Half a day boating through Den Bosch
4 h€ 90-180 Calm
Renting a motorboat in 's-Hertogenbosch and spending four hours without a boating licence cruising the Dieze, the Smalle Haven and the Stadsdommel past fortress walls and old warehouses.
In 's-Hertogenbosch there is a water route you simply cannot see from the street. With a motorboat for up to seven people, you set off from the rental company, receive a short briefing and take the helm yourself. No boating licence required. The route runs along the Dieze, the Smalle and Brede Haven, the Buitenhaven and the Stadsdommel, past high fortress walls, old warehouses and low bridges.
Half a day is plenty of time to explore most of the nooks and crannies without rushing. Along the way you can moor up for lunch at a harbour restaurant or take a short stroll on the quay. Food and drinks are welcome on board. The city looks a lot calmer from the water than from the street, and old details such as water gates and fortifications stand out much more clearly.
Checklist
0 of 6
Sloep gereserveerd halve dag
Instructie gevolgd voor vertrek
Eten en drinken mee
Aanlegplek voor pauze gekozen
Route Dieze en Stadsdommel
Op tijd terug bij verhuurder
Handy & partners
Some links may earn us a small commission. It costs you nothing extra.
Book a motorboat with Zelf Varen Den Bosch for four hours and let them know how many people are coming, seven maximum.
Listen to the fifteen-minute briefing and ask questions about mooring, steering and the lowest bridge clearance.
Head into the Dieze first and then turn off towards the Smalle Haven, that is the best opening loop.
Plan a stop to moor up for lunch or a coffee break, and ask the rental company where it is safe to do so.
Save the Stadsdommel for last, it has the fewest boats and the tallest walls.
Head back to the rental company in good time, and allow ten minutes before returning the boat to hand it back clean and tidy.
Related playbooks
Renting a Sloop on the Reeuwijkse Plassen
Half a day out on the Reeuwijkse Plassen between Gouda and Bodegraven, in a sloop with no boating licence required. Calm water, reed beds and local tea houses.
Renting a boat without a licence on the Canal du Midi
Glide between plane trees and locks on the Canal du Midi, aboard an electric or diesel boat with no licence required, for a day trip departing from Capestang or Homps.
Renting a Boat on the Amstel
A relaxed day on the Amstel in a rental boat, from Amsterdam-Oost past the Amstelpark and the Riekermolen towards Ouderkerk aan de Amstel.
Werder Havel Boot mieten scheinfrei
In Werder Havel eine Motoryacht ohne Bootsschein übernehmen und einen Tag zwischen Großem Zernsee, Schwielowsee und der historischen Inselstadt fahren.
Rent a sloop in Utrecht city centre
A full day of self-skippered boating through Utrecht's canals, past wharf cellars and singels, with a stop for lunch and a relaxed stretch toward the Vecht.
Renting a Boat on the Rhine near Cologne Without a License
On the Rhine near Cologne, an official boat license is required. License-free rental boats on Fühlinger See or a skippered charter still offer a full day out on the water.
Renting a motorboat on the Bossche Broek for half a day
Four hours of boating from 's-Hertogenbosch along the Bossche Broek nature reserve. Short loop via the Dommel, returning via the city harbour.
Renting a sloop on the Loosdrechtse Plassen for half a day
A few hours cruising between reed beds and lakeside villages, with a sloop that requires no boat license and a relaxed route past Oud-Loosdrecht.
Rent a Boat on Müggelsee Without a License
Pick up a license-free motor or electric boat on Müggelsee and explore Berlin's largest lake from the water with views of the Müggelberge.
Renting a motorboat on the Reeuwijkse Plassen for half a day
Four hours on a quiet lake just north of Gouda, with a short route past Elfhoeven and Sluipwijk.
Renting a Sloep on Tilburg Piushaven
A day of boating from Piushaven along the Wilhelminakanaal in an open sloep without a boating licence. What it costs, how to book, and which route is feasible.
Half a day boating on the Kagerplassen
Three to four hours of sailing around Warmond and the Kaag in an electric sloop. A short route, a quick coffee stop, back in time for dinner.
Rent a Sloop on Breda's Singels
Spend a day cruising the moat canals of Breda, past the Spanjaardsgat, Park Valkenberg, and the harbour. No boating licence required.
Rent a sloop on the Bossche Broek
Set sail from 's-Hertogenbosch for a day along the Bossche Broek nature reserve, with the Dommel as your main route and the Binnendieze as a surprising way back.
For anyone copying this
Do as we did
Suggestions
- Set off in the morning, when the narrow waterways are less busy.
- Bring a waterproof bag for your phones, the boat is open.
- Watch out for low bridges and sit down when the rental staff tell you to.
- In peak season, book well in advance as boats are limited.
Variations
- - Combineer met een bezoek aan de Sint-Janskathedraal voor of na het varen.
- - Doe het in september wanneer het rustiger is op het water.
- - Boek een sloep met overkapping bij wisselvallig weer.
Atmosphere
by PlayTryBe team