Boat Tour activities in Europe
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Canal Tours
Canal Tours are a fine way to see the old town and the old water-level warehouses. The landing is on Oudegracht just south of Lange Viestraat. You can also rent canal bikes from in front of the municipal library.
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Donegal Bay Waterbus
The most enjoyable way to explore the highlights of Donegal Bay is to take a 1¼-hour boat tour taking in everything from historic sites to seal-inhabited coves, admiring an island manor and a ruined castle along the way. The tour runs up to three times daily.
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River Cruises
Several outfits offer river cruises in ersatz barcos rabelos, the colourful boats once used to transport port wine from the vineyards. Cruises last 45 to 55 minutes and depart at least hourly on summer days. Board at Porto's Cais da Ribeira or Cais da Estiva, or Vila Nova de Gaia's Cais de Gaia or Cais Amarelo.
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Akvarmarin
PADI-approved Akvarmarin offers dives through the watery channels of the factory, or in the bay or sea. Tour operators along the harbour tout regular, short cruises.
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Doolin Ferry
Doolin Ferry.
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Boat Trips
While Marmaris Bay dolmuş-boat day trips (TL30 to TL35) offer eye-opening views and inviting swimming holes, you can really take things further by hiring a yacht, together with your own group of friends, or with random new ones, which offers the pleasure of a 'blue voyage' down the coast. So many old salts advertise tours that their yachts are practically bumping and grinding into one another on the docks. Blue cruises offered by the long-established Yeşil Marmaris Travel and Yachting are recommended. As for the rest, compare prices, ask around and negotiate.
Yachts sail from May to October, departing between 9.30am and 10am and returning around 6pm to 6.30pm. Before…
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Captain Morgan Cruises
Most Captain Morgan Cruises operate out of Sliema, but there are Buġibba departures for an hour-long 'underwater safari' in a glass-bottomed boat exploring the marine life around St Paul's Islands. Underwater safaris depart from Plajja Tal'Bognor three times daily Monday to Saturday June to September, and Monday to Friday April, May and October (€15/11 adult/child).
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Windermere Lake Cruises
Top on the list of things to do in Windermere is to take a lake cruise. The first passenger ferry was launched back in 1845, and cruising on the lake is still a popular pastime: some of the vessels are modern, but there are a couple of period beauties dating back to the 1930s.
All cruises allow you to jump off at one of the ferry landings (Waterhead/Ambleside, Wray Castle, Brockhole, Bowness, Ferry Landing, Fell Foot Ferry and Lakeside) and catch a later boat back.
* Freedom of the Lake Ticket (adult/child/family £17.75/8.90/48.50) One day's unlimited travel on all routes.
* Blue Cruise (adult/child/family £7.20/3.60/19.80) 45-minute cruise around Windermere's islands and…
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Enterprise Boats
Offers boat trips around Falmouth Bay and the Fal Estuary. It operates three wooden-hulled boats along the picturesque River Fal, calling at Trelissick Gardens and Smuggler's Cottage at Tolverne en route to Truro. Depending on the tides, the boats sometimes stop at Malpas, 3 miles downriver from Truro; free double-deckers connect with the harbourmaster's office near the city centre.
There are also trips from Truro to St Mawes. Boat trips run every two hours or so in both directions depending on the time of year. Cruises include an onboard commentary detailing local wildlife and points of interest such as Pill Creek (setting of the film Treasure Island), Tregothnan (the…
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Whale Safari
The island's biggest outfit, Whale Safari, which operates the Whale Centre, runs popular cruises between late May and mid-September. The tour begins with a guided tour of the Centre and slide show, followed by a three to six-hour boat trip. If you fail to sight at least one sperm whale, your next trip is free. There's also a chance of spotting minke, pilot and humpback whales and, towards the end of the season, killer whales (orcas).
Trips depart at least once daily (at 11:00) with up to six sailings in high summer. Your fee includes a light lunch, if you can face it - staff pass around the seasickness pills, just like airline boiled sweets before take-off. A tip: weather…
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Blue Water Holidays
Murmansk is the starting point for July and August cruises to the North Pole and Arctic islands on Russian icebreakers, an exotic and expensive experience where passengers see dramatic seascapes and, with luck, Arctic wildlife (the voyages last around two weeks). You will need to book well in advance and many agencies include flights from Helsinki or Moscow to Murmansk in their packages.
Cruise to the North Pole in one of Russia's nuclear icebreakers, or take a trip to dramatic Franz Josef Land or Novaya Zemlya and Severnaya Zemlya in non-nuclear icebreakers. The ships are fitted out for passengers and some of the profits go towards the upkeep of Russia's icebreaker…
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Dingle Boatmen's Association
In the early 1980s, Dingle fishing crews began to notice a solitary bottlenose dolphin that followed their vessels, jumped about in the water and sometimes leapt over smaller boats. When an American tourist offered to pay a boatman to take him to visit the large, friendly dolphin, an industry was born. Eleven boats now go out every day in the summer, and the Dingle dolphin is an international celebrity.
Boats leave the pier daily year-round for one-hour dolphin-spotting trips; call Dingle Boatmen's Association. It's free if Fungie doesn't show, but he usually does. The association also runs a daily two-hour boat trip for enthusiasts who want to swim with Fungie.
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M/S Lily Cruises
Archipelago cruises are a popular activity in Turku during summer. There are day trips around the islands as well as evening dinner-and-dance cruises. Most departures are from the quay at Martinsilta bridge.
The M/S Lily cruises out to Vepsa island three times daily from mid-June to mid-August (one hour each way) and as far as Maisaari on Friday and Sunday evening (four hours total). In May and September, cruises are Friday to Sunday only. Rosita also has cruises to Bengtskär island aboard the MS Anna on scheduled Saturdays in May, June and August. The full-day return cruise includes guide fees and entry to the island.
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Skibladner
Skibladner, the world’s oldest paddle steamer, is a wonderfully relaxing way to explore lake Mjøsa. First built in Sweden in 1856, the boat was refitted and lengthened to 165ft (50m) in 1888. From late June until mid-August, the Skibladner plies the lake between Hamar, Gjøvik and Lillehammer. Most travellers opt for the route between Hamar and Lillehammer (one way/return Nkr220/320, 3½ hours) on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, which can be done as a return day trip (from Hamar only, Nkr320). Jazz evenings aboard the steamer cost Nkr450, including food (but not drinks).
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Keswick Launch
Derwentwater is undoubtedly one of the Lake District's most attractive lakes, and remained a lifelong favourite of Beatrix Potter.The lake jetties are a short stroll south of town, next to the fields of Crow Park. Boats putter out to landing stages at Ashness Gate, Lodore Falls, High Brandlehow, Low Brandlehow, Hawse End, Nichol End. Departures run clockwise and anticlockwise; you can get off and walk to the next stage if you wish. Single fares to each jetty are also available
There are six daily boats from March to November, with a couple of extra afternoon sailings and a twilight cruise in summer. There are only two sailings a day in winter.
Rowboats (£12 per hour) and…
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SS Ukkopekka Cruises
Archipelago cruises are a popular activity in Turku during summer. There are day trips around the islands as well as evening dinner-and-dance cruises. Most departures are from the quay at Martinsilta bridge.
The historic steamship SS Ukkopekka cruises to Naantali (daily, early June to late August). The trip takes 1¾ hours and you can have lunch on board. If you'd rather party on board, there's an evening dinner-dance cruise, departing at 19:00 Monday to Saturday from mid-May to late August. The meals (starters plus buffet) are served on dry land - on the island of Loistokari.
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Evropská Vodní Doprava
Operates large cruise boats based at the quay beside Čechův most (Bohemia Bridge), and offers a one-hour return cruise departing hourly from 10am to 6pm (240/120Kč per adult/child); a two-hour return cruise including lunch and live music, departing at noon (690/380Kč per adult/child***unchanged***); a two-hour return cruise to Vyšehrad (350/270Kč), departing at 3.30pm; and a three-hour evening return cruise with dinner and music (890/500Kč), departing at 7pm. All cruises run year-round.
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Quark Expeditions
Murmansk is the starting point for July and August cruises to the North Pole and Arctic islands, an experience where passengers see dramatic seascapes and scenery and, with luck, a good deal of Arctic wildlife. Book well in advance (many agencies include flights from Helsinki or Moscow to Murmansk in their packages). Voyages last around two weeks to the North Pole itself or to Franz Josef Land or Novaya Zemlya and Severnaya Zemlya.
The ships are fitted out for passengers and some of the profits go towards the upkeep of Russia's icebreaker fleet.
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Canal Tour
Taking a Canal Tour is a must. Yep, it's touristy, but what isn't in Bruges? Viewing the city from the water gives it a totally different feel than by foot. Cruise down Spiegelrei towards Jan Van Eyckplein and it's possible to imagine Venetian merchants entering the city centuries ago and meeting under the slender turret of the Poortersloge building up ahead. Boats depart roughly every 20 minutes from jetties south of the Burg, including Rozenhoedkaai and Dijver, and tours last 30 minutes.
Expect queues in summer.
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Sampo Tours
The highlight of a visit to Kemi in winter is a trip aboard the Sampo, the only Arctic icebreaker in the world that accepts passengers. The four-hour cruise includes ice swimming in special drysuits, as well as a walk on the ice - a remarkable experience.
The best time to go is when the ice is thickest, which is usually in March. Contact Sampo Tours. Departures are from Ajos Harbour, 15km south of Kemi, where you'll also find the Sampo out to pasture in summer, when it operates as a restaurant.
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Prague Venice
Runs entertaining 45-minute cruises in small boats under the hidden arches of Charles Bridge and along the Čertovka millstream in Kampa.
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Arcturus
Cruises to the North Pole and Arctic islands on Russian icebreakers are an expensive experience, but worth it, if it's your thing. You'll see dramatic seascapes and scenery and, with luck, Arctic wildlife. (Book well in advance). You'll either travel in one of Russia's nuclear icebreakers - to the North Pole itself; or in a non-nuclear icebreaker - to one of the Arctic islands. The ships are fitted out for passengers and some of the profits go to the upkeep of Russia's icebreaker fleet.
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Twinstar Cruises
Offers boat trips around Falmouth Bay and the Fal Estuary. It is the only company with its own catamaran, and also offers cruises along the River Helford and Frenchman's Creek.
Cruises include an onboard commentary detailing local wildlife and points of interest such as Pill Creek (setting of the film Treasure Island), Tregothnan (the Seat of Lord Falmouth and the site of Cornwall's only tea plantation), and embarkation points for US troops during the D-Day invasions.
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Dolphin-Watching
The Bahía de Algeciras has a sizable population of dolphins and, from about April to September, several boats make two or more daily trips out to see them; at other times of the year there's usually at least one in daily operation. You'll be unlucky not to get plenty of close-up dolphin contact. Most boats go from Watergardens Quay or adjacent Marina Bay. The trips last about 2½ hours and cost around £20 per adult. Tourist offices have full details.
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Moray Firth Cruises
Offers 1½-hour wildlife cruises (adult/child £14/10) to look for dolphins, seals and bird life. Sightings aren’t guaranteed, but the commentaries are excellent, and on a fine day it’s good just being out on the water. Follow the signs to Shore St Quay from the far end of Chapel St or catch the free shuttle bus that leaves from the tourist office 15 minutes before sailings (which depart every 1½ hours). In July and August there are also departures at 6pm.
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