Sailing through North Holland: Tulips, Bikes and Friendships

By Paul, part of the Boat Bike Tours team

This spring, I had the chance to join one of our Sail & Bike Tulip Tours through Holland. As someone who had recently moved to the Netherlands, it was the perfect way to discover the country and experience firsthand what makes a boat and bike tour so special. In early April, the time had come: I set off on my Sail & Bike Tulip Tour. Our 8-day trip was full of highlights, and while tulips were a key feature, there was so much more to explore.

On the trip we sailed across the Dutch Wadden Sea on our ship Leafde fan Fryslân, cycled past numerous tulip fields, and spent a day at the famous Keukenhof.

Hop on and follow me through the highlights of this truly beautiful tour. Sit back and picture yourself experiencing the unexpected moments I had along the way! A little spoiler: For me it was all about the people.

Leafde fan Fryslân – The love of Friesland

I can tell you: It’s impressive to embark on the only four-masted ship in Dutch waters. The high wooden poles rising in the sunlit blue sky, the sound of lapping waves against the bow – from this Sunday afternoon on, I’m sure: The next 8 days will be great. And I’ll be right. Three steps across the gangway, and I exchange the solid ground of Amsterdam’s harbor for the wooden deck of our ship – the Leafde fan Fryslân, Frisian for “Love of Friesland.”

Even though we won’t travel to Friesland – it’s on the other side of the Ijsselmeer – I can feel the love the ship is named after. It will be given to me by the crew – including Saskia, who is from Friesland herself. Together with her colleagues Tialda, Timo (?) and Floris, she will make the trip a once-in-a-lifetime experience. “Welcome on board,” she says and offers me coffee and a cozy seat – it feels like home from the first moment. While exploring the cabins and the sunarea, the other guests are boarding. After a warm welcome from our tour guides, Hilde and Tom, we leave Amsterdam with big excitement, heading toward our first stop: Hoorn.

Follow the “Fietspad” – Our first bike tour

Waking up to a beautiful sunrise in the harbor of Hoorn, and a deliciuos breakfast, it’s time for the real intention of my tour: biking. For the beginning it’s all about adjusting the bikes and managing the first kilometres of our tour. The challenge: Just follow Hilde and Tom, and don’t miss the bike lane, in Dutch: “Fietspad“. As our tour is guided, I explore Holland from now on on two wheels and accompanied by all my fellow travelers.
For me, this is the most relaxed way of travelling. I don’t need to keep track myself and if I want to share my impressions, there are always people to talk to.

In the first days we are visiting old Dutch towns like Alkmaar, Schoorl and Medemblik, where I stroll around, enjoy authentic food and buy souvenirs for familiy and friends. In between, we stop from time to time to take pictures of colorful blooming flower fields or enjoy a coffee at cozy places.

Every evening the ship is already waiting at the destination. It’s quite nice that the floating hotel is always with me and I don’t have to pack and unpack from day to day!

Through the Tulips on a Tandem

Once the active part is over, it’s time to relax. And I promise, evenings on a traditional sailing ship are kind of magic. After a fresh up in the cabin, I already smell that it’s time for the daily 3-course-dinner. It’s served by a talented chef, who always responds to our wishes. While and after enjoying our food – which everybody really craved after – it’s time to share our experiences of the day, and personal stories.

One story that is truly touching me is that of a German couple who had brought their own tandem bike on board. The husband is blind and cannot ride a bike on his own — but he still loves cycling. For many years, they’ve been exploring Europe’s bike paths together: she in the front, steering and guiding, and he in the back, pedaling along. A very heartwarming story! If biking is your passion, you’ll always find a way to follow it. That’s the message I’ll carry with me. And I feel respect for his wife, who not only supports him but also takes charge of managing the trips they enjoy together.

A breezy day on Texel

In the middle of the week we arrive in Texel, one of the five Dutch islands. It is the first and only day of not perfect spring weather. For sure, the conditions on an island are different. We are confronted with a strong wind, through which I learn to appreciate my e-bike even more. But still the sun comes out later the day and we enjoy an adorable ride along the beaches of Texel. Even if it’s also a tourist magnet, on the wide landscape you don’t meet too many people. We stop for coffee and cake at a restaurant at the beach, cycle through typical Dutch windmill landscapes and listen to interesting stories, Hilde and Tom are telling us about the island’s history and people.

One of their tips is also interesting to know for people who want to visit the Dutch Wadden Sea Islands! It’s about the mnemonic “TV-Tas” which is Dutch for “TV-Bag”. Granted, that’s not a very senseful phrase but an acronym for the five islands Texel, Vlieland, Terschelling, Ameland, and Schiermonnikoog. Remember that for your next trip to the Netherlands. I definetley will!

On this day on Texel, I leave the group for a while and take my own detour. As the island is very small, it’s easy to orientate along the bike nodes or with the “Ride with GPS” App which is provided by Hilde and Tom. Instead of cycling along the whole island, i take a shortcut directly to Den Burg. That is kind of the main village of the island and provides some small shops, cafes and restaurants. I stroll along an go in one or the other store. I enjoy a little me-time and just cycle back to the ship after. Here the chef already prepared some cake and together with a cup of hot chocolade I unwind in the saloon of the ship.

“You’re working for a great company!”

Also the guests seem to be very happy. That is my impression while chatting at least. Happy cheering when the chef serves the plates, and applause for the tour guides and crew prove that. One evening, a lady from Alaska, United States, that noticed that I currently work for Boat Bike Tours, tells me, how she likes the bike infrastructure in the Netherlands. “I’ll definetely will come back to Europe”, she enthuses – it is her first time on our continent. And she likes it pretty much. As well as the tour organisation: “You’re working for a great company!”, she says to me on the last evening, making me feel a little proud.

For me, those situations confirm: The trip is all about the people. Like, you end up with 20 foreigners on a sailing ship. You simply can’t avoid social contact. But after the trip I know: You also don’t want to! It’s briden my horizon speaking with fellows from all over the world. They all share a different perspective and, of course, the stories and praises I hear are more than enriching.

All hands on deck – time to set sail together!

It’s a strength-demanding activity on our sailing day from Texel to Enkhuizen. Fortunately, the wind is strong enough to make some miles without the boat’s engine. But for that, the sails need to be set – and that’s a task for everyone on board. So: all hands on deck, gloves on, and listen to the sailor: “And hey, and hey, and hey…”

Slowly we raise the sail, pulling on a thick rope in rhythm with the sailor’s chant. It’s an exhausting challenge, but in the end, we admire the full-blown sails – a real team effort which was harder to acheive than I expected.

As the third of four possible sails is set, captain Floris shuts off the engine. For the rest of the day, we enjoy the peace and silence as our ship glides across the IJsselmeer. A few hours later, we reach the small harbor of Enkhuizen, where we spend a relaxing afternoon and the night.

No Tulip Tour without Keukenhof!

No tulip tour would be complete without a visit to Keukenhof. I had been there a few years ago, but that was at the end of the season. Now, in mid-April, it is even more beautiful. It’s so calming to stroll through the tulips, fully in bloom and bursting with color.

The stone statues, fountains, and little bridges give the place a special charm, like walking through a storybook. I will come back here, even though it is extremely crouded due to perfect spring weather!

Time to say Goodbye

Back in Amsterdam for the last two nights, exploring the nearby recreational area of Zaanse Schans and enjoying the final evenings on deck, it slowly becomes time to say goodbye. I will really miss the relaxing afternoons on deck, which feel even better after a quite active day on the bike.

Some fellow travelers had become friends over the past week, so parting isn’t easy. But as the saying goes, it is what it is. I disembark from the Leafde fan Fryslân after eight wonderful days, say my farewells, and leave the crew behind. On the same day, in just three or four hours, the ship will leave the harbor again, with new guests who have no idea what an amazing journey lies ahead of them.

Inspired to Start Your Own Adventure?

To plan your own bike and boat adventure, call us at (203) 814-1249. Or send an email to info@boatbiketours.com if you prefer. Either way we’ll be happy to help. And don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter to stay updated on our latest tours and special offers. We’d love to welcome you on board!