NEW EUROPE BIKE & BOAT TRIPS

DISCOVER EUROPE BY BIKE & BOAT THIS SUMMER

Our ‘boatel’ trips are proving among the most popular with our travellers year after year. So, in response to your requests we've added even more amazing new bike & boat based itineraries for 2015. From Paris to Berlin, Brussels to Prague, five new bike and barge trips launch over the next few weeks...  Explore Paris and surrounds on a bike and barge trip Bike and Barge to Paris There are many different ways to experience Paris, but how often do you get the opportunity to explore the ‘City of Light’ from your very own floating ‘boatel’? This new trip takes you along quiet roads that follow the course of the Seine and Oise rivers, travelling by both bike and barge through royal forests and beautiful villages that so inspired the painters Van Gogh and Sisley. The impressive castle of Fontainebleau, where Napoleon abdicated the first time, offers a visual insight into the country’s royal history, while a full day is set aside to sample the sights of the French capital.

• Bike and Barge to Paris (8 days) launches on 9 May                

Belgium Bike & Barge

At the crossroads of Western Europe and the heir of several former medieval powers, the compact nation of Belgium might leave you surprised by its rich and fascinating heritage. Starting at picture postcard Bruges, nicknamed the ‘Venice of the north’ for its romantic canals, you will continue to the North Sea and on to medieval towns such as Ghent and Antwerp (with time en route to visit the market squares and sample waffles, chocolate and beer!), before finishing at Brussels, Belgium’s bilingual capital, famous for its Grand Place, gothic-style town hall and baroque guildhalls.

• Belgium Bike & Barge (8 days) launches on 9 May

Prague and the Elbe River Bike and Barge

Discover the Bohemian countryside and a fairy tale ambience as you travel by bike and barge from the Golden City of Prague – regarded as one of Europe’s most beautiful and home to the largest ancient castle in the world – along the Vlatva and Elbe Rivers. Right in the heart of Europe, the Czech Republic impresses with its idyllic river landscapes and lovingly renovated villages. Many fine beers available along the way have been brewed since medieval times, whilst Melnik is known for its great wine growing tradition.

• Prague and the Elbe River Bike and Barge (7 days) launches on 11 June 

Berlin Bike & Barge

Discover parts of Germany few travellers ever see as you journey by barge and bike from Berlin to the Baltic Sea. Leaving the busting capital of Berlin having explored the museums, historic sights and streetscapes at your leisure on foot, you will set off through the vast forests in the north by bike along the peaceful landscape of the Oder River. Marvel at baroque-style castles and discover nature reserves with varied flora and fauna, before concluding your trip at the gothic city of Stralsund, whose old town is honoured as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

• Berlin Bike & Barge (8 days) launches on 13 June