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Have you ever thought about building up a bucket list for your trip through the Netherlands? Or even better – do you already have one? Well, if so, maybe you can still spice it up. Here are 5 must-visit places for your trip through the Netherlands. Endless expanses, picture-perfect villages and huge metropolises – You can see all of these very different but terrific spots in the Netherlands. So, what are you waiting for? Grab a pad and a pen and get your bucket list started. Or check out our…

One minute you’re cycling through rolling dunes, the next through vast agricultural fields and (if you’re lucky) through colorful flower fields. And all of this only a few miles away from Amsterdam! The province of North Holland is surprising and multifaceted. If you’re on vacation here, you should definitely take a bike ride through the dunes. The North Holland Dune Reserve is one of the largest and most exciting nature reserves in the Netherlands. Let us take you on an unforgettable trip on the North Holland coast! Or check out…

Have you ever heard of the Hanseatic League? It was a German trading association in the Middle Ages whose goal was to promote trade: a medieval version of the European Union, but with as many as 150 member cities! While Amsterdam and Rotterdam were still small, insignificant villages, trade and culture flourished in the Hanseatic cities in the east of the Netherlands. The prosperity that trade brought allowed them to build magnificent merchant houses, richly-decorated trading offices and imposing city walls. Painters, master builders, poets and philosophers settled in these…

It’s no secret that the Danube region is one of the most popular destinations for travel by bike and boat. Would you like to know why? This extraordinary river not only breaks all records, but also offers amazing variety. The route along the Danube is like a small trip around the world where you’ll encounter many different landscapes and cultures! May we take you on an exciting journey of discovery? 1. The Danube is the only river in Europe that flows from east to west You may know that the…

You’ve finally made time for your friends, your family or your hobby. And for being on the road together and discovering new places: traveling with your own group is always a special experience. You’ll carry fond memories of the experience: enjoying and sharing your most beautiful photos and savoring your best stories from your trip together. Because we at Boat Bike Tours know how important it is to spend time with your loved ones, we can make it possible for you to book an entire ship with us for your…

On a recent Active Travel Adventures podcast, host Kit Parks interviewed Charlotte, who is 70 years old and has taken eleven Boat Bike Tours so far! In the interview, they mostly talked about the Southern Holland route, which Charlotte took this past September. As they talked, though, Charlotte dropped lots of great advice into the conversation that would apply to any of the routes. Here’s just a selection of her tips:   Impressions of Boat Bike Tours Charlotte had a lot of positive things to say about Boat Bike Tours.…

One of the things we’re most proud of here at Boat Bike Tours is the number of repeat guests we have. Jim, 76, has enjoyed six of them! “You never know what’s around that next turn,” he says, as he describes his latest experience on the Historic Hanseatic Cities tour – Hansa tour, for short. “We’re biking through woody areas, hilly areas, parts of the Netherlands none of us knew existed. It was a real surprise!” Kit Parks, of Active Travel Adventures, interviewed Jim for her podcast and wrote about…

And where to find them! France is known for its food, and no trip to France would be complete without trying the best food that the country has to offer. Fortunately, it’s easy to eat the best French food without spending a fortune; it’s a matter of knowing where to find it! Before the advent of supermarkets and hypermarchés, the French – French women, to be specific – did the shopping every day for that day’s meals, buying only enough for one day. Each town had shops that sold the…

Why do we see so many people come back to our trips? There’s something about our cycling and boating vacations that keeps calling them back. Janneke Wallin – a Dutch woman who has lived in Sweden since 2010 – is one of these return visitors. Along with her Swedish husband she has taken two trips with Boat Bike Tours: the Northern Tour of Holland route and the Discover Friesland route. “I can’t think of any reason why you wouldn’t go on a trip with Boat Bike Tours!”   Getting to…

Have you ever sailed on the Wadden Sea? If it was up to Captain Joris de Wit, everyone should be able to experience this. During the Sail & Bike Wadden Sea you’ll sail across the IJsselmeer and the Wadden Sea, you’ll visit the islands of Texel and Terschelling and harbor towns such as Harlingen, Makkum and Hindeloopen. “The Wadden Sea is a fantastically beautiful nature reserve. When do you ever get to sail on a three-masted ship? It’s super cool.”   Atmospheric three-masted ships If you think of sailing ships, you…