De Bootjes van Gent

De Bootjes van Gent, from the Rederij Dewaele shipping company, runs boat trips on the canals of Ghent's historic centre.

Who they are

It is a family business from Ghent founded in 1978 by Luc Dewaele and his wife. It began with trips on the canals of the old town and today also runs water taxis and a water tram with stops. According to its website it has fifteen passenger boats and six electric boats of 65 seats, and is switching the fleet to zero emissions. The boats leave from the Korenlei landing stage, opposite the Graslei, in the heart of medieval Ghent.

What they offer

The regular trip with other passengers, of 40 minutes, through the medieval centre, with commentary in Dutch, French or English and illustrated translations on board in German, Spanish, Italian, Russian and Japanese. From the water you see up close the guild façades of the Graslei and the Korenlei, from where the boat leaves. There are also private boats for groups, leaving at an agreed time, school outings designed as a class about the city or as part of the trip, and the water tram service for moving from one stop to another by water.

The website does not publish fixed times or frequencies; departures can be seen when you buy the ticket online, and for queries they answer on +32 9 229 17 16 or at [email protected].

On board: rain, accessibility and dogs

The boats are open and carry umbrellas for everyone. If it rains and you want to be under cover, you can ask at the ticket office when the next convertible boat, with a roof, departs. There are life jackets for all passengers, kept under the seat cushions. There are no toilets on board: the nearest are under the Sint-Michiels bridge, about 250 metres from the landing stage.

People with reduced mobility can board if, with help, they can go down a staircase with a handrail, take two steps to the boat and sit with a backrest; the wheelchair stays stored at the landing stage, as do pushchairs, which do not fit on board. Dogs can come if they don't disturb the others.

If you arrive by car, the nearest car park is Parking Sint-Michiels, 350 metres away, but bear in mind that central Ghent is a low-emission zone (LEZ), so check its rules before entering with a foreign car. From the Gent-Sint-Pieters station you can get there by tram.

Tickets and conditions

Tickets are bought on its website, by date, and paid in advance; you must bring the printed confirmation to board. They are not refunded, but the date can be changed up to 24 hours beforehand, by email or by phone. If it is the company that cancels the departure, because of weather or another cause, it gives notice the day before if it can and lets you choose between another date or a refund. At the landing stage you pay in cash or by card. The website is in Dutch, English, French, German and Spanish.