Le Boat
Inland waterways specialist with roots going back to the 1960s, renting self drive cruisers on canals and rivers in France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Ireland, Scotland and on the Rideau Canal in Ontario. No licence is required: the handover includes a practical lesson in steering, locks and mooring, which takes an hour or two at the base.
The natural answer for families, grandparents and groups who want water without weather, since a canal has no swell and the day ends at a village restaurant. Boats are wide and slow, with fixed berths, a galley and often bow thrusters and bicycles included. Not a holiday for anyone chasing speed or open sea: locks close in the evening, distances are modest, and diesel plus a lock pass are billed separately. Popular Burgundy and Canal du Midi weeks in July go early.
Pros
- No boating licence needed
- Practical handover lesson at the base
- Canal routes in seven plus countries
- Calm water suitable for families
- Bikes and bow thrusters on many boats
Cons
- Very slow pace, short daily distances
- Locks limit travel to daytime hours
- Fuel and lock passes charged extra
- Summer weeks on classic routes sell out
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