghent ­- Oudenaarde, 28 or  32 mi. (44 or 53 km)
Day 4: Oudenaarde­ - Doornik (Tournai), 26 mi. (42 km) 
Day 5: Doornik (Tournai) - Bleharies | Bleharies – Pont Malin | Pont Malin - Arleux, 26 or 32 mi. (41 or 53 km)
Day 6: Arleux - Ruyalcourt, 21 or 31 mi. (35 or 51 km) 
Day 7: Ruyalcourt - Péronne, 24 or 33 mi. (39 or 52 km) 
Day 8:  Péronne
Day 9: Péronne - Épénancourt | Épénancourt  - Noyon - Pont l’Évêque, 24 or 29 mi. (39 or 48 km) 
Day 10: Pont l’Évêque - Compiègne, 23 or 27 mi. (36 or 45 km)
Day 11: Compiègne - Pont-St.Maxence, 27 or 34 mi. (45 or 55 km)
Day 12: Pont-St.Maxence - Creil | Creil - Beaumont | Beaumont - Auvers-sur-Oise, 27 or 35 mi. (42 or 57 km)
Day 13: Auvers-sur-Oise - Paris (Bougival), 26 or 28 mi. (42 or 46 km)
Day 14: Paris (Bougival)
Day 15: Departure

Paris to Bruges

Day 1: Paris, 10 mi. (1 km)
Day 2: Paris - Bougival, 24 mi. (39 km)
Day 3: Bougival - Auvers sur Oise, 22 mi. (35 km) 
Day 4: Auvers sur Oise - Creil, 31 mi. (50 km)
Day 5: Creil - Compeigne, 28 mi. (45 km)
Day 6: Compiegne - Noyon, 28 mi. (45 km)
Day 7: Noyon - Péronne, 31 mi. (50 km)
Day 8: Péronne*
Day 9: Moislains - Arleux, 34 mi. (55 km)
Day 10: Arleux –  Valenciennes, 31 mi. (50 km)
Day 11: Valenciennes - Tournai, 38 mi. (60 km)
Day 12: Tournai - Oudenaarde, 21 mi. (50 km)
Day 13: Oudenaarde - Ghent, 28 mi. (45 km)
Day 14: Ghent - Bruges, 34 mi. (55 km) 
Day 15: Bruges 

*End of week 1 and departure, beginning of week 2 and arrival
Distances aboard the Feniks average approximately 28 mi. (45 km) per day or an average of approximately 4 to 5 hours of biking. 

Bruges to Paris

Day 1: Bruges, 11 mi. (18 km) 
Day 2: Bruges - Gent, 25 mi. (40 km)
Day 3: Gent - Oudenaarde, 28 mi. (45 km)
Day 4: Oudenaarde - Tournai, 30 mi. (48 km)
Day 5: Tournai - Bouchain/Arleux, 31 mi. (50 km)
Day 6: Bouchain/Arleux - Hermies, 31 mi. (50 km)
Day 7: Hermies - Peronne, 28 mi. (45 km)
Day 8: Peronne*
Day 9: Peronne - Pont 'l Eveque, 34 mi. (55 km)
Day 10: Pont 'l Eveque - Compeigne, 25 mi. (40 km)
Day 11: Compeigne - Creil, 25 mi. (40 km)
Day 12: Creil - Pontoise, 31 mi. (50 km)
Day 13: Pontoise - Bougival, 16 mi. (25 km)
Day 14: Bougival - Paris, 28 mi. (45 km)
Day 15: Departure Paris

*End of week 1 and departure, the beginning of week 2 and arrival
Distances aboard the Feniks average approximately 28 mi. (45km) per day or an average of approximately 4 to 5 hours biking.