Reviews

Wow…we had a wonderful experience and enjoyed every aspect of the trip. From our guide, Jack, to all the staff, they all went out of their way to make our week pleasant and memorable. The accomodations, food, service and bikes, were all excellent and we would highly recommend this trip and this tour company.

A pleasurable and relaxing trip. The cycling was very simple and slow (much slower than our normal riding level) but is meant for all to enjoy and that is what we did. The countryside is fabulous and you have lots of opportunity to stop to take photos, enjoy a coffee or snack and take time to talk with your fellow riders or the locals in the villages and towns you go through. The boat is very comfortable with rooms larger than we expected, the staff were extremely friendly and accommodating and the food was excellent with more than enough of it. Overall, a great experience.

Praise: We loved every member of the crew. They were very pleasant, helpful and informative. The dinner food was excellent. Every aspect was well managed. All areas were kept clean. Our daily bike tours took us through lovely countryside. We saw interesting parts of the countries. The amount of cycling was reasonable. Criticisms: Unfortunately because of the abnormally high temperatures, the dining room was too hot to enjoy for most of the trip. We were told that the air conditioning wasn’t working there. That should be remedied. The crew did remove us to the outside deck on two occasions, which was kind of them and much appreciated by all. The a.c. did work, although irregularly in our bedroom. We were offered food to package for our lunches. Again, because of the heat, that didn’t work well, and we ate rather slimy cheese sandwiches. On the whole, we enjoyed ourselves and had a fun trip.

We had an amazing week on The Gandalf in mid July, 2016. Our trip left Amsterdam on July 9 and arrived in Bruges on July 15. There are some wonderful things about The Gandalf. It may not be for everyone. The accommodations are simple, but extremely comfortable. Two beds and not a whole lot of room to move around but all you do is sleep in your cabin–and shower, etc. The crew is super friendly. The food is fantastic. We saw other boats with white table cloths and fancy dining spreads and could not have cared less. The Gandalf’s food was stellar; terrific variety in the dinner from night to night. The final Dutch feast, hosted by ship owner Hans, was non-stop. And delicious. Our bike tour guide was Fred, a very friendly and compelling figure who handled a variety of situations with ease. Broken bicycle seat? No problem. (Don’t let that make you think the bikes are not in good condition; this was a rare event to be sure.) We handled rain and lost riders with no problem at all. He made it look easy and encouraged people to ride every day, if they could. We really like the smaller size of the bike group and community on The Gandalf–just 20. This made for a more intimate feeling, I believe. The variety of riding days was fantastic and Fred knew a variety of colorful places to stop and grab coffee or beer. The pace was good but at the most we rode for five or six hours a day, with plenty of breaks. In the evenings, there was always an interesting town or city to walk (or ride) to and poke around, grab an evening beer or glass of wine. Fred made sure there was time for museums or castles–whatever the day encountered. It was Fred’s “Magical Mystery Tour” and my wife and I both could have gone another week; it was that much fun. You really get into a groove. Fantastic organization. Fantastic crew on The Gandalf and this was a great way to see The Netherlands and western Belgium, particularly Antwerp, Gent and Bruges. I’d recommend The Gandalf and this company for travelers who are flexible, open to new experiences and just want to have a good time.

This was our second boat & bike tour and we couldn’t recommend it highly enough. The boat (Fluvious) was great, sun deck really did the trick with the good weather. The food was fantastic and the tours were interesting, well paced for all and enjoyable. The staff on the boat were brilliant. It was such a good trip we can’t wait to book up the next one.

The Magnifique II is a beautiful barge. It was a pleasure to return each day to this oasis of the senses. The food was exceptional. The crew were personable and enthusiastic. They went out of their way multiple times. The bikes worked out well and we enjoyed each day’s ride. We think Mariels, our guide, was superhuman to bike all day, then do an after dinner town tour. This was a memorable experience!

Tour leader Fred was rude ,arrogant, patronising and sarcastic on a daily basis, The riding pace was way too fast on the first day for many guests and we were reprimanded for stopping to take photos .The bikes were not adjusted correctly for many riders .There was only one person to lead 36 riders and one of the guests took on the responsibility of being the sweep. This was not appropriate . Fred could not cope with groups of fast and slow riders and eventually he decided to stay with the slow riders and let the fast ones go ahead. This decision was made after the group expressed their unhappiness about the first days ride . Three riders fell off in Ghent within half an hour of each other and Fred expressed his concern by saying ” How could you fall off ? I have been doing this for years and I have never fallen off! The food was very average, with vegetarians not being well catered for.(main meal salad and 3 onion rings) The chef Leroy came out and said we should not each so much as once we ran out there would be no more!! Fred’s verbal communication skills were poor with a white board with lots of confusing scribble on it used as a backup I have travelled extensively over the last 40 years and I have never met such a rude and disrespectful tour leader. Towards the end of the week his behaviour did improve but it was way too little, way too late We were very disappointed, as it could have been a great trip. We do a lot of cycling but would be reluctant to use this company again

My husband and I just got back from the Amsterdam to Bruges bike tour, having joined my cousin and her husband for the trip. This was our 2nd Netherlands bike trip and 4th European bike trip. It was a fun week. Using the boat as base is a great way to go. You don’t have to pack up everyday, and when you’re on the boat it tends to be peaceful and a different way to see the countryside. The biking was very easy, mostly flat bike lanes and quiet roads. The Fluvius had wonderful staff, friendly and helpful. Jorritt, the young man working on the Fluvius, always got the bikes off and on the boat (with a grin, always), and even took all of our dripping wet shoes and dried them out in the engine room overnight (thank you again, Jorritt!). Food was plentiful and good. The young women staff members were quick, friendly and hardworking. The captain kept us afloat all week and made it through the locks on time. Our guide, Guus, was informative, friendly and very good at finding new tires in small towns! The cabins are small; it is a barge, after all. However, there was a real shower, unlike on our other bike-barge trip. We slept well, ate and drank well, and made new friends. It was a multi-national group with many lively conversations, including about politics. Love those varied perspectives! How could you improve the trip? 1. More bike maintenance. Some of the bikes needed it. 2. More vegetarian options on the menu. 3. Perhaps split the biking group in two. It was a big group and it would have been more fun to ride in smaller groups. I highly recommend this trip, especially to those looking to discover the joy of biking in another country or for those looking for an easier trip. It was actually a relaxing week on a bike with wonderful companions.

The Boat Bike Tour we went on was a wonderful start to our first trip to Europe. The accommodations were adequate and comfortable. The food was excellent with plenty throughout the trip. The bikes we used were solid and suited the terrain we rode on. Our tour leader was knowledgeable and friendly. The boat crew were helpful, friendly and very courteous to all of the travelers. It was a busy week and we made lots of friends from various countries and had a wonderful time on our boat/bike trip from Amsterdam to Bruge.

we enjoyed our trip. the boat and staff were wonderful. The group was fairly large so we rode by ourselves and the directions were not always co pleSe or the signs missing so we were lost a lot. the itinerary was excellent as was the food. we would have liked a cabin with two beds together but were never offered this option.