Cycling holiday Paris to Bruges

After arrival and welcome at the barge on the mooring place, the barge leaves from its berth for a boat tour through Paris and on the Seine.

Sunday morning gives us a special start: riding through quiet Paris, following the Seine while the city is still calm. Depending on our mooring place, we cross the center with light traffic, then tackle a few real climbs. Paris does has its slopes!
We continue through the Bois de Boulogne and forest paths toward Versailles, where we stop for lunch and a walk in the park. In the afternoon, we roll through peaceful suburbs, an easy contrast to the morning’s hills. There’s an optional visit to Malmaison, Napoleon and Joséphine’s residence. We finish the day near Bougival, where the ship awaits.

In the morning we follow a bike trail along the river toward Saint‑Germain‑en‑Laye. From the bridge, a steady 1 km climb brings us up to the castle, once one of the royal residences before the court moved to Versailles. Inside, the castle houses a prehistoric museum, and we pause here for coffee.
We continue more or less along the river and stop for lunch in the next town. The day along the Seine ends in Conflans‑Sainte‑Honorine, a former river port with a long shipping history. From here, the ship sails upstream on the Oise to Auvers‑sur‑Oise, the village where Vincent van Gogh spent his final months and created many of his last works. We explore the town on a guided walk.

An early sailing takes us a good distance upstream, giving us a head start for the day. The bike ride leads into the forest around Chantilly, where the château can be visited. If it happens to be closed, usually on Tuesdays in the off‑season, Royaumont Abbey is an excellent alternative. After Chantilly, the longer ride option continues to Senlis, a historic town with Roman remains and a striking cathedral. From here, the route loops through a wooded landscape before returning to the river at Creil.

Another early sailing on the Oise starts the day. Once we start cycling, the gentle rise away from the river is barely noticeable. After a coffee stop, we continue toward the vast Compiègne Forest, passing the ruins of a chapel and Roman excavations along the way. Lunch is in a small village. The highlight of the day is Pierrefonds Castle, an impressive sight and well worth the visit. The entire ride back to the river runs through woodland, ending in Compiègne, a pleasant town with a palace‑museum. You can join a guided walk through its historic center, where the story of Joan of Arc still plays a role.

In the Compiègne Forest, an open clearing marks the Clairière d’Armistice, linked to the truces of both World Wars. There is a small museum here, and we pause for a coffee break before continuing north. The route enters a wooded valley, and we stop for lunch in one of the villages along the way. In the afternoon we ride toward Noyon, an old town dominated by its large cathedral. At its foot you’ll find a small historic museum, and nearby another museum dedicated to Calvin, who was born here. We moor close to Noyon for the night.

Because of the distance, the first part of today’s route is usually covered by sailing. We enter the wide agricultural plains of Northern France, an area marked by the battles of the Great War. Along the way you’ll pass several military cemeteries scattered across the landscape. We stop for coffee and later for lunch in a small town or village. In the afternoon we ride toward the Canal du Nord. Near one of the locks we may meet our ship; if not, the final stretch is a pleasant ride with a short stop near the Somme River before reaching Péronne, our destination for today. Dinner is in town.

Today is a day in Péronne. The Historial, the war museum in the castle, is well worth a visit, and there is another small local museum in the town center. Guests who want to explore more of the Great War can use their free day to visit sites connected with WWI. To the west, toward Amiens, you’ll find the former Australian sector. These visits are on your own initiative; your guide can give information at the start of the journey. If enough guests are interested, a tour along notable WWI sites can be arranged with a local expert guide (not included in the tour price).

The sailing toward the end of the canal near Arleux can take time because of ship traffic and the many locks. To make the next day easier, the captain may even leave on Saturday afternoon. The bike ride begins near Moislains, with only a few gentle slopes along the way. We stop for coffee in a village and later for lunch, most likely in Cambrai; a town that, for a period in the 16th century, belonged to the Netherlands. The afternoon offers easy cycling toward the end of the Canal du Nord near Arleux, where we meet the ship again.

Today we ride through the north of France. The town of Arleux is known for its smoked garlic, a traditional ingredient in local cooking. As we continue, the landscape shows traces of the former coal‑mining belt that once stretched between the English Channel and the Ruhr area. Red brick buildings and old industrial sites are still visible along the route.There is an option to visit a coalmine museum. Later we pass through Bouchain, with its old fortress and small museum, before continuing our ride through this historic region.

We cross into Belgium today. The town of Escaudin has a Monday market, a pleasant place to pause for a while. After a coffee stop in another small town, we continue toward St. Amand‑les‑Eaux, marked by its striking tower. This is our lunch stop. Toward Tournai, the longer ride leads through a beautiful forest area. We cross the river Escaut and follow quiet country roads toward the Belgian border. From here, the route along the Escaut brings us into Tournai. If needed, a shortcut is possible after St. Amand. Tournai is known for its historic town centre, with the cathedral and its five towers as the highlight. We moor near the centre, within easy walking distance.

Cycling to Oudenaarde is easy, simply following the river Escaut. After crossing the language border, where we stop for coffee, the river becomes the Schelde. A slightly longer alternative route with a few slopes is available for those who prefer riding a bit away from the river. Near our lunch stop, hill‑lovers can test their climbing legs on two of the well‑known cobblestone ascents, with slopes of 12 and 20 percent. A beautiful bike path on a former railway line then leads us toward Oudenaarde. In town you can visit the town hall with its tapestries, the Tour of Flanders cycling centre, the church, or the local brewery. Along the market square you’ll find several cafés. We moor about one kilometre from the centre, making it easy to walk into town.

The ride to Gent is pleasant and varied. We begin along the river, stopping at the former abbey and castle site of Ename, just a few kilometres from Oudenaarde. Quiet roads, patches of forest, small villages and good bike paths lead us to Merelbeke, where we have lunch. From here, Gent is close. Using bike‑friendly routes, we enter the centre and have time to visit some of the highlights: St. Baafs Cathedral with the triptych Mystic Lamb, the castle, the museum of fine arts and more. Gent is lively, with its large student population giving the city a vibrant atmosphere. In the evening the well‑lit streets offer a different experience. Dinner is in town tonight.

Between Ghent and Bruges you ride through the typical Flemish landscape: open fields with different crops, winding country roads, small towns and patches of forest. After Nevele, where we stop for coffee, we continue to Poeke. Its castle, park and the cafés on the square near the church make it a good place for lunch. Further on, the route passes a few villages and forested stretches, with a café stop along the way. Eventually we reach the canal and follow it straight into Bruges. The mooring is at the edge of the city, so there is no need to cycle through busy traffic. Late in the afternoon the guide can show you some of the highlights of town.

After breakfast your bike-and barge tour comes to an end. It is time to say goodbye to the guide, the crew and your travel companions, ending a week filled with landscapes, towns, stories and shared cycling moments.