Blog

If you’re looking for a great way to get a small group together for a memorable experience, chartering a ship is a perfect solution! Chartering a ship for your group has lots of advantages over meeting halls and hotels. On a Boat Bike Tour barge, you can take in the scenery from the boat or on a bike ride together. Together, you can all enjoy the excellent meals served on board. As the organizer, you would have plenty of input into the planning of the trip. See The top six…

The Mandurah Over 55 Cycling Club comprises of 220 cyclists – both experienced and beginner – who love cycling around Western Australia together. In recent years, they’ve branched out to do boat and bike tours together all over Europe. We asked cycling club member Mike and his wife Barbara about their highlights from these journeys. When did you do your first tour with Boat Bike Tours? Our first trip was from Paris to Champagne and back again, with two barges and 40 club members. We’ve also done tours in Holland,…

John and Nola are members of the Over 55 Cycle Club in Perth, Western Australia. They’re so enthusiastic about biking and barging that they’ve organized multiple European tours for their cycle club in collaboration with Boat Bike Tours. During these trips some 70 or so club members have participated, with quite a few coming back for repeat trips, as they had such a great time. We chat to them about the most memorable moments from their tours so far. What inspired you to organize your first boat bike trip? Nola…

Do you know the feeling when you’ve been on vacation for a few days, but it actually feels like a week or more? The days are rich with new experiences and your mind is full of fresh memories and impressions. Small is beautiful too! That’s why, with our short tours, we make it easy for you to dive into a mini adventure of just a few days. Discover all our four- or five-night short trips here: A full dose of spring From ‘A’ for Amsterdam to ‘Z’ for Zaanse Schans:…

2020: the year in which “negative” was the most positive word. The year in which working from home and staying at home became the new normal for many of us. We had time to reflect, to put things into perspective, and to make new plans to do things differently or better next year. Perhaps you already have a number of resolutions for 2021. What we have learned most from the past year is that we must seize opportunities when they present themselves and that we must be kind to ourselves…

When it comes to immersing yourself in the wonder of Dutch tulip fields, we all know of the spectacular destination of Keukenhof. With seven million bulbs on display each spring, it’s one of the world’s largest flower gardens. But there are many other magical hidden hotspots that are often overlooked. In this blog we take a peek at four corners of the Netherlands where floral magic happens. 1. The living bulb archive Hortus Bulborum is a foundation that manages a unique collection of tulips, narcissus and hyacinths. Based in the…

At Boat Bike Tours we make it easy for guests who want to travel in their own “private bubble”. You can charter a whole ship with a group of friends and family, and enjoy new adventures together. With us it’s not only possible to book your bubble and receive a discount, but you can also adjust a tour to suit your needs or preferences. Curious to know more? Read on to discover all about the perks of booking your own travel bubble for your next tour.     1. Uninterrupted…

With thousands of kilometres of bike trails, beautiful scenery and so many cultural sites to explore, Europe is a bikers paradise. So no wonder that many cycle groups choose to go on trips by bike and barge. They can indulge in doing what they love best with the added pleasures of sailing and discovering a new country. We interviewed Mary Maraggio, a member of Bay Area Senior Cyclists in Cape Cod, about her and her club’s experiences of cycling through Europe with Boat Bike Tours.     When did you…

When we look at the ocean, it seems so mighty and powerful that we can’t possibly imagine the landscape changing. Yet, that is exactly what happened in the Netherlands when the Dutch used impressive engineering systems to convert the bay of the Zuiderzee into the IJsselmeer, a lake that is now a beloved sailing channel bordered by picturesque villages. A catastrophic flood forced the Dutch to create the enormous Afsluitdijk On the night of 13th of January in 1916, a fierce storm battered the coastline along the Zuiderzee, destroying the…

Taking a vacation isn’t only fun, it’s also one of the best ways of learning about other cultures and histories that you may not normally be exposed to. Many charter groups choose to sail with Boat Bike Tours for just that reason: they want to give their students a unique experience that combines learning with pleasure. Last year, we had a great time hosting a group from the University of Alaska Fairbanks as we explored the rich cultural history of the Netherlands together. Here we interview Michelle Bartlett, director of…