Magnifique IV boat/barge tour reviews — 1 to 30 of 47
Carol P.
5 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Magnifique IV Amsterdam to Bruges
Netherlands, Belgium
We had a wonderful time on our trip. The Boat ,room, staff, and meals were excellent. All the staff work very hard to make sure all have a great trip.
One thing I would recommend to others is to bring light rain gear and gloves for riding
Don S.
5 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Magnifique IV Amsterdam to Bruges
Netherlands, Belgium
The people on board. And the food. Stella was great, too. I liked the open windows in the upstairs rooms. Also, coffee or cappuccino, espresso 24/7.
Ronald B.
5 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Magnifique IV Amsterdam to Bruges
Netherlands, Belgium
The overall organised week-the daily presentation of our next days excursions. On top of biking through beautiful routes , we also benefited from nightly activities and presentations of local cultural products such as chocolaterie,beer and cuisine.
The warm and welcoming reception of the whole crew, especially our two experienced and knowledgeable guides : Peter Van Avermaet & Tom Stout ,their camaraderie and sense of humor made the whole group feel at ease !
The chef was very accommodating as I had requested a gluten and lactose free diet. Many thanks !!!
Tips - In order to fully enjoy this wonderful adventure ,when booking a Bike & Barge ,you should be ready ,comfortable and expecting to be biking !!!!
shelley R.
6 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Magnifique IV Amsterdam to Bruges
Netherlands, Belgium
The whole trip was amazing!! But the one thing that sticks out is when we we stopped at the Canadian war cemetery…. And after touring around… Peter our guide stood proud in front of us and read the Poem “Flanders Field”. It brought tears to most of eyes.
Tips& suggestions… please make sure you know how to ride a bike! Being a bike tour… this is very important, as our tour guides did have to make the decision to have one couple stay back as they were not confident on the bikes. It is an easy ride but we did ride in towns and over cobble stone road ways. But they had to make that decision for the safety for them and others and I know it was a hard decision, but for that we thank them.
Martine O.
6 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Magnifique IV Amsterdam to Bruges
Netherlands, Belgium
The whole trip was memorable and the guides made it even more special. They was so funny and very informative. Always wanting to help you if you needed it and always so approachable.
Amy G.
6 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Magnifique IV Bruges to Amsterdam
Belgium, Netherlands
The ship’s crew on the Magnifique IV was outstanding. Hardworking, pleasant, efficient and the ship was very clean. The food was very good.
The tour guides failed to give clear instructions and some times were rude to the passengers. They did not follow the ride GPS even though they insisted on us downloading it. One time they would not allow us to enter a museum because we came “late” even though the museum was opened for another hour. They were not a highlight of my experience.
Carolyn M.
7 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Magnifique IV Amsterdam to Bruges
Netherlands, Belgium
Antwerp, Ghent and Brugge were our favourite towns/cities. The tour leaders were fun and informative and our experience on the boat - food, accommodation and relaxed atmosphere - was wonderful. Would recommend to anyone.
Tina R.
7 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Magnifique IV Amsterdam to Bruges
Netherlands, Belgium
Crew and meals were awesome. Would be great if they introduced everyone at the first meeting or meal. Also would be great if they had a signup sheet for emails to keep the group connected.
Andrew A.
7 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Magnifique IV Bruges to Amsterdam
Belgium, Netherlands
The boat was fabulous and the crew exceptional. The guides were great. The whole experience exceeded my expectations
Giovanni P.
8 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Magnifique IV Amsterdam to Bruges
Netherlands, Belgium
Muito Obrigado pelo passeio!!!
Superou todas as minhas expectativas, os guias ofereceram conhecimento e entretenimento e a equipe de bordo muito entusiasmada, a alimentação sensacional. E o tamanho do barco proporciona interação entre os passageiros.
Agradecemos a toda equipe do návio em especial ao Ronald, Steve e Jolene.
Luciana e Giovanni
Até Breve!!!
Kurt A.
9 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Magnifique IV Bruges to Amsterdam
Belgium, Netherlands
The Magnifique IV is as comfortable and roomy as a canal barge can be. The crew and guides were caring and attentive, performing their roles perfectly. The meals were lovely, excellent, beautifully prepared and presented.
The daily routes were delightful, with a dramatic scenic build as we entered The Netherlands and approached Amsterdam.
Bring a strap-on water bottle cage for easy and frequent hydration during the day.
Eric N.
9 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Magnifique IV Amsterdam to Bruges
Netherlands, Belgium
The food, crew, and guides were top-notch. It was our first barge trip. It was a very relaxing yet active way to explore historic cities and the roads and waterways connecting them.
Linda V.
9 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Magnifique IV Amsterdam to Bruges
Netherlands, Belgium
The staff was absolutely tremendous. I have nothing but praise for them. The boat was very well appointed and meticulously maintained. Thank you all so much for fabulous trip and memories that will last a lifetime!
Sandy S.
9 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Magnifique IV Amsterdam to Bruges
Netherlands, Belgium
We loved all of our trip! The barge was lovely, the food first class and the 2 guides were excellent. We enjoyed meeting new people, the relaxed atmosphere and our daily rides.
Susan G.
10 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Magnifique IV Bruges to Amsterdam
Belgium, Netherlands
The interaction with your wonderful crew and guides. They made everyone and every day special.
Beth I.
10 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Magnifique IV Tulip Tour - 5 day
Netherlands
Rachel H.
10 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Magnifique IV Tulip Tour - 5 day
Netherlands
Our 5 day trip aboard the Magnifique IV for the Netherlands tulip tour was magnificent! I can't say enough great things about the staff--each and every one was so helpful and accommodating. There was plenty of food at all times and the evening dinner was excellent. The rooms were small but clean and enough room for all of your belongings. The bikes were new and worked well. The only thing I would change about the trip was the weather (!) and perhaps I would have enjoyed eating lunch in the small towns we meandered through (versus packing a bagged lunch each day). Would definitely recommend this trip and will be booking with them again!
michael c.
10 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Magnifique IV Tulip Tour - 5 day
Netherlands
Just the whole trip everything was memorable, the barge crew, the ride leader & cycling. The Barge itself, the food and peolple
Allison S.
1 year ago
Verified Reviewer
Magnifique IV Bruges to Amsterdam
Belgium, Netherlands
This was one of the best vacations I’ve ever had! The Magnifique IV is gorgeous and comfortable, and every single staff member was super helpful and just absolutely lovely! Our cycling guides, Hans and Wilfred, we’re wonderful - fun, knowledgeable, well-organized. Seeing bigger towns and cities, and all the countryside and ‘regular’ towns in between by bicycle is such a good way to explore. I highly recommend this trip!
Sonya V.
1 year ago
Verified Reviewer
Magnifique IV Bruges to Amsterdam
Belgium, Netherlands
Tips
Pack light. We avoided long lineups at every airport because we had only carry-on luggage.
Don't Read More bring a bike helmet unless you are cycling before or after the tour. They are provided.
Rent one of the e-bikes. Even though the routes are mostly flat, we so appreciated having a little boost. I had mine on level 1 most of the time. Level 2 was for near the end of the ride. Level 3, only for going up hills. Make sure to unlock your bike and turn your battery on again after a stop.
Keep some distance between your bike and the one ahead. Not everyone will be experienced with cycling in groups and hand signals.
Do bring a gel seat cover with a waterproof bag. You can cover it, or just take it off when stopping. The seats on the bikes are just okay. They were much more comfortable with an additional squishy layer.
Do bring water-PROOF raingear, top and bottom. We kept warm and almost completely dry with ours. Others went with water RESISTANT and regretted it. In fact, next time I'm bringing good quality covers for my shoes. The staff kindly put our shoes in the engine room to dry out. This worked beautifully when they were damp, but let's just say that stronger measures were needed on other days. Bring an extra pair of shoes.
Your waterproof jacket needs to have a hood. Note, the ball cap I wore under my helmet to keep the sun out of my eyes also kept the rain off my face. We had a mix of weather. Definitely dress in layers if you are doing a tour in late September. I was glad I packed warm long-sleeved tops, hoodies and wool socks. I also had a warm coat and a scarf for the cool evenings in the various beautiful cities.
Do bring a few ziploc bags. These will come in handy on wet days, even with the waterproof satchels.
Don't believe the nice lady at the cheese farm. Unless you are going back home right away, uncover and place the cheese you buy in a fridge. Simply opening the package to let it breath won't be enough to prevent mold from growing.
Do get a data package with your cellphone company. Not every place will have wifi when you need it.
Staying in Bruges and then in Amsterdam for a few days is a great idea. The Belgian Chocolate workshop was so much fun. We participated in 3 ("free") walking tours, 1 in Bruges. They were eye-opening and an excellent way to get oriented. We booked a few things months in advance (Ann Frank House, Guru walks). We like having something planned to do each day. The guides for the guru walks provided discounts for some attractions that we booked while in Europe like Those Dam Boat Guys as well as restaurants like Bistro Berlage. We highly recommend both. If you want to go to the NEMO science center, book a few days in advance.
Do be prepared for the BEST boat bike experience. We so enjoyed ours from Bruges to Amsterdam. It was our first time and we are recommending it to all of our friends.
Thanks to the team at Tripsite. You made the booking process so easy and stress free.
craig C.
1 year ago
Verified Reviewer
Magnifique IV Amsterdam to Bruges
Netherlands, Belgium
Our staff. Hans and Wilfred were exceptional.
George R.
1 year ago
Verified Reviewer
Magnifique IV Amsterdam to Bruges
Netherlands, Belgium
The dinners were fantastic.
Elizabeth A.
2 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Magnifique IV Bruges to Amsterdam
Belgium, Netherlands
Loved riding through the farmlands leading to Gent at the beginning of the trip. Beautiful scenery and so peaceful! Our boat tour up the canal was magical.
I would rate this trip excellent and well beyond my expectations. The staff were always cheerful and accommodating. Guides were informative and all of the days were well paced and eventful.
Stephen R.
2 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Magnifique IV Amsterdam to Bruges
Netherlands, Belgium
The Magnifique IV was a lovely barge, we’ll set out and nicely appointed. Meals were delicious, the suite was spacious and the bathroom was the equal or better of many we experience in quality hotels. The staff including the guides were excellent and contributed to a delightful week of seeing the Netherlands and Belgium.
Diane D.
2 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Magnifique IV Bruges to Amsterdam
Belgium, Netherlands
Great staff and fun traveling and experiencing this with a large group of friends! Scenery was spectacular and we had great weather.
robert w.
2 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Magnifique IV Amsterdam to Bruges
Netherlands, Belgium
The enthusiasm of our tour guides was excellent. They helped the family (our group of 6) a couple of times by sacrifice of their personal time and attention.
Some better orientation on ebike and gears would have been helpful. The "sore-butt" syndrome for inexperienced riders was worth it.
Bob W
Alison M.
2 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Magnifique IV Bruges to Amsterdam
Belgium, Netherlands
The bike rides through small towns and villages, beautiful scenery were the highlight of the trip. On one day our guide also stopped at an unscheduled attraction at our request - this willingness to be flexible was much appreciated.
The guided rides are great, but try to take advantage of the self-guided rides as well on some days - the biking staff provide thorough directions and the app so that it is pretty hard to go off-track.
The food on the barge was outstanding, and the snacks provided for lunches were great.
Robert C.
2 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Magnifique IV Bruges to Amsterdam
Belgium, Netherlands
The food on the barge was excellent, much better than I anticipated. The staff was friendly, very hard working and seemed to enjoy working together to make our trip special. The accommodations on the barge were very comfortable. We biked through the countryside, past farms, and small villages, places a tourist wouldn't normally see. Even though this tour was rated "easy" it did require a certain amount of biking skill as the terrain on the bike paths varied from cobblestones, brick, gravel, dirt, narrow and sometimes crowded with other bikers.
Cynthia W.
2 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Magnifique IV Bruges to Amsterdam
Belgium, Netherlands
We loved the bike tour from Brugges to Amsterdam! The biking was excellent and we loved using the e-bikes! The tour guides and ship crew were helpful and very responsive! They made the trip fun and memorable. The cities were truly amazing! Bike and barge is such a fun way to see beautiful cities and lovely views!
Fredda T.
2 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Magnifique IV Bruges to Amsterdam
Belgium, Netherlands
The windmills and the cheese farm were the most memorable. We found the cafeteria style dining to be at least unromantic and that the portions could have been bigger. The crew was awesome. The ship gorgeous, the weather incredible. But it was always odd on the boat - not enough camaraderie among the passengers with no encouraged social interaction outside of forced togetherness at meals which with Covid rampant was a concern. I think it was a shame that the boat didn’t include the windmill tour as part of the activity because we felt it a fabulous understanding of what we were traveling through and by. Thank you for a wonderful vacation! Fredda and Derek
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