Magnifique II boat/barge tour reviews — 121 to 150 of 152

Book from Brugge to Amsterdam to avoid headwinds. Expect riding in country with nothing special to see.

The entire trip was fantastic. I personally could have benefited with a few less km per day but that is my fault for not training as much as I should have. The chef and the guide, Leroy and Alfonse were amazing. The boat was comfortable and elegant. First rate all around!

I loved every minute of it! :) Thank you so much for a great adventure!

Every part of this excursion exceeded my expectations. The Magnifique II is a fabulous boat, with very comfortable accommodations. The staff was excellent, all worked very hard and the teamwork was amazing. Cycling routes were fabulous and Thomas was absolutely an excellent guide. The food was first rate, LeRoy did a great job. It was a fabulous trip.

Everything about the trip exceeded my expectations. In particular, the dinners were truly gourmet. Keep that chef (Leroy)!

Highlights: Seeing these countries via bike paths. Going through small towns and villages with an excellent guide to highlight the history and out of the way places.
Tip: get in shape! You will enjoy it more if you are fit to bike these distances.

Wow, our trip was phenomenal! The barge was excellent, the food was gourmet (seriously) and the riding was great! Although rain was predicted everyday, we never rode in the rain. The weather improved and we saw rain twice while on the barge. The Magnifique II and the crew could not have been better. We are already looking forward to a trip next year!!!

The biking part of the trip takes you through some of the most beautiful countryside in Belgium and the Netherlands. The tour guide is very knowledgeable about the history of the landscape. It's a very casual pace so keeping up is never a problem. There are many stops for coffee, lunch and afternoon breaks while biking.

Having never taken a bike and barge trip I didn't know what to expect. Wow....it exceeded my expectations. Boat was luxurious for a barge, what friendly, hard working staff. Tom our tour leader was terrific. Other than the fact that the single cabins are really small everything else outstanding.

It was all very memorable. Wish the bikes had a water bottle holder and a map clip or holder on the handle bars. The tour info from Tripsite was not completely accurate as we rode a lot more than we anticipated every day. The barge was 'Magnifique'!

The staff was outstanding, everything on the barge was spotlessly clean, the food was delicious, the bikes were great! My husband and I had a terrific experience. We loved being able to bike with a guide or by ourselves. The guide was knowledgable and supportive. I would sign up for this bike and barge trip in a heartbeat, but at 72, I might get an electric bike. Wonderful balance of biking along canals in the country and through towns to see the sights. Hooray!!

My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed this trip. I loved biking through different scenery - quaint villages and towns, beautiful forests, farmland and countryside. It is the perfect way to see parts of Belgium and Holland. You can go at your own pace because the trails are so well marked. The barge is beautiful and the rooms are comfortable. I can't say enough about the staff, they were excellent. I definitely recommend this trip and can't wait to do it again!

The Magnifique II and staff were more amazing than we expected! The bike routes were absolutely beautiful with very well planned and laid out maps. Overall a very memorable experience that I am highly recommending to every one I talk to.

Just got off the Magnifique II a couple of weeks ago and my wife and I along with three other couples in our group had a fabulous time. Captain Paul, first mate Kevin, Chef Leroy, and Tesa went up and beyond duty helping and serving all of us. With temperatures above normal and the lost of one additional crew member they never missed a beat. The meals were excellent,Tesa always had a smile on her face while pouring us a glass of wine,Kevin could be found helping dock the boat, getting a beer for someone,adjusting the height of a bike seat and many,many more duties. Capt. Paul not only guided the ship throughout our trip,but jumped right in to clear dinner dishes ,tend bar and always willing to answer questions we might have about the Netherlands and Belgium. Marcel our guide did just that,telling us about certain structures we passed by, folklore and tours on foot through some of the towns we stayed in at night. A great trip

The food was exceptional! The Chef put a lot of effort to please.
Presentation was amazing.

I thought there weren't enough safety precautions: riding too close, no warning of slowing or stopping. Would have liked more stops along the way for photos.

Loved the Magnifique II! The food was spectacular! Variety of routes/terrains.

The most memorable part of my trip were the small towns and villages that we visited. These are places where tourists rarely venture. The people are friendly and open for conversations; willing to share their lives and experiences with us. And curious to know about us as well. I have so many wonderful memories.

Having the map to tryi to not get lost was so much fun. Thank you to all the staff for making the bike barge a great activity vacation.

Great trip BUT.. We decided to cycle with 6 others because we are experienced riders. We were counting on the signage being much more complete and easier to follow. At times, there was no indication of where to go. Our path just ended! Also, the bigger group, of about 18, had some inexperienced riders and we felt that riding in this large a group could be dangerous...which proved to be the case.
In one case, a previous rider had taken the liberty to use a marker to write our path number on a sign. Thanks to him/her we were able to continue on without taking out the GPS. Had this been done on several other signs, we would not have had to find our way ...using GPS..on many occasions. There were also 4 other Europeans, who cycled as a group, who experienced the same sense of frustration as us.
We will forward a photo to the Tripsite website. Thanks for providing a most enjoyable and memorable trip.

I would recommend it, but with reservations. I think there should have been two guides, one to take a faster group and one for a beginner group. A few people on the trip should not have been. They were not comfortable on their bikes, and were a daily danger to whomever they were near. Something should have been done about it.
I also would have liked to ride faster, and spend more free time in the little towns.

Had so much fun. Looking forward to doing it again. Been telling everyone they need to try it. Just riding your bike through the towns over cobble stone or brick. Just a great way to see a country.

We sailed on the Magnifique II from Bruges to Amsterdam, 25 June to 1 July, under the able command of skipper Paul, and ride leader Tom Tiedom. It was a magnificent experience in every way, even though we had a few odd showers to contend with. This is virtually a brand new barge with upscale accommodations and amenities. We had one of the four top-side suites, which are indeed larger, and with view windows that open as opposed to port holes. Tom, the ride leader and guide, was an extremely charming, knowledgeable and humorous fellow. He provided daily briefings on the next day's ride, all of which included ample coffee and food stops, as well as providing historic info. Indeed, the entire crew were extremely courteous and helpful in every respect, and the food delicious.

Fabulous trip. Great, hospitable staff willing to please, answer questions, professional, share information. Boat was clean, comfortable, well equipped. Food was excellent and there was plenty to enjoy.

Our guide Felix, was fun, knowledgeable and intuitive. His attitude and ease of being with people made even a horrible weather day endurable. The BIGGEST bonus was having Astrid along as a trainee. She added so much to every aspect of our journey and was a treasure trove of regional information.

Had a fantastic time, would highly recommend it to others!

Exceptional staff, welcoming, friendly, informative, knowledgable. Perhaps on the rides having a buddy system so the guide doesn't need to count all the people to make sure everyone is present would be my only suggestion. I sometimes got the sense that people wanted to stop more often to take pictures and no one told them not to but then it can take time away from getting to visit town at the end of the day. Perhaps that needs to be discussed in more depth. Sometimes some of the breaks were longer than necessary. Again they were fine but took time from visiting a town at the end of the trip.

The staff at Tripsite were amazing to deal with and very helpful about everything. I would recommend this company and biking trip to anyone.
Thank you
S. Fryeskul
PS: We loved the new Magnifique II !!!

Great bike leader. Have name tags for participants or for bikes to help us w names. Would like to have been brave enough to ride on my own! Some participants were not really regular cyclists. Would have been good to have a briefing re group bike rules, including spacing, passing, signaling, warnings, etc.

Loved it! The crew was great, the boat was marvelously beautiful, the food was very good, and the overall atmosphere was perfectly casual and elegant at the same time. But: They should NOT charge for coffee/tea after 4pm. If the Bar Tab could be handled at the end of the trip by credit card it would be a bit more sophisticated, but not a deal breaker.

The Magnifique II ship was beautiful and very comfortable. The ship's crew were outstanding and very friendly. We especially enjoyed touring with tour guide Tom. We would love to take another trip similar to this in other regions and countries.