Reviews

This is a great option to the barge. The crew and tour guide on Mare fan Frysland (sailing vessel) were both friendly and efficient, which is not a common combination. Great food! Roomy and beautiful restored boat, and the basic cabin was plenty roomy for 2 who know how to pack. (The hot tub was a bonus!) Wonderful biking tours. Our guide was very informative as well as pleasant. I’ve done more vigorous, more “cushy,” and more expensive European biking tour with VBT and consider this a better value. I could have used a faster riding pace, maybe more independence, and more sailing, but I believe the bike tours and sail-raising were set for the common-denominator (“weakest-link,” etc) and that was the correct approach for a varied group. We were the 1st group of the season and the boat was not full, which added to the pleasant experience. We were concerned that we were going too early to see flowers and might fight cold weather, but it all turned out well…so I recommend you consider an early booking if you dislike crowds. Be aware that biking in North Holland can mean winds. It added to the challenge in a way that I liked, but not everybody felt that way. (That’s what the E-bike option is for.)

Absolutely great holiday on board a very comfortable sailing vessel with daily cycle rides through the Frisian landscape, visiting villages and small towns. Great mix of cycling and boat travel, where possible under sail, and culture with opportunities to visit museums and galleries. Comfortable accommodation and good meals provided on board. Highly recommended.

Just returned from a fabulous trip on the Mare fan Frieslan. Lovely cycling on the islands of Texel and Terschelling, swimming in the beautiful sea and following smooth tracks through sunlit woods. Great crew – always went the extra mile. Fabulous food – good as any 3 star restaurant. Thanks to Petr, Jorik, Tiemu, Marvin and Mathys for making our holiday so very good.

Very friendly and courteous service. Excellent food and clean rooms

Good trip. Nice boat and bikes. Disappointing amount of hidden charges. I thought the advertised amount was all I had to pay but they kept asking for more money for extra things. Even when they accepted that one of the charges fell outside the terms of their small print they demanded it on the boat causing an embarrassing scene. It tarnished my memory slightly.

My husband and I had a fabulous trip throughout the Netherlands. The ship was beautiful, clean and well appointed. All the staff were amazing! Helpful, friendly, curteous and knowledgeable. We are looking forward to making this a yearly tour!

For the price of the experience to bike and sail around the Netherlands, this experience was excellent. I wish I could bottle up every moment and relive it. I booked this trip knowing Netherlands was flat so I rented a regular bike but be prepared for headwinds and biking up dykes. By the end of the trip I wish I had an E-bike. The rooms are small but again we’re on a sailing ship. During time not biking, we’d be in the city at the port or hanging out on the various decks enjoying drinks and snacks, the rooms are for rest. We did the tulip tour this year and you will see tulips! While biking through country sides you’ll see the tulip farms, windmills, and sheep. Lastly, the crew was amazing. We enjoyed spending time with them and by the end of trip you’ll feel like you’re part of a family, between the crew and the guests. We’re already planning our next boat and bike tour through Germany for 2023.

Super fun way to see Holland. Loved the boat , the crew and the tour leaders.

The Boat Bike tulip tour was the best vacation I’ve ever been on. Patrick and Maryann where excellent tour guides and I’m already planning my next trip with Boat Bike. Thank you!

This was a truly wonderful experience, between sailing and biking. The staff was great on all levels, particularly as I was the only native English-speaker (with no German or Dutch, despiite French and Spanish ;-), and the only person travelling alone. The only concern I voice on a self-guided tour is that people should either be given the basic bike tools (aside from tire repair), or told to bring their own. It so happened that the bike rented had two issues during a ride (screws that needed tightening, making it impossible to continue), and while we managed to find people in a small town with tools, the difficulty could have been avoided had the bike been carefully checked before renting. Tools, in any case, would be a good idea.