Blog

In 2019 Boat Bike Tours started a journey to become carbon-neutral by 2021. Here’s the story so far – as told by our sustainability coordinator Margriet Lakeman. At an annual meeting in October 2019, we were brainstorming how to make our tours more sustainable with tour leaders, skippers and office staff. Ideas were noted down on a big sheet of paper: Avoid food waste No disposable plastic on board Reuse cycling maps Slower sailing More suggestions were made until a skipper grumbled, “What’s the point? We did this last year.”…

Summer is just around the corner and the Netherlands is in full bloom. After weeks of being confined at home, we’ve just heard that restaurants, cafes and museums will reopen from June 1st, and from July 1st, campsites and hotels will also open their doors to visitors. We, too, will be hitting the waterways from June 17. For those of you who are yearning to have an adventure but care about safety, Boat Bike Tours offers a great way to travel while avoiding the crowds. Read about why our tours…

What is it that makes the combination of biking and sailing so addictive? Over the years, Boat Bike Tours has noticed that once people go on one trip, they usually come back for more. Some of them have even been coming annually for over a decade! So what is it that makes our tours so popular? Here are just a few of the reasons:     1. Enjoy luxury and adventure in one Often when you’re planning a holiday you have to make a choice: do you go stay at…

Are you wondering what travel will be like after the coronavirus has settled down? We all are! The constantly changing situation means it’s hard to know what the future holds. While it’s not wise (or even possible) to travel right now, there will come a time when it’s safe to hit the road again. And that will be good. Travel is a meaningful part of modern life, it teaches us about the world and ourselves. It connects us with our beautiful planet, its people and its places. Thinking about travel…

At Boat Bike Tours we’re always busy coming up with new ideas, even during these uncertain times. Travel is in our blood! Sitting at home and waiting until the storm has passed isn’t our style; even now we just can’t sit still. We want to plan for the future! And we’re not the only ones feeling that restlessness to travel. That’s why we’re sharing some of our plans for 2021 with you:   1. Luxury trip to three countries This pampering trip starts in the most romantic part of Germany’s…

Let’s be honest: we all expected spring to go a little differently. Due to the new coronavirus and the resulting lockdowns across the world, everyone’s plans, not to mention our entire lives, have been turned upside-down. We’re now facing unprecedented circumstances – and it also applies to travel.   Unprecedented situation The virus has caused aircraft to be grounded, borders to close, and entire nations to stay at home. Many spring trips have been cancelled and what will happen to summer vacations is anyone’s guess. All over the world, restaurants,…

Do you think you know the Netherlands? Take care… we believe that we can still surprise you with some amazing facts about this unique low-lying country. Even if the Netherlands isn’t very big, it’s still home to some amazing world records, inventions and curiosities. How many of these facts are you familiar with?   1. There are over 1,000 historic windmills To this day, windmills are an integral part of the Dutch landscape. The winged giants first appeared in the Netherlands in the 17th century, and by the 19th century…

Margriet has been with the Boat Bike Tours team for years. Originally in marketing, she’s currently helping make the company more sustainable. And when it comes to boat bike tours, you could say that she’s an old hand. Nevertheless, there are always a few new discoveries awaiting her when she joins one of our tours. She recently took our Hansa Highlights tour and was pleasantly surprised more than once by a lot of unexpected aspects of the trip. The tour wound its way over eight days through picturesque Dutch towns…

On our Southern Tour of Holland, our intern Alina cycled through the Green Heart of Holland to the city of Gouda, with its 73,000 inhabitants. Here she shares some interesting things she learned about this most Dutch of cities. Anyone who’s ever visited Gouda knows how impressive the city looks – especially when you’re staring up at the fairy tale town hall from the middle of the marketplace. The Four Cs of Gouda Despite its name being synonymous for cheese, Gouda is so much more than a cheese capital. On…

A new decade has dawned and change is in the air. Maybe 2020 is the year you try something different – from choosing to travel more slowly and consciously, to setting out on a real sailing ship for an active adventure. Whatever your travel plans, we hope your year is full of moving experiences and inspiring impressions. To help get things started, we’ve compiled six of our favorite trends and tours for you.   1. Personalized premium travel There’s a new form of luxury in town. It’s not bigger, but…