Where the concierge points people first
- Eco Boats Amsterdam Centrum — Self-drive electric boats from the centre. Quiet, simple to steer and the most straightforward way for a group to take the canals on their own terms. (52.3879, 4.8902)
- Barqo — A platform that rents out other people's boats. Useful for bigger or unusual boats; read the listing for who is actually skippering. (52.3739, 4.8868)
- Sloepdelen B.V. — A boat-sharing scheme with members using shared sloops. Better value for someone staying months than for a weekend visitor. (52.3771, 4.8770)
- Hottugamsterdam — A hot tub on a boat. Exactly as silly as it sounds, and popular with groups for that reason. (52.3791, 4.9279)
- Vaarschool Amsterdam — A boating school, for anyone who wants the Dutch licence for larger or faster boats, or simply lessons first. (52.3777, 4.8860)
The rest of the boat rental in Amsterdam — every one we hold
- Amsterdam Boats (52.3682, 4.9389)
- Amsterdam Boothuur (52.3669, 4.8746)
- Barqo B.V. (52.3635, 4.8919)
- Boat Amsterdam (52.3713, 4.9024)
- Boat Rental Amsterdam (52.3672, 4.8768)
- BoatNow (52.3475, 4.9109)
- BoatNow (52.3684, 4.8758)
- Boats4rent (52.3714, 4.8744)
- Booka Rentals B.V. (52.3682, 4.9060)
- De Nederlanden (52.3711, 4.8886)
- Dutch Marine Contractors (52.3946, 4.8375)
- Houseboat Trijntje (52.3621, 4.8933)
- Jachtwerf Staverno B.V. (52.3825, 4.8603)
- KINboat (52.3651, 4.8840)
- MK Centennial Maritime BV (52.3401, 4.8728)
- Naupar boothuren.amsterdam (52.3811, 4.8884)
- Rederij Aemstelland (52.3749, 4.9036)
- Rederij de Wester (52.3666, 4.8832)
- Rederij Vlaun (52.3795, 4.8879)
- Salonboot Avanti (52.3619, 4.8921)
- Starboard Boats (52.3649, 4.8983)
- Stromma Rijksmuseum - Canal Tours Amsterdam (52.3605, 4.8864)
- Voyage Amsterdam (52.3758, 4.8853)
No licence for a small slow boat, but the canal rules still apply
Dutch law lets you skipper a pleasure boat without a licence (vaarbewijs) if it is under 15 metres and cannot go faster than 20 km/h, which covers almost every self-drive canal boat for hire. That does not make it a free-for-all. The speed limit on the city canals is 6 km/h, you keep to the right, and the alcohol limit for the skipper is 0.5 per mille, the same as for driving; the police check. Tour boats have right of way in practice because they cannot stop. Rental runs through the year at many firms, but spring to autumn is the season.
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