Belgium Tour Reviews — 721 to 750 of 1018

Our booking and trip experience were excellent. The Tripsite team were very responsive to all inquiries and questions. The trip information provide was accurate, provided information to provide to family members at home and was received in a timely manner.
Excellent trip, staff and overall experience!

Everything about the trip exceeded my expectations. In particular, the dinners were truly gourmet. Keep that chef (Leroy)!

Most Memorable Part: The people on our tour were great. A bunch of fun people.

Highlights: Seeing these countries via bike paths. Going through small towns and villages with an excellent guide to highlight the history and out of the way places.
Tip: get in shape! You will enjoy it more if you are fit to bike these distances.

This was our first bike and barge trip, and we loved every aspect of it. Yes, the weather was a challenge, but even that was rewarding in retrospect. The guide and crew were great, the food was wonderful, and the boat was very comfortable (and a good size). We got to know all our fellow passengers and that was the icing on the cake. Now I'm spending way too much time, probably, reading about where to take our next trip!

Passenger/participant/staff group dynamics were excellent.
Barge had no laundry service, so go prepared with the necessaries to look after it yourself.

Biking through wine country in Germany and going into the fields themselves. Take this trip!

This trip exceeded our expectations on every level. We'd never done a bike and barge excursion and decided to jump in with both feet on this trip. To say that we were thrilled is an understatement. The incredibly comfortable boat, the friendly and hardworking crew, the delicious meals, the fantastic guide, the varied and beautiful route... it was all more than we imagined. I can't tell you what a pleasure it was to experience three countries and their cultures with the intimacy that a bike tour allows.

We're experienced travelers and think through our options carefully. The combination of activity, education, relaxation and total immersion was so appealing... and this excursion did not disappoint. To top it off, given everything that is included, this trip is a tremendous value. We can't wait for our next adventure with Tripsite!

The trip started out with high winds and rain but it didn't dampen the spirit of the group. We were always going downhill with the wind on our back! The comfort of the barge and delicious meals were outstanding. The Mosel valley was probably the highlight for scenery and seeing the grape harvest in full swing. Our wine tasting evening was one of the best we have ever experienced. The Captain wanted us to have a real experience and we did.

Especially enjoyed the days cycling through the vineyards along the Mosel River.

Our guide was very knowledgeable and engaging. A suggestion for others would be to prepare for wind if going during that time of year. The route may be very flat but the possibility of a constant headwind can make it feel uphill. Knowing this, some guests may opt for using an eBike.

We loved Germany the best. The coffee stops were the best. Great brats and pastry.

Great vistas of remarkable vineyards. More WWII history info prior to the trip and designated site visits would truly be great.

Bike and Barge in Belgium and Holland was a whole week of memories and is at the top of my favorite trips! You are surrounded daily by beautiful landscapes and architecture unique to the Netherlands. The bikes are perfect for extended times of riding and you are on bike paths close to canals for most of the trip. This is an active vacation which I prefer but is never too difficult. Everything is done for you so there was never any worries and I was relaxed all week. Meeting people from around the world is amazing. I had the fortunate experience of meeting a special couple from Australia and that was a bonus! I hope to do this trip again in the near future.

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.

Great experience, although a very large group to be riding together. The food was good but not great. Made some friends and really enjoyed the trip.

What I enjoyed most about my Boat & Bike trip were the rides through the countryside in the early mornings when it was quiet, and the only sound was the hum of my bicycle. Secondly, were the times we moved the boat during breakfast. I found myself staring out the window at life and business along the canals. Lastly, the new friends we made, from Britain, Australia, and Canada!

The country side, the guide was very personable and knowable of the routes, sites with a very positive and safety conscious attitude. More time in some of the major centres (Gent, Antwerp) I would recommend that travelers arrive at least one day preferable two in advance of the bike & barge departure and stay at least 2 days afterwards to enjoy the cities of Bruges and Amsterdam. The availability of e-bikes was essential so that those less experienced in pedalling the distances could enjoy the biking part of the trip.

The Zwaantje and crew are top notch, and present a great value. Some of the routes in northern France had a little too much traffic. Riding in Belgium and Netherlands seems nicer. Once is enough for this tour.

I really enjoyed the variety of the tour, including bike rides through pastoral countryside and alongside canals, and walking tours through fascinating historical cities and towns. The food and drink were highlights, both on and off the boat, and I really enjoyed traveling with a great group of fellow travelers. The crew and guide were fantastic! The Tripsite guidebook included suggestions for tipping the crew and guide. Our group felt that the suggested tip amounts were not adequate, so we tipped a lot more than what was suggested.

Most memorable part? There were so many, but Chantilly Castle and the Montmontre area of Paris that we had a tour of immediately come to mind. Make sure that you can ride a bike and can manage at least 30 miles on a route with the same level of climbing, otherwise use an e-bike to help you along. Bring 2 pairs of street shoes, as some days they might get wet. Remember that there will be an opportunity to leave a tip at the end, and it should be about 5-6% of the booked price. Drink wine and beer, talk to people, don't be shy about anything and remember to have fun.

I really enjoyed everything about the trip: the scenery, towns and villages, camaraderie, guide, food , music evening. All was wonderful!

Wow, our trip was phenomenal! The barge was excellent, the food was gourmet (seriously) and the riding was great! Although rain was predicted everyday, we never rode in the rain. The weather improved and we saw rain twice while on the barge. The Magnifique II and the crew could not have been better. We are already looking forward to a trip next year!!!

The most memorable part of our trip was people we met, we made some fantastic new friends. The Dutch countryside was especially beautiful, just like out of a fairy tale. Lots of other great countryside and small villages as well, quaint and old European.
The rooms on the Fluvius were poorly ventilated, and the A/C was extremely noisy. The dining room, lounge, bar and upper deck were great.
One of our rides included having to take a short ferry ride. We were all asked to pay .70 cents for this. Many of us felt that was being extremely cheap, and should have been included. Really...70 cents!!!!
For each day of cycling we were only given 1-500ml bottle of water. This is not even close to daily requirements, especially given that on several days we were riding in 30 degrees C. It should have been at least 2L/person/day.
Our guide lacked enthusiasm. He told us to fill our empty water bottles in the bathrooms, he talked about bathroom breaks in the pre-ride briefing but despite being told (during the ride) that we'd need a break, he just kept going. Rarely did he stop for photos; there was some beautiful countryside that many of us would liked to have captured. For the most part, the only time he stopped was for coffee and lunch. He did not seem overly concerned about safety; when there was a car coming from behind the riders would shout "CAR" and that kept getting shouted up the line. One time I was behind the guide, so we both heard it at the same time...the guide then very flippantly said "Good for the car". Crossing major intersections was dicey; many times he would cross despite the traffic, while the group would then wait on the other side until it was CLEARLY safe to go. This seemed to frustrate him.
My bike was great, but it would have been nice to have a water bottle holder mounted on the frame, and include a cycling water bottle for it, which people could then take home. Not all bikes were the same; some had 2 hand brakes, while others had a hand brake and a foot brake, which took some getting used to for those that were assigned that type of bike. There was no option to swap.
The Fluvius crew were amazing. Very, very hard working, yet personable and great senses of humor! Shout outs to Alex, Nadia, Marianna, David & Captain Arno!!! (PS, we hope everything is okay with Nadia's mom).
Despite the negatives, we had a great time, met some amazing people, saw stunningly beautiful countryside, had lots of fun & laughter. And, we would go again!!

We had a wonderful time. The accommodation was above expectations, very clean and more roomy than expected. The food was excellent, plentiful, diverse and attractively presented. The staff was welcoming, helpful and made the trip extremely enjoyable. There were extras above what we expected...guided trips into the various cities in the evening and even entertainment with Music and dancing. We stayed with the guide every day and appreciated his expertise at choosing routes that were scenic and avoiding as much of the traffic when we did have to go through the cities.

Most Memorable Part: Amsterdam and a week of perfect weather

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!

Most memorable part: The small number of passengers and the bonding and friendships which grew. Also, the lovely relaxed biking through the countryside, villages and towns with the guide providing more than adequate explanations when required. Everything worked like clock work and was well organized.

My wife and two other couples did this trip in August 2017. The crew was great the boat is very well appointed, the rooms are small but function well. The evening meals were great, breakfast was limited most days to bread cheese and cereal.
Now the bad part:
The crew turns off the air conditioning at 10:30 at night and does not come back on until the morning. So one would wake up in the middle of the night sweating and not be able to go back to sleep, The bedding, our clothes and all other items in the room would get moist and moldy from condensation.
The Bicycles were not the best, they were quite used and most of the seats were loose and could not be tightened which made for long days of riding...

Most memorable Part: The crew on the boat, dinners and the tour on canals throughout the Netherlands and Belgium. The cheese shop was the best and also the small cafe's.