3 Star Bruges to Amsterdam Tour Reviews — 1 to 9 of 9
Easy Bike + Boat Tour in Belgium, Netherlands
A bike and barge tour beginning in Bruges and ending in Amsterdam showcases the best of both Belgium and Holland. The motto in Bruges is, "Feel the past under your feet," and you surely will! Or…
Michelle M.
2 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Visiting the windmills
Angela H.
2 years ago
Verified Reviewer
First of all, we worked with Anna Zdancewicz at Tripsite and she was an amazing communicator. She provided clear and detailed answers to any questions we had and was very timely in her response to us via email. We also spoke with her on the phone a few times and enjoyed the conversations as well as the information. We would definitely use Tripsite again for another booking and we often recommend Tripsite to others.
The upside of our trip was Jack, our bicycle tour guide each day. He was great and very knowledgeable of the sites we rode to and also he gave a few evening guided walking tours which were also excellent. We really enjoyed Jack and his helper Johan, who was the “Sweeper”…taking the rear positon of all bike riders keeping us all Read More together.
The downside of the cruise for us were issues concerning the boat, Fluvius. The Fluvius is a small and pretty old boat with up to 44 passengers. This boat is well-worn and old and definitely shows it. It is clearly in need of a facelift and major update throughout the entire boat. Even the bed linens and bed comforter was just a little too old and did not seem crisp and fresh. The dinners served on the boat were very good and well presented. We did not want to eat fish and they kindly gave us something else as a substitute. However, the breakfasts were really lacking and uninspired. But worst of all were the lunches that everyone had to put together themselves every day to take with them on their bikes. The bread for the sandwiches was always very dry. And overall, the items one could pack for lunch were very limited and not very tasty or appealing. If you wanted to just have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, you had to open about 7 or 8 small packages of each to make one sandwich. The choice of fruit was just so very limited and the drinks offered were juices boxes that tasted not great. For water, you were given a reusable plastic bottle that you were expected to fill yourself each day in your bathroom. We never did that. Instead, we bought bottled water to take with us.
The cabin we were in (which was one of the two very best ones) did not seem very clean. The shower did not seem well scrubbed out after the previous guests. I understand that there is not much time between one set of guests disembarking from a cruise and the next group arriving. However, rooms need to be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized between groups and clearly this was not done. I also felt that the overall ship could have been cleaner.
Another aspect of this cruise I would like to comment on is the bikes. The majority of riders rode ebikes. The ebikes on the Fluvius were old and should be replaced. I noticed also that most of the bikes were dirty even on the first day of use which proved to be just a sign of their overall condition which was poor. My own ebike required maintenance twice during the week. There was only one guy who was in charge of maintaining all the bikes and he definitely seemed overwhelmed with the responsibility of this.
Our tour guide Jack mentioned that the boat had recently been purchased by a young entrepreneurial type of guy. Perhaps Tripsite might let the boat owner or local partner know about these short comings and needed changes. Also, it might be helpful if Tripsite conducted an annual review of the boats you represent to be sure things are up to par and meet your standards and the expectations of your clients.
On a final note, I would like to say that we enjoyed the daily rides and felt that Jack, the tour guide, did an excellent job. Without him, the overall experience would have been less enjoyable.
Greg S.
2 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Riding in the countryside was wonderful, the ride in the urban parts was much more stressful. Our barge was divided into two groups which had significantly different experiences. Group one (which we were not in) had 2 guides while ours which was the same size had only one which meant that one of us had to take on the role of sweep. Our group leader did not stop or explain anywhere near as much as the other. Our group leader was unwilling to wait to make sure everyone was accounted for. For one example he took part of the group to a canal tour and said it should return on time. When I asked if he would wait for us if it was a few minutes late he said "I don't know, maybe" and when we were still getting our bikes out of the racks, he left with the rest of the group and was out of sight. luckily we were able to catch up but this incident seemed to characterize our whole experience with this guide.
Jehiel • 2 years ago Tripsite Staff
Hi Greg,
Thanks for leaving us this feedback. Sorry to hear the experience you had with your guide was a negative one. We have shared this feedback with our partners.
Glad you enjoyed riding the Dutch countryside! This is one of our favorite parts of bike touring as well.
Jehiel • 2 years ago Tripsite Staff
Hi Greg,
Thanks for leaving us this feedback. Sorry to hear the experience you had with your guide was a negative one. We have shared this feedback with our partners.
Glad you enjoyed riding the Dutch countryside! This is one of our favorite parts of bike touring as well.
Jill S.
4 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Overall the trip was good and we enjoyed our time. However, we did have some things that could be improved -
firstly the e-bikes that we rented had several problems with them and were unreliable
secondly I found the choice of food strange for being on a tour in Europe - we had Mexican food, followed by Asian food & sushi. What was wrong with french or belgium or even North American (seeing that we were all from NA). There was no flexibility or accommodation of other types of food.
The group leader should have allowed some of us to go ahead with maps rather than keep us in a long line of 20 people strung out with the slowest members behind the leader. We are all adults and professional people and do not wish to be treated like children.
Kathy M.
5 years ago
Verified Reviewer
The scenery was absolutely beautiful and thankfully the weather was the same. If I had to make one suggestion it would be to improve the food on board. I don't think that can vegetables are a great reflection of the fresh vegetables that were all over the countryside. I also think that there should be more options for vegetarians.
Marie B.
7 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Overall this was a great experience. The boat was clean and the staff friendly. The itinerary and scenery was beautiful. The only negative was that the website had several inaccuracies. For example, the mileage each day was much longer than published. Also, the number of meals provided was less than published.
Kevin Armstrong
7 years ago
Verified Reviewer
I have done this trip from Amsterdam to Bruges as well. I found this version to not be as enjoyable. The reason was there was not as much on the route to see and take in. I think that there are some differences do to which barge you are on which may restrict the routes. Bruges is amazing as was Amsterdam but in between nothing exciting. The barge was amazing (Sailing Home) with a wonderful chef. I love this style of touring and have done 8 of them and will do more!
D. Pincar
8 years ago
Verified Reviewer
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.
E. Hull-parsons
8 years ago
Verified Reviewer
I have planned to contact you with feedback, but haven't. The staff was great except the guide. He was not friendly or helpful. We were all disappointed in his lack of leadership and "guiding". Of the three trips we have taken, this was the least appealing. The route was not attractive, and mostly industrial, urban or rural. We were near places we know were charming and interesting, but did not visit them. I'm left wondering if it is that tour company. For 35 people biking there really should have been more staff on the road with us. Still love you!
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