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Day 1 Saturday: Arrive Amsterdam, 9 miles (15km).
You will have plenty of time to make your way to Amsterdam, as your ship will stay overnight in Amsterdam. Your tour leader will accompany you for a short ride so that you familiarise yourself with your bike. In the evening you may wish to make a round trip of the Amsterdam canals, which would make a memorable start to your holiday.
 Day 2 Sunday: Breukelen to Vianen, 22 miles (35km).
Your ship takes you to Breukelen, where you unload your bikes and start your cycling for the day. Via castle De Haar and Montfoort you will cycle to Vianen, the stay for the night.
Day 3 Monday: Vianen to ‘s Hertogenbosch, 25 miles (40km).
Your barge cruises to Tiel and then you cross the river by ferry to the rural area between the rivers Maas and Waal. After passing many dykes and rich polderland you will arrive in the town of ‘s Hertogenbosch, the charming capital of the province of Noord-Brabant.
Day 4 Tuesday: ‘s Hertogenbosch to Willemstad, 28 miles (45km).
The day starts with a sailing trip on the river Maas. At Geertruidenberg you will unload your bike for a very varied tour to the attractive walled town of Willemstad a historically important fortified town. The old town walls are in the shape of a seven-pointed star and it is here that William the Silent built a palace.
Day 5 Wednesday: Willemstad to Antwerp, 25 miles (40km).
In the morning after breakfast a cycle tour to the island of Tholen in Zeeland is planned. You’ll pass the village from where the parents of the American president Roosevelt lived before emigrating to the USA. Rejoining your barge you will cruise across the Belgian border to the port town of Antwerp. In the evening you can accompany your tour leader for a walk around the city and taste some Belgian beers in a typical
Belgian bar.
Day 6 Thursday: Antwerp to Mechelen, 25 miles (40km).
A morning at your disposal to see more of the great city of Antwerp before you start cycling across the beautiful Flemish countryside to the charming town of Mechelen.
Day 7 Friday: Sightseeing in Brussels.
Today you take the train to give yourself enough time to visit all the highlights of the Belgium capital of Brussels. In case you become hungry or thirsty, try one of the culinary specialties: mussels, chocolate, waffles and of course beer. Late in the afternoon you return by train to your barge in Mechelen.
Day 8 Saturday: Depart from Mechelen.
It is the end of the tour and so it is time to say farewells, exchange contact details and make your way home. It is approximately 20 minutes by train from Brussels. |
Cruise and Cycle
This bike & barge holiday provides a unique experience combining the rural landscape, history and charm of Holland with that of Belgium. In eight days you will cycle from the Dam Square in Amsterdam to the Market Square of Brussels. (The next week the trip will be carried out in the opposite direction, so you have the choice of starting in Brussels.)
The "Holland" is one of the barges used on this tour. Classified as a Standard barge it has 10 cabins with bunk beds, all with their own facilities and will take up to 22 people. In the saloon, where meals are eaten, there is an "honesty" bar. You help yourself to wine, beer or soft drinks and record what you have taken so that you can pay at the end of the week. We use an operator in Holland for these holidays, and as they sell to other agents in Europe such as ourselves it is likely you will have a mix of different nationalities on this tour adding to the cultural enjoyment.