Travel by bike & barge: A unique concept, where a cycling holiday and a journey on a comfortable ship are combined. Cycling cruises are ideal for those who like to cycle during the day and explore beautiful areas, without giving up a comfortable way of travelling. During our tours you don’t have to pack and un-pack your suitcases every day to travel from one beautiful place to the next!
Cycling on this tour is through the beautiful and flat western Flanders region of Belgium and the Dutch countryside of Zeeland. Attractions along the way include many charming villages, the world famous cities of Antwerp, Ghent and Bruges, the 19 windmills in Kinderdijk and a visit to a real Dutch cheese farm.
Arrival and embarkation time between 1 pm and 1.30 pm in the beautiful city of Bruges, also called “Pearl of Flanders”. After a welcome meeting with the crew at 2 pm there is time for a short test-ride through the countryside around Bruges. After dinner the tour leader will take you for a walk through the city centre. Dinner on board.
Today your first bike tour to Ghent through the flat land of West-Flanders will start. Your destination today is the historical centre of Ghent. Enjoy the beautiful parts of Ghent during an afternoon stroll. The barge is docked at a lock in Merelbeke, in a suburb of Thent and approx. 30 cycling minutes from the city centre. Dinner on board.
Your bike tour leads along one of the most beautiful parts of the Schelde, a tidal river, today. You will follow it downstream. In Dendermonde it is worth visiting the St. Alexius Beguinage (1288). The departure time will be set by the skipper and is depending on high or low tide as the tide has effect on the speed of the barge. If necessary, shipping to St. Amands and overnight stay in St. Amands. Dinner on board.
Today we will follow the Schelde further downstream via Temse to Antwerp. There is a beautiful cycling track along the river and the scenery is magnificent. The harbour city Antwerp with it´s beautiful inner city is well known as diamond city and the city where the famous painter Rubens was born. Dinner will be in town in a restaurant of your choice (not inclusive, recommendations available on board).
The barge will sail over the Schelde-Rhine Canal, over the huge Kreekrak locks. Here your bicycle tour starts through the beautiful “Wouwse Plantage” forest to Tholen, a former fishing village amidst the large streams of the province of Zeeland. From Tholen you will join the ship again for a nice afternoon sail to Dordrecht. Halfway the ship pass the impressive Volkerak lock system. Dinner on board.
Today you will start your tour with the waterbus, a fast ferry that will take you and your bike in just 10 minutes to Alblasserdam. From here you will cycle to Kinderdijk, famous for its impressive row of 19 UNESCO cultural heritage-listed windmills. You will continue via Schoonhoven to Vianen, a small fortified town on the river Lek. Dinner on board.
Shipping to Breukelen, where you disembark and your cycling tour starts. Ride along the small river Vecht: this area is well known for its beautiful mansions, small castles and beautiful houses with large gardens and parks. Over the small villages of Nieuwersluis, Loenen and Vreeland to Nigtevecht, where you can visit a traditional cheese farm. Continue cycling through the historical town of Muiden and on to Amsterdam where you will meet the barge for the final time in the Amsterdam harbour. Dinner on board.
7 nights tour and accommodation on board of MS Magnifique II in the booked category
Program according to the routing
Welcome drink
Meals: (7 x breakfast, 6 x picnic lunch during bike tours, coffee and tea on board, 6 x 3 course dinner)
Daily cabin cleaning
Use of linen and towels
Daily briefing on the respective bike tours
Tour guide for guided bike tours (for 18 persons or more two tour guides)
All charges for harbours, bridges and locks
Printed instructions and detailed maps for daily bike tours (deposited on board, 1 per cabin)
Fees for ferries
Entrance fees for Kinderdijk Mills, cathedral Antwerp
Canal trip Gent
Services not included
Journey to Bruges and from Amsterdam
parking fee
shuttles
bike rental
entrance fees and excursions (not mentioned under inclusions)
town maps
tips
insurances
drinks on board
dinner on board in Bruges.
Extras
Parking
Guarded parking areas at the main station (Stationsplein), approx. 5-7 € per day. No reservation possible. Transfer by taxi from Stationsplein to ship berth approx. 15-25 €.
Return transfer by train from Amsterdam to Bruges approx. 40 € per person.
• Embarkation: from 1.00 pm to 1.30 pm • Disembarkation: After breakfast, until 09:30 am • Bicycles on board (brand/model may change): Velo de Ville unisex bicycles, 7 gears, pannier bag, pedal and/or hand brakes. E-Bikes (Velo de ville, hand brakes only, pannier bag) are only available after prior request (by booking) and confirmation and at limited number. Please indicate your body height when you book.To bring your own bike: on request only, due to lack of space on sundeck • Cycle Tours: individual tours or daily guided bike tours by one guide (for 18 persons or more two guides). If there are two guides on board you can often choose between a shorter and a longer tour. Not all mentioned highlights will be visited during the short bicycle option. It is also possible to ride the bike tours individually. Tour description and maps are available on board. The kilometers/miles indicated for the cycle tours are approximate. The quality of the cycle ways along this route is excellent. Most of the way is paved or asphalted and does not have any gradients of note. This makes the trip suitable for cyclists with an average physical condition. • Language on board: English, Dutch, German • Luggage on board: we recommend waterproof rain gear, bike helmet, sun hat and sports shoes. • Alterations of schedule or program: subject to change. In case that as a result of nautical, technical or meteorological reasons a route cannot be taken, the skipper reserves the right to change the route for your safety (this would not be a rea-son for fee-free cancellation) • Travel documents: EU-citizens (without special situations like dual citizenship, main residence abroad or a limited-validity passport) are required to have a valid passport or ID-card, not expiring within six (6) months of the return of your cruise. We kindly ask non-EU citizens, EU-nationals with multiple citizenship or anybody who has to respect special legal entry requirements for the country to visit, to inform about visa and entry documents at the competent embassy. • This trip is not suitable for guests with reduced mobility.
Accommodation
MS Magnifique II
During this tour by bike & barge with the MS Magnifique II you can enjoy the most beautiful art cities of Flanders: Brussels, Mechelen, Antwerp, Ghent and Bruges are wonderful and interesting historical cities.
Beds: 35Cabinsize: 8 - 14 m²Captain: Walter von BerkumCrew: 4Length: 62 mWidth: 7,20 mDraught: 1,40 m
MS Magnifique II
The premium barge MS MAGNIFIQUE II was constructed between May 2015 and February 2016. The 63 meters long barge can accommodate 35 - 38 guests and sails under Dutch flag and management.
The lower deck has 14 cabins: 12 of which are twin cabins (approx. 11 M², 2 single beds next to each other), one is a premium twin (approx.13 M². 2 single beds next to each other, small sitting area) and 1 single cabin (approx. 8 M²); the upper deck has 4 beautiful suites with large panoramic windows (approx. 14 M², 2 single beds next to each other, small sitting area). Cabins on lower deck have portholes (all portholes are fixed for safety reasons), upper deck suites have a 2 meter wide window (one window can be opened). All cabins have en-suite facilities (shower + toilet), individually regulated air conditioning, flat screen satellite-TV; if requested, an extra bed is available in some twin cabins (above one of the other beds).
On the upper deck there are a tastefully furnished salon with restaurant, bar, lounge with wide screen TV, large windows, Wi-Fi (limited use of data). A partly covered teak wooden sun deck with chairs and tables on the aft deck, whirlpool and a cycle shed (front deck).
Beds: 35Cabinsize: 8 - 14 m²Captain: Walter von BerkumCrew: 4Length: 62 mWidth: 7,20 mDraught: 1,40 m