Cycling holiday Bruges to Amsterdam

Included

• All nights on board (8 days / 7 nights), cabin in the booked category;
• Full board (7 x breakfast, 6 x self-made picnic lunch for bike tours, 7 x three course dinner)
• Use of bed linen and towels
• Coffee and tea on board
• Tourguide, cycles with the group
• Min. 3 city walks with the tourguide
• Free WiFi (limited availabe in lounge and on deck)
• Road book, 1x per cabin
• GPS-tracks (on request)
• Ferry fares on the route

Not Included

• Reservation costs 
• Contribution Dutch Guarantee Fund 
• Bicycle rent (optional)
• Entrance fees to museums; approx. € 25,- per tour
• Other drinks on board
• Personal insurance

Special details

• Please take good notice of Terms & Conditions.
• Due to weather conditions or unforeseen circumstances, the route/program may be changed without notice.
• We do not allow private e-bikes on board (due to safetly regulations)
• If you have special meal requirements we ask you to mention this when booking, but at the latest until 14 days before arrival. Diets which need a special preparation or special ingredients can only be offered in limited form. We will do our best  to meet your needs, but we also ask for your understanding as due to limited logistic possibilities on a barge we are not able to prepare complete specialized menus. In case of Celiac; gluten free diet; lactose free diet; vegan meals there is an additional charge of € 75,– per week.
• Cycletours Holidays reserves the right to cancel tours with fewer than 12 participants up to 21 days prior to the date of departure.

Info

Embarkation is between 12:30 PM and 1:30 PM. The barge leaves dock at 2 PM. You can recognise the barge by the banner with Cycletours written on it. The name of your barge is printed on the voucher, which you will receive separately. After arrival there’s coffee and tea on board. Other drinks are also available on cash payment. If you want you can bring your luggage in advance, from noon onwards.Then you can explore Bruges at your leisure. The mooring place of the barge in Bruges: at the ‘Buiten Katelijnevest’ near the Bargeweg (nearly 1 km/ 0.6 miles from the train station).

Airport

The nearest airport to the embarkation point of the barge is Brussels Airport (BRU).  By train it is about 1½ hours from the airport to the railway station in Bruges. Walking distance from the train station to the barge is about 10 to 15 minutes. A taxi from the airport to the mooring place will take about 1 hour and costs about € 180,-. The tour ends one week later in Amsterdam, so another possibility is to fly to Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS). From the airport you can take the international train to Bruges. Travel time is about 3½ hours. Information about the time table you find on www.nsinternational.nl

Train

The nearest train station to the embarkation point of the barge is the Bruges railway station. Walking distance to the barge is about 10 to 15 minutes. By taxi it takes about 5 minutes to the barge.

Car

Should you arrive by car, we strongly advise to arrive earlier to unload your luggage. More information on parkings in Bruges: www.visitbruges.be.

End of the tour

The tour ends one week later on Thursday morning after breakfast at 10 AM. You will spend the night from tWednesday to Thursday on board in Amsterdam. The mooring place of the barge in Amsterdam: at the Oosterdok (near Science Center NEMO, Oosterdok 2); 1.2 km/o.75 miles from the Central Station in Amsterdam.There is a direct train that leaves 6 times per hour from Amsterdam Central Station to Schiphol Airport . Travel time is about 16 minutes and a one-way ticket (2nd clas s) costs about € 6,-. Should you need to travel to Brussels Airport you can take the international train (Intercity). Travel time is 3 hours and a one-way ticket (2nd class) costs about  € 60,-.

On this tour the following barges are scheduled

Rental bikes on this tour.

Our barge, your hotel

Imagine a floating hotel sailing to the next stage, while you are calmly pedalling along. No lugging of luggage: that is exactly what Bike & Barge is all about! In the pleasant atmosphere on board you can have a chat, go through the day with the others, and enjoy the meals prepared specially for cyclists. In the evenings you can enjoy a drink in the salon or admire the setting sun on deck. Do not expect a cruise ship with its passive luxury. The Bike & Barge Holidays are for people who really enjoy the physical activity of cycling and who value sociability more than wholesale luxury.
Free WiFi is (limited) available in lounge and on deck.

What are the cabins like?

Most cabins are 2-person cabins (twin beds), but some barges also have single and triple cabins.  The cabins have central heating and a porthole or window; they are provided with running water (hot and cold), private shower/toilet and 220 voltage. There is limited storage space in the cabin. We recommend 1 suitcase per person. You can slide the suitcase under the bed.

The team

The captain/skipper, the chef and your tour guide all welcome you warmly. They are prepared specifically for these trips and will provide good and safe passage, good meals, and a friendly, pleasant atmosphere. They will, of course, also give you a great deal of interesting information during and after the cycling and sailing. The skipper is responsible for the smooth running of things on board; the cook is in charge of the catering. A tour leader accompanies you during the bike ride and can assist in case of breakdowns. He/She will be your guide to point out the things of interest along the way and is multi-lingual (Dutch/English, some speak German and/or French).

The meals

Your chef is used to cook delicious meals for hungry cyclists. Besides an extensive breakfast, you will also be offered a packed lunch for on the road. It consists of different types of bread and sandwich fillings, juice, a snack and a piece of fruit. Lunch package needs to be prepared by yourself after breakfast. Dinner is different every day. There is a first course, main course and dessert The meals on board are included in the price, as are coffee and tea. Soft drinks and alcoholic drinks can be obtained at a reasonable charge. When you return on board after the day’s cycling, a cup of tea or coffee with a biscuit will be waiting for you.
If you suffer from food allergies or food intolerance (such as lactose- or gluten- intolerance/-allergy) or if you have special meal requirements (vegetarian; pescetarian; vegan meals; gluten free meals etc.), we ask you to mention this when booking, but no later than 14 days before arrival. Diets which need a special preparation or special ingredients can only be offered in limited form. We will do our best  to meet your needs, but we also ask for your understanding as due to limited logistic possibilities on a barge we are not able to prepare complete specialized menus and special food requirements cannot always be met in all details.
In case of vegan meals, gluten free or lactose diet, there is an additional charge. This charge is € 75,- per diet/ per person/per week when you  order the diet when booking and € 100,- per diet/ per person/per week when ordering on spot.

You and the group,new friends from around the world!

One of the most attractive aspects of the Bike & Barge holidays is that you encounter an international company on board, including people from e.g. USA, Canada, Australia, France and United Kingdom. It’s a great opportunity for you to get to know various cultures at the same time! We have people of all ages, solo travelers, couples and also families with children (during the school holidays). Most groups are made up of 12 to 26 people.

Cycling in Holland

Holland is a cycling country: 17 million inhabitants all with bikes. The number of cyclists necessitates a cycling infrastructure: cycle paths (30,000 km), cycle routes (long and short distance), cycle bridges, cycle tunnels, cycle ferries and special signposts for cyclists. Cycling is part of normal life in the Netherlands; parents bring their children to school by bike, people go to work by bike, factory workers, doctors, even the prime minister! Cyclists, of course, have to observe traffic rules and regulations. The most important rule is to remember that you are not alone on your bike and that you are sharing the road with your group and other road users. Your guide on board will tell you all you need to know about the traffic rules and regulations.