playbook
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.
4u
duration
€ 100–180
budget
Ground
pace
The Reeuwijkse Plassen are tucked between Gouda and Bodegraven and consist of thirteen lakes connected by narrow waterways. For a half day of four hours, the short route via Elfhoeven and a stretch of the Nieuwenbroeksche Plas is ideal, more than enough to soak up the atmosphere without feeling rushed. Rental operators are based around Reeuwijk-Brug on the 's-Gravenbroekseweg and offer mostly electric boats for four to six people. No boating licence is required for boats up to fifteen kilometres per hour, a brief briefing at the jetty is all you need.
Half a day typically costs one hundred to one hundred and eighty euros including the battery, excluding the deposit. In July and August a booking window of two weeks in advance applies, in May and September it is often one to three days. The best months are May through mid-July and the first half of September.
Checklist
0 of 5
Sloep gereserveerd, tijdslot bevestigd
Identiteitsbewijs en pinpas mee
Zwemvesten voor kinderen geregeld
Water en zonnebrand mee
Vaarkaart Reeuwijk bekeken
Related playbooks
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.
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.
Rent a sloep on Zoetermeerse Plassen half day
Four hours on the Zoetermeerse Plas and Noord Aa with a rented sloep, including a short briefing and room for a picnic on board.
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 sloop on the Hollandsche IJssel for half a day
Four hours of sailing on the Hollandsche IJssel from Gouda or Capelle aan den IJssel in an open sloop with no boating licence required. What it costs and which part of the day has the calmest waters.
Renting a sloop in Stavoren for half a day
Half a day on the water from Stavoren in a sloop along the Frisian coast and the IJsselmeer. Find harbour info, route, costs and mooring spots along the way.
Rent a sloop on the Eindhoven Dommel for half a day
Three to four hours of boating on the Dommel and the Eindhovens Kanaal in an open sloop without a boating license. Short route, fixed boarding spot, affordable half-day.
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.
Renting a sloop on the Nieuwkoopse Plassen for half a day
Four hours of quiet boating through a Natura 2000 reed landscape, with a short nature route and an eye for water birds.
First time solo at the helm
A small dinghy, two hours, on your own. No passenger to impress. Just learning what the boat does.
Rent a sloop on Westeinderplassen Aalsmeer half day
Four hours of boating on the Westeinderplassen from Aalsmeer or Kudelstaart, past islands and reed beds. Sloop without a boating licence, with tips for a compact route.
Rent a Boat on Lake Constance Without a Boating License
A day on Lake Constance in a small motor or electric boat that can be operated without a license. Departures are usually from Konstanz, Friedrichshafen, or Lindau.
Renting a sloop on Heeg for half a day
Half a day on the water from Heeg, a loop around Heegermeer and coffee at the harbour, on a sloop up to 15 hp with no boating licence required.
Renting a sloop on the Hollandsche IJssel
A day out boating on the Hollandsche IJssel between Gouda and Krimpen in an open sloop without a boating licence. What it costs, where you start, and which route past the old polder villages makes for the most peaceful sail.
Half a day boating through Den Bosch
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.
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 sloop without a boat licence: rules and tips
A practical guide for anyone who wants to rent a sloop without a boat licence. Rules, speed limits, age requirements and what to ask the rental company beforehand.
Mooring posts and locks for beginners
Mooring at a post and passing through a lock: two basics that every beginner skipper will get the hang of faster by practising calmly.
Rent a Boat on the Berlin Spree Without a Boating License
Take the helm of a small motorboat on the Berlin Spree without an official boating license and spend a relaxed half-day on the water between the Reichstag and Treptower Park.
Müritz Boat Rental Without a Boating Licence
Charter a small yacht on Germany's largest inland lake without a boating licence and spend a day cruising between Waren, Röbel and the quiet bays of the Müritz.
Romantic afternoon on the water
A sloop for two in 's-Hertogenbosch, with a picnic on board, a leisurely route along the Dieze and the Stadsdommel, and a docking stop at a terrace.
Handy & partners
Some links may earn us a small commission. It costs you nothing extra.
by PlayTryBe team
Book a boat for four hours with a rental operator on the 's-Gravenbroekseweg.
Listen to the briefing at the jetty about the battery, engine and mooring, and ask questions if anything is unclear.
Head via Elfhoeven towards Sluipwijk and keep an eye out for herons and cormorants.
Drift quietly between two reed beds for a moment and let the lake take over the sounds.
Spend the last three quarters of an hour cruising gently back and return the boat clean.
For anyone copying this
Do as we did
Suggestions
- Start at noon for a relaxed morning and a quiet afternoon
- Stick to two lakes, chasing all thirteen is not doable in four hours
- In peak season, book at least two weeks ahead
- Go electric, engine noise stands out extra in narrow waterways
- Save money by bringing bread and coffee from home
Variations
- - Combineer met een lunch in Reeuwijk-Brug voor het instappen
- - Vaar bewust tegen de wind in heen, dan helpt de wind op de terugweg
- - Boek in laagseizoen voor lege plassen en lagere tarieven
- - Maak er een fotomiddag van met focus op licht en rietvelden
More like this
Half a day boating on the Kagerplassen
Renting a Sloop on the Reeuwijkse Plassen
Rent a sloep on Zoetermeerse Plassen half day
Renting a Boat on the Rhine near Cologne Without a License
Renting a sloop on the Hollandsche IJssel for half a day
Renting a sloop in Stavoren for half a day
Rent a sloop on the Eindhoven Dommel for half a day
Renting a Boat on the Amstel
Renting a sloop on the Nieuwkoopse Plassen for half a day
First time solo at the helm
Rent a sloop on Westeinderplassen Aalsmeer half day
Rent a Boat on Lake Constance Without a Boating License
Renting a sloop on Heeg for half a day
Renting a sloop on the Hollandsche IJssel
Half a day boating through Den Bosch
Rent a Boat on Müggelsee Without a License
Renting a sloop without a boat licence: rules and tips
Mooring posts and locks for beginners
Rent a Boat on the Berlin Spree Without a Boating License
Müritz Boat Rental Without a Boating Licence
Romantic afternoon on the water