Cycling Holidays - Brussels to Bruges via Ghent

Brussels to Bruges via Ghent

Belgium

From £519 P/P

Enjoy relaxed cycling between sea, canals and dunes on this self-guided holiday from Brussels to Bruges. Explore the rich architecture of churches, abbeys, castles and windmills and visit the historical art cities of Brussels, Leuven, Mechelen, Ghent and Bruges.

Stay at the pretty seaside towns of De Haan and Blankenberge and savour the gastronomy and atmosphere in cafés and restaurants where you can sample some of the 350 different kinds of beer on offer!

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Itinerary
Itinerary

1st day: Arrival in Brussels

Things happen in Brussels! Not just because it’s the capital of 500 million Europeans but also because there is an exciting cul-tural, artistic and social scene.

Brussels with its historical beauty, galleries, small streets and multicultural soul is one of the greenest cities of Europe. A must for every visitor is the great market square, the Atomium, the Parlamentarium, Manneken Pis and Art Nouveau buildings, the icons of the city. Brussels, full of hidden treasures.

2nd Day: Brussels – Mechelen, 65km

On the first cycling day, we pass along Leuven. This city is not only known as university city – with the oldest Belgian university – but also as a beer city.

A walk in Mechelen, city at the river Dijle, will show you all the most important historical buildings, which were erect-ed in the time of the Burgunds. You certainly have to visit the St. Rombouts-cathedral, the palaces of Margarete of York and Margarete of Austria. You can also visit Kazerne Dorsin from WW2 or the toys’ museum.

3rd Day: Mechelen – Bornem, 30km

Today we cycle along the river Rupel and Schelde to Bornem. Because of the short ride there is plen-ty of time to take a 15-minute trainride towards the centre of Antwerp: enjoy a stroll on the Meir, have a beer on one of the many plazas or admire the rich architecture and art of this Metropolis.

4th day: Bornem – Ghent, 63km

Ghent, also the historical centre of Flanders, offers a variety of places of interest and is overseen by lots of towers, for example the one of the St. Bavo Cathedral with its world famous painting of the Adoration of the Mystic Lamb of Jan van Eyck. The historical heart of the city is well preserved and you can visit the old port. Nearby, you will find the ‘Gravensteen’, once the medieval Castle of the Counts of Ghent, today one of the most important places of interest.

5th Day: Ghent – Bruges, 50km

The historical centre of Bruges is part of the world famous Unesco world heritage site list. Anyone who visits Bruges will notice it straight away: this city has always taken care of its architectural and cultural treasures. Take your time and stroll along lovely parks, intimate little streets and ancient market squares.

You can also do some shopping: the shopkeepers will love to explain to you every-thing there is to know about our Belgian chocolate or beer. Or simply enjoy ‘French’ fries on the beautiful market square.

6th day: Bruges – De Haan – Bruges, 49km

Ride along the canals to the picturesque village of Lissewege and continue to the authentic coastal village of De Haan, enjoy-ing a refreshing dive into the North sea or relaxing at the beach. Or you can also enjoy a free day for shopping, a boat ride on the canals, sightseeing by carriage, visiting some museums, climbing the belfry or a 15 min. train ride to the majestic port of Ostend.

7th day: Departure after breakfast or extra nights in Bruges or Brussels

Back to Brussels by direct train (50 minutes, 2 trains per hour) or transfer (1 hour 15 minutes depending on traffic)
Route Overview

Route Overview

This tour starts in Brussels. Quiet roads and mostly cycle tracks along the Flanders Cycle Route, 90% signposted. Roadbook with detailed description in English.

Route Map (For guidance only):

Routes maybe subject to change or alteration. All route notes, maps and day-by-day information will be given to you upon arrival at the first hotel or at the welcome meeting. GPS/GPX Files are available for most our the cycling holidays we offer. Please ask us for details.

Starting point of the cycling holiday: Brussels
Getting There

Getting There

We recommend flying to Brussels Zaventum or Brussels Charleroi airport to reach the starting point of this cycling holiday.

Arrival by plane: Brussels airport is about 15 kilometres from the centre of Brussels. You can take a taxi (approx. € 40,00) but it is cheaper to take a direct train to Brussels Central-station (every 15 min.) for hotel Atlas. This will cost € 8,80 per person. From Charleroi (Brussels-South) there is a direct bus to Brussels Central-station (€ 14,00) or you can take the bus to the train station of Charleroi and onwards the train to Brussels Central-station (€ 15,80).

Arrival by train: On arrival at the station ’Brussels-Central’ you are at less than 1 kilometre from the Atlas-hotel. Taxis are waiting outside the train station. For the NH Brussels Louise: Take the train to the Brussels Midi station. From there, take metro line 2 or 6 in the direction of Simonis (Elizabeth) and go to the Louise metro station. Walk 2 minutes until you reach Stephanie Place and take a right onto Chaussée de Charlerois, where the hotel is located. Arrival by car To the Atlas hotel This hotel lies in the centre of Brussels in the ‘Oude Graanmarkt’, a side street of Antoine Dansaertstraat. This street is just in front of the ‘Bourse’ and about 400 meter away from Brussels Central Plaza. You follow directions to Brussels ‘Centre’ and then onwards to ‘Brouckère’. In front of the ‘Bourse’ you turn into the ‘Aug. Orts Straat and 100 Meter further straight ahead in the ’Dansaertstraat’. 200 Meter further you turn left into ’Oude Graanmarkt’ and 20 meter further on your left hand side you will find the Atlas-Hotel. As in most bigger cities parking is quite a problem. For parking free of charge you’ll have to walk a little and can not be recommended. In any case don’t leave anything valuable in your car. A better option is to take one of the several guarded parking lots. They normally cost around € 14 per day. The Atlas hotel itself provides a very limited number of parking lots at a price of € 8,70 per day. However they can not be reserved ahead. You will find more capacity in: - Parking Dansaert: Place du nouveau Marché aux Grains - Parking 58: Rue de l‘Evêque 1 - BE01/BE02 page 3/10 - - Parking Alhambre: Emile Jacquemainlaan - Parking Monnaie, Place de la Monnaie 25 To the NH Brussels Louise You follow directions to Brussels Centre and on the inner Ring you take the exit Louise. You follow the Avenue Louise until you reach Stephanie Place and take a right onto Chaussée de Charleroi. The NH Brussels Louise provides a very limited number of parking lots at a price of € 20 per car per day. They can not be reserved ahead. You will find more car parks at around € 20 per day in: - Parking Stephanie-Louise: Avenue Louise 83 a Parking in Bruges As your bike-tour ends in Bruges we can recommend parking your car in Bruges. Bruges is a smaller town which is easy to find and where you can park more easily. There are different car parks in Bruges. The car park next to the train station is the biggest and costs only € 3,50/day. When you park there, you receive a bus ticket free of charge to go to the Bruges city centre. From the station you have direct trains that will take you in 50 minutes to Brussels Central-station. In Bruges you also have the possibility for a guarded parking lot, which costs approx. € 9 per car per day (€ 8,70 at parking ‘t Zand next to the NH Brugge) or you could park for free at the hotel Velotel. So if you bring your own bikes it is definitely worth it to first bring your bikes and suitcase to Brussels and then drive your car to Bruges (approx. 100 km) and return to Brussels by train.

Flights are available with a number of airlines to your required airport or you can travel to the start using alternative methods such as rail or road.

We recommend using Skyscanner to find the best flight prices by date or Voyages SNCF for European rail travel. There is customer car parking available at most hotels for a supplement. Please contact us for more details.

Please use local transport to arrive at the starting point or call us on 0800 755 5385 for more specific travel advice.

You do not need to go back to the starting point of the cycling holiday as all hire bikes are left at the final hotel.

Important: Please book your flights only after the cycling holiday has been confirmed by invoice or email. Flights and transfers are not included in the advertised holiday price.
What’s Included?
What’s Included?

The Brussels to Bruges via Ghent cycling holiday includes the daily transfer of luggage to the next hotel and local support if required.

Included Services (Subject to confirmation)
- 7 days / 6 nights in 3*/4* hotels (mostly 4*)
- Room with shower / bath and toilet
- 6 x breakfast buffet
- Luggage transport (1 piece / person till 20 kilos)
- Map, tourist information and road description
- Service-Hotline (also at weekends)
- Local taxes, except in Brussels and Bruges.
- Possibility for half board (6 × 3-course meal)
Not Included
- Flights to/from the start and finish
- Evening meals (unless stated)
- Local daily taxes (Payable at the hotel)
- Helmets
- Water Bottles
- Travel Insurance
- Bike Insurance (unless stated)
- Welcome Meetings (unless stated)
- Transfers (unless included)
Bike Hire

Bike Hire

This cycling holiday uses hybrid bikes with gearing suitable for the local terrain. All bikes are regularly maintained and offer comfort along with good quality components.

You will receive an accessories package including a bicycle pannier bag with a good capacity, repair kit, lock, key, and air pump.

When you make a booking with us, we take your height(s) and the appropriate bike size is matched up accordingly.

Helmets are not provided and you will need to bring your own to use. We always recommend wearing a helmet when on your cycling holiday.

E-Bike Upgrades:

Why not upgrade your cycling experience to an E-Bike (Electric Bike)? Using a power assisted bike is a great way to go on a cycling holiday and will help you smooth out inclines or longer days in the saddle. Each E-Bike features an LCD display, removable batteries for easy charging and assistance up to 25 km/h with a range of around 120 km for each full charge depending on usage.

E-Bike upgrade prices vary per tour, but if you require any more information about bike hire and electric bikes, please get in-touch with us on +44 (0) 800 7555385.

Hotels

This cycling holiday stays in good quality hotels with private facilities carefully selected for their proximity to your cycle route and comfort. If you wish to know specific information about the hotel facilities, Wi-Fi and upgrades used on the holidays, please contact us on +44 (0) 800 7555385 for more information.

The hotel list below is subject to change and should be used as a guide. We will confirm the exact hotels prior to arrival.
Brussels to Bruges	Sample Hotel List
Brussels	NH Brussels Louise
Mechelen	NH Hotel Mechelen
Bornem	Hotel Secundo
Gent	NH Gent Sint Pieters
Brugge	Velotel

You will receive your final hotel list approximately 4 weeks prior to your arrival date detailing the hotels used on your cycling holiday. If you wish to know more about the hotels prior to completing a booking form, please contact our Customer Services team via email or by phone.

Date & Prices

You can find out more about this cycling holiday by completing a Contact Form or call 0800 755 5385 to speak to one of the team.

2019 Cycling Holiday Prices:

Season	Date Band	Arrival Day
Season 1:	27.04 - 15.06.2019 \| 27.08 - 14.09.2019	Saturdays
Season 2:	16.06. – 26.08.2019 \| 01.07 - 19.08.2019	Saturdays/Sundays

Category A Information:

Season	Prices per person including bike hire
Season 1:	£559
Season 2:	£609
Single Room Supplement:	£209
Half Board Upgrade:	£119
Electric Bike Upgrade:	£99

Hotel Category Descriptions:

Category Type	Accommodation Overview
Category A:	3* and 4* hotels with private facilities

EXTRA NIGHT PER PERSON PER NIGHT PRICES (YOU WILL STAY IN THE SAME HOTEL AS PER THE CYCLE TOUR):

Location	Price DBL/BB	Single Supplement SGL/BB
Brussels (Cat A):	£59	£39
Bruges (Cat A):	£59	£39

Date From	Date To
27 April 2019	14 September 2019

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