Belgium Bike + Boat Tour Reviews — 1 to 30 of 965


Blaine K.
5 days ago

Verified Reviewer

· Bruges to Amsterdam

This was our first bike and barge trip and we had a wonderful time. The Magnifique IV was beautiful and the crew was phenomenal. They were so friendly and they took such good care of us. The food was outstanding! Some advice I would pass on to future guests would be to bring some plastic containers from home to pack your lunch in, containers for sandwich condiments, fruit, etc. for example. We enjoyed getting to know the other passengers but we are a bit more introverted so it was nice having the small seating area in our upper deck suite for some privacy.

Countries included in this tour?
Belgium, Netherlands

Joanne M.
2 weeks ago

Verified Reviewer

· Amsterdam to Bruges

Daily rides through charming Dutch and Belgian villages and rural areas.

  • Canadian Cruisers in Kinderdijk (photo by Joanne M.)
When did you take this tour?
June/July 2025
How did the difficulty level compare to your expectations?
Perfect! Just as I expected.
Do you recommend this tour?
Yes
Countries included in this tour?
Netherlands, Belgium
  • Accommodations 4
  • Included meals 5
  • Bikes + equipment 5
  • Scenery 5
  • Ease of navigation 5
  • Pre-travel information 5
  • Routes 5
  • Difficulty 5

Kevin H.
2 weeks ago

Verified Reviewer

· Amsterdam to Bruges

Beautiful scenery. Amazing guides. Excellent food and drink. Friendly, knowledgeable, and accommodating staff.

  •  (photo by Kevin H.)
Countries included in this tour?
Netherlands, Belgium

Robin L.
3 weeks ago

Verified Reviewer

· Bruges to Amsterdam

My husband and I had a wonderful trip aboard the Magnifique II. The crew was great and the biking was outstanding. Loads of fun!

Countries included in this tour?
Belgium, Netherlands

Cathy K.
4 weeks ago

Verified Reviewer

· Amsterdam to Bruges - 11 days

Our Bike and Barge trip on the Merlijn was top notch. There were many highlights including our daily cycling trips guided by our fantastic knowledgeable guide Franciene, who hails from the Netherlands. She told us lots of ‘stories’ along the way and planned each of our outings with great care and personalization. Our Merlin accommodations were top notch. Can’t say enough about our crew. They were amazing professional, friendly and took care of our every need. Christina our co-captain and chef extraordinaire served us fantastic meals every night. I would love to do more exploring with the Merlijn crew in the future.

  • Celebrating our crew at the Captains Dinner. (photo by Cathy K.)
  • Our group visit to the cheese factory in Gouda with Jan & Jan (photo by Cathy K.)
Countries included in this tour?
Netherlands, Belgium

Victor B.
4 weeks ago

Verified Reviewer

· Bruges to Paris E-bike & Boat

What a fantastic trip on the Fleur. Captain Steffens navigates a top notch barge. Her staff from sailor, housekeeper, chief, and bike guides were superb.

Biking the pristine countryside with experience informed guides is a unique way to see a quaint part of Belgium and France. Providing e-bikes for all the quests “leveled the playing field” so all could enjoy the bike routes to their abilities and still successfully complete daily rides.

Developing friendships with guests from around the world during the 14 day venture was an added plus.

Thanks Fleur for the memorable trip!

  • The Fleur travelers (photo by Victor B.)
Countries included in this tour?
Belgium, France

Rosalyn G.
4 weeks ago

Verified Reviewer

· Amsterdam to Bruges - 11 days

The barge is excellent and the food service great. The staff were very organized and pleasant. The bikes were excellent and the best helmets with the microphone communication with the guide who was also excellent. The routes were well planned and the tours from the boat were good. It was great to have a flexible day where one had a choice to bike and hike, bike and kayak or chose to go on your own excursion which several people did- a day in The Hague and Delft. Highly recommend this tour!

Countries included in this tour?
Netherlands, Belgium

Carmen C.
1 month ago

Verified Reviewer

· Amsterdam to Bruges - 11 days

Imagine cycling along dykes and rivers and canals in the softest light of the morning and seeing on the horizon 19 windmills! That's what happened on the ninth day of our Barge and Bike Tour. We cycled past 19 historical windmills at Kinderdyke. That was how I dreamt cycling in Holland would be. Just magical.
Every now and again you would glimpse through the reeds and rushes, water fowl and swans. and if you were lucky enough to be there just at the right movement, you would see the cygnets climb onto the backs of the mamma swans to have a ride. All that there amongst the fairytale windmills.

Countries included in this tour?
Netherlands, Belgium

stu and Barb D.
1 month ago

Verified Reviewer

· Amsterdam to Bruges

The guides were excellent and it was fun when they interacted with us. The entire staff were professional not to mention talented - all were very personable and could not do enough for you. The meals were exceptional!!!! It was fun when guides would add in some things on our rides, like the man who Has created different bikes that we all could try. We were fortunate to have people who interacted! Thank you for a great trip.

Countries included in this tour?
Netherlands, Belgium

Andrew and Diane K.
1 month ago

Verified Reviewer

· Amsterdam to Bruges - 11 days

This was our first bike and barge experience, yet we had heard many descriptions from friends. We went with excitement and high expectations. And from the moment we were greeted and introduced the boat the Accommodations, pleasantness and service level of the Merlijn crew exceeded every expectation we had by far! Our guide Francine was also superb. Her local knowledge, skill and experience made the ride safe and extremely enjoyable. Highly recommend this boat and crew.

Countries included in this tour?
Netherlands, Belgium

Michael S.
1 month ago

Verified Reviewer

· Bruges to Paris E-bike & Boat

Great first experience with a bike and barge tour. Excellent guides and barge crew. Biking distances and terrain was very manageable on e-bikes, even for those with only moderate biking experience. Personally I would have preferred a self guided tour, but now I know for our next trip.

  • On the Seine (photo by Michael S.)
  • On of many rural roads (photo by Michael S.)
  •  (photo by Michael S.)
Countries included in this tour?
Belgium, France

Mark B.
1 month ago

Verified Reviewer

· Bruges to Paris E-bike & Boat

We loved the routes and the stops to view different areas! We appreciated the stops at the WW1 cemeteries, the churches and small towns. The guides were very helpful and friendly.

  •  (photo by Mark B.)
Countries included in this tour?
Belgium, France

Kathleen R.
1 month ago

Verified Reviewer

· Bruges to Amsterdam

We had a wonderful time. The combination of biking everyday and returning to our comfy accommodations on the boat was perfect.

Countries included in this tour?
Belgium, Netherlands

Connie D.
1 month ago

Verified Reviewer

· Bruges to Amsterdam

The last two days were the most beautiful weather-wise. Loved the scenery, farms, birds, farm animals, gardens, homes, windmills. Just beautiful. The meals on board were delicious. Met some fun people. Loved our upper level rooms!

  • Windmills (photo by Connie D.)
  • Cruising into Dordrecht (photo by Connie D.)
  • Cycling break (photo by Connie D.)
Countries included in this tour?
Belgium, Netherlands

Birni T.
1 month ago

Verified Reviewer

· Bruges to Amsterdam

Most memorable were the amazing rides through the countryside in the sunshine. Assistance from the cycling crew was amazing!

Disappointed to hear that participants who chose to remain on the boat were restricted to only certain areas.

Would have liked more snacks and drinks post cycling.

When did you take this tour?
May, 2025
How did the difficulty level compare to your expectations?
I expected it to be more difficult but was pleasantly surprised with the conditions of the trails and the flat land.
Do you recommend this tour?
Yes
Countries included in this tour?
Belgium, Netherlands
  • Accommodations 4
  • Included meals 3
  • Bikes + equipment 5
  • Scenery 5
  • Ease of navigation 5
  • Pre-travel information 4
  • Routes 4
  • Difficulty 5

Martha O.
2 months ago

Verified Reviewer

· Bruges to Amsterdam

The people were wonderful - warm, welcoming and knowledgeable. The countryside was beautiful and historic. The room was clean and comfortable. All in all, it was a great experience.

  •  (photo by Martha O.)
Countries included in this tour?
Belgium, Netherlands

Claire L.
2 months ago

Verified Reviewer

· Amsterdam to Bruges

The cycling itself.
Meeting other cyclists.
Certain staff members approach were very appreciative and attentive and others not so much.
Meals were not great. Made mostly from frozen or highly processed food. Lack of availability of free cold drinking water for cyclists was a concern.

Do you recommend this tour?
No
Countries included in this tour?
Netherlands, Belgium
  • Accommodations 4
  • Included meals 1
  • Bikes + equipment 4
  • Scenery 5
  • Ease of navigation 4
  • Pre-travel information 4
  • Routes 5
  • Difficulty 3

Louise G.
2 months ago

Verified Reviewer

· Amsterdam to Bruges

The first few days of bicycling around the Netherland were the best, after that it became a bit monotonous with lots of farm land.
The boat was great.
The food was ok but would benefit from more fresh vegetables and fruits and salty snacks after the day of biking.
The hospitality staff were a bit too rigid in applying rules for access to drinking water or coffee. We were refused a glass of drinking water because the kitchen was closed but there was water at the bar!!!
There should be more guides to help with issues when biking. At one point we had one guide for 60 people biking in two different routes! It was difficult navigating at times and would require more support.

When did you take this tour?
May 2025
How did the difficulty level compare to your expectations?
It was good. But we thought that starting the first day with 57km was a bit difficult for us, it would have been better to start with 40km to get us used to cycling longer distance after.
Do you recommend this tour?
Yes
Countries included in this tour?
Netherlands, Belgium
  • Accommodations 4
  • Included meals 3
  • Bikes + equipment 4
  • Scenery 4
  • Ease of navigation 3
  • Pre-travel information 3
  • Routes 4
  • Difficulty 4

Frank & Mari-Ann C.
2 months ago

Verified Reviewer

· Amsterdam to Bruges

Trip was great overall. De Holland was also very good, rooms, etc., were very good. Food was ok. On board staff seemed a bit rigid & could have been a bit more flexible. Tour guides were very good though there could have been at least one or two more guides for the number of people riding. Boat crew were very good. Overall, a great trip & would do it again & recommend it to others.

Countries included in this tour?
Netherlands, Belgium

Warren D.
2 months ago

Verified Reviewer

· Amsterdam to Bruges - 11 days

How our guide, Ronald, guided us into new discoveries each day, how he added info and history on special places, and how he kept us all on the road together.

When did you take this tour?
May 9 to 20 ?
How did the difficulty level compare to your expectations?
It fit well. Though I was fortunate in that some of my friends from the Netherlands warned we about the winds. I think this needs to be communicated more clearly.
Do you recommend this tour?
Yes
Countries included in this tour?
Netherlands, Belgium
  • Accommodations 5
  • Included meals 4
  • Bikes + equipment 5
  • Scenery 5
  • Ease of navigation 5
  • Pre-travel information 5
  • Routes 5
  • Difficulty 5

Charles A.
2 months ago

Verified Reviewer

· Amsterdam to Bruges

Biking was great, even with constant modifications to the initial itinerary. Our tour guide was vigilant and made sure everyone stayed or got back on track! We really enjoyed getting to know our guide, he certainly made our experience more enjoyable.

When did you take this tour?
Mai 2025
How did the difficulty level compare to your expectations?
We knew the routes were to be quite flat, as they were. The scenery was great for the most part, beautiful villages and canals, luscious greenery, interesting wildlife and great roads! Our group were not on e- bikes and found the biking fun, even with the wind at times .Had a great with a great group of bikers!
Do you recommend this tour?
Yes
Countries included in this tour?
Netherlands, Belgium
  • Accommodations 3
  • Included meals 2
  • Bikes + equipment 4
  • Scenery 5
  • Ease of navigation 3
  • Pre-travel information 4
  • Routes 4
  • Difficulty 4

Pat K.
2 months ago

Verified Reviewer

· Tulip Tour - Amsterdam to Bruges - 9 day

The two guides, Hetty and Tim, made the trip. Meals in the Iris were very good. The crew was friendly and helpful. Bikes were comfortable and were easy to use. The nine day trip was perfect.

Countries included in this tour?
Netherlands, Belgium

Glenn D.
2 months ago

Verified Reviewer

· Bruges to Amsterdam

The scenery. The culture. The guest connections and the helpful guides, not to mention a few amazing dinners.

When did you take this tour?
May 5, 2025
How did the difficulty level compare to your expectations?
Spot on
Do you recommend this tour?
Yes
Countries included in this tour?
Belgium, Netherlands
  • Accommodations 5
  • Included meals 4
  • Bikes + equipment 3
  • Scenery 5
  • Ease of navigation 5
  • Pre-travel information 5
  • Routes 5
  • Difficulty 5

Suzanne B.
2 months ago

Verified Reviewer

· Bruges to Amsterdam

The rides and the landscape and the quaint communities were great.
The staff was super and the food was top notch.

When did you take this tour?
May 4th 2025
How did the difficulty level compare to your expectations?
It was easy —I hardly used my battery because I am use to hills at home.
Do you recommend this tour?
Yes
Countries included in this tour?
Belgium, Netherlands
  • Accommodations 4
  • Included meals 5
  • Bikes + equipment 5
  • Scenery 5
  • Ease of navigation 4
  • Pre-travel information 5
  • Routes 5
  • Difficulty 5

Lisa M.
2 months ago

Verified Reviewer

· Bruges to Amsterdam

This was an amazing trip, the boat was clean and well appointed, the crew and tour leaders were exceptional, the food was incredible and the rides each day were so lovely riding through the country side and in and out of all the little towns and bigger cities. We did the guided tour and were so happy we did. Our tour guides were informative and communicated well about what to expect each day. Our first bike/barge trip and we are hooked!

When did you take this tour?
May 2025
How did the difficulty level compare to your expectations?
The difficulty level was as I expected.
Do you recommend this tour?
Yes
Countries included in this tour?
Belgium, Netherlands
  • Accommodations 5
  • Included meals 5
  • Bikes + equipment 5
  • Scenery 5
  • Ease of navigation 5
  • Pre-travel information 5
  • Routes 5
  • Difficulty 5

Diane H.
2 months ago

Verified Reviewer

· Bruges to Amsterdam

The scenery was wonderful, the guides were full of care for clients, the food was fantastic, the beds were comfortable, but the best part was the friendships formed between staff and clients throughout the journey.

When did you take this tour?
May 2025
How did the difficulty level compare to your expectations?
I had expected it to be more difficult for me than it was - I think the ebikes made the difference. Other than some problems with my saddle, the bike was marvellous, and what I had anticipated to be very long routes, turned out to be just fine and well within my capacity.
Do you recommend this tour?
Yes
Countries included in this tour?
Belgium, Netherlands
  • Accommodations 5
  • Included meals 5
  • Bikes + equipment 5
  • Scenery 5
  • Ease of navigation 4
  • Pre-travel information 5
  • Routes 4
  • Difficulty 5

Glenn D.
2 months ago

Verified Reviewer

· Bruges to Amsterdam

The cycle pace, the scenery and the camaraderie of the guests and two guides.

When did you take this tour?
Did the Mosel River experience with your company and loved it
How did the difficulty level compare to your expectations?
All was as expected. Recommenadation: bikes need to be upgraded.
Do you recommend this tour?
Yes
Countries included in this tour?
Belgium, Netherlands
  • Accommodations 5
  • Included meals 4
  • Bikes + equipment 3
  • Scenery 5
  • Ease of navigation 5
  • Pre-travel information 5
  • Routes 5
  • Difficulty 5

Johanna — call name Hannie D.
2 months ago

Verified Reviewer

· Bruges to Amsterdam

Beautiful cycling routes.
Excellent tour guides as shown when one of the woman had a bad fall when cycling . This was handled so well as she had to be taken to hospital.
One could put all trust in the tour guides knowing that we were well looked after.
My previous Barge/Bike tours were on smaller barges which I do prefer.
Fluvius twice as big. Fully booked so always standing in queus for breakfast etc.

When did you take this tour?
April 2025
How did the difficulty level compare to your expectations?
Fine
Do you recommend this tour?
Yes
Countries included in this tour?
Belgium, Netherlands
  • Accommodations 4
  • Included meals 4
  • Bikes + equipment 5
  • Scenery 5
  • Ease of navigation 4
  • Pre-travel information 5

Jenny D.
8 months ago

Verified Reviewer

· Bruges to Amsterdam

Finally getting around to a review from this past summer. We had great weather, and the biking was great. We learned a lot with our guide and allowed us a different point of view as travelers. Thank you! As for the ship, it was clean and comfortable, and Emile, the chef, was amazing! He put a lot of effort into accommodating everyone's dietary needs/concerns, not to mention the food was delicious! He handled the rude customers very well, and maintained professionalism even when they were extremely unreasonable. He went above and beyond with customer service and because of him, my time onboard was fantastic. If we go again, we want to ensure he will be the chef during our tour. The other staff members were very friendly and would sit with us all and join in on the fun. It is a trip I would recommend to all my friends.

Countries included in this tour?
Belgium, Netherlands

John A D.
8 months ago

Verified Reviewer

· Cycling from Paris to Bruges

All parts of the trip were memorable. One of the few boat/bike tours that does your laundry. Bring extra pair of warm underwear if doing it in October. Alcohol, sodas, diet sodas, tea, and snacks always available. Coffee almost always available. Crew was like friends and they went out of the way to cater to individual needs. I would do this trip again. I brought extra protein powder, sometimes European meals don't have enough. I had a GoPro strapped to my chest during bike rides and I could start it, stop it, and take a video or picture all with voice commands. I couldn't believe the number of castles, churches, war memorials, not to mention docking in Auvers the village where Van Gogh lived. Saw his grave and the meadow he painted the crows. I would/will do this trip again. I did Paris to Bruge, but either way should be nice. Great vegetarian options in the bigger towns (this is just a rule of thumb for all europe).

Countries included in this tour?
Belgium, France