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Barging & Biking

Take to the towpath for a serene cycle ride

Barging & Biking

We know that many of our passengers enjoy taking some exercise during their hotel barge cruise, so each vessel carries bicycles for everyone on board to use.

On most cruises the crew can offload the bikes almost anytime for you to take a gentle pedal along the canal towpath, perhaps to the next pretty village or lock.

‘A Bicycle Made for You’

Every vessel in our fleet carries easy to ride, all-terrain bicycles for your use and helmets are also provided. Our crew members are there to offload them at the next lock or at one of the barge moorings and to make any adjustments to each bicycle to suit the rider. We can also provide children’s bicycles for family groups. For more information, please contact our cruise team.

Time to Explore

You may only wish to pedal a mile to the next pretty lock and wait for the barge to catch up; you may be tempted to ride into a local village to look at a charming old church, or to just sit at the village square café with the locals.

Biking Charters

For more committed cyclists, we can offer biking charters for groups over longer distances on upgraded bikes, with half-day guided itineraries that make the best of the local area each day, perhaps including a picnic in the countryside.

"Biking Plus"

For those passengers who would like to be a little more adventurous, a number of our hotel barges have now had several upgrades to our “Biking Plus” option, as follows:

  • Whilst others are relaxing on deck, or maybe enjoying a stroll, you can take a bike on most days and follow an interesting, but not too challenging route which we will have already carefully researched.
  • You will be given clearly marked maps for each round trip route and a backpack with everything you might need so that, for an hour or two, you can explore the surrounding countryside and villages along the lanes, towpaths and byways.
  • If you get stuck or lost, a crew member will come to fetch you. Otherwise, you can just rejoin the hotel barge where you left her – or maybe a little further along the canal.
  • The hotel barge itinerary is arranged so that you won’t miss any of the organised excursions or much of the cruising, but you will have seen a little more of the people & places around you – and done yourself some good at the same time!
  • Bike helmets are provided and our reservations team can advise you on the biking opportunities for each itinerary.
  • If the idea of a little pedalling appeals, our reservations team can advise you on the biking opportunities for each cruise itinerary.
  • With pre – designed offline maps and directions that you can download to your phone, you’ll never get lost!

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If the idea of a little pedalling appeals, our reservations team can advise you on the biking opportunities for each cruise itinerary.

Bike helmets are provided and our reservations team can advise you on the biking opportunities for each itinerary. You can find further information on cycling on our cruises here 

“Biking Plus” is available aboard Anjodi, Enchanté, Finesse, L’Art de Vivre, La Belle Epoque, L’Impressionniste, Renaissance & Panache. Cruises in Holland, Ireland, Italy and Scotland have limited cycling opportunities – please contact us for further details.

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