Questions When Renting a Boat

We do recommend reserving a boat in advance, but if you plan to visit Giethoorn for boating, you can always take a chance and try to rent a boat on the spot. This is especially true if you visit outside of weekends, holidays, and the peak season. During these times, Giethoorn is often relatively quiet. However, this is not a guarantee. Even during the so-called quieter periods, it can still be quite busy, or your favorite boat might be hard to find or already rented out.

If you’re visiting Giethoorn during a busy period and want to go boating, reserving a boat is often essential. It’s common for all available boats in Giethoorn to be fully booked, especially when there’s a sunny weather forecast, often days in advance.

It would be a real shame to come all the way to Giethoorn and miss out on boating because all the boats are already rented out. We highly recommend making a reservation.

This also applies if you plan to visit during the off-season, as most boats (about 90%) are taken out of the water for maintenance during this period. Therefore, we strongly advise reserving in advance.

You can reserve a boat here.

A sloop is wider, longer, and therefore offers more space, is somewhat more stable, and has higher sides, making it overall more comfortable. It usually comes equipped with a console with a steering wheel and a set of cushions. Whisper boats are less suitable for people with limited mobility.

That’s allowed as long as you ensure the boat is returned clean and free of dog hair. Some rental companies may charge a small cleaning fee, which will be mentioned during the reservation.

There are various routes you can take in Giethoorn. Based on the time you wish to spend on the water, the rental company will provide you with a suitable route. You can dock at several spots along the way and, of course, enjoy a picnic on the small island in the lake. If you plan to explore Giethoorn on your own, you will need at least 2 hours to get a brief impression of the village. So, with a stop along the way, it’s recommended to reserve a boat for 3 hours. If you want to see all of Giethoorn, there is a route that takes around 4 to 5 hours.

If you join a boat tour in Giethoorn, you can choose between a 1-hour tour or a 2-hour tour. The 1-hour tour takes you through the village and across the Bovenwiede lake. The 2-hour tour also includes a trip through the Weerribben-Wieden nature reserve.

Renting a boat starts with a brief explanation by the rental company. This includes information about the boat, the motor, the operation of the steering wheel, and the route to follow. For all boats available for rent in Giethoorn, no boating license is required. However, there is a minimum age of 16 years to operate a whisper boat or a sloop.

You will receive a map from the rental company showing various routes. The rental company will provide an explanation of the places you can visit along the way.

If you reserve a boat through the website, you will receive an email with the address where you can pick up the boat. It will also indicate where you can park, which is always nearby or often right next to the boat rental location.

On our page, we handle reservations for more than 25 rental companies. The item you choose will be placed at a location that is available based on your preferences. You will receive an email after your reservation with all the information you need, including the address where the rental item can be picked up.

In the system, emails are automatically generated for your reservation. It can happen that these emails end up in your spam folder, so please check there first. Very rarely, the email may not be received due to incorrect email address entry, and sometimes an email from us is rejected by the renter’s server (Caiway servers occasionally cause these issues). Please send an email with your name, email, and payment details if possible, and we will manually resend the email to you.

If you have completed a reservation, you have received an email that includes the location of your reservation in Giethoorn. If you would like to make changes to your reservation, you can contact the boat rental company directly. Their contact details are provided in the confirmation email you received.

You can cancel up to 3 days before the date, and you have 3 options:

1. Move the reservation date to another date.
2. Convert the full amount into a voucher to make a new reservation at a later date.
3. Completely cancel the reservation, and we will refund the rental amount (excluding service fees) to your account.