Casual Barge Biking Cruises in Holland, Belgium, Germany and France

The cruises listed below are for those passengers that are looking for a very laid back experience at an affordable price.  These cruises are multi language.  Your cabin consists of your own private toilet and shower, though you take care of cleaning your room.  You are given clean linens during the cruise and you make your own bed.  Lunch is a packed bag each day.  There is no formal meals such as a Captain's Farewell dinner.  No alcoholic beverages included in the rates.

These are a great value and great fun if the above features appeal to you.  The 3 vessels - 24 passenger Iris (built in 2004), the 20 passenger Fleur (converted in 2002) and the 20 passenger Allure (most casual, converted in 1998) are Dutch barges.  Allure, Fleur and Iris are three practical and comfortable barges with a friendly appearance.

Holland Tulip Tour
Allure / Fleur / Iris
4 days     
Allure € 345,- / Fleur and Iris € 395,- pp

  Amsterdam – Amsterdam
 April 2,  5 9, 12, 1 6, 19

 Rate includes:  4 days, breakfast, lunch package, dinner, bed linen, bike rental, tour guide.

You can book this trip as a bike & barge trip or as a cruise. If you book a bike & barge trip, you can make a bike tour of 20 – 40 km per day, accompanied by an experienced guide. If you book a cruise, you sail with the barge and you use public transport, accompanied by another experienced guide.

Itinerary: Amsterdam – Haarlem – Leiden - Amsterdam

Highlights: Canal tour in Amsterdam – Windmills Zaanse Schans – Tulips in the Keukenhof – Dutch cheese farm – Leiden

Tulips, cheese and Dutch history
This short tour begins and ends in Amsterdam and takes you through the beautiful, historical cities of Haarlem en Leiden. You visit some spectacular windmills at the Zaanse Schans. In the Keukenhof, you can admire the Dutch tulips in their entire splendor. We will visit a Dutch cheese farm where you can try and buy some cheese and in Amsterdam you can go for a round trip of the canals.

 

Paris – Loire Tour
Fleur
14 days   
€ 1795,- pp

Paris – Nevers (Plagny)
September 3 – 16
Including bus
transfer Nevers – Parijs.

 Rate includes:  15 days, breakfast, lunch package, dinner, bed linen, bike rental, tour guide.

During this trip, there are two tour guides. Every day you can choose to participate in a short or a long bike tour.

Itinerary: Paris – Melun – Moret-sur-Loing – Montargis – Chatillon–Colligny - Rogny – Briare – Beaulieu – Sancerre - Nevers

Highlights: Paris – Vaux-le-Vicomte – Fontainebleau - artists village Barbizon – the rocks of Nemours – medieval cities  Ferriθres and Chatillon-Colligny - complex of locks in Rogny – Pont canal de Briare – Gien – Sancerre wine – Chavignol cheese – Nevers.

Royal splendor, three centuries of shipping and a good glass of wine

This central region of France seems to be made for a quiet and relaxed bike & barge vacation. There is much to see, the land is friendly, but especially the easy pace of life, a mild climate and the gentle wines make the Loire a lovely region for a vacation.

During this tour, which starts at Paris, we first follow the Seine in southern direction. This region has a rich, royal history and the  castles of Vaux-le-Vicomte and Fontainebleau are magnificent examples of this past. Just as impressive are the royal gardens, which the French kings had their royal architects lay out for them. The perfectly symmetrical gardens of Vaux-le-Vicomte are a fine example.  We cruise the woods of Fontainebleau heading for the artists village Barbizon. We follow the Seine up to Moret-sur-Loing, a cosy village on the banks of the Loing. From there we follow the canals Du Centre to our final destination Chatillon-Colligny, a pictoresque town with a medieval fortress.  

Later we follow the upper course of the river Loire via a canal, between Chatillon-Coligny and Nevers, where shipping knows a rich history, but where the river itself has become unnavigable. We are introduced to fine Sancerre wines and famous cheese from Chavignol. We visit castles and palaces, cathedrals and churches and age-old villages.


Champagne Tour
Fleur
8 days
€
895,- pp

Paris – Reims:  June 25 or Aug 6  Including bus transfer Reims – Paris.
Reims – Paris: July 16 Including bus transfer Paris – Reims

 Rate includes:  8 days, breakfast, lunch package, dinner, bed linen, bike rental, tour guide

Itinerary: Paris – Meaux – La Ferte sous Jouarre – Chβteau Thierry – Epernay – Reims or v.v

Highlights:  Paris – Brie de Meaux – champagne cellars in Epernay – Reims cathedral

Champagne vineyards along a gorgeous river
During this tour we follow the beautiful valley of the river Marne. Along the way, you have plenty of opportunity to taste the cheese and the champagne this part of France is famous for.

You meet the Fleur in the heart of Paris, not far from the Notre-Dame. From there, we follow the valley of the Marne upstream. The first stay is the city of Meaux, famous for its Brie. Later on we arrive in the real Champagne region and you bike straight across the vineyards on the rolling banks of the Marne.  We visit  the immense champagne cellars in Epernay, capital of the Champagne region, as well as small champagne growers, who will be proud to let you taste their best champagne. We spend a night in Chβteau-Thierry, scene of the American battles in World War I. Destination is Reims, with its beautiful gothic cathedral.

 

 

Paris to Bruge Tour - Following the Pilgrims
Fleur
15 days
€
1395,- pp
October 21 - November 04, 2006

 Rate includes:  15 days, breakfast, lunch package, dinner, bed linen, bike rental, tour guide

Itinerary:  Paris – Conflans – Compiegne – St. Quentin – Cambrai – Oudenaarde – Ghent - Bruges

Highlights
:  Paris – Royal Palace in Compiegne – basilica of St. Quentin – tunnel o Riqueval – Belfort in Ghent – round trip of the canals in Bruges

Flemish History and French scenic beauty
This trip we follow the trail of the pilgrims to the source of the river Schelde. Starting point is Paris, where the Fleur is moored in the centre of the city, near the Place de la Bastille. We cruise the Seine right through the city along the Louvre, the Eiffel tower and the Notre-Dame. We follow the Seine downstream to Conflans, from where we follow the Oise upstream to Compiegne. From he middle ages on, this part of France used to be the centre of the French kingdom. Later we will sail the wonderful old canal of St. Quentin, which leads us to the city of St. Quentin and through the tunnel of Riqueval. From here we follow the river Schelde into Belgium. We will visit Tournai, which was an important cathedral city for the pilgrims during the middle ages. Next stop is Ghent in order to breathe in the atmosphere of the old days in he town centre with its impressive Belfort and the St. Baafs Cathedral, where you can admire the famous triptych of painter Jan van Eyck. End point of our trip is Bruges, with its picturesque town center probably the most beautiful of the historical Flemish cities. You will get the opportunity to visit one of its many museums and to have a look at the famous hand-made Bruges lace.

 

Flemish Cities Tour
Iris  
8
days
€
900,- pp

Amsterdam - Bruges:  July 8 - 15 - Aug 19 - 26
Bruges: July 22 - 29

 Rate includes:  8 days, breakfast, lunch package, dinner, bed linen, bike rental, tour guide

Itinerary:  Bruges – Ghent – Antwerp – Dordrecht – Vianen - Amsterdam

Highlights: Round trip of the canals of Bruges - Belfort in Ghent – Rubens house in Antwerp -  windmills Kinderdijk -  Cheese farm

Flemish hospitality and history
During this tour,  the historical Flemish cities are central: Antwerp, Ghent and Bruges. But  you will also get to know a very beautiful part of the Netherlands.

The tour starts in Bruges , with its picturesque town center probably the most beautiful of the historical Flemish cities. Our next destination is Ghent, where we can breathe in the atmosphere of  the days of old in the town center, with its impressive Belfort and the St. Baafs. Later we will follow the beautiful tidal river Nederschelde to Antwerp, the city of Rubens, where you can visit the Rubens house. Then we will cruise into he Netherlands, where we  visit the fortified town Willemstad, which is situated on the impressive wide Zeeland streams. Once in Holland we will pass Dutch windmills in Kinderdijk. The tour ends in Amsterdam where there is time for a round trip through the canals.

This short tour begins and ends in Amsterdam and takes you through the beautiful, historical cities of Haarlem en Leiden. You visit some spectacular windmills at