Belgium - Netherlands - Flanders Fields and Holland Bike and Barge Tour 2019 Individual Self-guided 11 days / 10 nights This bike and boat trip shows you lots of the Dutch and Belgium highlights. In Belgium you fall in love with the beautiful buildings and cathedrals in old cities like Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp. In the Netherlands you will visit get access to see a windmill from the inside and discover lovely cities like Amsterdam, Dordrecht and Gouda, where they make world's famous cheese.
Itinerary Day to Day Day 1: Individual arrival at Bruges Individual arrival in Bruges. The MS Quo Vadis awaits you in the Bruges harbour close to the railway station. You are able to check-in from 3:00-5:00 pm. The ship will stay in Bruges. Before dinner we start with the bike fitting. Enjoy predinner drinks and dinner on board before taking a guided walk through the UNESCO World Heritage listed town of Bruges known as the Venice of the North because of its many canals. Medieval buildings dating back to the 14th century line its narrow cobbled streets Day 4: Wervik 40 km Today a bus will bring you and your bike to Ypres. We will follow the Ypres Salient North and East. The Yorkshire Trench and dug out, Langemark, and many places where our Anzac troops saw service, the New Zealand Forces Memorial, the Tyne Cot Cemetery, Passchendaele, Polygon Woods, and Menin Road in Belgium. Late afternoon we are back in Ypres. Here you can enjoy the regional cuisine in one of the city s restaurants, at your own cost. Tonight, at the Menin Gate in Ypres we experience the Last Post Ceremony. This has taken place every night since 1928 except during the German occupation of WWII. After this event you are brought back to the Quo Vadis. Day 2: Bruges - Machelen - Kortrijk on the Leie River 43 km Before breakfast the barge will sail to Moerbrugge along the Ghent Oostende canal. Here we start our first cycling experience through the beautiful Flemish countryside and stop to see some well-preserved WWII German pill boxes built to guard this strategic waterway. After several hours we rejoin the barge in Machelen on the Leie River. From here we sail southbound to Kortrijk. Day 3: Kortrijk Menen Wervik 42 km Today we bike South East of Ypres, visiting the famous WW1 battle sites of the Ypres Salient South. The Zandvoorde Cemetery, the Hill 62 Sanctuary Wood, Hill 60 (Australian Tunneling Company), the Caterpillar Crater, the Command bunker Zandvoorde. We will end the tour back in Wervik, where the Quo Vadis still is moored. Day 5: Kortrijk St. Baafsvijve Ghent 43 km During breakfast the ship will bring you in the direction of Ghent. Near St-Baafs the biking starts, following the river Leie. This river was one of the frontlines in WW1 and WW2. Early afternoon we arrive in Ghent. This city is proud of its rich past, but is much more than a museum town. This lively city has numerous squares and cosy pubs and is an excellent mixture of medieval edifices, stylish shopping streets, splendid mansions, working class quarters from the beginning of the 20th century which now often house students, and busy little squares where people eat out till the wee hours during the summer.
Day 6: Ghent Dendermonde - St Amands 48 km After breakfast we get back onto the bikes and ride through diverse landscapes to Dendermonde at the mouth of the Dender River where it flows into the River Schelde. Here you can enjoy some time off the bike with a coffee at the beautiful Flemish Grote Market Square. Back on the barge we cruise along one of the most beautiful and winding parts of the route along the River Schelde to St. Amands. Day 7: St Amands Temse Antwerp 42 km The cycle route takes us along the Schelde to Temse Bridge. Then through the countryside via Rupelmonde and Hemiksem to the harbour city of Antwerp. See the city where 80% of the world s rough cast diamonds are handled and the historic Renaissance buildings that surround the city square. After dinner you may wish to catch a cab into the city to see the spectacular buildings lit by floodlights. Day 8: Antwerp - Tholen - Willemstad Dordrecht 42 km The Quo Vadis will sail this morning along the Schelde-Rhine Canal to the huge Kreekrak lock system, just over the Dutch border. From here you bike to Tholen, a former fishing village in the province of Zeeland. From Tholen we will bike to the fortified town of Willemstad passing along the impressive Volkerak lock system. From here we sail to Dordrecht, one of the oldest cities in the Netherlands. Day 9: Dordrecht - Gouda Cycle 40 km We start the day with our bikes on the fast ferry waterbus that will take us with our bikes to Alblasserdam in just 10 minutes. From here it is just a short ride to Kinderdijk that is famous for its impressive row of 19 Windmills classified as a world heritage site. They were constructed in the 18th century to pump water from low lying tract of land or polder surrounded by embankments. We cycle on to Gouda, famous for cheese and its city hall built in the mid 1400 s. We see the market place and historic cheese weighing station and museum. Day 10: Gouda Alphen - Amsterdam 34 km During a sailing breakfast the Quo Vadis brings you to Alphen aan de Rijn. From here you start biking along the river Amstel to Ouderkerk. Here waits the Quo Vadis for an impressive sail-in through the old Amsterdam canals to Amsterdam Harbour. Tonight is free to enjoy in the city, just a short walk from the harbour. Day 11: Departure Amsterdam Departure after breakfast, 9:30 a.m.
Route Technical Characteristics: Tour Profile: Easy. The bike tours are individual, at your own pace, without a tour guide, but with detailed bicycle maps and directions. When a guest does not want to cycle one day, she/he can skip the bike tour and relax on board while cruising to the next harbour. Distance: 374 km Travel Season: Departures May 21, 2019
Price per Person: Double Occupancy Twin cabin 1775.00 Twin cabin for single use 2080.00 E-bike with free wheel (must be booked in advance, limited number) 120.00 Surcharge for Specialty Diet (Gluten Free, Lactose Intolerance and Vegan) no charge for vegetarian 50.00 Included: 11 days / 10 nights in 2 person cabins 10 x breakfast, 9 x lunch or packed lunch for bicycle tours, 9 x 3 course dinner Coffee, thee, hot chocolate and water Daily cabin cleaning 8 gear bike with panier bag, water bottle Guided bike tour WW1 Memorial Museum Visit of a windmill Transfer to/from Ypres Belgium Beer tasting All ferries Tourist taxes Not Included: Insurances Local transportation and airfare 1 x dinner Other entrance fees than mentioned Beer tasting Organized city tours Drinks other than mentioned Private excursions Bicycle protection Gratuites
The cruise ship MS QUO VADIS The ship is comfortably furnished; cosy and you will feel well on board. MS QUO VADIS was put into service in April 2006 and has 12 comfortable outside cabins with shower/wc, two single beds and air condition (windows cannot be opened). Furthermore, the ship offers a tasteful restaurant with an open salon with corner seats, a small bar and a sundeck with sun sails. You will find interesting cycle tours and a warm hospitality on board MS QUO VADIS. Your tasty dinner will be freshly prepared daily (organic food are generally used, and often freshly homemade bread is served). Regularly live music (there are a guitar and a piano on board). The captain and his crew are looking forward to meeting you.
Bikes Hybrid Bike VSF Fahrradmanufactur T-50 Shimano Nexus 8-speed, frame size 45 cm, 50 cm and 55 cm, aluminium, 15.8 kg. Very comfortable trekking bike with 8 gears, hydraulic rim brake including brake booster and Schwalbe Greenguard tires. Suitable for short and long trips. Equipped with safety lock, gel saddle with quick release Electric Bike Vitality Eco 3 Active 400Wh Shimano Nexus 7-speed CB / HS22 Frame size 45 cm, 50 cm and 55 cm, aluminum, 25 kg with Accu. V and coaster brake and V-brake with free hub ORTLIEB s far travelled classic model made of robust polyester fabric, 100% waterproof. With its QL2.1 system it is quickly mounted and taken off the bike rack. 3M Scotchlite reflectors, integrated inner pocket, shoulder straps, 12.5 liter capacity. Assisting people in realizing their touring dreams worldwide is our passion. www.okcycletours.com THIS IS A PARTNER TOUR FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT OK Cycle & Adventure Tours Inc. 666 Kirkwood Ave - Suite B102 Ottawa, Ontario Canada K1Z 5X9 Toll Free 1-888-621-6818 Local 613-702-5350 TICO Ontario Registration No: 50022848