West Flanders
The West Flanders Bike & Barge tour combines many different aspects of south-west Belgium: three countries, medieval and modern history with the Great War of 1914-'18 and the culture of beer brewing.
Cycling holiday West Flanders
West Flanders
Visiting three countries, Great War memorials and enjoy beer tasting
Starting at
€ 1.225,-
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Summary
- 8 Days Monday to Monday
- 45 km average per day
- Arrival Bruges Zaventem, Brussels airport
- Departure Bruges Zaventem, Brussels airport
Highlights
- Ypres, "Last Post"
- Trappist brewery
- Dunkirk, military museum 1940
- Sluis, medieval fortified town
Characteristics
- Guided Tour
- Group Tour
- Bike & Barge
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Cycling level 1
The lightest cycling holiday, covering largely flat terrain, suitable for everyone and people of all ages; with distances to 45 kilometers. You spend about 4 hours on your bicycle.
Starting in Bruges you will go to Nieuwpoort, and then to Diksmuide. This town is well known for the "Trenches of Death" and the Yser-tower, reminding us of the Belgian resistance against German occupation. Then a bike ride to Ypres, the very center of the trench war. The memory of the war is kept alive in Ypres by the impressive "Last Post" ceremony carried out every day at 8 PM. The "South-west Corner" is also the region where the hop is farmed and the best Belgian beers are brewed. You will visit the St. Sixtus brewery, where the Trappist monks make the Westvleteren trappist beer. Of course you will enjoy a glass of this beer, by many considered to be the best in the world. Last but not least you will visit the French harbor Dunkirk in the most northern part of France and the medieval town Sluis, in the most southern part of the Netherlands.
Daily Program
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Day 1 Bruges, bike ride to Oudenburg 25 km
Try out of the bikes in a nice short bike rideof 25 km along the oldest canal of Belgium, that connects Bruges and Gent with the North Sea. The day ends in the beautiful town Oudenburg with its old market square. It has a Roman Archeological Museum with treasures dating back as far as 69 AD.
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Day 2 Oudenburg - Veurne 45 km
Ride along the coast to Nieuwpoort, where the river Yzer flows into the North Sea.
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Day 3 Veurne - Nieuwpoort 45 km
Biking on inland bike paths and small roads through a nature reserve to Dunkirk, known for its role in WW II and the repatriation of 300.000 British soldiers.
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Day 4 Nieuwpoort - Fintele 45 km
We bike from Nieuwpoort along the river Yzer to Dixmude. The Yzer was the frontline between Belgian and German forces at the beginning of the Great War. Visit of the Yzer-tower, symbol of Flemish identity as well as a monument expressing the wish of "never war again". Docking in a very pleasant and picturesque spot named Fintele.
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Day 5 Fintele - Dixmude 45 km
After all atrocities of the past few days we're going to see one the nicest things of this region. It is the origin of many great Belgian beers and the "hop barn" of the whole country. Visit of the St. Sixtus abbey, home of the Westvleteren Trappist beer. Considered to be the best beer in the world!
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Day 6 Dixmude - Plassendale 45 km
Today a visit of Ypres, visit of the historical centre and the Flanders Fields' Museum before we will go to the Menen-gate, well-known for its Last Post ceremony. Bike ride on converted railroad tracks to our mooring of today.
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Day 7 Oudenburg - Bruges 45 km
A varied tour through the northern part of the Flemish small-scale farmland with Belgian "White-Blue" cows and barley fields. Cross the border to the Netherlands to visit Sluis, a medieval fortified town.
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Day 8 Bruges, end of the tour
End of the tour after breakfast, before 10 AM. If you have an early flight, ask the the tourleader to arrange a taxi to the Airport.
West Flanders
Our carefully selected routes will lead you along the most beautiful spots of the country. The average daily distance is around 45 kilometers. Most participants prefer riding in a group with the cycling guide, but you can also ride individually. Ask your tour guide.
Travel dates
Departure
End
Accommodation
Starting at
Availability
What else do you need to know?
To see the prices for 2025, select a date for 2025 and click 'Book'.
Included
- Cabin with shower/toilet ensuite
- 7x Breakfast, 7x lunch and 6x (3 course) dinner per week
- Coffee, tea and biscuits
- Afternoon snacks
- Tour guide, rides with the group
- Daily check and cleaning of your cabin
- Daily care of your personal laundry
Not Included
- Reservation fee
- Contribution Dutch Guarantee Funds (Insolvency Protection)
- Bike rental (incl. pannier, helmet and water bottle)
- Entrance fees
- Meals other than mentioned
- (non-) alcoholic beverages aboard and ashore
- Personal insurance
Special details
- This tour is operated by our partner (the owner of the barge Feniks)
- Special diet (gluten free, lactose free, vegan) € 75,- per diet (to be specified when booking); when ordered on board € 100,- per diet.
- Please take good notice of our Terms & Conditions
- The program is subject to change without notice
Info
You are expected at the barge on Monday afternoon, between 11 AM and 2 PM. You can bring your luggage earlier to the barge, but not before 10.30 AM. We are busy cleaning the barge, but we can provide you with suggestions to have a nice walk into town.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 25 minutes and costs about € 35,-.
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.bruges.be.
End of the tour
The tour ends one week later in Bruges on Monday morning after breakfast at 10 AM. You will spend the night from Sunday to Monday on board in Bruges. The mooring place of the barge in Bruges is: ‘Buiten Katelijnevest’ near the Bargeweg (nearly 1 km/ 0.6 miles from the train station).
On this tour the following barge is 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?
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 have special meal requirements 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. In case of Celiac; gluten free diet; lactose free diet; vegan meals there is an additional charge.
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, Germany 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).
F.A.Q.
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What happens when it rains?
Most of the participants then wear rainwear. When the weather is so bad that cycling becomes really impossible (but that is almost never the case!), you can stay on board or your guide can organize an alternative program with, for example, cultural excursions and city tours (at your own expense).
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Which countries do the participants come from
The main countries represented by our cycling guests are: United States and Canada. We also receive guests from United Kingdom, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Australia and New Zealand. The common language on board is English.
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Can I rejoin the barge before the end of a stage
No, the barge doesn’t take the same route as the cyclists do. Sometimes the route may be altered because of weather conditions or repairs to bridges or locks and then the guests and the guide can arrange with the skipper to be met at a different place. Naturally you can always stay on board for one or more days.
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Can I choose my own itinerary without a guide
Cyclists can choose a longer route than the group takes. The guide will gladly advise you on the choice of an alternative route. GPS tracks are available, on request, for all tours.
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Is WiFi available on board
Yes, free WiFi is limited available in lounge and on deck.