Amsterdam and Bruges by bike and boat - Clair de lune

Bruges and Amsterdam aboard the Clair de Lune

Take part in a unique experience aboard the Clair de Lune to discover Holland and Belgium. Visit the beautiful cities of Amsterdam and Bruges and the most beautiful Flemish cities. Drive through a diverse landscape of polders, Zeeland islands, creeks and winding dikes. Embark on board the barge Clair de lune for an incredible stay made of sharing, meeting and discovering. 
 
Points of interest of the trip : 

• Gouda
• The windmills of Kinderdijk
• The works of the Delta
• Ghent, Bruges and Amsterdam

Day 1 - Amsterdam - Oude Wetering - 15 km

 
Boarding until 1:30 on board the Clair de lune. The boat has to leave the port of Amsterdam at 14:15 due to the opening hours of the bridges and/or locks. You will be invited to settle into your cabin and get to know the crew and other passengers.
You sail in the direction of Oude Wetering. You can take a first bike ride to discover the surroundings. 
During dinner, you will be briefed on the trip and the next day's program. 

 
Day 2 - Oude Wetering - Gouda - 45 km

 
The journey continues by bike along the canals and polders towards the cheese city Gouda.
Here you can also discover the local handicraft of pipes, syrup wafers, earthenware, painted stained glass windows but also the town hall with its enchanting architecture and the canals. The historical city center will certainly charm you! 
Return to the barge to spend the night. 

 
Day 3 - Gouda - Alblasserdam, boat to Dordrecht - 40 km 

 
Start the cycling stage along the IJssel and the Krimpenerwaard, the lowest polder in the Netherlands, on narrow bike paths to the river Lek. After crossing the river, you can take the ferry to Kinderdijk. This is the time to discover the famous windmills of Kinderdijk, the largest concentration of historical windmills.
After a beautiful walk through the Alblasserwaard polder, you reach the river "Merwede" (Beneden-Merwede). Your day ends in Dordrecht, the oldest city of the Netherlands. 

 
Day 4 - Dordrecht - Zierikzee - 55 km

 
The Moonlight sails during breakfast to the Delta of the great rivers. You reach Willemstad and the Zeeland islands. Here, a lot of work has been done to retain water from the sea. This is known as the Delta Plan. You continue the route by bike to Zierikzee where you can visit the "Watersnoodmuseum" (Flood Museum).
Zierikzee is a beautiful town and the center of the mussel culture. Zeeland mussels are famous all over the world.

 
Day 5 - Zierikzee - Middelburg - 50 km

 
Your cycling tour takes you to the North Sea, to the Oosterschelde dam, which has impressive slides that can be lowered in case of heavy storms or high tides and thus protect the south-east of the Netherlands from the sea.
The Oosterscheldekering is also known as the eighth wonder of the world.
 
After the dam, your tour continues to Middelburg, the capital of Zeeland, through the picturesque town of Veer. In Middelburg, you can admire the old houses and churches and a town hall with gothic architecture. You can also see the Roosevelt Academy.

 
Day 6 - Middelburg - Ghent - 45 km

 
This stage invites you to cross the Westerschelde (Eastern Scheldt). You take the ferry between Vlissingen and Breskens.
You reach Belgium through small villages, creeks and winding dykes, until you reach the Belgian-Dutch border at Sas van Gent, the former gate of the port of Ghent.
If you choose a shorter cycling route, you can embark here to reach Ghent. On the way, watch the lively traffic in the canal from Ghent to Terneuzen and the huge industrial complexes on the banks before arriving in Ghent. From the quay, you can take a streetcar to the medieval center of Ghent.
You can admire many patrician houses, the Gravensteen (medieval castle), the Saint Bavo's cathedral or the Belfort. 

 
Day 7 - Ghent - Bruges - 45 km

 
In the morning, drive through the city center of Ghent and then through the countryside of Oost-Vlaanderen (East Flanders), with its forests and meadows, small villages and castles.
The last part of this route takes you from Aalterburg (the short stage) to Bruges on the old towpath along the Ghent-Ostend canal, the oldest canal in Belgium.
The city of Bruges is the finishing point of your cycling and boating trip in the Netherlands. In the afternoon and evening you can visit the old medieval center. And why not stay an extra day to discover the city? 

Day 8 - Bruges

 
Your journey aboard the Clair de Lune ends after breakfast at 10 am. 
 
Due to the navigation plan, the route may be reversed or modified

General Information:

• 8 days and 7 nights
• Level of comfort of the boat : Standard
• Children rates : contact us
• Languages spoken on board: Dutch and English

Dates:

Date of departure from Amsterdam on 02/05/2024

Included:

• Full board stay (picnic lunch)
• coffee and tea on board
• guide 
• minimum 3 city walks with guide
• GPS tracks on request
• free wifi (limited to the deck and the lounge)
• Travel log: we will provide you with information about your stay and the itinerary upon validation of your reservation, subject to change.
• Online guided tour

Not included:

• Transportation to the place of departure
• Personal expenses
• Visits

Options :

• Renting of VTC or VAE (helmet included)
• Bike theft insurance (for rented bikes)
• Cancellation insurance
• Additional night(s) at the beginning or end of the tour in a hotel in Amsterdam
• Special meal supplement 

Level :

1 2 3 4 5 6

Terrain :

Flat, very rolling roads and paths. 90% of the program is on bike paths.

Climate:

Contrary to popular belief, the temperature in the Netherlands is similar to the temperature in France. Near the coast, the climate is sometimes windy.

Technicality :

- 0 to 40 km of riding per day, or 3 to 4 hours of cycling.
- Itinerary easy to follow. No difficulties, accessible to all.

Bibliography :

Guide and maps on the Netherlands on cartovelo.fr
Guide and maps on Belgium on cartovelo.fr

The participants :

You will meet on board an international community of all ages, men, women, singles and couples with children. We offer you on this boat 17 places in cabins.

Accompaniment:

Here are the people in charge of your vacation on a bicycle boat:
On board, the captain and his crew. They are in charge of the good progress of the vacations on the boat, and bring the boat from stage to stage. The cook prepares the meals.
The participants are accompanied by a guide. This one will help you in case of breakdown, will advise you the route to follow and will give you the necessary tourist information. 

Meals :

Breakfasts: on the boat, you will find a hearty, Dutch breakfast, worthy of a cyclist.
Lunches: after breakfast, you will prepare your own lunch (sandwiches, fruits, snacks, drinks).
Snacks: after the day's ride, you will find various drinks such as tea and coffee prepared for your return, along with a cake.
Dinners: at least three dishes of very good quality. After dinner, you will have the choice between coffee and tea.
Other drinks, such as wine, beer, lemonade and mineral water, are not included but can be purchased on board at a reasonable price.

Cycling:

Upon departure on Saturday afternoon, you will be assigned a bike that matches your size. After a test ride, you will sign a receipt. The bike (VTC: 21 speed bike) will be at your disposal all week long until Friday afternoon, the day of delivery.

The bikes will be equipped with panniers as well as an anti-theft device, a water bottle and a tire repair kit. If you prefer a 7-speed bike, please let us know (this must be specified at the time of booking). It will not be possible to order a bike once on the boat.
If you take your own bike, it cannot be insured against theft by our company, you will have to make the necessary arrangements with your usual insurance company. Do not forget your anti-theft device. The return of your bike will be at your expense.

Personal electric bikes not allowed on board.

Transportation :

By train: The departure cities of the bike and boat tours are served by rail.
Amsterdam station is very well served: several trains run to and from France daily.
The Thalys is the fastest.

By plane : AMSTERDAM International Airport.

Your vehicle:

We strongly advise against parking cars in the streets of Amsterdam. Information on guarded parking in the city can be found on the Parking Centrum Oosterdok website.

Cancellation insurance: 

In order to guarantee a refund in case of cancellation of your stay, you can take out cancellation insurance. For more information, click here.

To access the description of the boat : click here.