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Find your tourLevel 2: quite easy tours, mostly flat terrain
The duration of the tour
Guided cycling: A tour leader will guide you during the cycling days
During this 15 day bike & barge trip through Flanders (Belgium) and northern France, from Bruges to Paris, you will cycle through attractive areas, not yet discovered by mass tourism. This tour is characterized by a wide variation in landscapes and has all the ingredients a good bike & barge tour needs to explore these interesting regions. The first stage in Belgium features highlights like magnificent Bruges as unbeatable start of a beautiful discovery tour, history in medieval Ghent, tapestry in Oudenaarde, Vincent van Goghβs heritage, a nice Belgium beer at end of your daily cycling tour. Highlights in France are World War I battle fields and memorials in the Somme valley, the Chateau de Chantilly and its art gallery the MusΓ©e CondΓ© that houses β¦
Monday to Friday
Amsterdam: 08:30 to 22:00
New York: 6:00AM to 7:00PM
During this 15 day bike & barge trip through Flanders (Belgium) and northern France, from Bruges to Paris, you will cycle through attractive areas, not yet discovered by mass tourism. This tour is characterized by a wide variation in landscapes and has all the ingredients a good bike & barge tour needs to explore these interesting regions.
The first stage in Belgium features highlights like magnificent Bruges as unbeatable start of a beautiful discovery tour, history in medieval Ghent, tapestry in Oudenaarde, Vincent van Goghβs heritage, a nice Belgium beer at end of your daily cycling tour. Highlights in France are World War I battle fields and memorials in the Somme valley, the Chateau de Chantilly and its art gallery the MusΓ©e CondΓ© that houses one of the finest collections of paintings in France, and β last but not least β beautiful Paris, the βCity of Lightsβ.
The cycling tours go over gently forested undulations and across open farm land, along the rivers Scheldt, Somme, Oise and Seine; the Belgian-French border also appears to be more or less the watershed between the river basins of Scheldt and Seine.
As well as being able to discover many picturesque villages each day β both on your bicycle and on foot β you will be able to:
The ship β Your sailing hotel
In between cycling excursions, you cruise along with the ship, which travels to a new destination every day. You dine, sleep and eat breakfast on board. Youβll receive a packed lunch every day, and you can usually choose between a longer or shorter bike ride. Itβs also possible to spend a day on board if you like. There are rental E-Bikes on board, this tour will be offered as an E-Bike only tour.
Fully Guided
Accompanied by a competent, professional and multilingual tour leader, you and the group will visit interesting sights and places on the daily cycling tours. During the E-bike tour, they will explain the local history and culture behind the things you encounter along the way. You can also choose to ride individually with the help of our Ride with GPS app and our BBT cycling map (available on board).
Embarkation and check-in is at 2 p.m. in the center of Bruges. After a welcome meeting with the crew there is time for bicycle fitting and a short test-ride. After dinner the tour leader will take you for a walk through the center of town.
We advise you to come to Bruges one or more days earlier, so that you will have plenty of time to discover this interesting city.
Bruges, also called βPearl of Flandersβ, is probably the most beautiful of all Flemish cities. Its old center, which dates from the middle Ages, is almost completely intact. In that period Bruges was a metropolis and β after Paris β the 2nd largest city of Europe, center of trade and art, which you can still fully enjoy.
After breakfast youβll start cycling. You will zigzag through charming woodland and pasture. Half way the canal between Bruges and Ghent your barge will be waiting for you. Once everyone is on board the anchor will be lifted to continue by barge to Ghent.
Ghent is a lively university city, also with a rich past. The city has its origins in Roman times, at the confluence of the rivers Leie and Scheldt. This favorable site resulted in great prosperity over the years, which had its peak late 13th, early 14th century. Textile manufacturing brought great wealth. In the city center many old patrician houses have been preserved. In the Clothmakersβ Hall (1425) textile merchants used to meet. Ghentβs major church is St. Baafsβ Cathedral, raised in various ages and in various styles. In the cathedral you can admire a number of masterpieces of medieval painting, of which the βAdoration of the Lambβ by Jan van Eyck is the most famous.
This morning you will cycle back into downtown Ghent, where you can make a nice tour through the historical center with a small canal boat. In the late morning you will hop on your bicycles again, onwards to Oudenaarde. Oudenaarde is a small town, which was situated on the border of the French German Empire, so the town was the involuntary witness (and victim) of many wars. Because it was often in the firing line, there was always someone on the lookout. The statue of most famous watchman, βHanske de Krijgerβ, still stands on the magnificent town hall, that was built in the first half of the 16th century and is one of the most beautiful in Flanders. Style is Brabant late gothic, material is sandstone from Balegem. Oudenaarde is also known as the town of tapestry weavers. The tapestries became famous all over the world. Before reaching Oudenaarde you will visit an interesting archaeological site (of an old Abbey) Ename which is located at the eastside of the river Scheldt.
Before leaving Oudenaarde, there is a guided visit to the beautiful town hall. After that you will follow the river Scheldt upstream and cross the linguistic frontier, thus arriving in the Wallonia region. From now on people speak French and villages, towns, and cities have French names. Todayβs destination is Doornik or (in French:) Tournai, one of the oldest towns of Belgium. Doornik was under French government until the early 17th century. Just like in Oudenaarde, after the decline of textile industry, tapestry became important here. In 1940, the entire town center was destroyed in a German air raid, but renovation of the center of town has been very successful. Especially the Notre Dame Cathedral (12th and 13th century) is worth seeing. Also the Belfort, built around 1200, is definitely worth a visit. Today there is no dinner on board. You can select one of the local restaurants.
During breakfast the barge cruises into the direction of the Belgian-French border, through the so called βwhite landβ, where (white) limestone has been quarried since Roman times. Around the village of Bleharies at the border, you will start todayβs bicycle ride. The tour goes through open farm land, through little mining towns towards Lewarde, where a mining museum can be visited. You will spend the night in Arleux.
The barge leaves the large canal and will from now on follow the Canal du Nord. The construction of this canal was already planned in 1903, but it took until 1966 to finish the works. It was constructed to replace the older and smaller Canal de St. Quentin, constructed by Napoleon in 1801, to transport coal from the mines to the north. Your cycling tours leads to the city of Cambrai, once a Roman provincial capital and an important destination for pilgrims. Worth seeing are the impressive restored buildings of the city fortress, built under Charles V. Later we cycle to the top of the Canal du Nord where the barge stays the night next to farmland.
The Canal du Nord has 2 tunnels, where the barge has to sail through. The longest one is the tunnel of Ruyalcourt, which is 4,350 meters (2.7 miles) long. This morning the barge will sail through this tunnel with you on board. Above the tunnel is the watershed between therivers Escaut (Scheldt) and Somme. From here the barge goes downhill again to PΓ©ronne.
After passing the tunnel you will continue cycling through the valley of the river Somme through sparsely populated open and rolling landscape. At the end of World War 1, this area was the frontline of the battle around the Somme. You will continue cycling to PΓ©ronne.
Today the barge will stay in PΓ©ronne. The barge will be moored just outside this charming town with its intimate square and church as well as a castle and the fascinating Grande Guerre museum.
During breakfast the barge will bring you to the little village of ΓpΓ©nancourt. There you have to get on the bicycles in time for a long ride through gently rolling, open countryside to the art-deco town of Ham and along the river Somme and other picturesque villages. Destination is Noyon with its imposing cathedral.
From Pont lβΓvΓͺque you will set course for CompiΓ¨gne. You will ride through the forest of Ourscamp and cross the river Aisne where the forest of CompiΓ¨gne begins. Here, at βClairiΓ¨re de lβArmisticeβ, French and German generals signed a Treaty to end World War I. You can visit the small but interesting museum that tells the story. Soon you will arrive at CompiΓ¨gne. The town owes its magnificent buildings to the proximity of Paris and the great woods, where the French kings loved to stay and hunt. The gardens of the Chateau de CompiΓ¨gne are definitely worth a visit. Today there is no dinner on board. You can select one of the local restaurants.
Today you cycle first through the forest south of CompiΓ¨gne, after which you will follow the valley of the Oise further downstream into the direction of Pont-Ste-Maxence. In the middle of the forest lies the little town of Pierrefonds, where you can admire the exterior of the βDisney-likeβ castle with the same name. Pont Ste. Maxence owes its name to the fact that in the Middle Ages here was one of the very few bridges over the Oise river. It became a place to spend the night for merchants and kings, who were on their way between Flanders and Paris.
After a sailing breakfast you start cycling out of Creil towards the precious and famous Castle of Chantilly, also very known for the horse racing circuit and royal stables and for its art gallery β the MusΓ©e CondΓ© β that houses one of the finest collections of paintings in France. After the visit you continue through a nice forest. If you take the short option, you will be picked up by the barge at Beaumont. The long option will cross the river Oise and follow the river to Auvers-sur-Oise, where Vincent van Gogh spent the last days of his life and where he and his brother Theo are buried on the cemetery. You will have the possibility to visit Van Goghβs grave on the local cemetery during a short evening walk. This region was very popular among impressionist painters.
Since you arrived in Auvers late yesterday, you can first spend some time in Auvers to search for βthe soul of Van Goghβ. Then, full of impressionist impressions, you will cycle in the direction of the Capital of Light. There is time for lunch at Conflans Sainte Honorine, where the Oise and Seine rivers merge. Conflans has been an important shipping center in Northern France since the 19th century. In the afternoon you will cycle up to the castle of Saint-Germain-en-Laye from where you will have a splendid view over Paris. After that you will continue along the river to Bougival, where you will spend the night.
Today the barge finally cruises the Seine, upstream into Paris. It is not far in a straight line, but the Seine makes a number of large meanders here. You will cruise right through the center of Paris. You can spend the rest of the day as you like. You can explore the city by subway, or take a bus roundtrip that takes you along all major sights.
End of your tour: Disembarkation after breakfast until 9.30 a.m.
Embarkation and check-in at 2 p.m. in the center of Paris. After a welcome by the captain, crew and tour leader the barge will sail right through the city. Mooring place for the night is in a suburb of Paris. After a sailing dinner there is time for a short walk.
We advise you to come to Paris one or more days earlier, so that you will have plenty of time to discover this interesting city.
After breakfast you will cycle along quiet towpaths along the river Seine to the higher situated St. Germain; the gardens of Le NΓ΄tre provide a magnificent view across Paris. Next you will ride through a forest area to Conflans for a picnic on the pier amongst the terraces. After a short stop at the Pontoise Bridge, you continue cycling across the picturesque Chemin des Monts to the church of Auvers, famous for Van Goghβs paintings. You will have the possibility to visit Van Goghβs grave on the local cemetery during a short evening walk.
Sailing breakfast to Beaumont. Start your bike tour in Beaumont and follow the Oise River upstream. During the afternoon you will visit the splendid Chateau de Chantilly, a magnificent castle with a horse dressage and its art gallery β the MusΓ©e CondΓ© β that houses one of the finest collections of paintings in France. Your bike tour continues via the splendid old city of Senlis and through the forests of Halatte to the destination of today, Pont-Ste-Maxence.
The bike trip starts in Pont-Sainte-Maxence. This town owes its name to the fact that in the Middle Ages here was one of the very few bridges over the Oise River. Therefore Pont-Ste-Maxence became the place to stay the night for kings and merchants, who were on their way to Flanders. Before you reach your destination CompiΓ¨gne, you will cycle through the forest named after this town βForΓͺt de CompiΓ¨gneβ. French kings loved to hunt here. In the middle of the forest lies the little town of Pierrefonds, where you can admire the exterior of the impressive castle. CompiΓ¨gne owes its architectural wealth to the proximity of Paris. The gardens of the Chateau de CompiΓ¨gne are definitely worth a visit. Today there is no dinner on board. You can select one of the local restaurants.
Today you leave the river Oise to continue your trip by way of the canal system connecting France and Belgium. In the morning you cycle into the most northern part of the forest of CompiΓ¨gne. Here you visit the βClairiΓ¨re de lβArmisticeβ, the place where the French and German generals signed the Treaty to end World War I. You can have a look into the small but interesting museum. Thereafter you will cross the river Aisne and cycle through the forest of Ourscamp. In the afternoon you will spend some time in Noyon, where you can visit one of the oldest Cathedrals of the country. After your visit you will cycle back to the canal at Pont lβΓvΓͺque, where the barge will be waiting for you.
Today you continue the cruise on and along the Canal du Nord. The construction of this canal was already planned in 1903, but it took until 1966 to finish the works. It was built to replace the older and smaller Canal de St. Quentin, constructed by Napoleon in 1801, to transport coal from the mines to the north. During breakfast the barge will bring you to Haudival from where the cycling tour starts through gently rolling, open countryside to the town of Ham, along the river Somme and other villages to PΓ©ronne. The barge will be moored just outside this charming town with its intimate square and church as well as a castle and the fascinating Grande Guerre museum.
Today the barge will stay in PΓ©ronne. You have time to visit the museum, take some rest and do some shopping.
The first part of your cycling tour goes through the valley of the Somme River. Later you will continue through the sparsely populated open and rolling landscape to Ruyaulcourt. At the end of WW1 this area was the frontline of the battle around the Somme.
The Canal du Nord has 2 tunnels, where the barge has to sail through. The longest one is the tunnel of Ruyalcourt, which is 4,350 meters (2.7 miles) long. As soon as are all back on board, the barge will pass this tunnel. Above the tunnel is the watershed between the rivers Somme and Escaut (Scheldt). From there the barge therefore goes downhill into the direction of Arleux. The barge stays the night on the highest point of the Canal du Nord next to farmland.
Your cycling tours leads to the city of Cambrai, once a Roman provincial capital and an important destination for pilgrims. Worth seeing are the impressive restored buildings of the city fortress, built under King Charles V. Then you will cycle to rural Arleux, home of smoked garlic, where the ship is waiting for you to sail to the lock of Pont Malin.
Today the barge follows the Canal du Grand Gabarit for a few hours, passing through a former industrial area of northern France. Old coal mines and steel sites border the canal. You will start your bicycle ride in Denain. The tour goes through open farm land, through little mining towns towards the French Belgium border.
Once in Belgium you will cycle through the so-called βwhite landβ. The charming little fortress town Antoing lies at the heart of this region and since the Roman days, (white) limestone has been mined here. Todayβs destination is Doornik (in French: Tournai), one of the oldest cities of Belgium. Now you are in Wallonia, French speaking Belgium, where all towns and villages have both a French and a Flemish name. Up till the beginning of the 17th century Doornik was ruled by the French. Here, tapestry weaving gained in importance, while the cloth industry became less important. In the various museums of the town, excellent examples can be seen. In 1940 the entire city center was destroyed after a German air-raid. However, the town has been renovated splendidly. Especially the cathedral the Notre Dame (12th and 13th century) is worth seeing, as well as the Belfort, which was built at about 1200. 2025: Today there is no dinner on board. You can select one of the local restaurants.
Now the barge sails downstream the river Scheldt and after crossing the language barrier you enter the Flemish region. From here onwards Flemish is the spoken language. Your target today is Oudenaarde. In former days this little town was situated on the border of the French and German Empires and as a result it was involved in wars frequently. Since Oudenaarde was right in the firing-line, there was always someone on the look-out. The statue of the most famous watchman, Hanske de Krijger, is on the splendid city hall. In the first half of the 16th century this city hall was built of sandstone in Brabantine late Gothic style and it is one of the most beautiful city halls of Flanders. Oudenaarde is also known as the town of the tapestry weavers. Their tapestry is famous all over the world.
Today you keep on following the river towards Ghent, your destination. Ghent is a lively university town with a rich history. The town arose in Roman days on the confluence of the rivers Leie and Schelde. This favorable location brought on quite some wealth with a peak in the late 13th and early 14th century. The cloth industry was a source of great richness in the late Middle Ages. In the city many patrician residences have been preserved. In the βLakenhalβ β Cloth Hall β (1425) the cloth traders gathered. The most important church is St. Baafs cathedral, which was constructed in different centuries and in different styles. In the cathedral several masterpieces of medieval painting are to be found. βThe Adoration of the Mystic Lambβ by Jan van Eyck is the most famous of all. You may wish to take a city tour by boat or visit the old castle Gravensteen.
Today your cycling tour goes through the pleasant flat country side of Western Flanders to Bruges. Bruges, also called βVenice of the Northβ, is said to be the most beautiful of all Flemish cities. Its old center, which dates from the Middle Ages, is almost completely intact. In past ages, Bruges was a metropole, center of trade and art, which you can still fully enjoy.
Today the barge will stay in Bruges. An optional bicycle ride through the pleasant countryside around Bruges will be offered, but you can also choose to spend your time in beautiful Bruges and visit a museum or do some shopping.
End of your tour: Disembarkation after breakfast until 9.30 a.m.
The rental bikes on our ships are unisex bicycles with a low bar and a comfortable upright sitting position. These are stable and dependable bikes, good for miles in the saddle. Decide which kind of bike you want to rent and simply fill in your preference with your reservation. Weβll make sure you get the right bike for you. On most of our tours, the bike rental cost is not included in the tourβs price.
Every Boat Bike Tour rental bike is well equipped. The bikes consist of a lightweight aluminum frame and have highly-responsive handbrakes, at least seven speeds, an adjustable gel seat, normal flat pedals (no clips), an easy-to-use lock attached to the frame, and special puncture-resistant tires. All told, this is a light, stable and reliable bike, very suitable for touring long distances pleasantly.
Our e-bikes also have at least seven speeds and handbrakes. The motor runs on a 400Wh battery and offers three levels of power-assistance. The e-bikes include comfortable gel seats that can be adjusted for height, have a lock attached to the frame, and sport anti-puncture tires. Note that some of the ships have their own bikes on board. They may look a bit different, but qualitatively they are equal to Boat Bike Toursβs e-bikes.
Bicycle helmets
The use of bicycle helmets is not required in the Netherlands, but for safetyβs sake they are suggested. If you wish to rent one, you can do so during the booking process. If you book a premium tour and rent a bike or e-bike, then the helmet and a βlimit of liability for damage or lossβ for your bike or e-bike is included in the rental price.
Other rental items
Other items such as childrenβs bikes, tandems, family tandems (child & adult), tag-along, trailers to carry toddlers and child seats are available on request.
Taking your own bike or e-bike?
The fee for parking your own bicycle is β¬10 per week. For an e-bike the fee is β¬25 to cover parking and charging the battery. For safety reasons it is not always possible to charge your e-bike batteries in your cabin. The crew will tell you where you can charge the battery on board the ship. Neither the crew nor Boat Bike tours is responsible in any way for any damage, loss or theft of a guestβs own bike or e-bike or its accessories. Note: not all the ships are suitable or have enough room for extra bikes, so make sure you check with us well ahead of travel.
Clair dβEtoile: The E-Bike has hand breaks only, 3 gears and support levels, a lock and pannier bag.
Fleur: E-Bike of the brand Gudereit EC-4 with 8-gear, handbrakes. Lock and pannier bag
Bike helmets are available on board. Children till 12 yrs. are obligated to wear a bike helmet.
Bringing your own bike/e-bike is not possible, due to lack of space on deck. Exceptions will be made for special bikes, but only after they have been notified and confirmed in advance.
2027:
Transfer between Paris and Bruges: There is a good train connection between these two cities. Please visit one of the following websites for timetables, tickets or more information www.omio.com or www.trainline.com.
Explore our Loyalty Discount!
After your tour, youβll receive an exclusive discount code:
Check your post-tour email for details. You can combine this discount with other promotions for additional savings. Join us again for another adventure by boat and bike!
Ride along scenic river paths, through green countryside and historic towns like Antwerp and Leuven, and taste Belgiumβs unique mix of culture, cuisine, and cozy cafΓ©s discover more tours in Belgium.
Ride through Burgundyβs vineyards, Provenceβs lavender fields, or along the Seine to Paris and beyond, and discover more tours in France.
| 5 star | 14 (93%) | |
| 4 star | 0 (0%) | |
| 3 star | 1 (7%) | |
| 2 star | 0 (0%) | |
| 1 star | 0 (0%) |
From the boat to the captain to the staff, par excellence! The two guides Ronald and Desiree were even better. I looked hard for any negative input or criticism, the only thing that came up was sub-par towels. The rides were well organized and well managed the sights and routes were beautiful and informative the food was good the facilities were good. I and my wife had the time of our lives. I would highly recommend this boat and crew to anyone.
All accommodations were ok, based on the size of the boat. Food was extremely good. Alcohol prices were fair. Bike tours were great for the most part, although missed turns were a pain.
I particularly disliked the very frequent breaking of traffic rules. There was a basic disregard for stop signs, red lights. Also, guides were somewhat disorganized and frequently uncertain about the routes and sites. Perhaps their first time for this particular tour??
Thank you for sharing your feedback. We sincerely apologize for the experience you had. Regarding the guides, we regret that their performance did not meet your expectations, and we ll make sure to address this with them to improve clarity and organization for future tours. We hope you will consider giving us another opportunity to serve you. Kind regards, Boat Bike Tours
Great guides, great food. Els, Michiel work very well together and were really helpful when one of our group had an accident and had to be hospitalised. We enjoyed Frank, the chefβs preview of our meals and the meals were very good.
Dear Jennifer, Thank you for your kind words! We re so glad to hear you had a great time with us. Thank you again for your thoughtful review. We hope to welcome you back for another memorable trip in the future! Best wishes, The Boat Bike Tours Team
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