Reviews

A cycling friend had taken this trip in 2019 and recommended it highly so we thought we would try it. Our trip over 6 days would take us from Amsterdam to Bruges. We landed at Schiphol in Amsterdam and thanks to the excellent directions had no problem taking the local train to where the boat was moored. While we were originally to have started our cycle trip in Amsterdam but due to a mooring space conflict with one of the other Magnifique boats we travelled down river overnight and started our bike trip a little farther south than anticipated. However, this was compensated by being able to cycle around Bruges on the last day. There is so much to see and enjoy everywhere that the minor route change wasn’t a problem for us. We chose the Magnifique III, one of Boat Bike’s premium boats, and were very glad that we did. The accommodations were excellent and the food was outstanding. Great full breakfasts were provided every day. Guests would package their own lunches from the selection along with drinks in Tetra packs and candy/granola type bars. We were treated to exceptional gourmet dinners nightly. And when we came back from our day’s cycling there were always edible treats galore plus perpetual fresh coffee, tea and juice. Our two tour leaders, Tom and Esther, were great. They knew the routes by heart and the pace of about 15 km/hour was relaxed. Comfort stops were appropriately provided every hour to hour and a half. Lunch was either at a local park or café. The obliging café owners allowed us to sit and use their facilities in exchange for a coffee or beer. Everyone on the tour felt well looked after. We were perpetually impressed by the courtesy and competence of staff and how effectively all of them worked together to care for guests needs and keep things running smoothly. Even ship owner Walter pitched in. It was a most impressive display of personal commitment and teamwork. The bikes provided are the typical step-through steeds the locals commute and shop with daily. They’re heavy at around 50 lb, but very functional. At first sitting high on a bike with a very substantial weight over the handlebars and seat feels weird, but people quickly adjusted to the feel. Just don’t expect the performance you may be used to with your own road bike. This tour through Holland and Belgium is on very flat terrain, but you will certainly notice the effort necessary to push these heavy bikes up the occasional hills. Many participants who were older or more occasional cyclists rented the e-bikes and everyone we talked to about their choice was very happy with them. (We’re both 73 and managed fine on the regular bikes. We regularly cycle about 50-60 km one or two times a week, so were quite comfortable with the daily mileage.) Anticipate the daily cycling journey will be from about 9:00 to between 3:00 and 4:00 in the afternoon and cover around 40 to 55 km. Daily we travelled through picturesque countryside and little towns, immersing ourselves in the scenery. For us North Americans, it was a journey through another world. Everyone seemed to enjoy the experience immensely. Most, but not all our compatriots came equipped with full cycling rain gear. While we were fortunate in that we experienced only 3 days of rain, we would strongly recommend bringing a good cycling rain jacket and pants. A jacket with a hood that fits over a helmet is valuable. Those that didn’t have this ended up putting their shower rain caps on their helmets, a cunning improvisation but not that effective. Knowing that we would likely be often cycling in the rain, before we left, we invested in Gore-Tex lined waterproof light hiking shoes and were always glad we did. Soggy running shoes take forever to dry and putting them on each morning isn’t our idea of fun. Oh, and do take your bathing suit. Soaking in the hot tub at the end of the day is wonderful. Our trip was in late September. We chose that time specifically to avoid having to cycle in the summer heat. The weather was pleasantly cool most of the time but do take a jacket or vest as it’s chilly when you start the day. Overall, it was an outstanding experience that we highly recommend for any cyclist. We hope to take another trip with Boat Bike Tours again.

A wonderful experience, we cycled and cruised through lots of Dutch and Belgian villages, along canals, countryside and cities. The guides were friendly, chatty, informative. The boat staff kept us very well looked after. By the end of the week we had spoken to all of fellow guests and had enjoyed their company. One cycling day was a bit long into the wind but the windmills at the end did lift us. Arriving at Gent and Brugge by bike was great but they were very busy with tourists even in October. Of the many highlights my favourite was arriving into Antwerpen by water.

This is an excellent trip and will highly recommend it to anyone! We had almost the entire boat booked with 31 of our Canadian friends – with 2 guests from the USA who soon became our new friends! The entire crew are absolutely amazing! A a shout out to our fantastic guides Peter and Ronald! Peter is so very knowledgeable about both beer and chocolate! Chef Gerhard is fantastic and his meals exceptional! The boat is extremely comfortable – felt more like a hotel! We hope the whole crew enjoyed having us onboard as much as we enjoyed them!

I loved my week aboard the Magnifique II! It was more luxurious than I expected: the dining room/ public space was immaculate, the cabins comfortable, bathroom quite spacious for a boat and, best of all, the crew was wonderful, very helpful and fun. I can’t say enough how much I enjoyed the experience and want to book another trip for next year. Thank you!

My husband and I just returned home from the Bruges to Amsterdam tour September 29 – October 6th. We’re experienced DIY cycle tourers and brought our own tandem bike with us. This was our first packaged tour experience. We LOVED it! The boat, the cabins, the crew, the food, the tour guides and the other guests, were fabulous. We want to do another tour with this company! Suggestion … more time in Ghent would be useful.

Everything was A+ on this trip: boat, crew, guides, food, rides, etc… Organization is flexible and top notch. I highly recommended Bruges – Amsterdam Premium Tour with this company, I had an awesome time.

My trip couldn’t have been more perfect. The food was delicious, plentiful and elegantly served. The staff were so friendly and always approachable. The daily outings were fun and interesting and the hot tub was a definite bonus! I’m seventy seven and it was a trip of a lifetime. I’m hoping to do it again. Thank you!

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, attentive 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 Ghent! 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. -Unless you are cycling outside this tour, don’t bring a bike helmet. 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. This tour is rated as easy. Don’t expect to go really fast, even or especially in the rain. -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 dairy 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. Staying in Bruges and then in Amsterdam for a few days is a great idea. -Do be prepared for the BEST boat bike experience. We so enjoyed ours from Bruges to Amsterdam. It was our first time and we are recommending it to all of our friends.

Just got off the Bruges to Amsterdam tour on the Magnifique II. This trip fully exceeded our expectations. The crew was amazing, so friendly and accommodating, our guides Ronald and Erna were fantastic. We loved every minute of it, luckily we didn’t have any rain during our rides. Would definitely recommend and do again!

We were a group of 32 Canadians. Even though the weather didn’t cooperate every day for our bike rides we enjoyed every minute. Mystique ll it was a beautiful boat. our cabins were clean and comfortable. The crew could not have been more accommodating. We were served great meals every evening.