3 star rated Tulip Tour - Amsterdam to Bruges - 8 day Bike Tour Reviews 1 to 3 of 3
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Tulip Tour - Amsterdam to Bruges - 8 day
by chann 2 months ago • Permalink/ReplyToured on the Merlijn. Kuhn and Christina, the current owners, were friendly as were the entire staff. Generally enjoyable trip but much different than expected. Agree with prior comments that much more a biking trip than sightseeing. Felt every day we were pushing to meet the boat as opposed to enjoying the sights along the way. Just stopping to take a picture in picturesque countryside or village would put you behind the group trying to catch up. Lunch stops for 45 minutes to one hour. By time you maybe bought a drink, found a spot to eat your bag lunch, found a bathroom, it was time to get back on the bike and go. Just enough time to realize what you were missing with no time to explore!
Biking is more challenging than expected at this pace. Probably little problem for experienced bikers. But just because there are few hills (there are some), don't assume it is easy. Biking with the wind in your face (which we had for most our trip) is challenging, and rain adds a whole different element (luckily only one day). Also, riding in a group of bikers with varying skill levels, particularly in congested areas, is a challenge itself, even if you are an experienced biker.
Hour long walking tours were offered a few nights after dinner if you weren't too tired to go or need to get to bed for early start. The guide was well informed, but during biking, if you weren't riding right next to or behind him, you may not even know the name of the village, what the sites were, or have an opportunity to ask questions until you stopped for lunch or were back on the boat. So depending upon where you are in the pack of riders, you may not have any information about what you were seeing. This was disappointing. More stops should be made and time allotted for sightseeing.
The food left much to be desired. While the staff clearly tried very hard to please, most of us agreed a cook/chef should be hired. Breakfast was fairly standard - cold mostly with one hot option daily. Not unusual, but lacked interest. Packed lunches were same every day - small sandwich, juice, and a candy bar. You could supplement from the breakfast buffet with an apple or banana. Juice boxes were included, as well. Dinners were three courses: soups and desserts were generally ok; main courses very bland or over cooked.
Staff was kind and did their best to accommodate requests. We had a nice group of guests who got along well and provided good company throughout the trip. Luckily, our immediate travel group added time in the beginning of the trip in Amsterdam and at the end to revisit Bruge, Ghent, and Antwerp to more fully explore these beautiful cities. But the small villages and towns you will ride through are real gems that don't get enough attention on this tour. Add more days to this tour (not more cities or villages) to allow guests to fully explore the wonderful stops that are already part of this trip.
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Tulip Tour - Amsterdam to Bruges - 8 day
by Richard H. 2 years ago • Permalink/ReplyMost Memorable Part: Our fellow travelers and Jacko, the chef on the Quo Vadis.
Boat: Quo Vadis
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Tulip Tour - Amsterdam to Bruges - 8 day
by Betsy A. 2 years ago • Permalink/ReplyThe trip was fun but I don't think the description of the trip was accurate. The trip was about 85% bike riding and 15% site seeing. I would have liked more time to explore the cities we were riding through but most of the time it was too late or placed were closed. Not sure if I would do another tour like this. The riding was beautiful but I really expected more site seeing according to the trip description.
Boat: Merlijn
