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Inspiration / February 2, 2022

Bike and boat tours—why do people love them?

Bike and boat tours are among our clients’ most popular choices, especially for couples and groups of friends looking for a unique vacation along Europe’s most scenic rivers, coasts, and canals. These tours are perfect for every traveler.

Similar to land-based cycling tours, bike and boat tours take you cycling through beautiful landscapes and wonderful sights during the day, and at night, you meet up with your “floating hotel” and continue to enjoy the changing scenery from the boat deck.

Check out more reasons why so many love bike and boat tours—they truly are the best of both worlds!

No need to pack and unpack every day

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There’s something to be said for the ease of getting to your room on the boat, unpacking, and not having to worry about reorganizing or repacking for the duration of the trip. Your boat is your hotel, and since the boat travels with you, so does your stuff.

We had a great time on the Mantua to Venice tour. Having to only unpack once was so convenient—no wasted time packing/repacking and checking into/out of hotels. We’re already planning our next tour!” -Tim and Kelly, Venice to Mantua by Bike and Boat (and reverse)

Two words: Rest Days

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If you want to kick back and relax or spend a little more time sightseeing while off the bike, you can. Bike and boat tours let you decide just how active (or not!) you want to be.

We had a few days of rain, and some of our riders decided to use the time to stay aboard or wander the towns. At those times, our guide went out of his way to inform the guests of possible itineraries to make the most out of their travels, even though they chose not to ride.” -Mountainbroad, Provence by Bike and Boat 

They are great for any rider level

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Since most tours let travelers decide when they want to ride the bike and when they want to stay aboard, it’s the perfect trip for people of varying cycling and experience levels. Some tours also offer two guides—one for faster riders and another for riders who like to savor the route.

Comfortable accommodations aboard the MS Patria, delicious food, the staff exceeded all expectations, bikes were good, pedaling was easy, the scenery beautiful, and the route went through interesting and historic villages and cities. With a group of 29, there was something for everyone –every day–and no complaints!” -Joyce, Mosel and Saar by Bike and Boat

The boat crew

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The boats’ crews love to share their countries with you—and with great pride. Not only will they attend to all your needs, but they’ll also give you the inside scoop on must-see sights. And–if you’re lucky–sometimes lead you in favorite folk songs as the sun sets over the water.

“The staff and barge accommodations were excellent. Our chef-prepared gourmet meals every night that were delicious. The staff went out of their way to make us comfortable. Couldn’t have asked for a better trip.” –Mardi, Amsterdam—Bruges by Bike and Boat—Princess Royal

Experience ALL the sites

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On a bike and boat tour, you’ll see places reachable only by boat. You get to explore beautiful landscapes and stunning sights from your bike and from the deck. It’s the best of both worlds: a leisurely cruise coupled with active travel. 

This was our first visit to Croatia, and this bike and boat tour really showed us the beauty of the Croatian islands. We stayed 7 days at MY Melody, which was a real luxury yacht with big cabins, sundeck, very good staff, and the ship was also very clean.” -Pekka and Kirsi Finland, South Dalmatia Bike/E-bike and Boat, Magellan

See more bike and boat tours here.


Gabriella Ciappi
2 years ago

Hello I want to know the date for this tour
Thanks a lot

BikeTours.com Staff
2 years ago

Thank you for your question, Gabriella! We actually have more than 30 different bike and boat tours across Europe, and most have weekly departures from spring through fall. You can see all the tours here: https://www.biketours.com/find-my-tour/popular-categories/bike-and-boat-tours. You can then filter by month, destinations and other criteria. Or just contact us at info@biketours.com.

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