Belgium Tour Reviews — 241 to 270 of 1018

This is our second TripSite tour and we love the combination of bike/hotel/luggage transport support and being on our own and without the added cost of a guide. We have recommended Trip Sites to many friends.

A few of the positives and suggestions...

Pros

Great bikes. High quality, both the regular and e-bikes.

Friendly, responsive and helpful staff. When a few of our group asked to exchange for e-bikes after a first very windy day, the local company (Dutch Bike Tours) was very friendly and drove them to us within a couple of hours (for a cost but that was expected).

The Netherlands is amazing for biking. Flat, accessed by a huge network of bike paths (seemingly every roadway), very well signed, drivers unexpectedly respectful to cyclists (compared to the U.S.), and so scenic.

Some lovely towns: we especially loved Gouda, Willemstadt, Zierikzee, Middleburg and Bruge.

Suggestions

Information: While we had contact with the local company in our first trip (Lake Constance), we had no initial contact with the company and had to figure things out more on our own. Information that would have been helpful:
1) It would have been helpful to have some basic instructions on how to use an e-bike (we had to search for instructional videos on the web).
2) how the Dutch bike path system works and is signed was only briefly mentioned in the printed material. More detailed explanation would have been helpful.

Maps: The printed maps provided are not very helpful. They are too big for the plastic window on the bike, the font is tiny and can’t be read while biking, and the print quality is low so even harder to read the maps. We ended up using Google Maps to map out the cycle route the next destination each day. This worked but was not ideal because there is no place to put the phone securely (e-bikes don’t have the front bag) and the route missed the customized route suggested by the tour company. We would recommend anyone to get the GPS option (even just one person in a group having this would be helpful). Or even better, why don’t you just include a GPS unit, or, a Google MyMap link for each day so we can get easier access to the customized route. I think this should be provided without extra cost since the printed maps simply don’t work.

Hotel/Locations: While some of the hotels were quaint, locally owned, and in or very close to the center of town, others felt like chain hotels in the suburbs. Perhaps ask people to select not only if they want a slightly nicer hotel but how important it is to be in/close to the historic center of the towns. For us, this would have been more important than better amenities in the hotels. This was probably the most disappointing part of the trip, especially Pappendrecht, a newer town seemingly without a historic area when we could have easily gone a few extra miles to Dordrecht.  SHOW MORE 

The staff on the Merjlin were fantastic
The bike seats were a bit uncomfortable but overall the trip was great. The tour guides were were great unfortunately they did not explain the route prior each day

Outstanding trip. The Merlijn is a first class ship. The owners and the crew were just out of this world accommodating. The food was delicious, maybe too delicious. My bike was fantastic. Can’t say enough good things about the ship and the people that own it. Liked it so much, I’m going back on it for three weeks next year in Germany.

The Merlijn and their staff were excellent! The food was fabulous too! The only reason I am giving this trip a 4 out of 5 stars is the tulips were on somewhat dying on May 11th. We booked this trip in 2019 for April 2020 and then COVID took over all of our lives. Then we rebooked for 2021 and had to change 1 week later. Then 2021 was still not safe to travel so when booking again for 2022, we had to switch to start May 3 in Bruges with the tulip part at the end of the trip. I loved Bruges and thoroughly enjoyed biking in Belgium. I developed a cough so unfortunately I missed a lot of biking in The Netherlands. But I did enjoy the river views while on the boat and got to experience locks also. When cruising into Rotterdam, I saw one of the super yacht builders' ship yard (Oceanco) and that was exciting for me as we sell to the super yachts.

Great meals, excellent organization.
More substantial lunches would be good.
The tulips were finished by the time we got to the fields. I don’t think the May 2 trip should be advertised as a tulip tour.

The food was very good, the accomodations were fine, the crew was very helpful and friendly. The route was less scenic than i had hoped for. Holland is prettier than Belgium (for what we saw) and the dutch bike paths are awesome.

This was our first Bike and Barge tour, it was great. The stay on the barge was what I expected. The captain and crew were wonderful. Captain (Hans) gave daily briefings, chef (Marcel) created a wide range of meals throughout the week that were excellent, desserts by Maria were also excellent. We enjoyed the whole experience on the barge.
Cycling with a guide was also wonderful, Ron (our guide) has a great knowledge of the history and facts of the areas we cycled, is very friendly and personable. He found hidden gems. We laughed and had a great time with him. Our group was friendly and made some new friends by the end of 11 days. It's a great experience. Cycling was easy, flat but winding in places.
I would recommend this ride.

The captain and crew were wonderful! The boat was very comfortable. The food was amazing. The bicycle route was beautiful with interesting stops.

The bike trip from Amsterdam to Brujas was excellent! The fisrt day was a little bit difficult to follow the maps and GPS but we made it :), the gps was very usefull , and the maps that they gave us too, using both things was perfect not to get loss. It is only a matter to get use to the signs and maps and GPS, but if you could I suggest to pay a litlle extra money and ask for the gps.
The hotels were beautifull and confortable, the only one I would take out of the route is the one in Papendrecht, not because of the hotel, the hotel was very nice, but the area is not really nice. I suggest that night to stay at a hotel in Dordretch. Dordretch is beautiful :).
The routes were so nice, I really enjoyed the tour, we didn´t have any problems with the bikes. Our luggage was always on time in our next hotel. so everything was perfect!

The crew, the guides and the scenery. The stops at historical places was a really nice bonus.

The trip was very enjoyable. The scenery and bike paths were great. The staff and cook were excellent.
Suggestions:
The bike groups should be split up into smaller groups (6-8 riders), especially when using busy routes.
The strong bikers should not be grouped with the more leisurely bikers.
The guides should have good skills in GPS navigation and/or riders could use an app such as "Ride with GPS".

Just a great experience. The food and views were wonderful and the guide was excellent.

I think more questions about individuals biking ability and whether they have experience with e-bikes would be good. Also, people should not expect the bike guides to know all the history of the places people bike through-they are there to assist in biking and take care of problems. They have knowledge but they are not historians etc. I think it should be explained that biking with regular bikes and e-bikes are going to be a part of the same group and unless you are going on your own, it might be difficult to keep up. More emphasis on the App that can assist you when biking. Might also want to emphasize preparation before coming such as doing some long rides. It seems some people think they used to bike and this should be a easy ride especially in the Netherlands where it is flat-they forget it is windy and you are doing this every day for a week!

It was an awesome way to see Belgium and the Netherlands. I can't wait for the next trip to Croatia. A bike is the only way to "fly." The food was surprisingly good and varied despite being served on a barge and to a group. Our bike lead, Carla was wonderful. On the down side, the smell of mold in our room on the Fluvius was disgusting and the attempt to fix it with bleach was just as bad. But even worse was the denial by the manager that I told her about it. The staff did their job and nothing more.

The reservation process was so professional with no hitches along the way. The trip was amazing, the guides especially Franz were so good, informative and always present. The barge itself was quite a pleasant surprise to everyone as it was hard to imagine what it would be like, clean, modern with all modern conveniences. Our weather was perfect which was a surprise also as the prediction was rain every day!!! Food was wonderful as well as all the staff. Each tour was different with unique stops along the way and the countryside is so beautiful. Every one was pleased with their bikes, we had e-bikes which we loved.
Thank you Tripsite for an amazing trip.

Visiting the windmills

I liked seeing the windmills. Also 2 full days of pouring rain were memorable; glad my rain gear held up.

This was a very pleasant trip through pretty country. We had two guides, Carla and Tom, who alternated leading the e-bike and non-e-bike groups. Carla is an excellent guide, who obviously researched the areas she was guiding us through, and pointed out interesting sights and historical details. Tom, on the other hand, seemed mostly focused on getting the day over with. (Unless there was a good lunch to be had!)
One thing I didn't realize before the trip was that the guides automatically divided the groups into e-bike and non e-bike sections, and assumed that the e-bike group would go faster and farther. This put people who could have gone farther into the "slow" group, and people who could barely ride a bike into the "fast" group.
The barge itself was quite comfortable, and the food was excellent!

The Bike Tours with Carla were fantastic. The e-bikes were terrible, poorly maintained and were breaking down daily. Tom, the other tour guide didn't stop for anything unless you made him. He would fly past beautiful pictures, areas of interest, and historic sites without a word of explanation. By the end of the trip, people were switching groups daily to ride with Carla instead of with Tom. Back to the e-bikes...The first one I had was not shifting properly nor was the battery working properly. They changed it out for another bike. That bike worked for a few days and then the brakes went out. All I had to slow me down was a tiny bit of front brake and to drag my feet. (felt like I was in an episode of the Flintstones!) This happened with 10 miles to go on the ride. I reported it to Tom upon arrival and the "the bike mechanic", Rabi, was going to fix it. It was clearly an adjustment that needed to be made and that was it. I was informed at that time that they didn't carry spare parts...what? That night, I was informed that Rabi was able to fix my bike. The next day, I got on the bike and it was the same kind of bike but something felt different. I noticed some scratches on it that were not there before. Turns out that the bike number was different and that they had lied to me and actually gave me the broken bike that I had in the first place with 2 gears missing and the faulty battery. Within a few miles of the 35+ mile day we had ahead of us, I noticed the shifting problem and then the battery started going out. The only way to fix it was to stop, remove the battery and then shove it back in to reset it. This caused the whole group to have to stop each time.

Now, on the to problems with the ship. Upon arrival, we were given the key to our cabin in the lower forward part of the boat. I opened the door and the smell of mold and mildew just about knocked me off my feet! I immediately turned on the air conditioner and set it to cold with the fan running constantly. If the fan went off for even a few minutes, the smell returned. There was absolutely NO ventilation in these rooms, not an exhaust fan, nothing! Every time we took a shower, the entire cabin turned into a steam bath which made it impossible to dry my hair or put on make up. After a day, I started becoming very ill from the smell since I am highly allergic to mold. My throat was sore and I was having asthma which is the normal reaction to me being exposed to mold spores. I was not the only one who had a problem with the smell in the cabins. It seems as if the further forward you got in the boat, the worse it was. The upstairs was unaffected although those who had cabins up top with opening windows had no heat for the first 2 nights. Bottom line is that the boat is a floating nightmare and I would never, ever, use that company for trips again. It needs to be renovated before taking any more passengers. The crew did the best they could in trying to clean but then it just smelled like moldy clorox.  SHOW MORE 

The ability to really get to know your other travelers. The scenery and routes were wonderful.
Be sure you have put in the miles before you go so you don’t get so tired you can’t enjoy the rest of the trip. If you sign up for an e-bike, get some experience before you go. Know your ability today not when you were 18, 25 years old. This is a bike tour with guides for the route and care of the bikes. They are not there to give you the history of the areas or buildings you visit-you need to do your own work. They share their knowledge but that isn’t their job!

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!

The team (captain Paul, chef Michael, sailor Albert, Hostesses Annika & Ingeborg and tour guides Hans & Wilfred) on Magnifique IV is amazing. They are always cheerful and are so hardworking. Every meal was exquisite and the warm and delicious snacks offered after a long (wet) bike ride were so appreciated. The barge is beautiful. It is clean and well appointed. We appreciated the 2 usb ports to charge our phones in our large suite. We were conservative with water so had lots for a hot shower after a day of cycling. The scenery was gorgeous. If we had stopped at every place for a beautiful picture, we would still be in Gent! Our tour guides were very knowledgeable about the area. They easily answered our questions with enthusiasm and humour. Our daily route was tweaked according to the groups' abilities, interests and, of course, the weather.

Tips
Pack light. We avoided long lineups at every airport because we had only carry-on luggage.
Don't 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.  SHOW MORE 

When we road past all the windmills

The guides and their local knowledge really made this trip unforgettable. For other travelers - yes, your behind will hurt if you aren't used to cycling every day. It's 100% worth it. You'll see towns and places that tourists don't normally visit.

The Magnifique III is a beautiful ship. I had a suite on the upper deck (highly recommend) and was able to sit by my open window and watch the world glide by, The large common areas are very comfortable. All the staff from the Captain, Walter, to the tour guides, Esther and Tom, were friendly and helpful. The food was excellent. And the Dutch/Belgian countryside and towns are picturesque and lovely. Just do not expect long distances (our longest day was 57 km) or fast speeds (we averaged as a group under 10 mph). This trip is designed to enjoy the journey. We cycled on marvellous dedicated pathways and quiet roads where traffic was always courteous. Unfortunately, we had more rain than we all would have liked but no one can control the weather!

We are from Mexico and this is our second time with tripsite. And definitely looking forward to do it again.
Amsterdam to Brugge is magic!!
The sites, the routes, the lodges and great food!!
We decided to do it on ebike and was an excellent choice.this way we could enjoy the road with the right effort.
The bikes were excelent and all the experience with tripsite is the best!
Looking for for our next trip!

The Trip met or exceeded all of our expectations. I enjoyed seeing the Netherlands and Belgium from a variety of vantage points. Walking into Antwerp old central square at night was magical.

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.

This trip was a disappointment compared to our previous week on the De Holland. This barge has no ventilation. The lower rooms were very damp and moldy smelling. We would have to open the door to the hallway after we showered. No fan in the bathroom and no way to eliminate moisture or odors. They were not using a proper disinfectant spray between groups so the virus germs can stay in these damp rooms. One woman entered the barge with Covid. She ended up passing it to 9 people.. They were all asked to leave the barge on their own expense. People need to be aware of this potential expense. Guides were ok but best for experienced riders. They encouraged independent travel but they are in the process of changing from the GPS maps so it was confusing and we frequently were lost and had to look at the map. No serious troubles.

Our staff. Hans and Wilfred were exceptional.