Travel planning


This is a collection of frequently asked questions about our Bike & Boat tours.

What are the boats and barges like?

Barges in the Netherlands, Belgium and France

Croatia sailing ship

Greek gulet

The boat’s name is listed on your itinerary under “Lodging” on the right-hand side next to the daily summary.

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Logistics and what to expect when touring with a boat

Yes! On Bike & Boat tours, we will have vehicles along to support travelers, provide water and snacks, and carry tired riders. Read more about the Bike & Boat tour style.

Yes, you can – but know that you are missing out on the essence of the trip, i.e. experiencing culture and encountering people off the beaten path by bike. Due to daily logistics, movement between ports or islands, and docking limitations, you may need to stay on the boat some days and sightseeing options or activities will be limited. Depending on logistics, on other days you may be able to join Tour Leaders in the support van to see the sights and help support the riders. Tour Leaders will have their focus on fulfilling the needs and providing support for the cyclists but will do their best to make your experience enjoyable. Read more about our style of travel.

Yes. Double occupancy cabins for one solo traveler (“Private Rooms/Cabins”) are available for an additional Private Room Charge. Refer to the Dates & Prices details of each departure. Note that there might be limitations on how many Private Rooms/Cabins are available on a boat, so there might be constraints on availability.

On our other tour styles, we offer the option to match you up with a roommate of the same gender (“Will Share”). However this option is not available for Bike and Boat tours.

Yes, they will.

Bikes will be stored on the boat. Valuable devices like GPS or monitors or other belongings like bags should not be left on the bike to protect them from weather and (salt) water.

On our Amsterdam to Bruges tour, due to docking schedules, and bridge closing and opening schedules, your boat might have to move further down the river. In such cases the van will be there for you. In Croatia, the boat has a more flexible schedule and will not leave without you. Departure times for cruising schedules will be discussed and confirmed at the daily briefings.

If you happen to be a fast rider and arrive at the dock early, on many occasions your boat will already be waiting for you. If not, the closest café of site to visit will be discussed at the briefing. We encourage you to take your time and enjoy the ride instead of rushing to the end of the route.

As on all our tours, we choose to stay in interesting places with sights and restaurants in walking distance. Occasionally, depending on where we are along the itinerary, we can be further from towns (not more than about 2 miles/3 km) but transportation will be available and easily accessible.

Rivers and canals will not cause any discernible movement to the boat. There are no waves.

For our boats in Croatia and Greece that traverse between islands and the coastline, you will experience waves. Normally, being out on deck in the fresh air will help. Sometimes, in rougher weather, the sea will be choppier and if you are sensitive we recommend you bring medication with you.

On river and canal boat tours, you won’t be stuck on the boat. You are free to choose to lounge and take it easy. While we plan our tours for the best possible cycling weather, there might be rainy days and as on all our tours, alternative activities will be available if riding is not possible.

For Bike & Boat tours at sea weather conditions have more of an impact. For that reason and for the safety and enjoyment of everyone on tour, in the event of bad weather or rough seas, the itinerary is subject to change at the discretion of our boat captain.

Generally, we recommend you lock your cabin when you leave for a while. The crew will be present on the boat at all times so it will never be unattended. Depending on the boat, there will be safes either in the cabins or one with the skipper. As goes for all traveling, we recommend you do not bring irreplaceable valuables on tour and exercise appropriate caution as you would anywhere (e.g. do not leave your luggage unattended in public, keep copies of important documents separately from the originals, etc.).

We will be moored during the night. We occasionally move in the early morning, depending on the daily logistics.

The closer a cabin is to the engine room, the more discernible the engine sound is. On most boats, the engines are nearest to the crew cabins, not guest cabins. We take care in distributing cabins accordingly so our travelers won’t be disturbed. Since we are mostly only moving during the day or in the evening, most people will be above deck, where the engine sound is minimal.

Yes, most dinners will be on board. On other nights we will go out for dinner together or provide tips on where to go for nights on your own.

Lunches are either on the boat or you will prepare your own packed lunches during breakfast. Ingredients for packing lunches will be provided separately (e.g. bread, cheese, sausage, fruit and a drink).

The boat crew tip is included in the tour price. As always, we encourage you to give feedback immediately if anything does not satisfy you so crew and Tour Leaders can attend to any issues immediately.

Read more on tipping, including recommendations for tipping your biking Tour Leaders.

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Amenities on the boat or barge

Your standard suitcase (around 24 inches/61 cm) will usually fit under the bed. If it’s not a hard-shell, that’s even better. In general, we recommend traveling light. Find packing tips and guidelines on our Packing Lists.

Yes. The cabins will be cleaned regularly and you can get fresh towels like at a hotel.

Individual bathrooms will be supplied with shampoo and soap. You can easily buy anything else you may need in towns along the trip.

Depending on the boat, the cabins are equipped with hair driers. If there are no hair driers in the cabins, then there will be one available on the boat to borrow.

Tour Leaders on tour will tell you about potential laundry options. The best way is for you to bring soap and wash things out in the sink. Read more on laundry while on tour.

Yes, shade or shelter from the sun will be available. Check the boat specifications for more details: BargesCroatia sailing boat, and Greek yacht.

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Electronics and internet on the boat

The voltage in Europe and also on the boats is 220/230 Volt. More on electronics while traveling.

Wifi is available but it can be slow. Take the opportunity to disconnect.

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