playbook
Rent a sloop on Breda's canals for half a day
Four hours cruising around Breda's city centre, past Spanjaardsgat, the harbour and Park Valkenberg. Brief instruction, no boating licence required.
4u
duration
€ 150–220
budget
Ground
pace
Breda's canals are easy to cover in half a day. From the Haven van Breda you can take the city ring clockwise or counter-clockwise, past Spanjaardsgat, the old fortification walls and the greenery around Park Valkenberg. Four hours gives you plenty of room to do the loop at a relaxed pace and plan a terrace break along the way, without spending the whole day on board.
A sloop for four to six people for half a day usually costs between one hundred and fifty and two hundred euros, fuel included. For sloops up to fifteen kilometres per hour no boating licence is required, and you set off without a skipper after a brief instruction at the jetty. Watch out for narrow stretches near Spanjaardsgat, give canoes and stand-up paddleboarders plenty of room, and pay attention to the height of a few low bridges in the old canal.
Checklist
0 of 5
Sloep voor vier uur boeken
ID en borg klaarleggen
Water en snacks meenemen
Bruggetjes-hoogtes nakijken
Aankomsttijd noteren voor inlevering
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.
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 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 sloop in Volendam and Edam for half a day
Four hours on the water between Volendam and Edam, with a short crossing to the Gouwzee. Plenty of time for a lunch stop and a quiet coffee on the water.
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.
Renting a Sloop in Lemmer
Rent a sloop in Lemmer for a day of boating along the IJsselmeer or inland along the Prinses Margrietkanaal, with a lunch stop in the old inner harbour.
by PlayTryBe team
Reserve a sloop for four hours with a rental company at the Haven van Breda, online or by phone.
Receive the briefing on the engine, route and low bridges. Pop a water bottle per person into the sloop.
Head out of the harbour and pass Spanjaardsgat with its two round towers as your first landmark.
Cruise the canal ring with Park Valkenberg on one side and historic facades on the other.
Moor at a jetty or waterside terrace in the centre for a coffee and a short stretch of the legs.
Complete the final loop back to the harbour and return the sloop clean and on time.
For anyone copying this
Do as we did
Suggestions
- Choose an afternoon start if the city buzz doesn't bother you; mornings are quieter.
- Pick a sloop with a bimini top on hot days to avoid getting sunburned.
- Cruise the canal counter-clockwise for the best light on the facades.
- Keep at least a quarter of an hour's margin before returning the boat, or you may face extra charges.
- Bring card or cash for a terrace break; not everywhere accepts card payments.
Variations
- - Voeg een korte zijstap naar de Mark toe als de tijd het toelaat.
- - Kies een elektrische sloep voor een stillere stadstocht.
- - Pak een sloep met schipper als je liever wilt blijven kijken.
- - Doe de lus precies andersom voor een andere kijk op het Spanjaardsgat.