Boot Düsseldorf – a giant show
Most Yachting World readers will already be familiar with all that Boot Düsseldorf offers. But if you’ve not yet visited, the bare statistics of the show’s size and number of exhibitors cannot accurately convey either its sheer scale or the huge number of interesting boats and products. The exhibition boasts 17 halls covering close to six times the area of the most recent London shows, and the scale is such that the first boats arrive by barge on the River Rhine over a month before the opening date.
There are dozens of new yacht launches at the show, but these are by no means the only, or even main, reason to attend. The big boatbuilders generally have every model they produce at the show, so for anyone serious about buying a new yacht it is by far the best place to make side-by-side comparisons between the models, whether or not they are new this season. The exhibition is also a great opportunity to discover interesting and innovative but little known brands and designs.
There are three halls of sailing yachts, two of equipment and clothing, plus one each for marine tourism and tuition.
Other watersports are also well catered for including dinghy sailing, diving, paddleboarding, windsurfing and kiting.
For anyone buying a new boat, or refitting an existing yacht, it’s possible to talk to manufacturers of all the key brands of marine equipment under the same roof. In all these senses Boot stands way apart from other shows, which explains why much of the world’s boating industry congregates every year in a city 160 miles inland.
Getting there
Düsseldorf is served by regular flights from airports across Europe and further afield. In the UK all London airports plus Manchester, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Leeds/ Bradford, Birmingham and Southampton have a direct service. The exhibition is also less than two-and-a-half hours by road from Amsterdam and Brussels and a little over four hours from Calais. There’s a regular shuttle bus service from the airport to the show site, although many visitors opt for a €20 taxi for the 15-20 minute journey. While accommodation is available close to Messe Düsseldorf, most visitors opt to stay more centrally in the city. The city centre is around 20 minutes from the show site via an efficient urban transport system. Exhibition tickets bought in advance include travel on local public transport.
About Düsseldorf
In the UK we’re accustomed to spending a day at boat shows, but with Düsseldorf, unless you have a very specific and limited shopping list, a visit of two or even three days will be time well spent.
The relatively compact city’s relaxed, yet efficient ambience, abundance of hotel space and bustling old town bars and restaurants make this an ideal venue for a short winter break. The city also has a thriving arts scene, interesting museums and excellent shopping.