The Waterways of Europe

...can be enjoyed in several ways. Whether you are planning a holiday, an extensive cruise or a complete live-aboard lifestyle, traveling on the canals and rivers of Europe offers a relaxing, comfortable means to enjoy the cities and the beautiful rural areas. Cruising options include:

Self-skippered Rental Boats

Charter and Hotel Barges

River Cruise Ships

On Your Own Vessel

Seasons: The seasons for cruising in most of Europe are spring through fall; along with the obvious discomforts of winter cruising, waterways in northern areas may freeze. Rates will vary substantially by the season, with rental operators offering as many as five price periods through the year. Barges generally quote prices for the main season in the summer and value rates for spring and fall. The shoulder seasons also mean much lower airfares, however the weather can be unpredictable, either beautiful or unpleasant. Some hotel and charter barge crews will close for a period in July or August; that is the busiest period for rental boats, thus the more popular waterways can be very crowded. There may be delays at locks and moorings may be difficult to find.

EuroCanals Guides offer planning and touring suggestions for the inland waterways and information about the companies that service each of these types of cruising.
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Read about some of the ways that the users of
EuroCanals Guides
have cruised in Europe: About our users