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Cycling days
Distance
Brussels - Bruges
Brussels - Bruges
Hybrid :
E-Bike :
Duration :
8 days
Cycling days :
 6
Comfort :
period:
Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep
Code:
BE108010
History Nature Cities Flemish masters
price from € 883
Brussels - Bruges
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Brussels - Bruges

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Bike Tour: Brussels - Bruges - 8 days

Brussels - Bruges

Follow the Flemish Masters on a linear cycling tour to the most beautiful towns in Belgium, admiring the grand painters’ artwork in Brussels, St. Bavo Cathedral in Ghent, KMKSA and Rubens’ House in Antwerp, St. John’s Church in Mechelen and Groeninge Museum in Bruges.

In between, you’ll ride through ever-changing landscapes, with riverside stretches and sign-posted routes.

Route
Day 1: Arrival Brussels
Day 2: Brussels - Mechelen
Day 3: Mechelen - Antwerp
Day 4: Antwerp - Dendermonde
Day 5: Dendermonde - Ghent
Day 6: Ghent - Maldegem
Day 7: Maldegem - Bruges
Day 8: Departure from Bruges

Day 1:    Arrival Brussels

Arrange for an early arrival and take a moment to settle in, then head for the Grande Place. Meet the Manneken Pis, munch on waffles and chocolate and quench your thirst with a pint. It all comes together in Brussels, a city created specifically for culture vultures and shopaholics, gourmets and gourmands alike!

Day 2:    Brussels - Mechelen
65 km

Take time to see a bit more of the Grande Place, then set off for Tervuren, known for the Royal Aftica Museum. Rolling along tree-lined country lanes, you pedal past ponds and parallel the river. Woodlands, meadows and farmed fields lead to Mechelen, one of the smaller Flemish towns, yet large on beauty.

Day 3:    Mechelen - Antwerp
39 km

Stop in Sint-Kathelijne-Waver for an exquisite surprise. The convent-school of Our Lady of Wavre sports a successful blend of architectural styles: art nouveau, neo-Gothic, neo-Empire and art deco. Plus the wonderful winter garden, an ode to nature, springtime and light! Cycle onward via Duffel, situated on the River Nete. Pause for a bit of military heritage at Mortsel’s 19th-century brick-and-sandstone Fort no. 4. Crown your day in Antwerp with a wander around the city. Shop for antiques or vintage fashion finds and drink in the traditional brews, whether coffee or beer!

Day 4:    Antwerp - Dendermonde
57 km

Let the River Scheldt lead you to an encounter with the 10th-century Wissekerk Castle near Kruibeke. Further ahead, ford the river by ferry and pedal along the dike to De Zilverreiger, the regional museum depicting local trades and crafts, such as basket weaving, river fishery, cooperage (barrel making), flax processing and clog making.

Day 5:    Dendermonde - Ghent
46 km

Back on the banks of the Scheldt, cruise past a string of Flemish sites. Take a break in Dendermonde, with its town hall, belfry and church with an 11th-century baptismal font. Linger at Laarne Castle then continue on to Ghent, a veritable open-air museum and UNESCO Creative City of Music. The thriving local scene includes concerts, festivals, a carillon and singing in the streets… music is absolutely everywhere.  After dark, Ghent glows with a magical ambience thanks to its ingenious lighting plan.

Day 6:    Ghent - Maldegem
57 km

Head west into rural Meetjesland, a cyclist’s paradise of woodlands, meadows and farmed fields. Enjoy easy pedalling across flat landscapes, and stretch your legs with a stroll round the sculptures in Eeklo. The Het Leen and Drongengoed forests await. If you have extra energy at the end, take a sign-posted walk among the heather in Maldegemveld nature reserve.

Day 7:    Maldegem - Bruges
54 km

Cut across the flat Flemish countryside and glide through quiet villages such as Knesselare, Maria-Aalter and Moerbrugge. On the last stretch, marvel at one of Belgium’s oldest waterways, the 14th-century Ghent-Bruges canal. This green corridor together with its towpath verges provide habitat vital to preserving biodiversity. Top off the week with an evening in Bruges, a Belgian jewel of medieval facades, cobbled lanes and a fairy-tale atmosphere.  

Day 8:    Departure from Bruges

After breakfast this morning, your holiday comes to an end and it’s time to return home.

Prices & dates

Starting dates:

Fridays and Sundays from April 2nd to September 22th.


Price pp
Double room, breakfast 875.00
Single room, breakfast 1,260.00
Extra night double room, breakfast only 110.00
Rental bike
Hybrid 105.00
E-bike 210.00
Extra services
Bike theft insurance € 3.00 x 7 21.00
E-bike theft insurance € 6.00 x 7 42.00
Bike helmet per piece 15.00
SGR per piece 5.00

Start:

Brussels

Accommodation

The hotels on this trip have been carefully selected for their location, atmosphere and/or unique services. All rooms are en-suite. A list of the hotels we work with appears below. If a certain accommodation is unable to confirm due to lack of availability, we will request a comparable alternative. 

 

NH Brussels EU Berlaymont**** (Bruxelles)
Hotel Vé**** (Mechelen)
Mercure Antwerp City South**** (Antwerpen)
Abalona**** (Dendermonde)
Hotel Chamade*** (Gent)
Amaryllis Maldegem** (Maldegem)
Velotel**** (Bruges)
Bikes

Instruction video hybrid bike and e-bike

 

 

Our hybrid bikes are aluminum bikes and have 27-gears

Assembly: Shimano Deore

Brakes: Shimano V Brakes (hand brakes)

Tires: Schwalbe Marathon

Saddle: Selle Royal Freedom

Pedals: flat pedals (XLC)

Weight: circa 16,5 kilo

The e-bikes are Freebike Harlem or similar. The bikes have a small electric engine and battery, which can be charged at the hotels. You still have to pedal: it just makes pedaling much easier. Some experience with e-bikes is recommended, as the bikes accelerate faster and are heavier than regular bikes because of the electric engine.

Assembly: Shimano Nexus 8 gears

Brakes: Shimano hydraulic discbrakes

Handlebars are adjustable without any tools

Tires: Continental

Pedals: Flat pedals

Saddle: Velo Comfort

Range battery: ca. 100 km (with normal use)

Weight: ca. 25 kilo. 

 

For children who are at least 125 cm, we can also arrange bikes (these are 24”or 26” for children that are bigger than 140 cm). The bikes are Oxford Kick-Off bikes or similar, we also use child mountainbikes as child bike.

Assembly: Shimano 7 gears

Brakes: Shimano V-Brakes (hand brakes)

Pedals: flat pedals

Weight: 13,3 kg (24 inch) or 13,9 kg (26 inch)

The maximum body height for a child’s bike is 155 cm. 


Bell

All our rental bikes come with a bell.


Brakes

All our adult bikes come with hand brakes. 


Childseat

For children up to 30 months old (max. 15 KG) it is possible to rent a front child seat. This is not possible with e-bikes, due to the display.

For children older than 30 months (max. 22KG) it is possible to rent a rear child seat. This is also possible with e-bikes.

 


Helmet

Helmets are not mandatory in Belgium, but can be rented for €15,- per piece.|
Available sizes: Adult: 54-61cm, Child: 50-55cm. 


Lights

All our bikes come with both front- and rear lights. You need to push the button on the lamp and it will flash three times. This means that the lights will automatically start working when it gets dark. 

When you push again, the lamp will flash one time and the lights will be turned off.


Locks

Our bikes come with a defender lock with plug in chain (cable lock that is attached to the regular lock, see picture).

You need to turn the key a bit, take out the pin from the cable lock and attach it to a pole/other bike/fence etc.

When you push the pin back into the regular lock, you need to lock the regular lock as you always do, and both locks will be secured.


Pannier

1 pannier is included at the 'standard' bikes and the e-bikes.

Height: 42 cm
Depth front to the side: 17 cm
Wide top: 32 cm
Wide down: 23 cm
Volume: 20 liters
It has an easy click-on/click-off system. The panniers are water resistant, so everything will stay dry.


Pedals

The rental bikes come with regular pedals, so no click-in/SPD pedals. 


Quickrelease

All our bikes come with a quick release system, which makes it very easy to adjust the height of the saddle and the handle bars. 


Repairkit

There is one small puncture kit included, which can be found in the pannier. In case a rental bike has another problem, we always advise you to go to a bike repair shop or call the bike breakdown emergency number which is provided in the travel documents when you book this extra service.


Saddle

Saddles can be adjusted in height without using any tools, see ‘Quick Release’.
Our saddles don’t come with a gel cover. 


Waterbottles

Dutch Biketours does not provide water bottles. We can also not guarantee that there are bottle holders on the bikes. You will always receive 1x pannier, so you can always store your water bottle in your pannier.


We have a limited amount of tandem bikes available on request. The tandem bikes are steel Victoria Special 8.7 or similar. Tandem bikes are suitable for two adults only. 

Assembly: Shimano Acera 24 gears

Brakes: Magura HS11 (hand brakes)

Tires: Schwalbe Marathon Plus

Saddle: Selle Royal Rio Plus SR 8020

Weight: ca. 28 kg


The tandem bikes have a frame size of 48 cm. 
The height of the handle bars on a tandem bike cannot be adjusted.

We have limited family tandem bikes available on request. The family tandems are made of aluminium and can be used for one adult and one child with a minimum body height of 125 cm.

Assembly: Shimano (8 gears)

Brakes: V-Brakes (hand brakes)

Tires: Schwalbe Marathon plus

Saddle: Selle Royal Rio

Pedals: Flat pedals

A tag-along bike is a good option for children between approx. 100 cm and 125 cm, as they can pedal themselves and on their own pace but don’t have to worry about other traffic.

 

 

Child trailers can be rented for a maximum of two children who are up to 100 cm (max. 35 KG in total). 

We mostly use the XLC Duo 2 child trailer.
Child trailers are not possible in combination with e-bikes.  

Mile after wonderful mile of untroubled cycling is what we would wish our clients. However there is a minimal chance of breakdown along the way. If this thought is a nagging worry to you, a Bicycle Breakdown Assistance insurance policy may ease your mind. If you buy this insurance from our partner FietsNED in advance, their service is as follows. If your bike breaks down by the roadside a FietsNED bicycle repair man will drive to you in his repair van and fix your bike so you can continue your tour.You won’t have to pay him repair costs. If you are cycling on your own bicycle you will be charged for any new spare parts your bike may require. If you are renting a bicycle through Dutch Bike Tours any new parts are at our expense. If it turns out the bicycle cannot be repaired on the spot, or if you don’t wish to continue cycling, the repairman can drop you off somewhere in his van. One companion plus bikes may join you in the van.

The Bike Breakdown Pass is €2,75 per day per bike and can only be booked for every participant in a booking. 

 

Do you wish to insure your bike against theft? The cost is € 3,- per day per standard hybrid bicycle.
For an electric bicycle, premium bike or racing bike: € 6,00 per day per bicycle.
Please see the General Terms and Conditions for Bicycle Hire and Insurance. 

If a rental bike gets stolen or damaged, we will hold the client responsible.
If your insurance does not cover this event, you will have to pay the costs yourself.

Article 1 Bike Rental Price

The bike rental price is determined by the rates mentioned on the Dutch Bike Tours website at the time of the booking; or as subsequently agreed.

Article 2 Payment

a. The rental price and any other due sums regarding the rental agreement must be paid before the bike is handed over to you.

b. If, for whatever reason, you cannot make use of the bike(s) you have rented, Dutch Bike Tours will not be held responsible for any resulting expenses or damage.

c. In the case of the article 2b, the client remains obliged to pay the full rental price and any other amounts mentioned in the invoice, in accordance with our General Terms and Conditions of Booking, unless the client can prove that his not being able to use the bike was the consequence of a defect that was already present at the beginning of the rental period.

Article 3 Rental Period

a. The rental period runs from the morning of the first cycling day (day 2) to the end of the holiday (the departure day), as stated in the booking confirmation.

b. Extension of the rental period is possible only after approval by us and according to the (extension) rates as mentioned in article 1.

c. No refunds are possible after the rental period begins. If you return the bike(s) to us before the end of your holiday, the rental agreement will automatically be terminated and you will not get any of your money back.

d. At the end of the last cycling day of your holiday, the bike(s) must be returned to the hotel from where it was/they were issued, no later than the time stated in the booking confirmation.
If you book a one way tour tour you can leave the bike at the last hotel of the trip. 

e. If the bike(s) is /are not returned by the return time stated in the booking confirmation, we will continue to charge you rent until such time as the bike(s) is/are returned to us or is/are received by us. In the event of late return, the rates as mentioned in article 1 will continue to apply, plus a fine of €25 per day. We also reserve the right to demand payment for any costs and/or damages suffered by us due to late return of our rental bike(s).

f. Notwithstanding the preceding paragraph, in the event of late return of our rental bikes, we reserve the right to dissolve the rental agreement without judicial intervention and immediately claim back our bicycles where ever they may be and from whomever has them. Dutch Bike Tours also holds this right in the event that the client does not comply with any of the other conditions stated in this rental agreement.

Article 4 Improper Use

a. The bicycle(s) may only be used for its/their intended purpose and only by the cyclists listed in the rental agreement.

b. The bike(s) must be returned to us in the same (clean!) state in which you received it/them.

c. You must take excellent care of the bicycle(s), as if it/they were your own. You must take every precaution against damage, loss or theft.

d. The bicycle may not be used on the beach; or on sandy paths in the dunes unless a paved path is unavailable.

Article 5 Damage, Loss and Theft

The renter will be held responsible for damages to or loss of the bicycle(s) or parts of it, as well as bicycle keys and chains and locks, for such an amount as is determined by us according to standard market prices. You must understand that you are not insured for damage to the bicycle(s) or for any damages to third parties.

Article 6 Theft Insurance

It is possible to purchase Bicycle Theft Insurance. Covered are: damages arising out of the theft of the bicycle; and damages to the bicycle as a consequence of the theft. Not covered are: theft of bicycle parts; and damages arising out of attempted theft.

Article 7 Theft Insurance Premium

a. The premium for Bicycle Theft Insurance is € 3,00 per day per standard hybrid bicycle. For an electric bicycle € 6,00 per day as well for a Premium bike and racing bike.

The number of insurance days is the same as the number of cycling days as stated in our booking confirmation.

Article 8 Liability in the Event of Theft

a. If you did not purchase Bicycle Theft Insurance from us before the start of the holiday, you will be held fully accountable for the sum determined by us according to standard prices.

b. If you did purchase Bicycle Theft Insurance from us, but you failed to lock the wheel lock and failed to produce the original wheel lock key and failed to produce an official theft report drawn up by the police, you will still be held fully accountable for the sum determined by us according to standard prices.

Article 9 Costs During the Rental Period

Any charges and taxes regarding the rental bicycle(s), such as fines and ferry tickets, are to be paid by you. You will also be required to pay all costs ensuing from the use of the bicycle(s) such as parking fees, maintenance and repairs.

 

Practical info

7 nights included

3/4 Star hotels

Tourist tax included

Breakfast included, half board optional

Detailed roadbooks with maps and tourist information

Rental bikes available

7-days a week service hotline

Luggage transport to your next hotel

Brussels

Parking available at the hotel

GPS-tracks available

Ferry crossings are not included

Arrival info

The nearest airport is Brussels Airport (BRU).

The train journey from Brussels airport to Brussels city centre takes approximately 25 minutes.
Your hotel is within walking distance of Brussels Central station.

Bruges is the final destination of this trip.
You can take the train back to Brussels, or travel from Bruges to the nearest airport: Brussels Airport (BRU).

For timetables and tickets: train
For timetables and tickets: bus

Reviews

20-04-2023

We loved the trip. Flawless organization, great accomdations, and a well though route through great cities, lovely villages, and bordering rivers, canals (the ferry transfer was a nice touch), and fields. Once you get your stride, it is very liberating to know Belgium at your own pace, covering a lot of ground and relaxing at the same time. Belgium is a dense country so it is just perfect for this kind of trip. In a matter of minutes the landscape changes from medieval village to canal to horse farms to park. Congratulations for the organization, and thank you a lot!

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