Our European Adventure - From Bruges to Amsterdam

The summer after Mateo graduated from college, we spent two and a half months bicycling through Europe, with only the supplies we could carry with us on our bikes and a budget of €20 a day. Granted, this was in 2016, so our €20 went a bit further than it would now, but it was still a pretty bare-bones trip - and we had an absolutely amazing time. I still talk about it to anyone who will listen.

We’ve always tended to be pretty economically-minded travelers. Although I love a good pampering every once in a while, we usually go for pretty budget-friendly trips. We love camping, roadtrips, and Alaska Airlines deals. I’ve also recently gotten into travel hacking, so I like seeing how far I can make my miles and points go.

But this year, after not really traveling for almost 5 years and recently selling our house, we decided to splurge on a little bit of a more luxurious trip. It was such a different experience from what we’re used to, and such a great time. I don’t know if we would do it again - at least, not until we’re much older - but I really enjoyed having someone else plan everything for us and having local guides that could give us some tips and tricks.

The whole reason that we went on this trip to begin with is that Mateo had a cousin getting married in Berlin this summer. We figured that if we were going to head to Europe anyway, we might as well make a bigger trip of it. I started looking for guided tours, and quickly found these guided bike and boat tours through Tripsite. I actually tried to book a different (but similar) trip, and it was all sold out. Actually, every trip except this one was sold out for the dates we needed - and we had already booked our hotel in Berlin for the wedding, so our dates were pretty set.

So, with this as our only (but certainly not disappointing!) option, we decided to book it. Neither of us had the energy or time to really plan a huge trip, and I put my faith in the trip organizers. Honestly, I just kind of skimmed the itinerary and assumed it would all work out. And it did!

So what was this trip that we went on?

We did a bike and boat tour from Bruges, Belgium, to Amsterdam, Holland. We boarded the boat, called the Zwaantje (meaning Little Swan) in Bruges, then would bike all day from city to city, meeting up with the boat at the end of each day. There were excursions and/or guided city walks most days, and almost every evening, there was a three-course meal prepared by our amazing onboard chef, Frank. He also set out a breakfast buffet every morning with some extra sandwich makings, so we could take a picnic lunch with us.

The boat also had an open bar, and I consumed many an aperol spritz on the deck of the boat when our daily ride was done.

The biking

Of course, the main focus of the trip was the biking. As I mentioned, the last bike trip that Mateo and I did was entirely self-supported, and while I wouldn’t trade that experience for anything, gosh was it nice to not have to carry everything with us. Not only that, but our hotel basically moved with us, so we didn’t even have to pack up our luggage each day.

The bike paths in both Belgium and the Netherlands were incredible. The drivers were so respectful for us, and we almost always had protected bike lanes, if not our own roads to use. I remembered that European bike infrastructure is chef’s kiss, but it was so refreshing to experience it again. There were two days that Mateo and I broke off from the group and completed that day’s ride on our own, and it was so easy to follow the directions and paths. I had no concern about getting lost or feeling unsafe - and we just got to hang out in a couple coffee shops and restaurants that were right off the main bike route.

The excursions

Gouda tour

When I saw this on the itinerary (yes, I did read this bit of the itinerary), I was very much looking forward to touring the gouda farm. Could it be because “She’s the Man” was a critical part of my formative years? Perhaps. (Please let me know if you understood the “Gouda’s my favorite” reference!) But really - I’m a huge fan of cheese, and getting to sample fresh cheese straight from the source, while meeting the cows that produce the milk, was a really cool experience!

Were there samples? Yes. Did Mateo and I buy an entire wheel of pesto gouda and proceed to carry it with us for the rest of the trip? Yes. Is there still some (all) of it in our pantry at home? Also yes.

Did we get to meet baby cows that were less than a week old? Heck yes.

Canal tour

In Ghent, we took a canal tour to learn about the history of the city. I am always struck by just how much history European cities have. As an American, especially one who lives on the west coast, if our buildings are 150 years old, they are ancient.

And then you go to Europe, where you have cities that have been critical to the history of their country since medieval times, and castles and churches still standing that were built in the 15 and 1600s.

I absolutely loved seeing the evolution of architecture over centuries, and how advancements in technology changed how cities and buildings were made.

Windmills

I don’t know if I should count this one as an official “excursion” since it was our bike route for the day, but I would be remiss if I did not talk about the windmills in the Netherlands.

Speaking of huge pieces of history - it’s amazing how many of them are still preserved and functional today. Apparently, you can even get a stipend to live in one and do the upkeep. Mateo and I may or may not have considered that option before leaving the country…

The people

And, of course, the people in a tour like this can really make or break the experience - and we had such a fun group to tour with. We had folks from Australia, Germany, Italy, and the US, all coming together for one grand adventure. Despite some language barriers, we were able to forge friendships and have great conversations, and it really was a great crew to go on an adventure with.

We also had our fantastic guides, Corrine and Hilko, who put up with all of our shenanigans - even when Mateo and I absconded with one other guest down a really inviting alley during our evening city walk (sorry for scaring you guys!). In our defense, it was a really enticing alley.

And the crew of the Zwaantje just went above and beyond to make the experience great. Our valiant captain and owner of the boat, Martiin, always had a smile on his face and bravely navigated the locks with the first mate Yitze, and Yoke, the hostess and bartender always made sure we had cold drinks ready for us as soon as we got off the tour. And Frank, the absolute MVP, cooked us three-course meals in the tiny ship’s galley that were always so delicious and healthy. I think everyone was fighting over who got to take Frank home with them at the end of the trip ;)

And… awards?

On the last night of the trip, Yoke - who really is the absolute sweetest and I hope is cool with me adopting her as my little sister - said that the staff likes giving out an award to one of the guests at the end of each tour. She talked about how these particular guests were brave enough to go off on their own, often acted as sweeps for the group… and surprise! It was me and Mateo. We each got a special bike-shaped cookie, as made by Frank. Of course, those disappeared quickly into our bellies.

This was an absolutely incredible trip, and I feel so lucky we were able to have this experience. I especially appreciated doing this after doing a self-supported trip, as it made me grateful for every luxury that we had, both big and small. A hot shower every day? Amazing. A three course meal instead of pasta soup* for dinner every night? Incredible. Air-conditioned cabins? Unheard of.

I’m not sure if I’d do it again - but I’m not the type of person to repeat experiences. I could see us doing this with a bigger group of our friends, or when we are much older and ready for another easier trip. But all in all, it was an incredible experience and now I have another bike trip to talk about instead of rehashing the same stories from 7 years ago ;)

*Pasta soup, a staple of our last bike trip, is when you make pasta and add a bouillon cube to the water, then drink the “broth” for extra salt.

More photos from the trip are up on my socials