The Netherlands

Our trip was fantastic! This was our first time on a barge and found it very comfortable and a great way to interact with group members. The staff was so pleasant and helpful and the food was delicious for all meals. Our guides, Marijn and Aernoud, were the best – fun, caring, creative, sincere, and very sensitive to the needs of those on the trip. The bike routes were beautiful traveling through small towns and cities, biking by canals, green fields, flowers, animals, and peaceful forests. We also enjoyed the special tours where we learned more about this beautiful country and its history. The weather was nice, a bit windy, but the tulips were in full bloom with all their splendid colors! We would definitely recommend this trip!

Our first trip to Europe and our first bike trip and it was incredible. VBT made the trip hassle free allowing us to enjoy every moment of our trip. Seeing Europe on a bike is the best way to really see the country. Cycling through small hamlets, farm land and along rivers and canals is magnificent. The barge crew was great, trip leaders were awesome and the food was fantastic as well. A trip of a lifetime and we will return for another VBT trip.

Great trip – bikes were new and easy to ride – lots of assistance and knowledge of the area from trip leaders and terrific food and crew. Add to that some beautiful countryside and great towns. Made for a wonderful trip overall.

Rides well choreographed, beautiful scenery through lovely little towns, which most visitors never see. Rides not too strenuous, with plenty of follow help if need by tour leaders.

This trip exceeded my expectations! It was so well organized, our two guides were wonderful, and the biking and scenery were beautiful. There is no better way to see the Netherlands than by bike and boat, and there is no better time to go than in the spring when all the flowers are in bloom! Thank you VBT!

This bike and barge trip was our 6th trip with VBT over many years, and as always we have returned home having had a great experience, wonderful guides, great biking, and in this case a wealth of cultural and historical education. Always a superb bike trip with these folks.

We had the best time on our bike and Barge trip through the Netherlands and Belgium. The food and accommodations were great, the tour guides were very friendly and the sights were amazing! The bicycling was flat which made it very nice to see the country and do the longer mileage each day. Loved this trip!

Our first VBT trip. It was very well-organized and accommodated a range of cyclists’ speed levels. Highly experienced trip leaders who took care of us, from fixing a broken chain to teaching us about Belgium beer. The terrain was pancake flat, with only the bridges as hills. Beautiful countryside, interesting cities from Bruges to Amsterdam. Barge was a great way to travel, very good food, nice wine choices at dinner, very hospitable crew. We loved not having to repack for the 7 nights onboard. Well-designed route instructions and GPS. Enjoyable group of fellow travelers, some on their 2nd to 7th VBT trip.

This was our fourth trip with VBT and wonderful like the previous trips. Trip leaders were delightful, knowledgeable, and helpful. Accommodations on the Sailing Home were very comfortable and delicious food was served. Daily biking was through emerald pastures speckled with cows and sheep, beautiful homes and water! You won’t regret it!

Great trip, easy biking– if you are coming off a winter with limited biking opportunities, this is a great starter trip for the season. Barge had the world’s best chef..our meals were amazing. Guides were pleasant and helpful. The Netherlands history is interesting and it’s great to see a country really set up for everyday biking.

The VBT has this organized extremely well including everything from the barge, staff, food, and bike route. It is as advertized – routes along canals, flat and easy going. Our guides were first class – as expect all would be. The barge staff was fantastic and the food was first class. We highly recommend this trip.

We rode through some beautiful countryside, complete with colorful & abundant tulips, windmills, baby lambs, baby sheep, and beautiful homes. What an eye-opening experience. Easy bike riding, and loved the Ride With GPS feature.

This trip will be remembered as one of my most memorable experiences. The crew were above and beyond my expectations. Courteous, considerate, knowledgeable, and always there to meet any need. The itinerary was well planned and allowed just the right amount of time to explore and take in the beautiful scenery. The food was gourmet and served with impeccable style. Highly recommended.

My first VBT Bike and Barge trip from Amsterdam to Bruges was everything I expected it would be. It is unusual to have your fantasies about a trip come to fruition. The bikes were like new, the guides were low key and very friendly, the chef on board was like having your own culinary chef. The boat itself was very inviting and comfortable. Having only 20 travelors also made it very warm and friendly with everyone willing to lend a helping hand if needed. 5 * for VBT

We thoroughly enjoyed our VBT adventure. The leaders were exceptional and shared local history and stories with us as we biked. The time split between biking, walking tours and visiting towns was perfect and we enjoyed each and every location where we stopped. We also really enjoyed the home visit that was arranged by VBT for an evening. The crew of our barge were wonderful and the food was excellent. We hated to see our tour end. We feel that we met great new friends who became family.

Belgium and Holland caters to the cyclist, so there are bike paths throughout the countryside. So nice not to have to compete with cars. The countryside and towns were as idyllic as you might imagine, and a bike is the best way to experience them.

The Belgium and Holland Bike and Barge Tour was like biking through scenes of the Dutch masters paintings. The countryside is so peaceful, and the unhurried pace of the tour gives you an opportunity to absorb this tranquility. The small towns have an old world charm about them, enhanced by the narrow roads and colorful gardens. Our fellow riders were a friendly group of people with varied interests. Having a master chef prepare the tasty and creative meals was a nightly dining treat. This was our first VBT Tour, and we are already planning our next trip.

I discovered that the biking tour in the Netherlands was more than I expected when I chose to attend the trip. The chosen sites were instructive, illuminating, fascinating and beautiful! Once I was accustomed to Amsterdam bikers I found the biking routes to be congenial and plentiful. WE were gifted with five plus days of sunshine during our trip, which added to the trip’s enjoyment!