Magnifique IV boat/barge tour reviews — 1 to 30 of 42
Amy G.
2 weeks 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.
3 weeks 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.
4 weeks 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.
1 month 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.
2 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.
3 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.
3 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.
3 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.
3 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.
4 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.
4 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Magnifique IV Tulip Tour - 5 day
Netherlands
Rachel H.
4 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.
5 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.
12 months 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.
12 months 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.
12 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Magnifique IV Amsterdam to Bruges
Netherlands, Belgium
Our staff. Hans and Wilfred were exceptional.
George R.
12 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Magnifique IV Amsterdam to Bruges
Netherlands, Belgium
The dinners were fantastic.
Elizabeth A.
1 year 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.
1 year 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.
1 year 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.
1 year 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.
1 year 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.
1 year 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.
1 year 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.
1 year 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
Harvey L.
1 year ago
Verified Reviewer
Magnifique IV Amsterdam to Bruges
Netherlands, Belgium
This trip was the most memorable we've ever been on. The boat was fantastic - clean and in pristine condition. The food was equal to anything we've had in any fine restaurant - tasty and served with elegance. The crew members were energetic and fun and always had time to answer any and all questions. The biking part of the trip was perfect - equal parts cycling and resting, with coffee and pastries! It was the best way to see another country - on your bike - so much time to take in the pristine beauty of Holland and Belgium. The accommodations were comfy and cosy and inviting. The hot tub was delightful after a day of cycling.
We would do this trip again without hesitation.
Harvey and Martha
Paul F.
1 year ago
Verified Reviewer
Magnifique IV Amsterdam to Bruges
Netherlands, Belgium
Most memorable part: Boat staff bikes food and dancing all fantastic, we had a great time
Russell H.
1 year ago
Verified Reviewer
Magnifique IV Amsterdam to Bruges
Netherlands, Belgium
I organized the bike/barge trip aboard the Magnifique IV for eight couples and all of us would agree it exceeded our expectations. Bert and Hans are brilliant tour leaders, Mieke and John wonderful hosts, and Gerard a fine chef. Accommodations were first class, the boat was immaculate, the food great, and our fellow passengers were well traveled like-minded folks whom we had great time getting to know. The bike itinerary works nicely for both experienced or inexperienced riders, I strongly recommend an e-bike for the latter group. All in all, Walter the captain and boat owner runs a classy operation and offers terrific value for the price.
Robert R.
1 year ago
Verified Reviewer
Magnifique IV Amsterdam to Bruges
Netherlands, Belgium
The Captain, crew, and tour guides were wonderful; and the beer was delicious!
John L.
1 year ago
Verified Reviewer
Magnifique IV Amsterdam to Bruges
Netherlands, Belgium
Best way to experience the local cultures and idyllic country sides and charming villages of Holland and Belgium.
All Tour Reviews by Activity
All Tour Reviews by Country
Boat/Barge Reviews
- Magellan
- Magnifique II
- Magnifique III
- Magnifique IV
- Mare fan Fryslân
- Merlijn
- Florentina
- Normandie
- Princess
- Olympia
- Panagiota
- Pape Prvi
- Primadonna
- Princesse Royal
- Prinzessin Katharina
- Quo Vadis
- Romantica
- Sailing Home
- San Snova
- Sarah
- Stella
- Sundial
- Swiss Crown
- Thalassa
- Flying Dutchman
- Vietnamese Junks
- Vita Pugna
- Vivienne
- Wending
- Yolo
- Zwaan
- Zwaantje