Reviews

Lots of action and great food on the ship

We had a fantastic experience on the Bike-Boat tour from Amsterdam to Bruges. The Magnificent 2 was very comfortable, excellent meals were served and cycling through tge Netherlands into Belgium is a great way to see the country. What made the experience very memorable were our incredible guides-Tammy and Burt!!

This is a wonderful tour! Our only issue was that there was no hot water for two days on the boat. The biking, accommodations, food and guides were amazing!

The boat was clean and the service on board was very good. The food was good and the guides were excellent–we have no complaints there. However, we were very disappointed with the fact that there seemed to be very little sightseeing built into the itinerary. As a cyclist, I never imagined that we would essentially be taking an entire day to cycle (on average) 50 km. If we had known that we would be spending the entire day on the bike, I don’t think we would have rented the omafiets; they are not great bikes to ride in general. From the second day of riding on we decided to self-guide, and that worked better for us, but the tools provided were not sufficient to even change a flat. A little more sightseeing was built into the daily program once we crossed into Belgium, but it still seemed inadequate. I think it would be useful to include time frames on the description of the itinerary, so that it is clear how much free time you will have to explore the towns or attractions on the way. (For example, 52 km, riding from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.). Also, we had no hot water for two days, both of which were rainy. It was very disappointing not being able to take a hot shower on those days. The problem was eventually fixed but it definitely lessened the experience.

What I liked – friendly staff, fabulous food. Loved that we sat at different places for meals. Guided tours were great – recommend that all guides are knowledgeable so they can stop and explain about things along the way, this makes the guiding a really good experience. Bikes were great. Loved that the chef came out each night to introduce and explain the night’s dinner. Loved that the Captain was visible and very friendly. I really enjoyed the trip.

Everything was excellent from the staff to the boat, to the cycling and to the food. The small group on the boat made for an intimate and relaxing experience. I can’t think of much I would change. The one suggestion I have is to provide a little more information as to when and why the cycling itinerary is changing on certain days.

We experienced a wonderful week with Boat Bike tours in Holland. The riding was great. The two tour guides were excellent and the entire staff on the boat were terrific. The chef was amazing. We enjoyed interacting with many of the guests. The Magnifique II was very comfortable and modern. We would definitely recommend this company and tours to our friends.

Staff was friendly and did a great job. Only suggestion to improve experience would be to schedule trip to allow for the 2 hour tour at the windmills.

We loved our boat & bike tour through Netherlands and Belgium! The entire crew on the Magnifique II was amazing, from the tour guides to the hosts to the sailor to the chef to the captain, everyone made us feel at home on the boat. The bikes were really easy to get used to, and the routes were absolutely beautiful. The guides kept the experience interesting with plenty of stops for water/snacks/information. It was a nice relaxed cruise (we stopped for coffee every day)! The terrain is mostly flat, but it’s very windy in the Netherlands! The weather was very unpredictable, so layers and rain gear was key. Most days we returned from our day between 2pm – 4pm, and dinner was around 6pm – 7pm. There was plenty of time to shower, relax, have a drink, and socialize before dinner. The cabins on the Magnifique II were comfortable. They were small but fine for two people. The beds were great, though more narrow than an American twin sized bed. We didn’t spend any time in our room other than to sleep. The ship was very comfortable with lots of spots to sit outside or inside. We did not feel like were in cramped quarters with the other guests. The food on the Magnifique II was wonderful. There was plenty of breakfast to fuel for the day, snacks that we could take with us, as well as a lunch we pack for ourselves. There was a lovely snack available when we returned from the day, and always coffee and tea all day. The chef introduced every dinner with pride and enthusiasm, and it was clear that he loved crafting creative meals for us. We were sad to leave this tour, and the crew, and we are already planning our next adventure with Boat Bike Tours!

The boat was absolutely beautiful and very very clean. The food delicious, fresh and obviously cooked with love for dining. The daily rides through the countryside were interesting with changes of scenery and neighborhoods. The guides stopped and pointed out historic points of interest and meaningful local lore. It’s the best way to really see the countryside with bike paths and quiet roads. Our bikes were comfortable and well maintained. We had 2 groups, for 28 riders, based on the ride length averaging 15-25 miles per day. Our average pace for the days was around 10 mph which I found a bit slow with a lot of waiting for the rear to catch up. I think 3 groups would have been better. That being said, the guide leaders were fantastic and did keep us together. I would highly recommend the trip and plan to do more in the future. It would be great to have a bike jersey from the company.