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First things first: Hvar is a small island off the southern coast of Croatia in the Adriatic Sea, straight south from the ancient city of Split. You may never have heard of it before, but it’s a very special place, and very much worth visiting! According to Conde Nast magazine, Hvar is one of the best islands in Europe for 2023. Here’s why: See our tours in Croatia 1. The glamour of Hvar town Hvar’s capital is a Mediterranean hotspot for celebrities and the just plain wealthy of Europe, who…

Volcanoes, beaches and pasta Delicious Italian food, beautiful nature areas and wide sandy beaches: just north of Sicily lie the volcanic Aeolian islands, each of them charmingly unique. They owe their name to Aiolos, the Greek god of the wind. Sabine Boerema spent a week with Boat Bike Tours on board the Sundial, a wooden sailing ship built in Turkey using ancient shipbuilding techniques. She visited no fewer than five islands: the spa island of Vulcano; hip Panarea; green Salina; historic Lipari; and Stromboli, with its active volcano, also known…

In every season, nature surprises us here in Holland with its colors: in spring, a rainbow of flowers pop up everywhere. In fall, the leaves of the trees glow in orange, red and yellow. And summer has its own special color too: purple! In August and September the heather blooms in radiant violet and lends the landscape a certain magic. Do you want to witness this spectacle with your own eyes? Then read on, as our guide José has some great tips on enjoying the heather fields in bloom. Where…

Have you ever heard of the Wadden Sea? It’s the shallow body of water along the coasts of the Netherlands, Germany, and Denmark, and it’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site of unparalleled ecological and cultural significance. So why is the Wadden Sea a UNESCO site? And what does that mean for conservation and exploration?

As logistics manager at Boat Bike Tours, Bernadet works primarily behind the scenes. She ensures that everything runs smoothly on our trips. For example, she makes sure that the berths in the ports are reserved, that the right bicycles are on board and that the tour leaders are scheduled. That's why it was a very special experience for her to take one of our tours. Bernadet is a real Francophile, so she decided to take the Paris to Montargis tour. This tour takes you along the Seine through the beautiful rural surroundings of the French capital. Bernadet came back from the trip full of impressions she’d like to share with you. Curious what it was like? Read on!

A week on a boating and cycling tour is a week full of impressions. Nevertheless, it’s never overwhelming because of the pace; traveling by ship and bike gives you time, both on and off the boat, to immerse yourself in the experience. If you’re curious what a Boat Bike Tour is like each day, this report will give you a clear idea. The author, Michael, traveled solo on the Sail & Bike tour. Why did he like this trip so much? Find out in this blog! Or check out our…

Looking for a new way to see Holland? It doesn’t get much better than a boat and bike tour—the views are fabulous on land and on water. There’s nothing like exploring the Green Heart of Holland on a bike or capturing the perfect shot the medieval spires of Haarlem as you sail along the river. Don’t believe us? Check out some of the sights and experiences that await you on a tour of southern Holland.   1. Marvel at the magnificent castles along the River Vecht The River Vecht traces…

The Netherlands may have a reputation for windmills, farms and flower fields, but it has many hidden pockets of superb natural beauty too. From dunes to forested woodlands, tidal wetlands to rolling hills covered in heath, nature in the Netherlands has a fairytale quality that is utterly transporting. Are you curious to learn about some of the most beautiful natural areas in the Netherlands? Here’s our pick! Our Tours in the Netherlands 1. Wadden Sea Maybe one of the best-kept secrets in the Netherlands, the Wadden Sea is the largest…

Holland is famous for its tulips. In fact, our most popular Boat and Bike Tour routes are the springtime ones that center around seeing the tulips. So where are the best tulip fields in Holland? Here are our recommendations: See our Tulip Tours Keukenhof Certainly Keukenhof is the most famous place to see tulips. Claiming to contain about 7 million (!) tulips, it has grown from a castle garden to become an exhibition park: a place for bulb growers to display their wares. The grounds are carefully landscaped to show…

When Kit Parks of the Active Travel Adventures podcast took the Cyclades and Saronic Islands cycling and sailing tour, she’d never been to Greece, but was bowled over by the beauty of the islands, the sea around them and, as she mentions numerous times in her podcast about her trip, the food. In the podcast, she offers lots of observations and advice, most of which involve trust and flexibility. See our tour  Trust the locals Kit starts her story even before she starts the tour, with a pre-tour lunch in…