Belgium Tour Reviews — 961 to 990 of 1021

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. "

I already have, but warned them about the wind! Which I personally found made the cycling very difficult. I will opt for an electric bike next time.

We highly recommend the Paris to Bruges bike and barge on the Elodie but one must be a strong cyclist as there are hills. The food was really excellent. Comradery among the group was high, and that's one of the great aspects of the trip.

This was our first tour in hotels, others have been on barges. I would recommend staying with the barges. There is no contact with a person regarding the tour or the bikes except hotel staff so issues with the bikes were difficult. Bikes were in bad shape we had 4 flats and a broken gear casing so we spent a lot of time in bike shops getting repairs done. Thank goodness ther are lots of bike shops in Holland. GPS was good but one day took us to the wrong hotel some 10 km off course and missed a town we had to back track the next day to see, so that was very annoying. After that we made sure it had the right destination on the GPS. Some hotels were lovely but a couple were very small. We had purchased the meal plan and that was good, though Tripsite said we would have a choice of meals there were 3 places it was just one meal offered to bike tour participants. Holland is beautiful and enjoyable to bike though we had lots of rain and wind so dress appropriately.

We had a great time and plan on another bike-and-barge trip sometime. We loved the mix of passengers from different countries. Some of the other passengers, using other tour companies, had a few more details of the ports of call, and this would have been helpful for us, and may be a useful selling point for Tripsite.

I loved everything about this trip from the boat, the staff, the bikes and, of course, the scenery. I highly recommend this trip for anyone who likes to take a trip up close and personal.

I brought my own bike, but my friends rented. I was not impressed with the fitting of the bikes. The measurements requested by the site were insufficient to get an accurate fit and we had to request a new bike (inseam should be required). If I hadn't been there to fit the bikes nobody from the tour company would have been. Also, I had to replace a bolt on one of the bike's chain guard half way through the tour. At least check that everything is torqued down before renting them.

1) In the boat is possible to rent helmet for EU$ 5/week. This renting is good for travelers that spend more time in Europe. I'm not sure if this information is available in the Tripsite's site.

2) I ordered a E-bike for my wife. In the boat I saw that 2 kinds of E-bike are offered to the customers. My wife would love bike in a more comfortable E-bike.

3) According to the staff of the boat, I should speak German. I don't know the source of this information. This information is used to organize the passengers in the restaurant.

We enjoyed ourselves so much that we are already planning another bike and barge trip. It would have been nice if there were a better split in English speaking guests as most of the guests spoke German and we didn't get a chance to mingle much. Tripsite was very good to work with and we would use this company again. "

We had a fantastic trip we loved everything about it. I would recommend this trip to anyone. The people we met were so nice and helpful and friendly. Our Polish chef on the boat was fantastic.

We were overall extremely pleased with our trip! The only downsound was the infestation of bedbugs... The staff had bites and my husband I had bites as well. The staff took this very seriously and called a Pest Control Company ...they had their rooms treated and ended up treating our room as well. We ended up having to treat our luggage and all personal items upon our return home to Canada.. To make sure we didn't bring any into our home.....Which was quite a chore and inconvenience.

Other than this, it was an awesome time.

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

This was our first bike tour (second for the two other couples in our party) and we truly enjoyed it. It was a good amount of daily biking, a mostly flat ride, with nice places to stop along the way. We liked all of the hotels - though two could have been more conveniently located in town - and the breakfasts were always great. We made use of the printed directions, maps, bike route number system, and GPS to find our way - each system seemed to work better at different points of the journey. There were a couple mix-ups with missing or misplaced signage on the bike route, but other than that, things went smoothly. We've posted pictures and more info about our trip at http://intentionaltravelers.com/4-reasons-self-guided-bike-tour/ . Thanks for a great trip!

Hello some feedback from our bike trip to better the experience.

We had a flat tire and the bike pumps didn't work. We were in a group of four and none of them worked. Also there were no tire tubes! Should we have taken some with us? If so I didn't read that suggestion in the info provided.

We only had two saddlebags
No knobs on kick stands
No stem caps
Odometers only worked on one bike and one bike didn't have one at all
Bells didn't work on all bikes
The handle bars were loose on one bike and that was quite worrisome going down hills
On the bike trip from Dresden to Wittenburg we did a couple of years ago we were sized to our bike by a nice gentle man who took the time to explain aspects of the bike and we appreciated his efforts. We didn't have that attention this time so wondered if the bikes actually were road worthy, especially when we came to facing a fairly challenging route. The feed back from the bike shop in Huckelhoven was that the man caring for the bikes or owning the bikes was not as committed to his responsibilities to do so.. Just a comment they passed on and I am passing on to you.

We do appreciate the ease with which to book these bike trip through emails on line etc.
the hotel people along the trip were so friendly and accommodating and made us feel very welcome.
Thankyou
Cheryl

My husband and I(in our 60"s) were on the Sailing Home a month ago with 6 friends from Bruges to Amsterdam. We had the most wonderful time. Everything about this trip exceeded my expectations. The boat, our accommodations, the food, the crew were all excellent and I can't say enough about our guide Hugo. He was amazing and really made our trip memorable. He was funny and very knowledgeable about everything we saw so we got info about the countries and the politics. I highly recommended this fun trip for all ages and biking abilities.

I traveled aboard the Fiep from Amsterdam to Bruges* in July of 2013, and it was a wonderful way to see this part of the world. (*It looks like the itinerary has changed slightly, but on our trip the boat stopped in Ghent and we had to take a train back and forth to Bruges, which was a disappointment I didn't discover until after booking.) I traveled solo but was matched with a wonderful roommate. The accommodations were fine - I believe they've added air conditioning now, which will be a great improvement! - and the crew and chef were terrific. Our tour guide was adequate, and we all agreed that with a large group of 26 she probably should have had some assistance with wrangling everyone, but there were only minor glitches and no disasters. :-) I can happily recommend both the Fiep and TripSite if you're looking for a unique travel experience!

We just returned from our bike trip; Amsterdam to Bruges aboard "Sailing Home" (June 13- 20). This is our third Bike-n-Barge tour and we will do it again. I thoroughly enjoy being able to exercise everyday and have someone make me dinner in the evening. We also prefer the smaller barges.
Bill and Lisa Smoak - Melbourne, Florida

We just returned from our trip aboard the Sailing Home going from Bruges to Amsterdam. The trip was outstanding! Our guide, Hugo, was fantastic. He took time to explain a lot about the country, its people, and culture. We appreciated the walks he took us on in the evenings into town to learn more and explore. The boat was exceptional. the cabins were very comfortable and we enjoyed every delicious meal. The crew was always helpful, positive, and welcoming. We would go on another trip like this next week if we could. We will be back again as soon as we can. Thanks for preparing such an enjoyable cycling experience. Bill and Candy Flink Sacramento, California

The Mast Family
Bike tour Bruges to Amsterdam,
June 14-20, 2015

We really enjoyed the trip. The scenery was beautiful and we got a good overview of the coasts, farm land, waterways, historical sites and the cities. The hotels were very nice, comfortable, varied and had good restaurants in the hotels. The breakfast buffets were great. We particularly enjoyed the smaller hotels. Luggage transfer worked well.
The routes were easy to follow for the most part once we got “tuned into” finding the route signs. With the maps we were also able to alter the route to see some other sites we were interested in.
A couple of things would have made the trip easier:
Equipment:
More specific information about the bikes, which differ from those we normally ride, before the trip started would have helped us to get a good start the first day.
An extra tube for the tires would have helped since some tires required multiple patches.
Route:
The route on day 2 from Vlissingin to Noordgouwe included a ferry across Veerse Meer. When we arrived at the location on Monday we were told the ferry did not run Monday in June (this was in the detail route description but was in Dutch, not in English). We spoke to some local residents who told us the (lengthily) alternate but mentioned that since there were so many of us we could speak to the ferry staff and see if they would run for us (which they nicely did). Our trip would have been much more pleasant (and a couple hours shorter) that day if we had had this information up front.

Availability of help:
It was not easy to contact you when we needed to report an equipment issue after finishing a route after your office hours. We had to resort to emailing you so you did not get the message until the next day. We received an email that we would be called and the battery replaced but we never received a call, maybe because we had a US cell phone. So on the 3rd day someone finally showed up with a replacement bike. This would have been a better situation if:
We could have contacted you after office hours.
The bike people had contacted the desk at the hotel rather than trying to call our phone.

the captain was wonderful and the nice part was he had his two daughters on for a few days and they were lovely. They also had there small dog who was great. Missed the dog when he went with the girls. The guide Lia was excellent and very helpful at all times. They rearranged the direction of the tour to cope with the wind and to go to the Keukenhof on a day when it was not so busy. The Keukenhof Gardens were at its peak the day we went. We will never forget that day. There were many highlights the cheese farm, the floralies were flowers are sold world wide, and so many other things like a barge tour at night in one town. I could go on for pages.

Waldy the helper was always there with a smile and never did he let me carry a bag. The cabins were neat and clean. Alf the cook who did the food was sensational every day . Alf and I had a birthday on the same day (April 21st) and they had a party for us. It was my 82nd birthday one I will never forget. All the other guests were great and we mixed so well. We bonded the first day even though we were from many different backgrounds. The e-bike you arranged allowed me to keep up with everybody. It was always ready and charged up each morning. I had a minor tumble in Amsterdam landed on my head and the helmets provided did the job. Guess I have a hard head too. Only damage is a sore thumb. When it hurts from time to time it brings back fantastic memories of our wonderful trip a very positive feeling. My wife and I really hope life will let us take another bike and barge trip in Europe.

I really can not thank you all enough for the wonderful happiness you provide.

I had always wanted to take a bike and barge trip in Europe for many years and finally did as my retirement celebration. Everything about the tour exceeded my expectations! The bicycling through the country, villages and cities was pleasant; our tour guide Sjac (Jack) aboard the FLUVIUS was friendly, helpful, indefatigable and could speak 4 languages; the camaraderie with the other cyclists and staff was outstanding; the food was excellent; the cabins were clean and actually bigger than I expected for a barge; and we lucked out and had perfect bicycling weather day after day. The folks at tripsite always responded quickly and were very helpful when I emailed or called them with questions. I would highly recommend this mode of travel as a way to get exercise and see Europe close up!

We are really impressed and will give all our friends top ratings on Brugge.

Great things to say about the hotel and the area. June is cool weather - bring jacket & light rain gear, but just expect to get a little wet every day and you won't be disappointed.

Paul and Mannie are great. One runs the hotel and one the B&B. They are very helpful and good people. There are not real "rides". You get a map, you ask questions and you go ride. It's just not that specific. A total beginner needs a little more hand-holding. Nancy & I did not.

Breakfast is filling & tasty. Cereal, juice, coffee (more American than most of the places in Belgium), toast, cheese, ham (really good ham), and a soft boiled egg every day. Plus yogurt, fruit, jams/jellies, and always something sweet like a cookie/chocolate. And an apple, kiwi, or banana to go.

You don't need to eat again until 2pm.

It stays light until 10:30, so you end up eating late.

Mondays & Thursdays pose the most challenge with eating out. And you have to venture outside the cirucular canal to find groceries who sell you sandwiches and trinkets at normal prices. Everything inside the canal is triple price.

All chocolate shops are good. Dumon is excellent because they are more creative and they put more thought into their display.

The cobblestones get a little old after awhile, but the bikes have spring seats and low-air tires so it's not too bad. Ride a road bike through the town at your own risk. :-)

Be prepared for wind. We were so surprised at the cooler June temps; very pleasant. A light jacket and a rain-proof attitude is all you need.

The hotel internet logs you off constantly, so every 30 min or so you have to log back on, but otherwise is very solid. I had good VPN all the time, so I could check work emails.

The B&B is larger rooms, with larger showers. If you are over 200 lbs, you get a little cramped in the hotel showers. But otherwise, the hotel is great value It's in a quiet area, and yet only minutes walking or riding to all the touristy things.

I'd Recommend the Groeninge Museum for art collection. It's fascinating and all the works are in top shape.

The Diamont Museum is a must is you have any interest at all in diamonds. The demonstration for an extra 3 euros each was well worth it.

And the restaurant across the street (forgot the name) is great value and offers free wifi.

There is no common language. You may hear Dutch, German, French or English spoken at any store. But everyone has enough English to get by. Paul says he can sell a room in 6 different languages. :-)  SHOW MORE 

we just returned from our trip. Brugges to Amsterdam. It was AWESOME. We had such a great time on the Gandalf with Hans. Els was our biking guide. She was terrific. It was fabulous and a great way to spend my 50th birthday!

Thank you for everything you did to arrange this trip for us. We will be back on some other trip in the future.

Not too sure what I can say that the above feedback haven't already said. We travelled as a group of 6 on the Magnifique from Brugge to Amsterdam May 31st to June 7th, 2014. Everything and everyone was top notch. We started out with Carl as our Captain but due to holidays the barges owner, Walter, took over. Not only can he handle the barge but he does a mean BBQ. Our guide Tom was perfect. With a great sense of humour and and sweet personality. There was not one person who did not get along with him. Meeka, bar tender, server, cleaner, and Peter the amazing cook finished off the crew. The barge itself was fantastic. No complaints there. The beds are extremely comfortable.

Unfortunately one of our group was not able to complete the trip but we did meet a great group of people from all over the world.

I am not the greatest biker but thoroughly enjoyed the whole journey and would do it again.

Our cycle trip to beautiful, medieval Brugges was exceptional. The routes were picturesque and diverse; small castles, forests, canals, sea views, beautiful farmland and interesting architecture.The bike paths are amazing, easy to follow and extensive . Our rental bikes were new, well-maintained and suitable for any level rider. Hotel Fevery was very comfortable and quaint; we especially enjoyed our hosts', Paul and Benny, who had many suggestions and helpful hints for our daily rides. Breakfast was super and filling with cheeses, meats, baskets of bakery fresh breads, and market fresh fruit.

Because the terrain is so flat and easy to cycle we recommend this bike trip to anyone who is just starting out on their quest to tour Europe by bike.

Ian and Kim White, Canada

This was our third Pack and Pedal tour, and as usual it was fabulous! However this time we had a day that was well above and beyond what was expected. The owner of the partner company in Roselaire, Belgium,(who provided the bikes) was incredibly knowledgable about WWI, and when he found out that my brother-in-law wanted to try to locate an uncle's grave near our route, he took it upon himself to meet with us on one of our biking days, drive us to the nearest town likely to be the one with the gravesite, and successfully help us find it. This was one of many meaningful days in an amazing week. I might also say that whatever weather gods you partner with, keep them happy. We have almost always had really good weather when biking. And we will definitely be back! Thanks again and again!

We had an absolutely fabulous time in September this year on this trip. Cycling was fantastic-Francien an excellent guide, Inma a wonderful gourmet cook. The crew was always helpful and cheerful. The group of fellow cyclists were great fun - lots of laughs. Thank you, we will be back!!

My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed our Sept trip from Bruges to Amsterdam on The MS Magnifique, booked through Tripsite.com. Comfortable cabin, great food, hot tub wonderful after long days of biking! Crew easy going but always helpful and attentive. Multi national fellow passengers all good company. Definitely encourage bringing your own gel seat cover! I had an electric assist bike which I'd highly recommend if in any doubt about managing the occasionally challenging distances. Already thinking of booking another similar trip next year.

My husband and I did the bike and barge tour from Bruges to Amsterdam Jun 29/2013 - and had the most amazing time!! Right from my first contact with the folks at Tripsite to the end of our tour - everything was perfect. Carl the Captain, Tom the guide and all the rest of the hardworking fun loving crew were amazing. We cycled some of the most beautiful countryside, Tom was very funny and looked after everyone - the ages on our tour were 16 to 77 - and we all felt comfortable. You can go at your own speed or go strictly with the group. The Magnifique was a beautiful and very comfortable boat - I loved it and I would be very hard pressed not to choose her again for our next trip - we are hoping to do a trip during the tulip season and maybe one in the early fall:) I actually wanted to book the return trip when we cycled into Amsterdam - but we were going to a friends wedding in Italy so had to continue on:) I really can not say enough good things about Tripsite on the organization side (friendly, knowledgeable and efficient; and the the crew of the Magnifique - they were all Magnifique!!!! Can't wait to go again.

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!