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Bike/Barge Tour from Bruges to Amsterdam, bike/barge/walk RELAX (8 days)
Route: (by private coach form Amsterdam Airport to) Ghent > (Bruges)Ghent > Antwerp > Dordrecht > Gouda > Oude Wetering > Amsterdam
Price: $1195/person (double occupancy), on Standard Plus barge Tijdgeest for bicyclists and walkers.barge.
Dates:Saturday April 19 and May 3, 2008. (Reverse Amsterdam Bruges April 12 and 26, 2008)
Price: $1275/person (double occupancy), on comfort barges Jelmar and Lena Maria for bicyclists.barge.
Dates:Saturday April 19 and 26, 2008. (Reverse Amsterdam Bruges April 12 and 19, 2008)
The Spring Flower Tour offers the best of two countries and has been our best selling tour for the past seven years. This route shows you many major highlights: in Belgium and Holland
the flower fields and the visit to the annual flower exhibition the Keukenhof.
Lovely old Dutch towns like the cheese-town of Gouda and the town of Dordrecht, the windmills of Kinderdijk
Crossing the border to Belgium takes you to the Belgian pearls of Antwerp, Ghent and the best of all: Bruges! These tours include several entrance fees, see below, choice every day between our two guides, (only a bicycle guide on the comfort barges).THESE TOURS ARE DESIGNED FOR SIGHTSEEING AND RELAXING WHILE STILL ACTIVE.
Transportation by private coach between Amsterdam airport and Bruges. Transfers between Amsterdam and Amsterdam airport is not provided, since the barges are only a short walk from the Amsterdam Central train station and there is a direct connection by train (train runs every 15 minutes) between Amsterdam Central Station and the airport.
These tours are designed to be suitable for bicyclists as well as non-bicyclists. There is most days some barging with nice views of the countryside from the deck or the picture windows of the dining/sitting room. The barge Tijdgeest is a double decker, with air conditioning in the dining/recreation area, most cabins have a (full) double bed and a single bed, a few have only single beds (one bed in a 90 degree angle over the foot end of the other bed). The comfort barges Jelmar have two lower single beds in each cabin. We offer three meals a day, breakfast, lunch and 3-course dinner.
Day-by-Day Itinerary:
Saturday:
Arrival at Amsterdam Airport, after your overnight flight from the USA. Meet your escort at 1 PM, departure to Ghent by private coach. Arrival around 5 PM. Embarkation and checking in aboard the hotel barge. In the evening your tour leader takes you for a walk across the town center
Sunday: No bicycle ride
After breakfast there is a train ride to Bruges. You start with a horse and carriage ride through Bruges and then you have free time to explore the medieval center of Bruges around the Town Square to view the Belfry Tower with its Carillon, the Halle (the trading center of Bruges in the 13th century), the Town Hall and the many museums and churches. Back to Ghent by train in the late afternoon. Dinner on board, then time to explore more of Ghent on your own.
Monday: Bicycle ride approx. 35 km
The barge leaves Ghent for a sailing trip of approx.. 7 hours to Antwerp. Cyclists hit the road and enjoy the flat Flemish countryside. In Terneuzen they join the rest of the group and sail on the barge to Antwerp. Arrival at approx. 3 PM. And free time in the lively Antwerp town center.
Tuesday:Bicycle ride approx. 20 km
You cross by barge the impressive waterways of Zeeland, the barge sails to Willemstad, a beautiful walled town. Time for a short stop and look around. The cyclists disembark in Moerdijk, pass the nature reserve Biesbosch and arrive in the town of Dordrecht, where the barge has already moored for the night. There’s a short evening walk with your tour leader in Dordrecht.
Wednesday:Bicycle ride approx. 30 km
The barge takes you to the world famous windmills of Kinderdijk. One of the mills will be visited. The walkers get aboard and the cyclists head for cheese town Gouda. You have free time in Gouda in the late afternoon and after dinner.
Thursday:Bicycle ride approx. 25 km
Early departure for Oude Wetering. From here the cyclists pedal through the reclaimed land of the Haarlemmer Meer to the annual Flower exhibition Keukenhof. Walkers go by bus (public transport) to the Keukenhof. After having seen the magnificent splendor of the Spring flowers everyone returns to the barge.
Friday:Bicycle ride approx. 40 km
Cyclists depart for Amsterdam, following the river Amstel all the way to the port. After arrival everyone has free time to explore Amsterdam. In the evening there’s a city walk and some spare time to do a canal tour by boat (not included) if you want to do this.
Saturday:
After breakfast end of tour. If you have a flight planned for Saturday, that is not a problem. Trains to the airport run from the Central Railway Station every 15 minutes and start at 5 AM
Included in tour:
• 7 nights accommodations aboard barge Tijdgeest in double cabin
• All meals, 7 breakfasts, 6 packed lunches and 7x3-course dinners are included
• Coffee and Tea on board (cookies in the afternoon)
• Transfer by coach between Schiphol Amsterdam airport and barge in Bruges (departure approx.1 pm)
• Entrance fee to Keukenhof annual flower exhibition
• Entrance fee to windmill in Kinderdijk
nnbsp;• Horse and carriage ride in Bruges
• Several city walks
• Use of 7-speed bicycles
• Compensation bike damage
• Services of bicycle guide and walking guide
• information booklet
Not included in tour:
• Airfare
• Excursions not in program
• Drinks (other than coffee & tea)
• Transfer between airport and barge in Amsterdam (direct train from airport to Amsterdam leaves every ten minutes, barge is walking distance from train station.
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