Bike & Barge in Holland

A distinctive combination of dune landscapes, long sandy beaches and picturesque harbor towns awaits you.
With bike & boat along the north coast you get to know the very original Holland with its typical windmills and dreamy farms; but also bustling cities like Amsterdam are on the agenda. On all daily stages you will be accompanied by your competent tour guide, who will provide you with a wealth of information. Here you will find details about the family ships MS Flora, MS Sarah and MS Gandalf.

Day 1 Arrival, bike trip Zaandam-Zaanse Schans, 8 km/5 mi
Embarkation from 02:00 pm near the center of Amsterdam. Your first bike trip takes you from Zaandam to the Zaanse Schans, an open-air museum with traditional windmills and wooden houses.

Day 2 Zaanse Schans - Alkmaar, 29-40 km/18+25 mi
Today you cycle through the "Land of Leeghwater", past the former whaling village De Rijp and the windmills of Schermerhorn to the city center of Alkmaar.

Day 3 Alkmaar - Den Helder - Texel, 30-53 km/19-33 mi
Via the artists' village of Bergen you reach the 5,300 hectare dune area. From Den Helder you continue by boat to the largest Dutch island Texel.

Day 4 Texel - Medemblik, 43-48 km/27-30 mi
Today you will cycle through beautiful natural areas, charming villages and landscapes in the south of the island . In the late afternoon the ship will sail back to the mainland.

Day 5 Medemblik - Enkhuizen, 39-51 km/24-32 mi
Along the coast of the IJsselmeer you head towards the picturesque harbor town of Enkhuizen. In the Zuiderzee Museum you can immerse yourself in the life of the former herring fishermen.

Day 6 Enkhuizen - Hoorn, 23-35 km/14-22 mi
The bike tour leads through idyllic villages and past stately farms towards Kudelstaart, the “Dutch St. Tropez” and watersports hub.

Day 7 Hoorn - Volendam - Amsterdam, 23-45 km/14-28 mi
On the last day you cycle through the Waterland, an area crisscrossed by numerous lakes and canals. Back in Amsterdam, you can explore the popular city on a city stroll.

Day 8 Disembarkation and departure
Your trip "Bike & Barge in Holland" concludes after breakfast, disembarkation until 09:30 am.

Here are the details on MS Flora, MS Sarah & MS Gandalf.

Included in your package "Bike & Barge in Holland":

• 7 nights aboard in your chosen category
• full board (7 x breakfast, 6 x packed lunches, 6 x dinner, no dinner in Enkhuizen)
• complimentary coffee/tea, until 16 o`clock
• cabins are cleaned daily
• bed linen and towels supplied
• welcome drink and chat where we will provide you with all the relevant information
• ticket ferry to Texel
• several short guided city tours
• on-board tour guide, that is also doing all the cycling
• daily cycling stage briefings
• detailed travel documents in english
• GPS tracks
• optional rental bike
• optional rental helmet

Accomodation:

MS Flora:

• 8 outside cabins, approx. 8 sqm (86 sq ft)
  separate level-access single beds
• 2 outside cabins, approx. 8 sqm (86 sq ft)
  separate beds over corner
• 1 outside cabins, approx. 8 sqm (86 sq ft)
  double bed
• 2 cabins can be used as triple cabins with bunk beds for children ( max. 40 kg)
• all cabins with central heating
• openable portholes

MS Sarah:

• 8 outside cabins, approx. 10 sqm (108 sq ft)
  separate level-access single beds
• 2 outside cabins, approx. 10 sqm (86 sq ft)
  double bed
• 2 cabins can be used as triple cabins with bunk beds for children ( max. 40 kg)
• all cabins with central heating
• openable portholes

MS Gandalf:

• 10 outside cabins, approx. 10 sqm (108 sq ft)
  separate level-access single beds
• 2 cabins can be used as triple cabins
  all cabins with central heating
• openable portholes

Rental bicycles:

• We offer comfortable unisex-bikes with 7-speed gearboxes and freewheel, equipped with a bike bag and a bike lock. We also offer e-bikes if desired.

Travel time 2023:

• Arrival on saturdays
  MS Flora: *05.08.
  MS Sarah: full booked!
  MS Gandalf: 24.06. + *12.08. + 19.08. + 26.08.
• Minimum number of participants: 12. This tour can be cancelled by the provider up to 4 weeks prior to its commencement. If this is the case, we will strive to supply our customers with an equivalent offer.

Prices:

All prices are per person.
*Summer special discount:
05.08. + 12.08.: 25% discount p.p.
(for new bookings)

• 1119 € 2-bed cabin 16.09.
• 1169 € 2-bed cabin further dates
   
• 1644 € 2-bed cabin, single occupancy 16.09.
• 1749 € 2-bed cabin, single occupancy further dates
   
• 1059 € 3-bed cabin 16.09.
• 1069 € EUR 3-bed cabin further dates

•     90 € rental bike
•   195 € e-bike
•     10 € rental helmet
•     10 € private bike
•     25 € private e-bike
•     15 € canal boat cruise in Amsterdam, 1 h

• booking code "Bike & Barge in Holland":
  RS-NNX-7M
• how you can save some money
• costs of cancellation

The booking process

Arrival to the tour "Bike & Barge in Holland":

• Arrival by car:
  There are three options of parking your car for the duration of the trip. In any case, please drive to the quay first and bring your luggage and (if applicable) personal bike aboard. Then
  - Drive to the car park Oosterdok near Amsterdam Centraal station. Costs are approx. 175 € / week.
  - Make use of our parking service from Centralparking. We will arrange for your car to be picked up from the quay, stored safely and returned to the ship. Your vehicle is insured against all types of damage or theft and will be parked in a protected underground facility. Cost: approx. 150 € / week.
  - Make use of the free parking space P&R at the train station in Weesp. Back to Amsterdam Centraal station by train, duration approx. 15 minutes, cost approx. 4 €.

• Arrival by train:
  Amsterdam Centraal station, get the 48 bus to the quay, duration approx. 10 minutes, cost approx 3 €.

• Arrival by plane:
  Shiphol Airport, take the train to Amsterdam Centraal station (approx. 20 minutes, approx. 5 €), followed by the 48 bus to the quay (approx. 10 minutes / 3 €)
  Alternatively, get a taxi from the airport to the quay, cost: approx. 45 € per vehicle. There are several private and scheduled providers, see e.g. here.

Personal bikes:
In principle, you can bring your own bike along. However, please note that your bike will be loaded on and off the boat twice a day along with several others and therefore slight cosmetic damage to individual bikes cannot be ruled out, which is why we do not take responsibility or liability for such damage. We recommend reserving one the excellent rental bikes we offer.

Perfectly looked after:
During your tour, we are available between 8 am and 8 pm, 7 days a week. We are happy to help with any kind of problems you might be having. You will find this emergency number in your travel documents.

Please note:

• As is the case with all boat trips, changes in travel itineraries due to the weather, the rivers’ water levels or technical issues can be undertaken at any time.