Blog

At Boat Bike Tours we offer full-service boat and bike tours in 14 countries across Europe. Our multi-day tours are fully-catered-for in every way, from gourmet meals to cycling equipment. European cycling vacations offer the curious traveler an inexhaustible wealth of experiences and adventures, but the huge range of possibilities can be overwhelming: what equipment do you need to bring for day trips, bike-packing, bike touring, or even a boat and bike tour?   Seven things you need for bike touring Luckily, at Bike Boat Tours we have more than…

First course was the most divine zucchini soup I’ve ever tasted; second was perfectly seared salmon and fennel with a mustard cream sauce; and dessert was homemade chocolate cake garnished with strawberries and a passionfruit coulis. After our first delicious dinner, I found a new appreciation for one of the most important ingredients on a cycling cruise: the chef! The next day I sought out Bas van Os, chef aboard the Magnifique II on our Tulip Premium Tour, to learn a bit about his background, how he plans the menu,…

The activities in the shipyard certainly don’t look like a vacation: a massive boat hull is being busily welded, drilled and painted. The shipbuilders are hard at work. But next year, thanks to their efforts, you’ll be able to relax on the sun deck, enjoying a coffee as you watch the passing countryside. We’re in the Frisian town of Franeker where the Magnifique IV, the fourth ship in our popular Magnifique fleet, is being built. But there’s still plenty to do before we can welcome the first guests on board.…

Beatrice Clarke is an Australian writer based in Amsterdam. In March 2019, she took a cycling cruise for the first time and experienced a delightful new side to life in the lowlands. Despite having lived in Amsterdam for 10 years, there are some aspects of Dutch life that I have never truly experienced. Windmills are one of them. So it was a pleasant surprise when I joined the Tulip Tour Premium, to discover that the first destination would be the iconic historic Zaanse Schans neighborhood north of Zaandam.   Life…

You probably already know our bike and boat trips. But did you know that you can have a bit more of an adventure on our Sail & Bike tours? On these voyages we swap our well-known river cruise ships for beautiful sailing vessels and instead of calm rivers and canals, we travel on open waters. Curious? In this post you’ll find out what awaits you on our cycling and sailing tours: learn what makes a trip by sailing ship and bicycle so special, get to know our stately sailing ships…

While the Netherlands is known for being bike-friendly, Utrecht takes this to the extreme. The medieval core of this city was a historic intersection of the Netherlands’ Protestant north and Catholic south, it’s simply crammed with Golden Age townhouses arrayed around its stately main canals — the Oudegracht and Nieuwegracht — and it’s best explored on bikes.   Cyclists flow in effortless streams along narrow, cobbled streets which follow wharves created the best part of a millennium ago (when no-one thought of planning for cars). Back when the Rhine River…

Paula Baas works in the sales department at Boat Bike Tours. Last summer she swapped her role behind the scenes for a spot on the Hansa Highlights Tour, an 8-day cycling cruise exploring historic Dutch towns and cities. Here she shares some of her favorite memories.   Hello Paula, I heard you took the Hansa highlights tour last summer. What do you remember the most? Well, I loved that every night we stayed in a different city, and that you could go for a walking tour in the evenings. And…

If you come back from your bike ride through the picturesque river valley, you will be greeted from afar in bright blue: the Patria. On board the chefs will be preparing a multi-course dinner for you. Before dinner is ready, you will have time to enjoy a freshly brewed coffee or a refreshing drink on deck in the sun, viewing the countryside. Doesn’t this sound like a holiday? There are many good reasons to travel with Patria:   1. Familiar atmosphere Cosines and conviviality are very important on the Patria.…

At Boat Bike Tours we run unique multi-day cycling cruises that take you to see the best the Netherlands has to offer, from iconic institutions to the authentic details of Dutch life and culture. It’s easy to see what attracts so many people to this small, flat country in northern Europe: visitors are drawn in droves to glimpse the tulips, the gouda, and those wonderful windmills. But if these iconic emblems are all that you see when you visit Holland, then you’re missing out on the Netherlands’ beating heart. There…

At Boat Bike Tours we run unique multi-day cycling cruises that immerse you in authentic Dutch life and culture, including spectacular bike rides through tulip fields. Every spring, tourist season in the Netherlands kicks off as soon as the flower fields burst into colour. And for many, it’s the best time to visit the country. But before you head to the Netherlands to see the tulips in bloom, here are some handy tips to help you prepare for your tulip trip.   When’s the best time to visit? Flowers bloom…