Tulips, trails, and sea views: The first bike and boat stories of the season

There is a special kind of energy at the beginning of a new travel season.

The first guests step on board. Bikes are lined up and ready. Crews welcome familiar faces and new travelers. Out on the water, there is that unmistakable feeling of anticipation: the sense that something memorable is about to begin. And now, it has!

Our first bike and boat tours of the season are underway in the Netherlands, Belgium, Greece, Croatia and beyound. On board, guests are sharing meals, enjoying the spring sunshine on deck, and swapping stories after their first rides. Along the way, the first travel photos are being taken: tulip fields in bloom, sparkling coastlines, quiet harbor towns, and smiling faces at the end of a beautiful day.

It is difficult to describe exactly what makes these first weeks of the season so special. So instead, we are letting a few early voices and impressions tell the story.

The Netherlands: tulips, tailwinds, and the joy of being there

For Pam from Jacksonville (US), the season began in one of the most iconic ways possible: on a Sail & Bike Tulip Tour in the Netherlands aboard the Leafde fan Fryslân. Even after returning home, the excitement was still fresh.

“I still can hardly believe I was in the Netherlands and experienced so much,” Pam shared. “Cycling 30 to 40 miles during the day, dancing in the evening, and making new friends with wonderful people from all over the world.”

For Pam, the magic was in the mix: active days, beautiful scenery, relaxed evenings, and the easy camaraderie that often happens on board. “The landscape was incredible, the atmosphere was relaxed and warm, and every day felt like a new adventure,” she said. “You could laugh together, meet new people, and still go at your own pace. I truly enjoyed every minute.”

That balance is what makes spring in the Netherlands so memorable. One moment you are cycling beside quiet canals or through wide-open countryside. The next, you are passing colorful tulip fields, exploring charming towns, or returning to the ship for a comfortable evening on board.

It is active, but not rushed. Social, but still personal. Full of discovery, but wonderfully easy to enjoy.

On board the La Mar: familiar, welcoming, and full of life again

The start of the season is not only meaningful for guests. For our crews, it is a moment they look forward to every year. Esmee, who works aboard the La Mar, knows both sides of Boat Bike Tours. During the winter, she works in the office. When spring returns, she heads back to the water.

“Every year, I look forward to returning to the ship in spring,” she said. “The people, the contact with guests, the atmosphere on board: it is simply incomparable.”

The La Mar is currently finishing its final Tulip Tours before continuing on to the Amsterdam–Bruges route. With a maximum of 24 guests, the ship has an intimate atmosphere where people quickly feel at home.

“The atmosphere on board is wonderful,” Esmee said. “It is lovely to see how quickly guests settle in, feel comfortable, and start conversations with one another.”

That is one of the quiet pleasures of a smaller ship. After a day of cycling, sightseeing, and fresh air, guests return to a familiar place. The crew knows them. Fellow travelers become dinner companions. And slowly, the ship begins to feel less like transportation and more like a floating home for the week.

Greece: spring sunshine, sea views, and the first brave swimmers

While tulips are blooming in the Netherlands, the season begins in Greece with a very different feeling: warm sunshine, salty air, island landscapes, and wide-open views of the sea.

Catharina, organizes our Greece tours, describes the beginning of the season as a time filled with anticipation.

“The most beautiful thing about the first trips of the season is that special sense of looking forward,” she said. “The warming spring sun, the first bike rides with open views of the sea, and seeing the crews and the people on the islands again.”

And yes, some of the first guests have already been brave enough to go for a swim, even while the water is still a little fresh.

For travelers who love the Mediterranean, early season in Greece has its own quiet appeal. The islands feel bright and welcoming. The days invite you outdoors. And each ride brings a different combination of coastal scenery, local culture, and time to relax back on board.

It is the kind of travel that feels both refreshing and restorative: a little movement, a lot of beauty, and plenty of time to take it all in.

Behind the scenes: preparing the trails for a new season

Not every part of the season begins with guests arriving on board. Sometimes, it starts earlier: with work gloves, teamwork, and a shared commitment to making the routes ready.

On Tilos and Nisyros, two islands in the southern Aegean, Catharina recently joined guides from Greece and Turkey to clear and restore historic trails for the upcoming mountain bike tours.

“It was really hard work,” she said. “We had to remove fallen trees and walls, and clear a lot of macchia, the thorny shrubs that grow there.”

The work was demanding, but it also became a special team-building experience. Six people, including Greek and Turkish guides, worked side by side to prepare the trails for the season ahead.

It is a reminder that the guest experience begins long before the first ride. Behind every route are people who care deeply about the places we visit, the paths we follow, and the experience travelers will have once they arrive.

Croatia: islands, sunshine, and the first taste of summer

In Croatia, the season is also gathering momentum.

Here, the first tours bring back everything travelers dream about during the colder months: clear blue water, small harbor towns, relaxed days on board, and bike rides with views of the coast.

Early in the season, the atmosphere in Croatia is especially inviting. The landscapes feel fresh, the temperatures are pleasant for cycling, and the ships quickly take on that easy Mediterranean rhythm.

In the morning, you set out by bike. During the day, you ride through coastal scenery, nature, and historic places. In the evening, you return to the ship, perhaps with time for one last look at the water from the sun deck.

Greece and Croatia each offer their own version of the southern season start: a little warmer, a little saltier, a little more Mediterranean, but just as relaxed, welcoming, and full of possibility.

A travel season full of possibilities

Whether it begins among the tulips of the Netherlands, along the waterways of Belgium, across the Greek islands, or beside the Croatian coast, the start of the season brings the same feeling everywhere: The ships are moving again. The bikes are ready. The crews are welcoming guests back on board. And along the routes, new stories are beginning.

Perhaps that is what makes these first weeks so special. Everything feels fresh, open, and alive. Guests arrive, look around, and often realize within just a few hours: this is exactly what they had hoped for.

And for anyone still dreaming about their own bike and boat adventure in Europe, the season has only just begun.

Ready to picture yourself on board?

Explore our upcoming bike and boat tours in Europe and find the route that fits your travel style, from tulip fields and historic cities to island coastlines and Mediterranean sunshine.

To plan your own bike and boat adventure, call us at (203) 814-1249. You can also send an email to [email protected], 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!