An evening on the water in Alkmaar with Greenjoy

The last Thursday in July was a beautifully sunny summer evening and the perfect time to cruise the canals of Alkmaar on an electric Greenjoy boat. The process for hiring your boat is quick and easy – and as an added bonus for COVID-19 times, it is social-distancing friendly as the entire process is touch-free. Booking your boat with Greenjoy is done online or over the phone.

Alkmaar Boat Hire

You may have read my past review about renting a boat with Greenjoy Haarlem but did you know that Greenjoy is available in other cities as well? This time we wanted to give Alkmaar a try. Have you ever been? It’s definitely worth a visit, it’s only a 30-minute drive or 40-minute direct train ride north of Haarlem. Greenjoy is located a short 7-minute walk from the station or right next to parking garage Kanaalschiereiland. Taking a boat ride around is a great way to get to know the city!

The Process

Renting a boat is a quick and easy process. All you need to do it login to greenjoy.nl, select your city, pick your day and time, enter a few details, and you are all set. Greenjoy will mail you all of the details about what you will need to do at the unmanned dock, where the boats are moored. On the day of your boat ride, make sure to show up on time, then unlock your boat with your phone via a mobile web page, and you are off! Take one of the recommended routes Greenjoy will email to you or choose your own.

Our Trip with Greenjoy Alkmaar

After getting situated in the boat, it was time to go! Operating the boat is not hard. The controls are easy, with just an ‘on’ button, a lever for forward and reverse, and a steering wheel. Do not expect to go fast, these electric boats are for leisurely canal cruising. We were one of the slowest boats out on the water but with our table full of food and drinks and the nice scenery to look at, we did not mind at all. The small table in the middle of the boat is perfect for putting out snacks to share.

We decided to see a bit of the city and a bit of the countryside on our 2-hour tour. On the way, we saw the city of Alkmaar, grassy meadows and lots of old Dutch windmills. We all took turns operating the boat while the others were eating, drinking and taking in the sights. It’s always really nice to see how friendly people on boats are, almost everyone waves hello.

Greenjoy Alkmaar is conveniently located in the centre of the city and is easily reachable by car, train, bike or foot. We all had a great evening and I would recommend Greenjoy Alkmaar to anyone wanting to have a leisurely ride along the canals with friends or family.

Greenjoy Alkmaar Tips

There is a refundable €150 deposit that you have to pay up-front in order to rent a boat. Turn the boat in damage-free and get your deposit back. My deposit arrived back in my bank account the day after our tip.
Make sure to arrive on time and to be back on time. Others may be waiting to go out on the boat directly after you.
Do bring your own food and drinks.
It may be handy to bring a cushion or two if you are renting the boat for a longer period.
Don’t drink alcohol while operating the boat.
Do read the documents you receive from Greenjoy, this way you know the rules and what to watch out for when you are on the water.
Make sure your phone is charged! You need to stop the boat on the mobile web page when you are done, not to mention all the pictures you probably will also want to take.
Pricing is dynamic, based on weather and how far in advance you rent.
You do not need a reservation if there are boats available, just rent directly on the mobile website.
Bonus tip: If you like craft beer, checkout The Scrapyard taproom from Brouwerij De Moersleutel like we did after our boat trip. It is very close to the Greenjoy docks and their beer is very tasty.

There is a (short) FAQ page also available on the Greenjoy website here.

Full disclosure: our group received a free 2-hour rental with Greenjoy in return for an honest review. Everything mentioned in this review is my honest opinion and has not been influenced by the free rental.