Boat and Bike South Netherland | MS Normandie
Enjoy your stay in Netherlands and Belgium
- 8 Days / 7 Nights
- Self-guided Tour
- Minimum number of participants: 60
In Amsterdam you check in on board (embarkation is at 3 pm). Departure at 5:00 pm. Arrival in Haarlem around 9 pm (*If necessary overnight stay at Haarlem lock – then, the next day, in the morning shipping to Haarlem).
Haarlem is a charming, typically Dutch town with windmills, canals, drawbridges, small shops, cafés and restaurants. It is worth taking a little walk before you start your first cycle tour to Zaandam. Here you have plenty of time to make a detour to the museum village "Zaanse Schans”, an open-air museum (entrance fee not included) which was built to show the Dutch historical heritage. You can visit an ancient Dutch village, a cheese manufacture, a shipyard, a Dutch wooden shoe manufacture, a museum of bakery, the Zaanse watch museum and the unique colour mill, De Kat. In the afternoon shipping from Zaandam to Schoonhoven. Tip: During the tulip-flowering season (departures 10Apr-02 May) we offer an optional day excursion to Keukenhof by coach, transfers and entrance fee included (€ 59.- per person, only bookable in advance).
From Schoonhoven, cycle leisurely to the city of Gouda, which is famous for its cheese. When the weather is fine, you may take a detour for a refreshing bath in the lake Reeuwijkse Plassen. Your today’s destination is Rotterdam. Tip: you should experience the harbour of Rotterdam on an interesting harbour tour.
Two options for today’s cycling tour: First one will lead you to Delft (Tip: visit of the porcelain manufacture), second directly to the governmental seat Den Haag and to the North Sea coastal town and health resort Scheveningen and back. Alternatively, you can also go back to Rotterdam by train (rail and bike is not included, approx. € 15,- p. Pers, not in rush hour between 16:30 h and 18:00 h).
Cycle tour to Kinderdijk (UNESCO World’s Cultural Heritage with 19 windmills in a row) and further to Schoonhoven, known for its silver-making and its enchanting old-town.
Today you are cycling through the beautiful landscape of Polderland to Oudewater (witch’s scales) and further on to Utrecht. The Utrecht Dome is one of the most important ones in the Netherlands.
Your cycle tour takes you along the small and winding river Vecht through beautiful landscapes. The river Vecht is also known as the “Loire of the Netherlands”. Numerous castles and villas will be seen beside the river. Tip: a canal tour is the most beautiful way to get to know the city of Amsterdam.
Departure from Amsterdam
After breakfast checkout until 9:00 am– have a safe journey home.
Tour character
Nearly all routes are easy to cycle. You cycle on asphalted and signposted bike paths
Services included
- Seven nights in outside cabins of the MS Normandie shower/WC in the booked cabin category
- Programme according to routing from/to Amsterdam
- Welcome-Drink
- Room cleaning every day
- Changing of towels and bed cloths if wanted
- Full board consisting of 7x breakfast buffet, 6x lunch snack on board (non-cyclists) or lunch package for cycle tours, 6x coffee or tea in the afternoon, 7x 3-course-dinner
- Printed instructions and detailed maps for daily individual bike tours (1 per cabin)
- Daily meeting for the cycle tours
- Tour guide
ervices not included
- Journey to and from Amsterdam
- parking fee
- shuttles
- bike rental
- entrance fees and excursions
- ferry tickets
- drinks on board
- tips
- travel insurances.
Parking
For example: Parking Oosterdok www.parkingcentreamsterdam.com , economy fare approx. € 20.-/24 h or Valet Parking Service (via holiday extras), approx. € 145.-/week (Rate depends on capacity; application form with your booking confirmation).
Your journey to and from Amsterdam will be individual. • Basically, we reserve the right to make changes of routing and program. If there is low or high water and a route cannot be shipped, the captain reserves the right to change the route in view of your safety (this cannot be accepted as a reason for free withdrawal). • The interior of the ship is a non-smoking zone: smoking is only allowed on the sun deck. As a safety measure, a statutory smoking ban applies in all cabins; this means that all cabins and rooms on board are non-smoking areas. • Embarkation: 3-4:30 pm • Disembarkation: after breakfast at 9 am. • Bicycles on board: 7 gears unisex trekking bicycles with normal mount (ladies model) and 8 gears E-Bikes with normal mount (ladies model). Brand: Velo de Ville. Each with hand brake, coaster breaking hubs or freewheel hubs (subject to availability - please indicate as non-binding customer request when booking) and pannier bag. E-bikes are available after prior request and at limited number only. Please indicate your body height when you book. • To bring your own bike: on request only – due to lack of space on sundeck. • Languages on board: German, English • Cycle tours: all distances are “approximate distances” of recommended bike tours. When a guest does not want to cycle one day, she/he can skip the bike tour and relax on board while cruising to the next harbour. The bike tours are individual, at your own pace, without a tour guide, but with daily briefings on board and detailed bicycle maps and directions. Nearly all cycle tours can be classified as being easy. • Excursions: we offer a small excursion program, that can be booked directly on board at the cruise director only. You will get a brief description together with your travel documents. Depending on the number of participants some excursions could be carried out in 2 languages (German/ English). • Luggage: we recommend: rainwear, bicycle helmet, sunhat and sneakers. • 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.
MS Normandie
Enjoy a great bike tour where you get to sleep on board a boat each evening. The MS Normandie is a very middle-class barge with a friendly and comfortable atmosphere.
