Reviews

Cabins are small; *very* small for a large person. The crew is fantastic. Captain Hans is a capital fellow. Be aware that the Wi-Fi is next to useless – not surprising for a boat – so don’t expect to do any remote work. Food is good and hearty but not gourmet fare. It is a fantastic way to see the low countries and make new friends. Maximum cycling per day is around 57 km, which is quite easy for a novice. All in all, i would recommend it to anyone.

We enjoyed this ship and especially the friendly and helpful crew! Hans is an excellent captain! The biking was grand. Visiting many small villages was a highlight. Our bike guide, Patrick, was outstanding. I highly recommend this bike trip!

A great way to see the Northern European countryside up close and personal. Our tour guide was knowledgeable and attentive to everyone’s requests. So nice to arrive at our daily destinations to find our comfy river barge awaiting us with dinner. I’d definitely recommend Boat Bike Tours to anyone who has a desire to experience a slice of real Europe.

Very pleasant helpful crew, food was also very good and plenty.We had excellent weather, which made the biking so enjoyable . We would do this kind of biking holiday again and highly recommend it to friends and family

Der Kapitän und seine Cru gaben sich grosse Mühe, den Gästen die Reise so angenehm wie möglich zu machen. Da die Gangalf ein kleines Schiff ist, war von Anfang an ein familiäres Verhältnis. Man sass zusammen am Esstisch. Das Essen wird in Schüsseln auf den Tisch gestellt und man bediente sich selbst. Das Essen war toll. Man entscheidet selbst, ob man an den täglich geführten Touren teilnimmt oder auf eigene Faust unterwegs sein will. Da es eine geführte Tour war, war das Durchschnittsalter sehr hoch. Die Kojen sind einfach, aber es hat alles was man braucht.

We had a lovely time on the Gandalf, piloted by the eccentric and charming Hans, his pleasant spouse Meiyan, and their sweet and sleepy dog Jala Shayin. The barge was well-organized and the food was excellent and plentiful; I appreciated not having to pay extra for vegetarian meals. The guide, John, was very knowledgeable and led us through Belgium’s wonderful bicycle path system. We were lucky to have great weather for cycling throughout the whole trip, sunny with highs around 16 each day. John warned us that the wind would be in our faces the whole trip, but it wasn’t too bad. We had a great time and would be happy to use Boat Bike Tours again.

We found the barge/bike tour a fabulous experience. Good quality bikes, a great ride, coming back each day to a lovely, comfortable barge as our home. Food was magnificent and abundant. Our guide was excellent. He was friendly and very knowledgeable and like all the staff, had a great sense of humour. I can highly recommend this tour. A great way to see the world.

Everything was great, food, people, tours! We really had a great time with our guide Joppe, very nice staff on board and the food was amazing! Great experience.

Great trip but basic boat. We had a great time on the Gandalph on our recent Hanseatic Holland trip. The food was excellent and the crew both friendly and helpful. The cycling was good with lovely countryside and interesting places to visit. That said, the boat itself is not as good as some of the others on which we have been. It is a little on the small side with no separate salon/seating area – all must be done in the dining area or on deck. The cabins are also small and quite basic. Don’t necessarily let that put you off, but do not expect luxury – it is not that sort of trip.

We took the Hanseatic Tour on the Gandalf. It was like being among family – small, intimate yet room for privacy if wanted. The staff were helpful and capable: the cook was off for the week and Captain Hans Petrus prepared most of the meals. Our tour guide was terrific – the cycling pace was manageable in spite of our ages and his knowledge of Holland, past and present, made for interesting days.