Sonya Vanderhoeden
The team (captain Paul, chef Michael, sailor Albert, Hostesses Annika & Ingeborg and tour guides Hans & Wilfred) on Magnifique IV is amazing. They are always cheerful, attentive and are so hardworking. Every meal was exquisite and the warm and delicious snacks offered after a long (wet) bike ride were so appreciated. The barge is beautiful. It is clean and well appointed. We appreciated the 2 usb ports to charge our phones in our large suite. We were conservative with water so had lots for a hot shower after a day of cycling. The scenery was gorgeous. If we had stopped at every place for a beautiful picture, we would still be in Ghent! Our tour guides were very knowledgeable about the area. They easily answered our questions with enthusiasm and humour. Our daily route was tweaked according to the groups’ abilities, interests and, of course, the weather. Tips -Pack light. We avoided long lineups at every airport because we had only carry-on luggage. -Unless you are cycling outside this tour, don’t bring a bike helmet. They are provided. -Rent one of the e-bikes. Even though the routes are mostly flat, we so appreciated having a little boost. I had mine on level 1 most of the time. Level 2 was for near the end of the ride. Level 3 only for going up hills. Make sure to unlock your bike and turn your battery on again after a stop. -Keep some distance between your bike and the one ahead. Not everyone will be experienced with cycling in groups and hand signals. This tour is rated as easy. Don’t expect to go really fast, even or especially in the rain. -Do bring a gel seat cover with a waterproof bag. You can cover it, or just take it off when stopping. The seats on the bikes are just okay. They were much more comfortable with an additional squishy layer. -Do bring water-PROOF raingear, top and bottom. We kept warm and almost completely dry with ours. Others went with water RESISTANT and regretted it. In fact, next time I’m bringing good quality covers for my shoes. The staff kindly put our shoes in the engine room to dry out. This worked beautifully when they were damp, but let’s just say that stronger measures were needed on other days. Bring an extra pair of shoes. Your waterproof jacket needs to have a hood. Note, the ball cap I wore under my helmet to keep the sun out of my eyes also kept the rain off my face. We had a mix of weather. Definitely dress in layers if you are doing a tour in late September. I was glad I packed warm long-sleeved tops, hoodies and wool socks. I also had a warm coat and a scarf for the cool evenings in the various beautiful cities. -Do bring a few ziploc bags. These will come in handy on wet days, even with the waterproof satchels. -Don’t believe the nice lady at the dairy farm. Unless you are going back home right away, uncover and place the cheese you buy in a fridge. Simply opening the package to let it breath won’t be enough to prevent mold from growing. -Do get a data package with your cellphone company. Not every place will have wifi when you need it. Staying in Bruges and then in Amsterdam for a few days is a great idea. -Do be prepared for the BEST boat bike experience. We so enjoyed ours from Bruges to Amsterdam. It was our first time and we are recommending it to all of our friends.
