Bike and Boat Tours
Keep cruising day and night.
If you are excited to unpack once as you sleep aboard your floating hotel each night, then Bike and Boat tours are for you! Bike and Boat tours are designed to give you the best of both worlds: spend your day cycling through small villages and fascinating cities and spend your evenings enjoying a beverage on the deck of your private boat while cruising European waterways or the Mediterranean Sea.
×
Starter
- Tour Length
- Tour Levels
- Navigation
- Road Surface
- Hotels
- Multi-night Stays
- Price Per Day
CLASSIC
Our flagship tour style defined by nearly 50 years of expertise creating unforgettable cycling vacations.
NAVIGATION
HOTELS
MULTI-NIGHT STAYS
ROAD TYPE
TOUR DESIGN
PRICE
TOUR LEVELS
- 7-15 Days
- 1-4
- Chalk Arrows
- Pavement
- 3-4
- Occasionally
- $$$
TOUR LENGTH
TOUR LEVELS
NAVIGATION
ROAD SURFACE
HOTELS
MULTI-NIGHT STAYS
PRICE PER DAY
EXPLORER
Cycle on a variety of surfaces, experience natural beauty and local secrets unconfined by the limitations of paved roads.
NAVIGATION
HOTELS
MULTI-NIGHT STAYS
ROAD TYPE
TOUR DESIGN
PRICE
TOUR LEVELS
- 5-8 days
- 1-4
- Group Ride
or
GPS tracks provided - Pavement,
hard-packed gravel,
dirt paths, roads with rocky or rough sections - 2-3
- Occasionally
- $$
TOUR LENGTH
TOUR LEVELS
NAVIGATION
ROAD SURFACE
HOTELS
MULTI-NIGHT STAYS
PRICE PER DAY
BIKE AND BOAT
Spend days cycling and your evenings relaxing on a private boat as you cruise to your next port.
NAVIGATION
HOTELS
MULTI-NIGHT STAYS
ROAD TYPE
TOUR DESIGN
PRICE
TOUR LEVELS
- 7-14 days
- 1-4
- Chalk Arrows
- Pavement
- 3-4
- Same room on boat all tour
- $$$
TOUR LENGTH
TOUR LEVELS
NAVIGATION
ROAD SURFACE
HOTELS
MULTI-NIGHT STAYS
PRICE PER DAY
EXPEDITION
Multi-week tours where you spend long days on the bike pedaling across multiple countries.
NAVIGATION
HOTELS
MULTI-NIGHT STAYS
ROAD TYPE
TOUR DESIGN
PRICE
TOUR LEVELS
- 18+ days
- 4-5
- Chalk Arrows
- Pavement,
Dirt - 2-4
- Occasionally (rest days)
- $$
TOUR LENGTH
TOUR LEVELS
NAVIGATION
ROAD SURFACE
HOTELS
MULTI-NIGHT STAYS
PRICE PER DAY
What to Expect
Arguably one of the best parts of bike and boat tours: you only have to unpack once! Spend your days cycling through small villages and stunning cities and relax in the evening as you enjoy a drink on deck before a delicious meal prepared by the boat’s professional chef.
- Our signature Chalk Arrows giving you the freedom to travel at your own pace. The arrows are an extension of your tour leaders - they point you to the best views, encourage you with cheers, smiles at the top of hills, and direct you to that special bakery.
- Spend time relaxing on a private boat while cruising famous European waterways or the Mediterranean Sea.
- On a Bike and Boat tour you can look forward to settling into your cozy cabin and only unpacking your bags once as you explore new places each day.
- Most of our Bike and Boat itineraries have a land-based extensions so you can prolong your bike tour for a few days after your boat-based adventure.
- Routes on Bike and Barge/Bike and Boat tours are on paved roads and paths. You'll find specific information about terrain, mileage and elevation gain on each tour's itinerary page.
- For more details about what to expect and answers to FAQs about the boats we recommend you visit our FAQ Bike and Boat page.
What's Included
All ExperiencePlus! tours have the three most important aspects of a guided bike tour as part of each experience:
- Superb tour leaders who are fun and multilingual, bi-cultural experts, and cycling enthusiasts. They're experienced to help you navigate confidently on and off the road. You will have 2-3 tour leaders depending on the logistics of the ride and the boat. On Bike and Boat tours you also have the boat crew who are welcoming hosts for your time on board.
- High quality bikes that are appropriately selected for the terrain you are traveling through and are fit and prepared just for you.
- Thoughtfully designed itineraries and routes that maximize the cycling experience in each destination and that takes advantage of the freedom of traveling by bike.
All bike and boat tours include:
- Lodging: On all our Bike and Boat tours, we use private boats with comfortable cabins and en-suite bathrooms as well as shared indoor and outdoor spaces, comparable to 3-4 star lodging. For more information about which barge or boat is on an itinerary you are interested in, check out the lodging links on each itinerary.
- Meals: On our Bike and Boat tours, included dinners will be freshly prepared by the on board chef most nights with some dinners in town. All breakfasts are included along with a few picnic lunches. Refer to the itineraries for included meals. Boats and barges are equipped with bars.
- Wine or Beer with group dinners.
- Bikes: Choose a high-quality, lightweight titanium hybrid or road bike, or tandem. E-bikes are also available with a surcharge. Review the options on our bikes page.
- Navigation: ExperiencePlus! chalk arrows are your primary tool for navigating on Bike & Boat tours. GPS-tracks, though not necessary, are also provided for you to download to your own device. Daily route maps will also be available.
- Terrain: Routes on Classic tours are on paved roads and paths. You'll find specific information about the tour level, the daily terrain, mileage and elevation gain on each tour's itinerary page.
- Ride Support: Bike and Barge/Bike and Boat tours will have full vehicle support including: luggage shuttle, water and snack resupply, mechanical assistance, and rides for tired cyclists! Depending on the route logistics and your trip, vehicle support might be with local cars and taxis. Also, depending on the ride, the support vehicle may not always be able to follow the cyclists but it’ll make sure to check in at designated locations.
- Local Experiences: Special events like wine tastings, cultural and artisanal visits as described in the trip itinerary.
- Tips and gratuities at tour hotels and group meals.
- Traveler Services: Assistance with transportation to and from the tour, including arranging extra nights at the tour starting and/or ending hotels.
- Complimentary gift.
What's not included:
- Transportation to and from the bicycling tour including airfare or ground transportation.
- Helmets - we ask that you bring your own to ensure the safest fit
- Meals not listed in the itinerary
- Tour leader gratuity
- Trip Insurance - learn more about trip insurance at our travel planning pages.
