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You leave the tour on the morning of the last day, a Friday. You spend 13 nights on the boat. See our Quick List of availabilities * in our printable version* Tour #1 April 11 to April 24 - North/South Tour #10 Aug 15 to Aug 28 - Amsterdam/Bremen, Germany - New 2009
2009 TOURING Tour #3, #7 & #9 The IJssel tour is eastern Holland up the IJssel river area to Giethoorn and returning through the polders, castles, ancient towns, national parks, lakes and canals; older Netherlands at its best. We visit the Kroller-Muller Van Gogh museum in De Hoge Veluwe National Park near Arnhem and an outdoor museum recreating life in Holland over the past several centuries. The tour begins and ends in Amsterdam. Your last full day is spent in Amsterdam. Tours #4 The Amsterdam/Antwerp/Bruges tour, a new tour for 2009. A southbound eastern route, the tour begins in Amsterdam, has a day off in Antwerp, and ends in Bruges. Enjoy scenic riding amoung mansions, dikes, castles and farms. In Den Bosch the underground river and the gothic cathedral are a must see. In Antwerp there is a day off to enjoy the shops, museums and churches. We visit Gent an important and beautiful city with lots of monuments and history. The final destination is Bruges, where we spend a full day touring the city surroundings by bike. The final day is on your own enjoying its picturesque town center, possibly the most beautiful of the historical Flemish cities. Bruges is about a four hour train ride to Schiphol airport in Amsterdam. Trains run twice an hour - no need for a schedule.
Tours #5 The Brugge/Antwerp/Amsterdam tour, a new tour for 2009. A northbound western route, the tour begins in Bruges with an afternoon of biking around the surroundings of Bruges. Your first night will be spent in Bruges; the barge sails on Sunday. From Bruges we visit Gent, Dendermonde, and then have a day off in Antwerp to enjoy the shops, museums and churches. Later we visit Middeburg, with the Storm Surge Delta Works, then through Zeeland, Dordrecht and Gouda. Cycle through Medieval cities and fishing villages even the Europeans come to see. Your last full day is spent in Amsterdam. Bruges is about a four hour train ride from Schiphol airport in Amsterdam. Trains run twice an hour - no need for a schedule.
Tour #6 & 12 The North/South tour is the North and South coastal routing along the North Sea and the IJsselmeer. Dunes, windmills, and traditional Holland. Amsterdam, Gouda, Delft, Leiden, Haarlem, Alkmaar to Texel island and return through Enkhuizen, Volendam and one full day in Amsterdam.
Tour #8 The Friesland tour, a giant circle north of Amsterdam and then east, visiting two islands north of the IJsselmeer. Amsterdam to Volendam, Medemblik, Stavoren, Harlingen, Leeuwarden, Sneek, Lemmer, Urk, and Weesp. Friesland is an area famous for its Arts and Crafts. Also bike the beautiful islands of Vlieland & Terschelling north of Friesland. The tour then returns for a day in Amsterdam. The best tour for both biking and barging.
Tour #10 The Amsterdam/Bremen, Germany tour, a new tour for 2009. From Amsterdam we sail and bike through the rural Dutch provinces Flevoland, Friesland and Groningen to Germany. Enjoy a day visit to the German Wadden island of Borkum. Visiting towns like Leer, Papenburg, Oldenburg and Elsfleth gives you a real feel for hospitable Northern Germany. The flat countryside consists of wooded lands, small towns, old peat land and abundant bike trails. We sail the Weser, Hunte and Ems rivers to reach our goal: 1200-year-old Bremen. Your last full day is spent in Bremen.
Tour #11 The Bremen, Germany/Amsterdam tour, new for 2009. From 1200-year-old Bremen, we sail the Weser, Hunte and Ems rivers. Visiting town like Elsfleth, Oldenburg, Papenburg and Leer gives you a real feel for the hospitable Northern Germany. The flat countryside consists of wooded lands, small towns, old peat land and abundant bike trails. Enjoy a day visit to the German Wadden island of Borkum. Back in the Netherlands you sail and bike the rural provinces of Groningen, Friesland and Flevoland to reach the final destination of Amsterdam. Your last full day is spent in Amsterdam.
Tour #13 Tour in France: Paris/Bruges tour. The tour starts right in the center of Paris; leaving it we follow the Seine river, passing the Notre Dame, the Louvre and the Eiffel tower. From here we cruise through the valley of the Oise to Compiegne. Painted by Van Gogh in his last days, this used to be the center of the French kingdom. A wonderful old canal leads to Noyon and St. Quentin with its gothic catedrals. We enter the heart of Picardy, a rolling bucolic landscape alternated with former mining heritage. Moving are the scars and memorials of both WWl and WWll. The tunnel of Riqueval brings us into Belgium where we dock in the lovely cities Tournai and Oudenaarde. Once in Flanders, the countryside is flat. Final destinations are Gent and Bruges, with their picturesque town centers competing for the title of most beautiful of the historical Flemish cities. On a scale 1 (easy cycling) to 7 (very challenging cycling) this trip is between 2 and 3. There are rolling hills leaving Paris and the route flattens out as the tour progresses. Some itineraries are optional depending on the biking skills. We will cycle in two groups (short 25-35 miles, long 35-50 miles), each accompanied by a professional guide. Of course you always have the option to sail along with the Fleur. Biking paths and biking lanes are rare in France. Preferably we will cycle on smaller roads with minimal car-traffic, but sections on bigger roads are possible. In order to avoid hills or traffic we sometimes choose unpaved roads. The itinerary and program are subject to change due to weather conditions; sailing challenges for the Fleur or changes in the opening times of the places to visit. This tour is on the Fleur an airconditioned 10 cabin boat.
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