Belgium Tour Reviews — 1021 to 1050 of 1071

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!

We just got back from Amsterdam on Saturday. What a fantastic trip. We actually did more miles of biking than the itinerary listed. But that was fine. We had a great group of people. You don't need to be in fantastic shape for this trip but you should brush up on your basic bike skills. If you have not ridden in 20 years you may want to ride on some bike trails. It's a leisurely pace but it's not the mileage but the time in the saddle. On our longest ride we went about 35 miles but probably spent over 5 hours in the saddle. How will your tushy feel?

Our boat was the Tijdgeest, Gerritt (captain), Franz (deckhand, waiter, dog wrangler, and all around good kid), Eva (if I could keep her she would be my personal chef) are the crew. They did a fantastic job and the service was great. Food was great. After a long day of riding if Eva would have cooked a sock I would have eaten it. Rooms are small but livable. Comfy place to take a nap, sleep and get cleaned up. Nothing more. DO NOT over pack. Bring your own helmet and gloves. Bike shorts a must. Sun screen YES.

You will see a lot of country scenery. Pray for overcast skies. We got it and it made the ride even better. You will make a few stops along the way. Coffee and chocolate is your friend.

If you are nice they will make some allowances for food preferences. I am gluten free so they served me some dishes with no gluten and gave me a basket of gluten free bread for breakfast and to make lunch. Yay for Eva again. Also my wife does not eat pork. Again, yay for Eva for fixing that problem.

The only fair part of this tour was our guide. To be fair he did get us where we needed to go with only a couple of times getting, should I say it, slightly lost, but maps are a good thing. He did not tell much about what we were seeing and had to ask him to explain more about the cities and towns. If you don't care about that kind of stuff I guess you could google it. Bring a small camera for taking pictures. I have good biking skills and can take them while I am riding but there is plenty of time to stop as you ride because the pace is very slow. Make sure you have a sweeper who will wait with you. Ride at the front as it will give you time to take some pics as the rest of the group goes by.

For the money this trip has the most value and is well worth the price according to some of the people who we were traveling with and had been on these types of vacations before. If you don't get along with a small group of people who are from different countries or are not of basic fitness rethink going on this tour. We have people from Germany, Spain, New Zealand, Austrailia, Brazil, and the U.S.

Also, you may want to like dogs or at least tolerate them. Schnitzel is the real boss of the boat. He's a good dog and is mostly out of the way until we start to dock and then he's got to work. We had the honor of taking him for a nice walk.  SHOW MORE 

I had a fantastic time onboard the IRIS on the Amsterdam to Bruges tour 8/3/13. The IRIS is a great vessel for this kind of tour. Our air-conditioned cabin was spacious with plenty of cabinets and closet space and we easily stored our luggage underneath the bunks. The private bathroom also had well thought-out storage space and towel racks.

On this tour, I was able to put my worries and my wristwatch away and simply enjoy myself. Our guide, Wouter, took good care of us and was knowledgeable about each town and village we visited with him. The food was superb! Our chef, Clive, prepared inspired three-course dinners for us, including some local dishes, like Flemish stew. All in all, it was one of the best vacations I’ve ever had.

Thanks to the folks at Tripsite for booking this tour and providing really detailed information to me prior to the trip. I would like to mention two additional points that would have been useful to know. First, as to the meeting place of the boat, it would have been really helpful to know the boat would be moored near the very prominent and visable NEMO museum. Secondly, I appreciated that the e-mailed instructions gave us guidance on the customary amount to tip the crew. I just happened to ask one of the crew if the tip included the Guide as well as the Crew, and found out that it did not! Luckily, I learned this in time to (1) withdraw more money from an ATM, and (2) spread the word to as many guests as possible. Please tell Wouter that if someone forgot to tip him, it was probably because we were led to believe the tip included his services as well. I hope to sail with Eurosail again soon! Thanks for a great vaction!

We will do it Again. A perfect way too reelax and see new Things every day. Meet new pepeole from other continents. good groupe size on the Iris and the crew made us feel very comfortabel and "hyggeligt" (cousy). New city every night with out packing our stuff. We are on in a new route when posibel.

Our Kansas City biking group just got back from our annual European bike ride..This year it was a Bike and Barge trip: Paris to Bruges..It was a great trip..The Elodie was as pleasant as advertised, the food, prepared by Chef Sander, was excellent..Our guide, Ono was very good and patient with us..Michael, our Captain, couldn't have been better..

The countryside was beautiful..It was a memorable trip and we'll see you again next year..

Jim and Janet Elkan

Our recent (June 1-8) trip from Amsterdam to Bruges aboard the IRIS was outstanding.

The food was excellent every single day and the cabins are much larger than the website indicates. The cycling was wonderful and our guide Hugo added so much to the overall experience. This is a five star vacation!

Linda and Bill Guthrie - Ottawa, Canada

Just got back from this tour yesterday and wish that I could do it all again tomorrow! Went from Brugge to Amsterdam on the Manifique. Outstanding crew with Carl as the Captain and Tom as the guide. Tom has a great sense of humor and related to everyone on the tour, with an awesome biking experience and even walking tours in the town most evenings. The folks at Tripsite was great - with lots of communication. I felt very prepared prior to leaving. I enjoyed working with Tripsite and greatly enjoyed the entire experience. Highly recommended.

The tour was packed with history, beauty & a real feel of how the people live there lives - thanks to Lia our guide. Food, decor & Jantien's hospitality aboard the Merlijn was second to none. The crew went out of there way to make this truly a memorable cycling vacation.

Thank you!

Travel quite different from the usual, fantastic landscapes. Traveled on the MS Magnifique, excellent service and facilities. The group guide (Tom) is attentive and competent. So you can be conducting another tour. Congratulations.               Ruyter Aquino.

We had visited Bruges previously and wanted to return to this beautiful charming place. The routes took us in all 4 directions from the city; each was interesting and beautiful. We loved the B&B stay.

What could be better than biking in Belgium and Holland? Returning each day to the Merlijn with Jantien and Hank as your host! We loved it so much that we know any trip with them would be another life memory. After returning home we booked our next trip within 3 days! This year we go with them to France & Germany. There is a reason their trips book so far in advance. Don't wait! Book now for next year! It will be better than any expectations you have! We can't wait for this year's tour!