| Tour | Bike+Boat |
|---|---|
| Type | Both |
| Skill | Easy |
| Length | 8 days |
| From | €1015 Rates |
| Client Reviews |
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Skill Level
This is an easy, guided bike and boat tour with average daily distances between 24 and 33 miles (40 and 55 km).
Tour Boats
Day-To-Day Itinerary
We are now busy updating our site for 2018. Therefore, an itinerary that you have booked in 2017, may be slightly different from what you now see on our site. If you have any questions at all, please contact us and we will provide your detailed itinerary.
ABOARD THE MAGNIFIQUE, MAGNIFIQUE II, AND QUO VADIS
Day 1: Arrival in Brussels
Day 2: Brussels - Vilvoorde - Mechelen - Willebroek, 24 miles (40 km)
Day 3: Willebroek - Antwerp, 27 miles (45 km)
Day 4: Antwerp - St Amands/Dendermonde, 25 - 34 mi.(42 - 56 km). If necessary St. Amands - Dendermonde by ship 30 miles (50 km)
Day 5: Dendermonde - Ghent, 24 miles (40 km)
Day 6: Ghent - Vinderhoute - Bruges, 27 miles (45 km)
Day 7: Bruges and the North Sea, 32 miles (50 km)
Day 8: Bruges
All distances are approximate. Itinerary is subject to change due to unforeseen circumstance, including but not limited to weather, last minute mooring changes, and restructuring of locks or bridges.
Day 1: Arrival Brussels
Check in on board begins at 3 PM on the Quo Vadis and 1 pm on the Magnifiques. You are free to drop off your luggage beginning at 9:30 am. However cabins willnot be ready for check in at that time. After arrival on board, there will be time to explore this beautiful capital of Belgium. Apart from its famous chocolates and beers, Brussels has many other attractions. It is a center of European culture, officially nicknamed ‘the European Village’, with almost 90 museums, beautiful parks, fascinating walks, and trendy restaurants and bars.
Day 2: Brussels – Vilvoorde |Mechelen – Willebroek, 24 miles (40 km)
During breakfast, the barge will sail to Vilvoord where the bike tour will begin. Along the way, you will visit Mechelen with its remarkable historical buildings; almost 300 of them! Continuing on through the green, softly rolling countryside, picturesque villages and large country estates will pass by. The barge will meet you at the day’s destination of Willebroek.
Day 3: Willebroek – Antwerp, 27 miles (45 km)
From Willebroek, you will head to Antwerp. This harbor city on the river Schelde is one of the world's major diamond towns and has many highlights: the City Hall was one of the several majestic buildings constructed during the Renaissance, the historical City Square, Grote Market, the Onze-Lieve-Vrouwe cathedral, and the medieval Steen Castle.
Day 4: Antwerp - St Amands/Dendermonde, 25 - 34 mi.(42 - 56 km). If necessary St. Amands - Dendermonde by ship 30 miles (50 km). This might take place the morning of Day 5 depending on mooring arrangements.
Today’s tour leads upstream on the Schelde to Hemiksem and after a short ascent, on to Repelmonde. Here, the Rupel flows into the Schelde and you will follow it for a few miles until the village of Niel, next to the nature reserve of Walenhoek. Between Niel and Boom is a historical area where bricks have been manufactured since the Middle Ages. From here, you will cross the canal Brussels-Rupel to the water tower of St. Amands further along the Schelde, till you reach the beautiful city Dendermonde. After the day’s cycling ends, you will have time to relax and enjoy the bustling Flemish market square of Grote.
Day 5: Dendermonde – Ghent, 24 miles (40 km)
The Magnifique will be moored in Merelbeke, a suburb of the beautiful city of Ghent. The architectural richness in the historical center of the city of Ghent has been maintained well. Under the watchful eye of Gravensteen Castle or Castle of the Counts, the city boasts an Opera House, 18 museums, 100 churches, and over 400 historical buildings. The most visited site in Ghent is the famous painting "The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb", painted by the brothers Jan and Hubert van Eyck in 1432. It still hangs in its original location, the St. Bavo Cathedral.
Day 6: Ghent – Vinderhoute – Bruges, 27 miles (45 km)
After breakfast, the cycle will begin to Vinderhoute. Part of today’s tour follows along the Ghent Canal to Oostende through the stretched Flemish landscape until Bruges. Also known as the “Venice of the North”, Bruges is well known for its historical art and museums. The city center, with its winding canals, has been listed as a World Cultural Heritage Site of UNESCO.
Day 7: Bruges and the North Sea, 32 miles (50 km)
The last bike tour of this vacation takes you first to a quiet canal along which are situated lots of poplars trees, polder landscapes, and quaint farmhouses. Via the small city of Damme, you will enter the fashionable and exclusive seaside resort of Knokke on the North Sea coast. It is home to a 12 km long sandy beach, numerous cafes, and the attractive dune landscape of the nature reserve of Het Zwin. The route continues through Sluis, a small Dutch village and back to Bruges riding along a small canal.
Day 8: Bruges
Disembarkation after breakfast.
Bruges to Brussels
Day 1: Arrival in Bruges. Check in on board begins at 3 PM on the Quo Vadis and 1 pm on the Magnifiques. You may bring your luggage on board beginning at 9:30 am. However, cabins will not be ready for check in.
Day 2: Bruges and the North Sea, 32 miles (50 km) on the Quo Vadis. Bruges - Damme - Blankenberge - Bruges, 33 mi. (55 km) on the Magnifiques
Day 3: Bruges - Moerebrugge| Moerebrugge – Oostende – Ghent, 24 miles (40 km)
Day 4: Ghent - Dendermonde, 29 miles (48 km) and perhaps to St. Amands for overnight
Day 5: Dendermonde - St. Amands | St. Amands – Temse – Antwerp, 25 miles (42 km)
Day 6: Antwerp - Lier - Willebroek, 27 miles (45 km)
Day 7: Willebroek - Mechelen - Vilvoorde, 24 miles (40 km)
Day 8: Brussels
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Pricing Information
Travel Details
Travel
Fly to Amsterdam or Brussels.
Local Travel
If you fly into Amsterdam, you can access the train station on the lower level of the airport. From there you will take a short train ride to Amsterdam Centraal, the main train station in Amsterdam. A train to Brussels Central is about 2 hours and 40 minutes with one transfer in Rotterdam Centraal. A train to Bruges is close to 4 hours with either one or two transfers.If you fly into Brussels, it is just a short train ride to Brussels Central from the airport and then you can take a taxi to the harbor. If your tour is beginning in Bruges, it is about an hour and a half train ride with one transfer in Brussels Midi.
Climate
Please check local conditions before your arrival. Average high/low temperatures (°F) for Brussels: April 55°/40°, May 63°/47°, June 67°/52°, July 72°/56, August 72°/55°, and September 66°/52°.
Tour Operator
This tour is operated by Boat-Bike Tours. We do not run these tours ourselves, we never have. We work on commission from our local partners plus a small administration fee of €20. We pride ourselves on the strong relationship we have with our local partners and the services we provide.
Brussels To Bruges Bike and Boat Tour Boats + Barges
Magnifique Netherlands Comfort Plus Class Boat The boat is 63 meters long and accommodates maximum of 35 guests. Other features include a beautiful salon with a spacious bar, a sun deck equipped with comfortable chairs, and a small whirlpool to relax in at the end of a long day of cycling. Delicious meals are served daily in the restaurant area.
Magnifique II Belgium, Netherlands Comfort Plus Class Boat In 2016, we saw the launch of a new premium barge, the Magnifique II, to wonderful reviews. The ship boasts a classical style with emphasis on superior comfort. Highlights of the barge include 4 upper deck suites, with cozy seating area, and lovely large panoramic windows. This ship has earned the premium designation!
Quo Vadis Belgium, Netherlands, Germany Comfort Plus Class Boat The beautiful MS Quo Vadis, put into service in April 2006, is comfortably furnished and so cozy you will feel right at home. It is equipped with 12 spacious cabins with private bath, two single beds that can be pushed together, and air conditioning (windows cannot be opened). Each cabin has a safe for valuables. The ship offers a gorgeous open salon with corner seats, a restaurant, a small bar, and a sundeck with umbrellas. With a guitar and piano right on board, you can enjoy regular live music during downtime.
Magnifique III Netherlands, Belgium Comfort Plus Class Boat A new ship is born!
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Customer Feedback
Patricua O. 2 weeks ago
The tour guide was excellent. Also the Captain and crew were excellent. It was a wonderful way to meet people, get some exercise, sightsee and enjoy lovely food. The Quo Vadis has an excellent chef. All of the crew spoke English, German and I believe also French and Spanish. They looked after the group so well, nothing was too much trouble. I would recommend this tour without hesitation.
Boat: Quo Vadis
Reply
Henry S. 10 months ago
Our guide, Arie, was terrific! The chef, Chris (I think), was fantastic! The whole bike/barge week was a 5 out of 5 experience
Boat: Magnifique
Reply
Jeff S. 11 months ago
The bike and barge trip aboard the Magnifique was amazing. Could not have asked for a better trip! Can't wait to go on another bike and barge trip.
Boat: Magnifique
Reply
George Pappas 2 years ago
We have made two bike and barge tours in the Netherlands and thoroughly enjoyed both trips. We are looking forward to another trip this coming spring on a barge with low beds. (Bunk beds are not as easy to use as we get older.)
Boat: Quo Vadis
Reply
Terry Brannigan 2 years ago
We loved the size of the group. We are now ready for a self guided trip.
Boat: Quo Vadis
Reply
Maryellen Doyle 2 years ago
Barge Quo Vadis was intimate and comfortable. Although small, our cabin had sufficient shelving available to store our clothes (we used ebags pouches to keep biking stuff and hanging out later stuff organized). Our very large roller duffels collapsed enough to store under the beds. The bathroom was fine and we eventually realized the shower squeegee was for the floor - to bring the water towards the drain in middle. Wifi was very limited as the captain made his hotspot available to us but that only seemed to work at the end if the dining room closest to his quarters. We would have liked more seating areas as you had a small sofa/ chairs seating area bordering the dining tables but once filled you would have to sit at a dining table to read etc. The outside seating area actually would seat twenty but appeared smaller....would have liked a bigger outside area too. The staff was wonderful. The bikes were great and i loved my ebike (you have to pedal every bit as much as on a regular bike but you are always "assisted" so you never break a sweat or have to huff puff if encountering an incline or a headwind. In truth i probably would have liked some kind of arrangement where we had the option to do a bit more touring on foot/ time in cute little towns, vs all the time on the bike. We did see things I never would have seen on my own and Belgium is fascinating....hence the wish to actually have had a bit more time in towns like Mechelen where we had a one hour lunch stop and then were on our way. For my next trip i would also invest in a pair of rain pants. I did not know about them but all the Swiss ladies jumped into them as well as their rain jackets when clouds opened up three times as we cycled. One other wardrobe tip...we were spending four weeks in Europe and packing was an issue. I did not bring sneakers which i would only have used while biking, then having to lug for three weeks through fashionable France. Instead my black Sketchers, GO WALK line, did the trick for both a great bike shoe and a walking shoe in France.
We really enjoyed the trip in general and would just search out a barge with a bit more public space were we to do a future trip. "
Boat: Quo Vadis
Reply
Wendy 3 weeks ago
Hi Maryellen,
My husband and I are going on the trip this August. Thank you for your informative review. I just had one question. You mentioned rain pants. What time if year did you go?
Any other tips as well?
Thank you so much.
Reply
Maryellen 3 weeks ago
Wendy
I think our tour started in Aug 30 or close. Note that we did not have any rain DAYS but several times showers threatened and would hit in early afternoon for a bit - or one time linger for a couple hours but we were mostly touring in a city then so ducked into cathedrals etc but then had athree mile ride back to the barge. Note - I brought my helmet from US and I also had a visor which, if raining, i somehow layered with my helmet, then pulled my rain jacket hiid iver too - the visor kept the rain off my face. Have a great trip,
Archie Benton 2 years ago
Our Brussels to Brugge trip was an incredible experience. The biking was fantastic, the boat was great, and the staff superb. We even traveled with wonderful fellow travelers on the trip! So many kind people. I had heard great things about this trip too but it turned out even better than my expectations! What can I say? The food was excellent. The service was excellent. The camaraderie was wonderful. We were on the Magnifique and it was magnificent. Thank you!-Archie, Nancy and Zach August 2015
Boat: Magnifique
Reply
Larry and Nancy Bern 4 years ago
We just wanted to let you know how much we enjoyed our experience on the August 31st Brussels to Bruges Bike and Barge tour. The accommodations, the staff, the food and even the bikes were all top notch. Peter is a wonderful chef, Leah was a great guide, Walter and Carel were great captain, Carel barbecue was over the top!! It took us a few days to adjust to the biking, as most of us have not done much city biking. But by the end of the trip most of us were doing pretty well. Larry and I would recommend this trip to anyone!
Boat: Magnifique
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