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Welcome to our exclusive collection of hotel barge cruises. For over 40 years, we have specialised in creating luxury barge holidays on some of the most beautiful waterways in Europe.
Luxury Hotel Barge Cruises
A truly unique experience
The Hotel Barging Experience
Far removed from the hustle and bustle of city life, these voyages allow you to travel in luxury without the strains of packing and unpacking, whilst enjoying a balanced blend of daily excursions and fascinating cruising.
Over 40 Years’ Experience
Established in 1974 and operating cruises since the early 1980s, European Waterways has a wealth of knowledge and experience to share with our clients.
The Largest Barging Company in Europe
Still in the same private ownership of the Directors who run the company, our guests can be assured of consistently high standards of personal service, and vast experience of our markets.
A Superb Fleet of 17 Vessels
We have vessels available for up to 20 passengers with cabin sizes varying from cozy and compact to ultra-deluxe staterooms comparable to top hotel rooms.
Cruises in 9 Countries Across Europe
We offer the widest choice of destinations of any hotel barge company. Cruising areas range from the Midi in Southern France to the Scottish Highlands and from Ireland in the West to Venice in the East.
See what Our Clients Say
Many of our guests book with us over and over again and also recommend us to their friends – which is the best endorsement that a travel company can hope for. See some of their comments on Feefo, below.
Exceptional Service and Expert Staff
Our crews are trained to provide the highest levels of service whilst making you feel totally at home. Our office staff will equally guide you effortlessly through the process of booking the holiday of a lifetime.
The welcome we received and everything on board was perfect
Pauline Taplin, Hampshire, UK
This is a treasure that most people don’t know about
Denise Thorson , New Jersey, USA
Everbody should do this at least once in their life
Charles Baertl, Texas USA
For a very special occasion this is the place to be
John Thorson, New Jersey, USA
The Hotel Barging Experience
Our vessels gently introduce you to some of Europe’s finest scenery, fascinating history and local culture. Every European Waterways six-night barge cruise includes all gourmet meals, regional wines, an open bar, local transfers and the use of on board facilities such as bicycles to explore the towpaths, a sundeck to laze on, or a spa pool to relax in. We also offer daily escorted excursions “off the beaten track” to wineries, castles, markets or to see craftsmen at work.
A Home Away from Home
All hotel barges in the fleet benefit from an annual refurbishment and this may vary from redecoration and refurnishing of the...
Multi Generational Cruises
With capacity for between 6 and 20 passengers, a private hotel barge charter is perfect for a multi generational getaway
Hotel Barging Experience
Far removed from the hustle and bustle of city life, hotel barge voyages allow you to travel in luxury without the strains of...
Insider Experiences
These experiences form the heart of a European Waterways cruise; spontaneous, unique adventures that just couldn't be had anywhere else
Outstanding Service
Crews are mainly British or French and they all speak English, so there is no need to worry about a language barrier when they are...
A Gastronomic Experience
The classic traditions of French and International cuisine are an unforgettable highlight of your cruise. The onboard chefs are...
Enriching Excursions
Every hotel barge cruise includes daily excursions to some fascinating local places of interest - châteaux, Cathar hilltop...
Themed Charter Cruises
We can arrange a wide selection of themed charter cruises which will appeal to all types of interest groups, large or small...
Family & Friends Cruises
Families or groups of friends can charter any of the hotel barges. You will have the whole vessel to yourselves and she becomes a...
Barging & Biking
We know that many of our passengers enjoy taking some exercise during their hotel barge cruise, so each vessel carries...
Shopping & Markets
Even if you are not normally a lover of shopping, the vast array of fascinating shops and markets you can discover on one of our...
Wine & Whisky Tours
Many of our cruises are through some of the best wine- growing regions of France, such as Burgundy, Bordeaux...
Where We Cruise in Europe
Discover the fascinating world of barging, through the vineyards of Burgundy, on the shady Canal du Midi in Southern France, the historic Po Valley in Italy, or the River Shannon in rustic Ireland. Navigate the Royal River Thames, through the stunningly rugged landscapes of Scotland, picturesque Alsace & Lorraine, or the colourful tulip fields of Holland.
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Our Exclusive Collection of Hotel Barges
Some vessels in our fleet are owned by us, others by experienced operators who maintain similar standards and have been vetted by us. On board all of them you will glide serenely along waterways that pass through magnificent countryside; be taken on fascinating local excursions; indulge in delicious meals, fine wines and comfortable accommodation – whilst all the time being pampered by your attentive crew.
La Belle Epoque
La Belle Epoque is a deluxe, 12 passenger hotel barge that cruises the picturesque Burgundy Canal in Northern Burgundy
Finesse
Finesse is an ultra deluxe, 8 passenger hotel barge that cruises the River Saône and Canal du Centre in Southern Burgundy
L’Impressionniste
L’Impressionniste is a deluxe, 12 passenger hotel barge that cruises the Burgundy Canal in the wine region of Southern Burgundy
L’Art de Vivre
L’Art de Vivre is a first class, 8 passenger hotel barge that cruises the charming Canal du Nivernais and River Yonne in Burgundy
Themed Barge Holidays
We can arrange a wide selection of themed charter cruises which will appeal to all types of interest groups, large or small, including golf, walking and wine appreciation themed cruises.
Whisky Cruises
We offer a Whisky cruise aboard hotel barge Scottish Highlander along the Caledonian Canal and Loch Ness, with a special itinerary that allows...
Walking Cruises
The beauty of hotel barging and walking is that two of the most relaxing holidays possible are merged to give you the best of both worlds
Tennis Cruises
If you are passionate about tennis, then bare in mind we offer "tennis cruises" on board our barges Magna Carta and l'Art de Vivre to either spectate a game at...
Opera Cruises
For the opera lovers amongst you, taking one of our special Opera Cruises aboard La Bella Vita in Italy is sure to be a once in a lifetime experience.
Longer Waterway Cruises
If you are looking for a different cruising experience, we offer a number of 'voyages of exploration' of varying duration along some delightful inland...
Family Cruises
Family themed holidays are available aboard all our barges. You have the whole vessel to yourselves and she becomes a home from home, except we...
Biking Cruises
The endless towpaths and trails that run alongside or near our canal itineraries in France or Scotland, make cycling and cruising the perfect...
Wine Appreciation Cruises
Our wine appreciation holidays in Burgundy and the Languedoc region will give you the opportunity to visit some renowned vineyards with our...
Golf Cruises
Scotland, Ireland, England and France all have some great golf courses including Royal Dornoch, Lahinch, Galway Bay, Wentworth, Sunningdale and Cap d'Agde...
Garden Cruises
Our dedicated garden cruises include visits to some of the best gardens, estates and parklands in Europe
Honeymoon Cruises
We offer a honeymoon barge charter programme with a choice of two unique romantic destinations. The Loire Valley and the Scottish Highlands.
Culinary Cruises
If you are a lover of fine food and particularly how and where locally-grown ingredients are sourced, a Culinary Theme cruise in southwest France aboard...
Tandem Cruises
Perhaps there is a large family reunion to arrange, a holiday with a group of friends, or an organisation such as a wine club, or a company incentive group...
Artisan Cruises
For those people who are interested in the crafting of handmade products, particularly food, European Waterways offer a wonderful ‘Artisan theme’ cruise...
Art Cruises
If you have a passion for art and painting our hotel barge Athos, offers a wonderful art themed cruise from the fishing port of Marseillan to Argeliers.
Antiques Cruises
If antiques are of interest to you, our barge Magna Carta, on the River Thames, has an itinerary based around the exploration of antiques, which can be booked...
World War One Commemorative Cruises
It is now more than a century since the outbreak of World War One and we will be continuing to offer a number of World War One Commemorative Cruises in...
Video Feed
We uploaded our first video in 2010 and since then we have added over 100 hotel barging videos and received over 3,000,000 views on YouTube. We hope you enjoyed watching our videos…
Video of the Week
Travel Expert, Lindsay Myers recounts her cruise aboard La Belle Epoque for NBC Access Hollywood
Hotel Barge L'Impressionniste
Hotel Barge La Belle Epoque
The Lock-Keeper Blog
The Lock-Keeper has gone viral! Every few weeks we will be blogging about the Hotel barging experience; From the history of our hotel barges to some of the off the beaten track excursions we visit. Intrigued? Then read on…
Unspoken Highlight of a Barge Cruise Aboard Anjodi: the Captain
We’re so grateful we had such an awesome captain on Anjodi. The week’s experience sailing the historic Canal du Midi in the South of France was spectacular. Read More
A Beginner’s Guide to Whisky
Whisky is fascinating. There are hundreds of variations, yet very few whiskies taste alike. Find out more in our beginners guide to Whisky Read More
The Ultimate Guide to the Canal du Nivernais
The Ultimate Guide to the Canal du Nivernais - History, interesting facts, maps, nearby towns and villages, places of interest and lots more! Read More
In the Press
There have been many interesting and entertaining articles written by journalists and travel writers from across the globe about their journeys on our luxury hotel barge cruises.
La Belle barge provides small-scale cruising with a very French flavour
Mike Grenby spent 6 days on the Burgundy canal, read about his Belle Epoque adventure here Read More
La Belle barge provides small-scale cruising with a very French flavour
Mike Grenby spent 6 days on the Burgundy canal, read about his Belle Epoque adventure here Read More
Slow Barge through the Loire Valley
Karen Pasquali Jones takes a tranquil cruise aboard Renaissance, through Burgundy and the Upper Loire Read More
6 Reasons You Should Go on a Canal Barge Cruise
Laura Lynch spent a week aboard the luxury hotel barge Finesse cruising the Canal du Midi. Read about her experience here Read More
Der gute Geist der Highlands
Auf einer 6-tägigen Kreuzfahrt an Bord der Luxus-Hotelbarge Spirit of Scotland besuchte O. Schmidt die schönsten Sehenswürdigkeiten Schottlands. Read More
Cruising in Burgundy
David Powell spent a week on the luxury hotel barge L’Impressionniste cruising through Burgundy. Read about his experience here Read More