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Cycling days
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Flanders most beautiful cycling holiday
Flanders most beautiful cycling holiday
Type :
Hybrid :
E-Bike :
Duration :
8 days
Cycling days :
 6
Comfort :
period:
Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep
Code:
BE108001
History Nature Cities Flemish masters
price from € 987
Flanders most beautiful cycling holiday
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Flanders most beautiful cycling holiday

Bike Tour: Flanders most beautiful cycling holiday - 8 days

Flanders most beautiful cycling holiday

This bike holiday takes you to the loveliest places in Flanders. From Ghent, you will cycle to Bruges. You get an extra day to fully explore its historical delights before you continue your journey. You will cycle through natural landscapes interspersed with cultural highlights. Along the way, you will also pass the Centre of the Tour of Flanders cycling race.

Route
Day 1: Arrival in Ghent
Day 2: Ghent - Maldegem
Day 3: Maldegem - Bruges
Day 4: Roundtrip Bruges
Day 5: Bruges - Roeselare
Day 6: Roeselare - Oudenaarde
Day 7: Oudenaarde - Ghent
Day 8: Departure from Ghent

Day 1:    Arrival in Ghent

Organize your own journey to Ghent. Try to arrive early to make the must of your time in this wonderful city.

Day 2:    Ghent - Maldegem
57 km

Head west and discover the rural Meetjesland region, a cycling paradise with woods, meadowland and vast cropfields. It is easy-pedalling through the flat landscape to Eeklo, a small town known for its many sculptures. Then cycle through the Het Leen and Drongengoed woods. If you still have the energy, Maldegemveld nature reserve has a 3.5-km signposted walk past patches of heather. In the evening, put your feet up in Maldegem.

Day 3:    Maldegem - Bruges
53 km

Yet another lovely route through the flat Flemish countryside. After Maldegem you will pass some quiet villages such as Knesselare, Maria-Aalter and Moerbrugge. On the last stretch, follow the Ghent-Bruges canal. It dates back to the 14th century and is one of the oldest in the country. Together with its towpath verges, it forms a green corridor that is important for biodiversity. Your destination Bruges is a true gem for Belgium. The charming town has cobbled roads, medieval-looking buildings and a fairytale ambiance. 

Day 4:    Roundtrip Bruges
60 km

On your extra day in Bruges, opt to spend the entire day in this beautifully-preserved, medieval wonderland and you won't regret it. Cobbled streets, historical buildings, lovely squares, cast-iron streetlamps, ancient canals dotted with elegant swans - everything fits the picture.

Alternatively, hop back on your bike to cycle a round tour. Through a vast meadow landscape north of Bruges, on country lanes laned with majestic trees, cycle to the village of Hoeke. Subsequently follow the Damse Vaart canal into the Netherlands to visit the fortified town of Sluis. The bicycle route follows the ancient defensive earthen walls around Sluis - but do enter the town for a lunch break with a view of the belfry / Town Hall. Then hit the road once again, through Zelandic Flanders back into Belgium, feeling tiny in a wide-open landscape with far horizons. Your next stop is charming Damme, another fortified town, the military counterpart of Sluis. Still partly surrounded by a star-shaped moat, Damme is small but scenic. At the end of the day, follow the Damse Vaart back to Bruges.

Day 5:    Bruges - Roeselare
59 km

Follow a delightful route through the woody Houtland region. It is dotted with lovely castles and country estates. Near Oostkamp you can admire Pecsteen, Raepenburgh and Lakebos castles. Stop off in Torhout, Gitsberg and Hooglede and finally set course for Roeselaere.

Day 6:    Roeselare - Oudenaarde
64 km

From Roeselaere, cycle to the carpet town of Oudenaarde at the foot of the Flemish hills. In the morning, make your way through the young woods of Rhodesgoed to the shoe town of Izegem. Just outside Izegem, beer enthusiasts will find heaven in the Beer Castle which boasts 29 beer taps. Continuing, the delightful route goes up and down, from West-Flanders to Waregem where you will find the American miltary cemetry. Your destination is Oudenaarde, a town that was world famous for its tapestries back when tapestries were trendy, in the 16th - 19th centuries. At MOU museum you can find out all about the town's history. If you are more into road-cycling races, the museum dedicated to the Tour of Flanders is a must. 

Day 7:    Oudenaarde - Ghent
47 km

The River Scheldt guides the way northwards towards Ghent. At Gavere, in 1453, the rebellious people of Ghent fought and lost a battle against the troops of their ruler, Philip the Good. Here you will leave the Scheldt to go to Nazareth odn Sint-Martens-Latem on the Rive Leie. Many Flemish artists were inspired by the beauty of the Leie which is why Sint-Martens-Latem became an art colony. Dhondt Dhaenens Museum holds a rich collection of Flemish art. Finally, on the banks of the Leie, you will cycle to your hotel in Ghent. Be sure to make the most of the last evening of your bike holiday. 

Day 8:    Departure from Ghent

After breakfast, your holiday will come to an end. It’s time to return home.

Prices & dates

Starting Dates:

Thursdays from April 3rd till September 18th.


Price pp
Double room, breakfast 979.00
Single room, breakfast 1,504.00
Extra night double room, breakfast only 80.00
Rental bike
Child bike 91.00
Hybrid 105.00
E-bike 217.00
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

Starting Point

Ghent

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. 

 

Hotel Orion*** (Gent)
Amaryllis Maldegem** (Maldegem)
NH Brugge**** (Brugge)
Parkhotel Roeselare*** (Roeselare)
Leopold Hotel Oudenaarde**** (Oudenaarde)
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

2/3/4 star hotels

Tourist tax included

Breakfast included

Detailed roadbooks with maps

The possibility of renting bikes

7-days a week service-hotline during your holiday

Luggage transport to your next hotel included

The nearest train station to your starthotel is Gent Sint Pieters Station (ca. 10-15 walking distance)

Parking possibilities at the hotel

 

GPS-tracks available

Any ferry crossings are not included

Arrival info

Nearest Airport is Antwerp International Airport (ANR) or Brussels Airport (BRU).

 

The journey from Antwerp to Ghent is approximately 45 minutes.
It takes about an hour from Brussels.

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

Reviews

14-06-2024

We couldn't stop smiling for the first two days of cycling! The routes were lovely and quiet with a nice variety of small towns, farms, and canals. There was also adequate time for visiting Ghent and Brugge which gave the trip a lot of variety. This was our first self guided tour, and we were surprised at how easy the routes were to follow and it was very nice doing everything on our own schedule,


Linda McKean - CA

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