RENT A BOAT AMSTERDAM
Rent a boat in Amsterdam? Take advantage of our practical tips and best deals
Want to rent a boat in Amsterdam? Then a good preparation is half the battle! What should you pay attention to when you want to rent a boat?
We give you practical tips that ensure that you get the best deal when renting your boat in Amsterdam and enjoy it to the fullest!
1. Rent a boat with or without a skipper?
The search for a boat in Amsterdam starts with the choice of whether you want to sail yourself, or whether you prefer to be sailed by a professional skipper:
- In Amsterdam, you are only allowed to sail small boats yourself . You do not need a boating license for that;
- In Amsterdam you are never allowed to sail large rental boats (longer than 6 meters) yourself. They can only be rented with a skipper.
Below you will find the most important considerations when making your choice:
1.1 For how many people do you want to rent a boat?
To start with, it is useful to know how many people you are going to sail with. In general, you can say that small groups of 2 to 6 people will have enough to rent a small boat.
For large groups it depends a bit on what exactly the intention is:
- Most large groups like to sit together on one boat. So they rent a large boat with skipper.
- But there are also large groups that consciously choose to split up and rent several small boats. Especially company outings that want to do team building with a quiz, treasure hunt or assignments along the way.
1.2 Is there anyone who wants to sail themselves?
If you want to rent a small boat cheaply without a skipper, someone in your group will have to sail themselves. You will have to decide in advance whether someone wants to do that. It is not difficult to sail yourself and you do not need a sailing license or experience. Most people find it a great experience to sail through Amsterdam yourself.
But it can also be that no one really feels like sailing themselves. Or that everyone on board wants to drink. Then you are better off renting a boat with skipper and letting yourself be sailed.
1.3 Are you flexible in terms of getting on and off?
It is also important to check whether you are flexible. Do you not mind having to walk or cycle a bit? Or are you tied to a fixed boarding and/or disembarking location?
- You can pick up and return your own boats to the boat rental location yourself;
- If you rent a boat with skipper, you can (usually for an additional fee) make arrangements for a preferred boarding and/or disembarking location. This is especially useful if, for example, you want to leave directly from work with a large group. Or if you absolutely want to end up right at a certain restaurant in front of your door.
You can read more about this under point 7: Where can you rent a private boat in Amsterdam ??
2. How much does it cost to rent a boat in Amsterdam?
Your budget probably also plays a role. Renting a large boat with skipper is of course a lot more expensive than renting a small boat to sail yourself. However, renting such a large boat can – if you are with a large group – work out cheaper per person.
If the costs are a decisive factor for you, it is good to know that the break-even point is around 20 people . If you are with (much) less than 20 people, then renting one or more small boats is generally more advantageous. And if you are with (much) more than 20 people, then it is more advantageous to rent one large boat with skipper.
- The costs for renting a large boat with skipper are normally between 300 and 400 euros for two hours of sailing (+ 2,60 € tax per person). Most of these boats have a capacity of approx. 20 people to approx. 40 people. See point 5 for some of the cheapest boats with skipper in Amsterdam.
- The costs for renting a small boat to sail yourself through Amsterdam start at €89 for a half day (two or three hours) of sailing (+ 2,60 € tax per person). A maximum of 6 people are allowed to sail on these boats. With a small group, you are always much better off with a self-sailing boat. See the next point for the cheapest boats to sail yourself.
3. Where can you rent a boat cheaply without a skipper?
Boats4rent is by far the most affordable option if you want to rent a boat in Amsterdam to sail the canals yourself. A maximum of 6 people fit on a boat. The rates for a half day (2 or 3 hours sailing) start at only euro 79 incl. VAT (+ € 2.60 euro pp tour tax).
For this money you obviously do not rent a hip, slick, luxurious or fast boat. If you are looking for such a boat, you better look elsewhere. What can you expect from Boats4rent? Solid electrically powered aluminum whisper boats, with which you can easily and relaxed sail over the canals and the Amstel yourself.
4. Where can you rent a boat with skipper cheaply?
We at Boats4rent do not rent out boats with skipper ourselves. But of course we know where Abraham gets the mustard.
Renting a large boat with a captain is best done cheaply with our colleagues at Sloepvrienden Sloepverhuur Amsterdam. They have various boats with skipper that are extremely suitable for sailing with large groups of friends, family or colleagues on one boat.
Sloepvrienden has very customer-friendly conditions regarding rescheduling and cancelling, catering, sailing time and boarding and disembarking locations. And they are certainly among the most affordable boat rental companies in Amsterdam for renting a large boat with skipper.
5. Pay attention to the conditions and additional costs of renting a boat
If you search online for example ‘rent a private boat Amsterdam’, you cannot simply compare all the indicated prices one-on-one. There are too many differences in the conditions and in what is and is not included in the price.
The biggest differences have to do with:
5.1 How many hours can you sail for the indicated price?
Many boats with skipper are for rent for a minimum rental period of 2 hours. For the first two hours there is often a fixed total price. In many cases there is a different hourly rate after that.
Most boat rental companies with skipper want to know in advance how long you want to sail. In some cases, however, you can agree on an ‘open end’. Make sure you are clear about this in advance.
Even when renting boats yourself, it pays to pay close attention to the time periods: does the indicated rate apply per hour, for 2 hours, or even for a rental period of 3 hours, as with Boats4rent?
5.2 VAT: 9% or 21%, included or not in the boat rental?
It also makes quite a difference whether the prices mentioned are inclusive or exclusive of VAT. This can vary quite a bit, especially for boats that you rent with a skipper. For renting a boat with a skipper, the low VAT rate of 9% always applies for the ‘bare boat rental’. For additional costs (e.g. snacks and drinks on board), the VAT rate can differ.
When renting a boat that you sail yourself, the high VAT rate of 21% always applies. With the providers of such self-sailing boats, the VAT is always included in the rates on the website.
5.3 Save commission by booking directly with the boat rental company
In your online search for a rental boat in Amsterdam you will come across quite a few mediation platforms and web portals for boat rental. Such websites can be useful to get an overview and make an easy comparison.
But the sun doesn’t rise for nothing. Keep in mind that part of the price you pay with such a platform consists of their commission. Most of these platforms do not rent out boats themselves, but earn their money by charging commission.
It almost always pays to search online for websites of the rental company itself. Then you can rent your boat directly from the rental company, without the intervention of an intermediary.
5.4 Cancellation Policy
If everything goes well, it doesn’t matter what the cancellation conditions are. But what happens in case of illness, bad weather or force majeure?
Check how the provider where you rent your boat deals with this. There are roughly three possibilities:
- In any case, you are stuck with your boat rental and you will lose your money if it cannot go ahead;
- Under certain conditions (up to a certain time before the start, for certain reasons) you may change your boat rental to another time free of charge;
- Under certain conditions you may cancel your boat rental and get your money back.
5.5 Additional costs
When renting a boat, not every boat rental is immediately clear about additional costs. Make sure you are not comparing apples with oranges and always have a clear idea of the actual costs of your boat rental.
Additional costs that are not always clearly stated are:
- ‘entertainment tax’. This is a kind of tourist tax of €2.60 per person. In most cases this is charged separately;
- ‘pre-shipping costs’, if you want to get on and/or off at a location of your choice (only applicable to boats with skipper);
- the catering options (especially applicable to boats with skipper).
Catering is usually the largest additional cost item when renting a boat. You can make it as crazy as you want (see the next tip). Do you want to watch the pennies? Then try to see if the landlord is open to you bringing your own food and drinks on board.
6. What are the catering options when renting a boat?
Never underestimate the importance of ‘your drink’ and ‘your snack’! Sailing in Amsterdam is not just about the beautiful scenery. It is mainly about being together, with your friends, your family or your colleagues. And you can make that a lot more fun by providing tasty snacks and drinks on board along the way.
There are several options to have this taken care of:
- You bring your own food and drinks , possibly with a cool box, openers, glasses or cups, plates and cutlery. The groceries take a bit of effort, but then you have exactly what you like and you are relatively cheap. Apart from cool boxes, you can buy everything you need at any large Albert Heijn on the way to your boat, including a bag of ice to quickly get and keep your drinks cool.
- You have something delivered in advance or pick something up on the way , which in most cases you have ordered in advance: restaurant catering, pizzas or a picnic basket.
Good pizzerias on the water include:
* Pizzabakkers on the Leliegracht;
* San Marco on the Amstelkade in Zuid.
- You outsource the catering to the party where you rent the boat. Most rental companies of boats with skipper provide standard chilled drinks, ranging from cans of soda and beer to bottles of champagne. In addition, they often have standard drinks packages. And in order to be able to offer customized catering, they often work together with renowned restaurants and caterers in Amsterdam.
Whatever option you choose, discuss in advance with the boat rental company what exactly is possible. And then clearly state what you want!
7. Where can I rent a boat in Amsterdam?
If you rent a boat to sail yourself, you pick up the boat yourself and return it to the rental company’s location:
- Boats4rent is located on the Nassaukade in the water opposite number 156. That is in the center of Amsterdam on the edge of the Jordaan. This location is easily accessible by bike, car and public transport. You sail into the Jordaan and the canal belt and can make a beautiful route through the center in a day part of 2 or 3 hours;
- Boats4rent also has a sister company with the same boats, service & similar rates: Boaty Boat Rental . Boaty is located on the south side of the city center, in the Pijp. Boaty is also easily accessible by bike, car and public transport. Especially if you live, work or stay in Amsterdam-Zuid. Or if you enter Amsterdam from the A10-Zuid or via the Amstel Station. At Boaty you usually start your boat trip on the Amstel, go from there to the canal belt and sail back via the Rijksmuseum.
If you rent a boat with skipper, you are usually not tied to a fixed boarding and disembarking location. You can discuss with the landlord what a convenient place is to board and disembark. That boarding and disembarking location can also be different locations. Depending on the location you agree on, you may have to pay extra for this.
On the map below you will find the fixed boarding and disembarking locations of Boats4rent and Boaty, for smaller boats that you can rent without a skipper.
8. What are the nicest neighborhoods to sail through?
Sailing through Amsterdam is always fun, no matter where you sail. But there are big differences between the sailing areas. That’s why it doesn’t hurt to think in advance about which parts of the city you want to see along the way. Below you will find a short description of the character of the different neighborhoods.
8.1 The city centre neighbourhoods
A boat trip through Amsterdam is not complete without the canal belt . The Prinsengracht is the most popular and busiest canal. The Herengracht with its Golden Bend is also often busy. The Keizersgracht and Singel are a lot quieter. The most beautiful connections between the main canals are the Brouwersgracht (the most beautiful canal in Amsterdam) on the north side and the Reguliersgracht (with its seven bridges in a row) near the Amstel.
The Jordaan is located immediately west of the canal belt. The Jordaan is less busy with boats. And everything here is a size smaller: the canals, the houses and the bridges. You sail into the Jordaan from the Prinsengracht. It is nice to take the Egelantiersgracht for example and then sail back over the Bloemgracht.
Where do you still have a feeling of space in the middle of the city center? On the northern Amstel ! On a stretch of just over a kilometer long you will find the Munt, the Stopera, the Hermitage, the Magere Brug, Carré and the Amstel Hotel.
East of the Central Station lies the Oosterdok . On this spacious water, where seagoing ships docked for centuries, you will find beautiful old buildings such as the Sint Nicolaasbasiliek, the Schreierstoren, the Scheepvaarthuis and the Scheepvaartmuseum. Opposite lies the modern built-up north side with, among other things, the Public Library and the Conservatory.
8.2 Slightly quieter sailing near the centre
The Weesperbuurt , on the east side of the Amstel, is actually the ‘newest’ part of the canal belt. This neighbourhood runs on the north-east side into the Plantagebuurt around Artis and the Eastern Islands between Artis and the railway. These areas are also highly recommended to sail through, with a bit more green and peace.
The Amstel south of the Amstel Hotel is wider, quieter and greener. The further south, the less you feel like you are still in the city. Only near the Amstel Station does it become quite urban with all the high-rise buildings. Then the Amstel meanders through the greenery all the way to Ouderkerk and beyond.
In Oud-Zuid you will also find a bit more peace and quiet than in the centre, relatively green quays and mostly prosperous residential areas, partly in the famous Berlage style. South of the Rijksmuseum you can sail into the Boerenwetering. Or from the Amstel into the Amstelkanaal. This splits into the dead-end Noorderamstelkanaal and the Zuideramstelkanaal that ends at the Olympic Stadium.
The lively and densely built Oud-West is located right next to the city centre. Beautiful and relatively untravelled canals are the Da Costagracht and the Bilderdijkgracht. The latter is home to the busy Foodhallen.
8.3 Restricted or non-navigable areas
The oldest waterways in the city are the Wallen . Unfortunately, there are currently many closures there and in the Nieuwmarktbuurt due to repair work. A tour of the Wallen is therefore not possible at the moment.
The Western Islands (Bickers-, Prinsen and Realeneiland) are a beautiful area to sail through. It is often very quiet here and there is a nice mix of old warehouses and new architecture, the latter especially along the Westerdok. Unfortunately, due to traffic measures, it is not possible to sail here yourself with a rental boat. Boats with skipper can come here.
The IJ north of Central Station is a spectacular stretch to sail: besides the station you can also see the A’DAM Tower, the Eye, the Muziekgebouw, cruise ships, ferries and all kinds of other commercial shipping. This stretch is extremely busy and can be extremely dangerous in a small boat. The IJ is therefore strictly forbidden for rental boats that you sail yourself. The same applies to the modern and densely built-up Eastern Docklands and the extremely busy area in front of Amsterdam Central Station . With most boats that you rent with a skipper, you can sail in those areas for a while.
9. For how long is it wise to rent your boat?
With almost all boat rental companies you have to indicate in advance how long you want to rent the boat. Of course you know best what fits in your planning. But it is useful to keep the following in mind:
- Time flies when you’re having fun! Most boats are therefore rented for a minimum period of 2 hours . Shorter than that is not really worth it. An hour of sailing is simply not enough to get a good impression of the city and to really relax; then you have just stepped in and provided with a nice snack and drink and then you have to get out again.
- In general, the longer your boat rental, the more advantageous the hourly rate becomes. If the landlord does not indicate this himself, it is useful to bring this up yourself.
- Experience shows that a time frame of 3 hours is ideal. In that time you can really see a very decent part of the city and relax. Then there is enough time along the way to eat and/or drink something at ease. And to stop for a pee break if there is no toilet on your boat. For most people it is enough after those 3 hours. Time to stretch your legs and do something else, or to go home satisfied.
- Do you not want to be bound to strict times and really want to spend a whole day on the water? Then the costs of renting a boat with skipper will really add up. Most rental companies of boats to sail yourself do have attractive rates for a whole day.
10. What facilities are available on board and what should you bring with you?
It is useful to know in advance what facilities are available on the boat and what you need to bring yourself.
Most large rental boats with skipper are equipped with:
- a small fridge;
- a power outlet;
- cushions;
- life jackets.
Facilities that you may find important but that are not available in every large bpat include:
- blankets;
- heating;
- toilet.
Most whisper boats for self-drive are much more sparsely equipped. Cushions and life jackets are often included, but a small fridge or power connection is usually not present. So make sure your phone is well charged and bring your own cool box if you want.
In order to limit inconvenience for local residents, playing music on open boats is prohibited in Amsterdam. This rule also applies if you rent a boat, with or without skipper. You will not find music systems on rental boats in Amsterdam and bringing your own system or boom box is also not allowed.
11. How to make sure no one misses the boat
It seems obvious, but this is where things often go wrong. Large boats full of people who lie still for a long time. The organizer who is busy calling and texting to find out where the missing guests are. And latecomers who come running sweaty and stressed, or even miss the boat altogether. A waste of time and money. And completely unnecessary!
When renting a boat with skipper, you can (with or without additional charge) decide where your boat trip starts and ends. For example, at a nice terrace on the water, a public transport hub or a good parking facility.
When choosing a suitable location, keep in mind that not everyone knows Amsterdam like the back of their hand. Some boarding places are small and difficult to find. Others are very large, busy and confusing. And many boats look the same. Confusion all around!
Therefore, the following tips:
- clearly specify the exact location, time and boat name with the rental company;
- share all this information in an app group with all invitees;
- make sure you get the skipper’s mobile number (who knows what else that could be useful for ;-))
- Make sure everyone is there well in advance, as waiting for latecomers will take away from your valuable sailing time!
If you rent a boat without a skipper, your boarding and disembarking location is always the same: the rental location of the lessor.
See point 7: where can I rent a boat in Amsterdam?
12. The weather: know what is possible and prepare for different scenarios
It is logical that when booking your boat trip you initially assume good weather. After all, that is what you want most: sailing in the open air! If possible, with a nice warm sun in your summer clothes in the open air enjoying the beautiful Amsterdam canals.
With global warming and a bit of luck on the day itself, it does indeed turn out that way. But it can also be different: you see a few days in advance that the weather is not going to be nice. Or your boat trip starts with nice weather, but somewhere along the way it changes and it gets cold, or it even starts to rain. Then it is good to know in advance what the possibilities are and to prepare yourself for them:
- Check with the rental company for the conditions in case of bad weather. Can you cancel your boat trip and get your money back? Or can you reschedule your boat trip to another time for free? And if so, how far in advance?
- Ask the landlord what he can do with the boat in bad weather. Can the boat be covered in whole or in part? Is there heating on board, or are there blankets?
- A Swedish proverb says: “There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing!”. To be on the safe side, prepare your guests for ‘four seasons in one day’. For sunglasses and sun cream as well as for a warm coat and umbrella, ‘better safe than sorry’ applies.
13. Why you should never rent a boat from a ‘snorder’
When renting a boat, always check whether the provider has an operating permit from the municipality of Amsterdam. Then you know for sure that you are dealing with a serious company that meets all the conditions and requirements.
‘Snorders’ who rent out their boat without an operating permit -via via, or on platforms such as Marktplaats- are operating illegally. At first glance, you may seem to be getting a good deal.
But with a bit of bad luck, cheap can easily turn into expensive:
- To begin with, with such providers you cannot be sure whether your boat is safe, inspected and insured;
- Moreover, with such parties you have no leg to stand on if they do not keep their agreements;
- And if that boat without a permit is stopped somewhere along the way by Waternet or the Water Police, then your fun boat trip is suddenly over! There you are with your entire group and all your stuff…
Serious companies with the required operating permit from the municipality usually have this clearly stated on their website. If not, ask them to demonstrate that:
- they have an operating license;
- they are included in the RPA (Amsterdam Passenger Shipping Register).
That could save you a lot of trouble!
14. How far in advance should you book to avoid missing the boat?
Renting a boat to sail through Amsterdam is very popular. And not without reason: it is one of the most fun and relaxing activities you can do and also typically Amsterdam.
The city of Amsterdam is heading towards a million inhabitants and towards 20 million visitors per year. And there are only a few hundred rental boats with an operating license for rent. The chance that you can rent a nice boat at the last minute when the weather is nice is therefore very small.
How far in advance should you book an available boat ? Our advice is to do so as soon as you know for sure what you want. Then you know for sure that you are not missing the boat. That gives peace and the opportunity to arrange the rest of your outing at your leisure.
A few more tips about booking your boat rental:
- Most large boats only have one, or at most a few that look alike. If you have found a large boat that you like, it is best to reserve it immediately. If you do not want to commit yourself definitively, you can ask the rental company for an option .
- The most popular days of the year for all types of boats are King’s Day and Gay Pride . Sometimes there is a boat for rent last minute for those days, but that is really an exception. So here too: book it as early as possible, at least a few weeks in advance.
- In the period from April to September, the weekends, holidays and vacation periods are very popular. Then it is useful to reserve large boats with skipper a few weeks in advance. Renting a small boat without skipper is usually still possible a few days in advance. On weekdays outside the vacation periods you can often rent a boat last minute (1-2 days in advance or even on the day itself).
- Always make sure you receive a confirmation of your reservation. Usually this happens automatically. If not, ask!