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When we talk about boating and biking vacations, we usually talk about the ship: its size, what type it is, and what facilities it offers. But at least as important are the bikes, because the fact is you spend a lot of your time on a bike during your tour. Most of Boat Bike Tour’s bicycles are from the Dutch brand Azor, based in the eastern town of Hoogeveen. Director Jan Rijkeboer was happy to tell us about this business that he founded 25 years ago. Our bikes The bicycle…

You can both literally and figuratively taste the good life in France during a cycling and sailing vacation through Burgundy. Blogger Jessica de Korte sailed with us on the ship Fleur for a week. She cycled from medieval Moret-sur-Loing to the wine town of Auxerre, with the most beautiful encounters along the way. Take, for example, visiting a cider maker, a music-making pub owner and a wine producer, not to mention her fellow-passengers. A swan perches on the water. Frogs croak. Slowly we sail on the Yonne, a tributary of…

They are an integral part of the typical Dutch landscape: the historic windmills. Along with cheese, tulips and clogs, they are among the most famous symbols of Holland. There are still over 1,000 of them across the country, so it’s quite likely that you’ll come across one of these impressive structures on your bike rides through the flat countryside. In this post we’ll tell you where to find the most beautiful windmills in the Netherlands. Join us on a tour of discovery! Why is it so interesting to visit a…

Friesland is located in the very north of the Netherlands, and this province is not only famous for its many natural areas and beautiful little towns, but above all for its abundance of water. The Wadden Sea, the Ijsselmeer, large lakes and small ponds, wide canals and narrow, winding rivers: in Friesland there is at least as much water as there is land! Perfect for a relaxed holiday by bike and boat! On our voyage of discovery through Friesland you will experience unforgettable moments of pleasure on the waters of…

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…

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…

You know the feeling: you feel like you’ve only just checked in, but then suddenly the holiday is already over. When you’re enjoying yourself and having fun, time just flies by. This can also happen to you on our trips by bike and boat. Most of our tours last eight days and they’re over so quickly! Would you like the fun to last longer? Then read the tips here and find out how you can stretch your vacation by bike and boat; we’ll introduce you to our longer trips and…