THE HOUSEBOAT FEVER IN THE NETHERLANDS
When Robert and Amy decided to visit Amsterdam, they wanted to live in the houseboat, as they imagined it to be a ‘typically Dutch’ thing to do. And they were absolutely right! The houseboats are becoming more and more popular as a tourist destination. However, what was originally intended to be a ten-day trip to the Netherlands turned into a lengthy experience. “It seems like even the ducks welcomed us — we had never felt so much at home during the holidays,” Amy said about her memorable houseboat voyage through the Netherlands.
Amsterdam was the second stop for Amy and Robert on their monthly Euro tour. While in London, they booked a houseboat called Arden via Bookahouseboat.com. They were excited about spending the night on a houseboat, as they had never had such an experience before. “At first, Robert was wary of this idea, as he was afraid of getting seasick,” Amy recalls. When they finally got to the boat, all doubts were dispelled, as they fell in love with the idea of spending the night in the houseboat. Nobody got seasick, even during strong winds. However, this was just the beginning of their Dutch houseboat adventure.
The houseboats in the city and in the country
After just a few nights, they discovered that the houseboats are available for booking throughout the country, as historically the Netherlands is very intricately connected to water. The Dutch live in the water and on the water. In a few clicks, they drew up a travel plan through Utrecht to Friesland. Friesland and Groningen are the northern provinces, so the train journey would have taken several hours. So, they decided to take the houseboat again.
Small towns – big houseboats
The first stop was the Vecht River in the province of Utrecht. They gladly exchanged the bustle of the capital for a small quiet place in Maarsen on the Vecht River. Two days later, they headed to the historic town of Harlingen. “There we also found an amazing floating boat with breakfast. We noticed that the smaller the settlement, the bigger the houseboats were.” Upon their return to Amsterdam, they had a very Dutch feeling of being connected to the water and were happy to explore the Netherlands more closely beyond the famous cities.
A unique way of travelling around a foreign country
Amy notes that it was an unforgettable experience: “The Netherlands is not a big country. The sights are everywhere. We will miss the houseboats very much. This was a unique opportunity to travel around a foreign country while feeling at home.”
