Amsterdam is beautiful as seen from its many amazing canals. You don’t need a license for a boat hire either. Some of them come with captains so you can sit back and relax, and in others, you can try your hand at controlling the boat yourself.
1. Those Dam Boat Guys
These heated, covered boats are so comfortable, and let’s face it, even in summer Amsterdam is often pretty rainy. However, there’s no need to bring an umbrella on a Boat Guys boat, and in the past, they have offered ‘float & dine’ experiences where you can hire the boat for 4 people, for a 90-minute ride and it costs around €100. It’s BYOB though.
2. Sloepdelen
Sloepdelen’s boats are all 100% electric, which is fantastic, and you can captain them yourself with ease. Plus, they’ve just re-opened so you can hire one for as soon as a boat becomes available. The cost depends on how many people will be on board, with a maximum of 12, but it’s around €280 to hire the boat for 2 hours.
3. Boat Now
You can hire a huge variety of boats from this company, from smaller, more intimate boats like the open-top Radius for €120 an hour, to an actual submarine for €499 an hour. Although a submarine doesn’t seem like the best way to take in the sun or your surroundings, we just couldn’t believe that you can hire an actual submarine.
4. Boats 4 Rent
These boats are lovely and quiet, with electric propulsion, and you can drive them yourself. They’re relatively small and not the comfiest because the seats are made of metal, so don’t wear short shorts if you’re driving one of these boats on a sunny day! However, it’s only around €79 to hire one of these boats for 3 hours so it’s good value for money.
5. Starboard Boats
These electric, covered boats are pretty comfy and pretty luxurious. There’s a bar on the boat and on each boat, you can fit up to 40 people (although at the moment that’s unlikely). Heated cushions will keep you warm if the weather turns cold and prices start at €322.50. So, it’s definitely not a budget option but it’s one of the comfiest boats around.
6. Canal Motorboats Amsterdam
These boats are not the comfiest and again, try not to sit on the metal seats whilst the sun is beaming down or you’re going to burn your behind. However, they do come with cushions and blankets so as long as you remember to sit on those, you’ll be fine. Plus, they’re very cheap to hire, at just €50 an hour
7. Eco Boats
These eco-friendly boats are pretty much guilt-free and they’re not too hard on the old pocket either, at just €50 an hour on weekdays and €60 Friday to Sunday. You can even request to fish for plastic, which is more fun than it sounds.
8. Boaty
Hiring a boat from Boaty is very cheap, from just €79 for three hours. The boats themselves are very easy to drive, and it’s a great option if you want to take a long sail down the canals in the morning because it’s cheaper than in the evening.