A Cycling Journey: Bike and Barge in Holland and Belgium

After you enroll, we’ll ask you to provide or update your personal information and preferences, which includes your health information, lodging and meal preferences for your program.

Boat Bike Tours BV, the entity that will provide the bicycling and barging activity during this program.

A passport is required for this program. It must be valid for at least 6 months after your return date.

This information about travel documents pertains to participants holding U.S. passports. Non-U.S. citizens should refer to their country's requirements to ensure they have the necessary documentation for travel.

United States citizens don’t need a visa for any of the countries you’ll be visiting. Non-U.S. citizens should refer to their country's requirements to ensure they have the necessary documentation for travel.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommend that your routine immunizations be up to date.

If Road Scholar is arranging your air travel to and from the program, and you travel on the scheduled start and end dates, you’ll receive free round-trip transfers from the airport to the hotel.

Arrival day is on September 12, 2025

Meet the group at Barge La Mar in Vianen

Start of Trip:  10:30 a.m. transfer from Amsterdam Airport to de Zaanse Schans for Excursion & Lunch; 1:00 p.m. embarkation in Amsterdam; 5:30 p.m. Bike Fittings & Orientation followed by Welcome Dinner on barge.

Getting to the site: If you cannot make the 10:30 a.m. meeting time, there are two options for traveling from the airport to the barge BEFORE 1:00 p.m. 1) Take a taxi from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport to Oosterdok. Tell the driver you want to go to NEMO; all the barges dock in front of NEMO, look for the La Mar. Travel time is about 25 minutes and taxi will cost approximately €70. 2) Take a train from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport to Amsterdam Centraal Station. From Amsterdam Centraal Station, walk to NEMO, which is about a 15-minute walk. Travel time is about 30 minutes and fare will cost approximately €7. If your flight arrives AFTER 1:00 p.m., take a train from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (direction Heerlen or Nijmegen) to Utrecht Centraal Station. Travel time is about 35 minutes and fare will cost approximately €7. From Utrecht Centraal, take a taxi to the locks (sluis) in Vianen, cost about €40. The barge is docked on the south side of the island inside the locks and will not arrive before 5:00 PM. If you are departing the U.S. prior to the group departure and plan to connect with the group at the airport on the day the program commences, be sure to be at the meeting point at the time indicated. If you plan to meet the group at the barge, please notify our office prior to your departure: 203-814-1249 or roadscholar@boatbiketours.com

Getting to the site by train or bus: Taxi, bus and train available. Review schedules and fares online: Amsterdam Municipal Public Transport (GVB) http://www.gvb.nl/, Utrecht Public Transport http://u-ov.info/ (U-OV) or Dutch Railways (NS) http://www.ns.nl/.

Your trip ends on: Friday, September 26, 2025 in Amsterdam at Barge La Mar

End of Trip: 9:00 a.m. after breakfast; 9:00 a.m. barge check-out (okay to check-out earlier).

Getting to the airport: There are two options for traveling from the barge to Amsterdam Schiphol Airport: 1) Take a taxi from the barge in Amsterdam to Schiphol Airport. Travel time is about 25 minutes and taxi will cost approximately €70. 2) Take a train from Amsterdam Centraal Station to Schiphol Airport. Centraal Station is a 15-minute walk from the barge. Travel time is about 30 minutes and fare will cost approximately €7.

Information if you are purchasing your own airfare: As an exception on this program, Independent Travelers are welcome to utilize the group transfers at the beginning of the program if you rendezvous at the designated time and place for the group transfer. However, if you are not present at the time indicated, we will assume you are transferring on your own and are responsible for making your own arrangements and for all costs involved. At the end of the program, all Independent Travelers will be assisted by the Group Leader, but costs are incurred by the participant. According to Road Scholar policy participants who have not purchased airfare through Road Scholar are responsible for making their own transfer arrangements to the first site at the beginning of the program as well as from the last site at the end of the program. (We make an exception for this program for the ARRIVAL only.) If you wish to purchase airfare though Road Scholar, please call (800) 241-1404 Please note: In the unlikely event Road Scholar must make changes to the program’s arrival or departure details, we will notify all participants as soon as possible. Participants who have purchased Road Scholar airfare are protected against airline change fees; however, anyone who has not purchased Road Scholar airfare will be required to make their own adjustments and may incur fees imposed by the airline.