Discover the enchanting beauty of Belgium on an unforgettable journey
Suitable for people of all ages. Nearly all cycle tours can be classified as easy. You spend about 5 hours on your bicycle daily.
Experience the beauty of Belgium on a fascinating journey through Flanders. Along towpaths beside old canals and through poplar-lined avenues, you cycle at a relaxed pace into ancient villages where beer is still brewed just like in grandfather’s time.
And those who sample the local village beer in a rustic pub or under the linden trees are met with an approving toast – especially when they arrive by bike. Eventually, you reach Brussels (Vilvoorde), the capital of Belgium. This journey combines culture, history, and indulgence, offering unforgettable impressions in some of Belgium’s most beautiful towns.
Individual arrival in Bruges. Embarkation at 4:00 PM. Take some time to discover the interesting city of Bruges – The Venice of the North – is widely known in Europe for its art and museums. Bruges’ old town with its number of Grachten (small channels) belongs to the UNESCO world’s cultural heritage. Enjoy the bustle activity around the Grote Markt (the big market place) while having a nice tea or coffee.
The cycling tour leads through the small town of Damme (known as the “birthplace” of Till Eulenspiegel) and Groot Ter Doest, with its impressive Ter Doest Abbey, to Lissewege – often called “the most beautiful village in Flanders”. Whitewashed houses line both sides of a small canal and cluster around the imposing village church. Afterwards, the route continues directly to the coast. A long sandy beach and numerous cafés invite you to linger. After a stay of around 2 hours, return to Bruges.
During breakfast your boat is shipping to Moerbrugge. The whole cycle route follows the Ghent-Oostende-Canal through the wide Flemish plain to Ghent. In the Middle Ages Ghent was the second largest city after Paris and has preserved its architectural wealth in the historic city centre until today. Your ship will dock for the night in Merelbeke (at the lock), a suburb of Ghent and approx. 30 cycling minutes to the city centre.
After breakfast, you will leave the city of Ghent and head first to Dendermonde. Worth seeing: the Beguinage with its lovely local history museum. A must: a coffee break on the beautiful Grote Markt. You continue cycling to Sint Amands, following the idyllic, winding course of the River Scheldt.
In Sint Amands you start today’s cycle tour. You are passing the water tower and cross the Brussels-Rupel-canal. After that you are cycling through a historic area of brick burning, where bricks have been produced since the Middle Ages until today. Then you follow the river Rupel until you come to the river Schelde. From Rupelmonde you are comfortably cycling towards Hemiksem, then down the river Schelde to Antwerp, the world’s centre of diamond-processing and your today’s destination. Antwerp offers a number of interesting sights such as the richly decorated town hall in renaissance style, the historic Grote Markt, the huge Liebfrauen Cathedral and the medieval Steen Castle.
After breakfast you are starting your bike tour, passing the suburban of Antwerp with their beautiful exclusive residential area via Lier along the river Nete to Willebroek where your ship is already waiting for you.
While your ship is going through the Willebroek canal today, your last cycle tour is leading you through green, soft and hilly landscapes over Mechelen to Vilvoorde. In Mechelen, you will find the remarkable density of more than 300 listed buildings (classified as historical monuments), among them eight churches, all built within an area of only three square kilometres. From there, the journey continues to Vilvoorde, a charming suburb located about 10 km north of Brussels. Tip: You can reach Brussels by public transport in around 30 minutes. Use the afternoon to explore this fascinating city on your own – known for its diversity and cosmopolitan flair. (Distance from the mooring location to Vilvoorde train station: approx. 2 km. Train ticket to Brussels: approx. €4 per person.)
After breakfast, disembarkation until 9:00 AM and individual journey home.
Explore Flanders on a bike
Our carefully selected routes will lead you along the most beautiful spots of Flanders. 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. A road book is included (1x per cabin). Gps-tracks can be provided by e-mail.
Embarkation is at 4 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 and will be paid for on the final day of the tour. 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).
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 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.
Guarded parking areas at the main station (Stationsplein), approx. € 7,- per day. Online reservation possible: https://www.visit-bruges.be/en/plan-your-visit/parking-bruges/centrum-station-car-park. Transfer by taxi from Stationsplein to ship berth approx. € 10-20,-. Return transfer by train from Brussels to Bruges approx. € 18,- per person. Distance to the mooring location approx. 800 m. Transfer to the landing stage by taxi, approx. € 10–20,- Should you arrive by car, we strongly advise to arrive earlier to unload your luggage. More information on parkings in Bruges: www.visitbruges.be.
The tour ends one week later on Thursday morning after breakfast at 9 AM. You will spend the night from Wednesday to Thursday on board in Vilvoorde. Please note: The return transfer from Vilvoorde back to Bruges must be organized individually. Train journey takes about 1.5 hours and costs approx. € 20,- per person. Tickets can be booked, for example, via Belgian Train: https://www.belgiantrain.be/en (Vilvoorde train station is located approx. 2 km from the mooring location.)
On this tour the following barges are scheduled
Rental bikes on this tour.
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.
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 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).
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; 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 gluten free or lactose diet, there is an additional charge.
Unfortunately, we are unable to offer vegan meals. The space in the kitchens on our ships is limited (for storage and preparation) and therefore we cannot guarantee that the meals are completely vegan.
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.
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.
Yes, but you must indicate this when booking. Diets that require special preparation or specific ingredients can only be accommodated to a limited extent. We will do our best to meet your needs, but we also ask for your understanding: due to the limited logistical possibilities on a barge, we are not able to provide fully specialized menus. On some tours, a surcharge applies for gluten‑free, lactose‑free, or vegan meals. This is stated per tour.
We recommond to wear a bike helmet on all tours. On our own tours (barges Anna Antal; Liza Marleen; Anna van Aemstel; Sailing Home and Clair de Lune) we provide a safety helmet with all our own rental bikes.
In some countries a helmet is mandatory, if so this is stated on the tour page.
You can bring your own standard bike on board.
Own e-bikes, tricycles, recumbent bikes and and special (custom-made) bicycles cannot be taken on board our ships.
Most participants simply put on their rain gear and try to make the best out of it, unfortunately the weather cannot be controlled. If the weather becomes so bad that cycling is truly impossible, which almost never happens, you can stay on board or your guide can arrange an alternative program, such as cultural excursions or city tours (at your own expense).
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.
No, the barge does not follow the same route as the cyclists. Sometimes the route may need to be adjusted due to weather conditions or repairs to bridges or locks. In those cases, the guests and the guide can coordinate with the skipper to meet at a different location. Of course, you can always choose to stay on board for one or more days.
