1 Star Belgium Tour Reviews — 1 to 4 of 4
randall r.
1 year ago
Verified Reviewer
Fluvius Amsterdam to Bruges
Netherlands, Belgium
I was very disappointed with this trip! Not only were the cabins very small, they were completely enclosed with no external air flow systems. So, when one person in our group came down with COVID, it quickly spread to 4 more.
Since I had been rooming with one of the persons who tested positive, I offered to leave the trip [so I would not spread the virus to other customers] with the understanding that the ship's crew would pay for my hotel stay in Gent Belgium and the cab fare from the boat to the hotel. Moreover, I expected the crew to give me a refund for the portion of the trip I could not use [not the entire sum, but just what they would save on meals, etc.]. However, after packing my suitcase, isolating from the rest of the customers on board, and preparing to deboard, I was told than not only was the crew not going to pay for the items they said they would, the crew insisted that I pay a surcharge of another 30 Euros for increased fuel costs.
Tripsite Staff • 1 year ago Tripsite Staff
We understand your disappointment. It is incredibly frustrating to look forward to a trip only to have it interrupted in the way that it was. COVID has been a nightmare in general, but especially on boats where quarantine is nearly impossible. Unfortunately, hotels and other costs incurred are the responsibility of the traveler. Some travel insurance companies will reimburse if only partially for this. Understandably, however, this is not how you wanted to spend your vacation and we are so sorry. We are required to abide by local and international regulations. With things improving as they are, we are expecting that off-boat quarantine will not be required in the future.
Ed Carroll
5 years ago
Verified Reviewer
London to Amsterdam
England, France, Belgium, Netherlands
We weren't given a map or App of the biking route as promised. We rode through many villages, resorts and towns from Dunkirk to Amsterdam but were not told the names of the towns, or the history of the towns - and we stopped only for "coffee breaks". When we asked what town we were in for the coffee breaks the guide was unable to tell us. We either used google maps or asked strangers where we were. Also, we biked past notable places of interest like the beach in Dunkirk where British troops were rescued during WWII - and the Dover Castle - but never stopped - even to take pictures. It was all about getting to the next hotel in time for dinner.
We weren't told the hotel we were staying in until we arrived at the hotel. We usually arrived at the hotel around 6pm and had little time to turn in our bikes for the night, get our Read More luggage, unpack, shower, change clothes and get ready for dinner by 8pm which usually lasted over two hours. And then we started early the next day - to get to our hotel for the next night.
Overall it is a "forced march" from London to Amsterdam. If you want to bike 344Km then I suggest you just go and bike 344Km for the exercise on a route most convenient to you because that is what this is. Or, take the self-guided tour which is cheaper and includes maps and the App and you can sight-see and take time to enjoy the country-side you are biking through.
The online website says "You will receive a code to download the maps, itinerary, points of interest, services and GPS position on your smartphone or GPS device. The App provides GPS tracks to be used offline. Paper copies of the route are available with supplement of €15." When I asked for the map or the App I was told they were only available to self-guided participants and that I should use GPS to figure out where we were at any given point. But that is not what the website says/said. As it is, we have no map or record of the route we biked or the towns we passed through. I would not recommend this "tour" to anyone.
PS. Do not interpret this critique as a criticism of the people who guided this tour. The people who guided us were patient, kind, personal, friendly and professional....in my opinion they had/have no impact on how this tour is/was deigned.
Mark W.
5 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Around Romantic Bruges
Belgium
The trip was great, hotel, bikes, etc but was way overpriced. I could have booked the same or similar hotel myself on booking.com and asked the hotel to add the bikes. It would have cost hundreds of euro less for my 5-day trip. Tripsite didn't do anything else and didn't even answer my emails quickly when I did have questions. I never met a Tripsite employee. The hotel owner Paul at Fevery handled everything. My advice to others, is do it on your own and safe a lot of money for the exact same trip.
Jehiel from Tripsite • 5 years ago Tripsite Staff
Hi Mark,
We are sorry you felt this trip was overpriced. Our goal is always to provide quality bike trips at a value to our travelers.
It is true that you could always book through booking.com, where prices fluctuate daily and might be able to find a cheaper rate. You might also find the rate on booking.com to be much higher. It's based on daily availability and that is the risk you run booking on your own.
Our records show that we promptly answered your emails to the best of our ability. We also arranged for you to use the hotel's bikes for a couple of days before your trip even though you were staying at a different hotel in Bruges.
When you book with us, beyond answering questions before your trip, we provide detailed information before you travel, and offer the benefit of booking through a US-based company who thoroughly vets all of our local partners.
It is for these reasons, the vast majority of our clients travel with us year after year.
We are sorry your expectations were not met. We hope you still had an enjoyable time.
August D.
6 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Zwaantje Bruges to Paris
Belgium, France
It's a shame that the incompetence and the misogynistic attitude of one person can affect what could have been a fantastic trip, our guide on several occasions got lost and we ended up doing many more kilometres of riding including a very long and steep hill climb that we had to walk in the hot sun.
I can not praise the Captain and crew of the Zwaantjie more highly it's a shame he has no control over the guides that are allocated to various trips.
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