Magnifique III boat/barge tour reviews — 91 to 109 of 109

The staff made the trip memorable by going the extra mile. I loved the side tours and friends we made. They made you feel like you were on the Queen Elizabeth liner. A tip is to go with the flow and don’t race to your next destination. Stop and smell the flowers.

"Taking a vacation aboard the new Magnifique III is a ""must do"" for cyclists in Europe. We received a warm welcome as soon as we arrived and we were invited to a walking tour of Brussels by our guide on the first day. When we returned to the ship for dinner, we were introduced to an amazing team of individuals who went out of their way to ensure our vacation experience was outstanding. The chef announced the menu enthusiastically each evening which we followed with applause as our palates drooled in anticipation. We were never disappointed as the dinners were fantastic. We even had a barbecue on the deck, one evening, with a tasty selection of chicken, sausage, steak, or shrimp available to us.
The competent tour guides led us through the sights of Belgium each day and gave us a host of valuable information. We all appreciated the option to join a slower group or a faster group of cyclists each day. The cycling was well paced with appropriate breaks for beverages, if desired. We liked the format of parking our bicycles in each city and the guide would take us a walking tour pointing out the recommended sights for us to go back and visit at our leisure in the same afternoon. The medieval cities that were spread throughout Belgium awed us and we were fortunate to have ideal weather to spend all day outdoors.
When we returned to the Magnifique III, there was always a delightful treat awaiting such as an assortment of delicious cheese or decadent squares or baked treats served with ice cold flavoured waters to quench our thirst.
Our friends couldn't wait to enjoy the outdoor hot tub on the upper deck after a day of cycling and they found it so relaxing. We enjoyed our comfortable cabin to re-group and get ready for dinner and the social evening ahead.
After dinner, one evening, our guides took us to tour an art gallery in a local town. On another evening, we enjoyed a ""trolley tour"" of Antwerp after dinner.
Thomas, our guide, also hosted a ""beer tasting"" one evening on board and he dressed in costume which engaged us in the event. One of our cyclists downloaded some chanting music to complete the picture and it was an entertaining evening.
On day 6, we had a choice to remain on the boat until 11 a.m. while we enjoyed cruising along the canal from Ghent towards Bruges. It was a wonderful experience to be outdoors on deck enjoying the peace of the countryside as we sailed along. This was followed by scenic cycling beside the same canal.
in the early evening, our guide, Thomas, led us on an informative walking tour of Bruges. This was followed by an opportunity to eat at local restaurant which we enjoyed.
At dinner and at breakfast, we sat at tables of ten in the sunny dining room which gave us many opportunities to meet and get acquainted with the other guests from other countries and provinces making the whole tour so worthwhile. The staff were very friendly and extremely helpful.
On our final evening, the dining room was divided into two tables of twenty. One of the guests suggested each cyclist make a statement about what he/she had enjoyed most about the tour. Each person made a brief sincere presentation or a jovial comment and it was so entertaining. The meal was superb! After dinner, we all chatted for a while and the evening concluded with a spontaneous dance. It was a memorable night! Our whole tour was one I'll never forget and I will continue to recommend to everyone."Tourist tip: There is a nice grocery store in the downstairs of building not far from the Cathedral where you can buy necessities including chocolate bars.  SHOW MORE 

A fantastic experience , I cant think of a thing I would change. The Best of Holland tour was great aboard the Magnifique III, cant wait to select our next tour.

The Magnifique II was fine and the food was good. One thing I found odd was the staff joined us at the bar at night. The bar had limited seating and they took up the stools while passengers stood. Not cool. I found the biking boring. There were no interesting stops other than the cities. Amsterdam, Ghent and Bruges were very nice. The Netherlands were rather dull. On other tours we stopped at wineries, Chateaus or interesting landmarks. Here the guides just stopped and said there is coffee or a church you can visit. Not very organized. Their goal seemed to be to keep us out long enough to reach the boat. I would not recommend this tour.

This was my first bike and barge trip and it won't be my last. The barge, staff and food were all excellent. The trail system in the Netherlands and Belgium was easy to follow and the countryside was beautiful. I'm ready to book my next trip.

The staff on the barge were always very helpful and friendly.

Our group of four thoroughly enjoyed the 'Best of Holland' bike tour. The Magnifique III Team were all wonderful, the food was truly excellent and our rooms were spacious and comfortable. We particularly loved Edam and the Waterlands area, also Gouda and Leiden. The daily tours were very well planned and we really did see the best of Holland.

Biking thru picturesque Holland was was delightful. The next thing to view was more beautiful than the last.
Next time I’d get an ebike.

We completed the Best of Holland Cycling tour.
Not only was the the scenery beautiful, but the attentiveness of the crew on the boat and during our bike ride was exceptional.

The whole trip was fantastic. The food was amazing, staff was wonderful and the barge was comfortable and gorgeous. Bruges and Ghent were our favorite stops.

The entire barge and bike trip was superlative! But what impressed me the most biking and barging aboard the Magnifique besides the excellent accommodations, great and varied food, breathtaking scenery, and cultural stops, was the professionalism of the staff. The Bruges to Amsterdam crew of six were constantly working to make our week safe, enjoyable, and deplete of any hitches. If you have never even thought of a trip like this because you deemed it too adventurous, please reconsider! The 30 miles per day of riding were pretty easy even for a casual rider, and for anyone who has concerns about “keeping up” or has some physical limitations, e- bikes were available that leveled the playing field. I think that biking through a country really gives you an appreciation and in-depth feeling you would never get by touring more traditionally. And all those calories burned allows more ingestion of Belgium’s famous chocolates and fries! Absolutely loved this trip!

Magnifique III was so much better than imagined. Great looking barge inside & out! Dining room glowed, friendly bar, wonderful creative chef. I’m a “foodie” and never expected such fresh delicious meals. Room accommodations small neat clean would have liked little more room so 2 people could unpack their suitcases.
Staff was friendly attentive and did their jobs efficiently. Bike trip was well planned, I personally would have liked to have been able to stop a few more times to enjoy scenery surroundings & picturesque small towns.
I recommend a bike/barge trip through Tripsite... I would consider another!

Although this was a bike-barge trip, I did not bike; rather, I stayed on the barge each day as it progressed along the rivers and canals. It was very pleasant and relaxing watching the scenery. Each day I was able to disembark at least once prior to arrival at the destination for the night to walk around nearby towns or along paths. The crew was extremely gracious and accommodating to my presence on the barge.

It would be difficult to pick one specific memory as the most significant. I loved the companionship of my fellow riders. I recall one beautiful afternoon as we rode through countryside reminiscent of a Van Gogh painting. I was impressed by the open friendly manner of the local people in the small towns through which we rode.

Most Memorable Part: The lovely scenery and the excellent condition of all the bike paths.

A fantastic tour, with knowledgeable guides that led us through Holland and Belgium. Everything aboard the Magnifique III was top notch and any concerns we had (our room was a little musty) were dealt with immediately and to our satisfaction. The biking was very enjoyable, primarily on bike paths and even when on roads the cars are very respectful of bicyclists. The routes at 50km lengths sound daunting but were the perfect length to fill the day along with frequent breaks for pictures and beer! I do recommend saddle time prior to the trip and bike shorts! The bikes were in excellent condition too. Overall one of the best vacations we’ve ever had. Highly recommend. If you are more adventurous you can download the maps on your phone and go self-guided. Many in our group did that and had no issues.

The barge staff, tour guides and fellow bike riders were the best part of this tour! Please know that this is definitely a bike tour. We zipped through towns at a steady pace but it wasn’t unbearable for a novice bike rider like me. However there wasn’t much time to visit any towns and do some sightseeing.

Our Bike and Barge trip on the new Magnifique III was the BEST! The boat was beautiful, the food was fabulous, the the guides and staff were so helpful and friendly. We'll never forgot all of the beautiful sites - windmills, tulips, and baby animals - just to name a few. Memories that will last a lifetime. I cannot recommend this vacation highly enough!

Enjoyed the biking and food was great.