Reviews

Caring and enthusiastic staff. Beautiful scenery. Comfortable and cozy boat. Amazing and historical bike routes.

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

This really is the best way to see a country. The crew and guides on the Magnifique were helpful, friendly and experienced. Our cabins were good and it was great to come back to a three course meal each day. The cycling though was the best part. The routes were varied with interesting excursions like a Gouda cheese farm included. The bikes that were provided were also very good. We will definitely be thinking about planning our next trip in the near future.

Everything was well organized. Excellent food, Nice trip. Superb guide Hugo.

The entire boat bike experience far exceeded our expectations. The accomodations were , for a small river boat, excellant. The food was very good. The staff were all very engaging, entertaining, and professional. The cycling route was amazing , made only better by our guide, Jaak, who knew all the interesting places to visit enroute. A few tips for anyone coming from North America……1) bring your own face ( wash ) cloths , as they are not widely used in Europe…….2) book early , as there are only a limited number of the double bed rooms…..3) plan to extend your trip by staying a few days in both Bruges and Amsterdam

Had a very enjoyable trip with Boat Bike Tours. We did the Amsterdam – Bruges trip on Magnifique II. The staff were very professional, the atmosphere on the boat was relaxed, and the chef did an outstanding job. All the staff were very helpful and the boat was kept in an excellent condition. I highly recommend this boat and trip.

Our trip occurred in late June and the blooms were fantastic. The staff on the boat were excellent. Our guide was very knowledgeable and kept the group on track which was a challenge given the varying degree of biking skills. It was a great way to see the countries. The only complaints would be the bike seats were standardized and there was no opportunity to change to a more appropriate fit. As well, they were not able to supply a helmet that fit properly so I rode without one. Also the internet service on the boat was very sketchy at best, almost not existent. Regardless of the above deficiencies it was an enjoyable experience and I would highly recommend it.

The crew were outstanding. The ship immaculate and clean. For the price for a suite, it was a very good deal. The rooms are cleaned daily. (bring your own was cloth) The add-ons for drinks were a bit pricey and if you are a white wine drinker like me, you get about a shot+ of wine, and not a very good wine. The rides were a good length. We would have appreciated more commentary from the guides as we rode. There was also not enough time at the stops to visit the cute towns at length. That was usually less than an hour. However, the Ghent evening river boat tour is a can’t miss! The food was amazing, thank you check Michel. Ingabor (hostess)and Hilko (ride leader) were also outstanding!

You’ll read many reviews lauding the beauty and the fun of the biking portion of the trip (ours included), so I will not repeat them here. What was VERY disappointing were major deficiencies on our barge, The Fluvius. Sanitary concerns: The 6 cabins on the lower deck area we occupied were plagued with 4 days of fouls smells that emanated from our toilets. Our guide occupied one of the rooms and he called the toilets “volcanoes” because they bubbled loudly and off-gassed all day and night. One day we returned to our bathroom to find toilet waste splattered all over our sink (as it bubbled up from the sink drain pipe). Absolutely disgusting! We had to use a shared bath on the upper deck for washing and tooth brushing for the remainder of the trip due to to risk of infection/sickness. Inadequate ventilation and air conditioning: The cabin air conditioner didn’t work properly for 1-2 days. Even more aggravating was the intolerable high heat level in the dining room during 3 consecutive dinners. All of the guests were sweating profusely – really. WiFi – this isn’t 1990 so why did all 42 guests have to endure virtually non-functioning wifi? It was beyond slow (anyone remember dial-up modems?). Some days it simply was down. They brought a tech on board over 2 days to fix it and when he left it was even worse. The staff was fully aware of this and even had me go onto a sister barge to use their network one day. As mentioned, the biking was fabulous. The staff were stellar and the food and drink were fine. Our very strong suggestion is to use Boat Bike Tours but to NOT travel on the Fluvius, but rather, another vessel.

The Magnifique ll is a beautiful, comfortable, luxury barge. The staterooms are quite spacious and nicely appointed. We especially loved the air conditioned cabins after a long hot day of cycling. The crew of 7 each excel in making the cruise exceptional. The chef prepared 5 star dinners each night, catered to the children on our cruise and provided variations to accommodate the vegetarians. The guides Ari and Wilmi carefully planned beautiful rides each day that took us through some of Holland and Belgium’s most beautiful cities and towns. Stops were plentiful at small local businesses where we could shop, eat and drink. The hot tub on the upper deck was a treat on cool evenings or to soothe sore muscles. Our group made good use of the full bar where the beer was icy and the drinks and conversation were always good.