|
| |
Bike/Barge Tour from Bruges to Amsterdam, bike/barge/walk RELAX or bike/barge(8 days)
Route: (by private coach form Amsterdam Airport to) Ghent > (Bruges)Ghent > Dendermonde > Antwerp > Willemstadt > Gouda > Oude Wetering > Amsterdam
Price: $1350/person (double occupancy), on Standard Plus barge Tijdgeest for bicyclists and walkers.
Dates:Saturday April 11, 25 and May 9, 2009. (Reverse Amsterdam Bruges April 4, 18 and May 2, 2009)
Single supplement: $395/person (only one single per departure on standard plus barge, rest of singles have to share).
Price: $1450/person (double occupancy), on comfort barges Jelmar, or Lena Maria for bicyclists.
Dates:Saturday April 18, and May 2, 2009. (Reverse Bruges to Amsterdam April 25, 2009)
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,(split level) a few have only two single beds (split level). The comfort barges 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
Everybody makes the train ride to Bruges. After arriving there is a horse carriage ride and a short guided walk past the many historic monuments in the center of Bruges. Till halfway the afternoon you are free to visit Bruges. You return by train to Dendermonde.
In the evening your tour leader takes you for a walk across the town center. .
Monday: Bicycle ride approx. 50 km (optional)
The barge leaves for Antwerp an will arrive there appr. 3 PM. Cyclists hit the road and enjoy the flat Flemish countryside. In Antwerp they join the rest of the group and make a short walk thriough the town center.
Rest of the afternoon and the evening free time in the lively Antwerp.
Tuesday:
In the morning we stay a bit more in Anywerp. Right across the impressive waterways of Zeeland, the barge sails to the town of Willemstad, a beautiful walled town, where the barge will be moored for the night.
Wednesday:Bicycle ride approx. 40 km
You sail to Moerdijk, the drop off for the cyclists. The walkers sail to the world famous windmills of Kinderdijk. One of the mills will be visited by all. 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 flower park Keukenhof. Walkers go by bus (public transport) to the Keukenhof. After having seen all the blooming tulips and daffodils everyone returns to the barge.
Friday:Bicycle ride approx. 30 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 theres a city walk and you may wish to make a roundtrip by excursion boat on the famous Amsterdam canals (not included).
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:
Small changes are always possible in itinerary
• 7 nights accommodations aboard barge in double cabin with private bathroom.
• 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 Ghent (departure approx.1 pm)
• Entrance fee to Keukenhof annual flower exhibition
• Entrance fee to windmill in Kinderdijk
nnbsp;• Horse and carriage ride in Bruges
nnbsp;• train ticket Ghent-Bruges-Dendermonde.
• Several city walks
• Use of 7-speed bicycle
• Compensation bike damage
• Services of bicycle guide (all barges) and walking guide (Tijdgeest only)
Stay on board 8 days/7 nights in two person cabin with shower/toilet
All meals (breakfast, lunch/packed lunch, 3 courses diner)
Tour leader cycle trips
Tour leader city walks
Use of bike
Compensation bike damage
Several city walks
Information booklet + map
Entrance fee Keukenhof
Entrance fee Windmill Kinderdijk
Ride in horse carriage Bruges
Bus transfer Amsterdam-Airport - Ghent
• 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.
A gasoline surcharge might have to be paid on board, because of the rising gas prices, at the moment amount not know yet, we will update this later in the season
|
|
|
|
