Fans of Australian chef and TV host Justine Schofield have been hooked on her latest cooking series, filmed as she sailed through Burgundy aboard European Waterways’ luxury hotel barge La Belle Epoque. Here, we take a deeper dive into the ultimate form of slow travel.
First things first. What exactly is a hotel barge, or péniche hôtel as they’re known in France? Basically, they are lavishly converted barges that were originally designed to transport cargo on Europe’s shallow inland waterways and canals.
European Waterways’ luxury hotel barges accommodate from four to 20 guests, as well as a captain, personal chef, two hosts, a deckhand and a knowledgeable tour guide (sometimes the deckhand doubles as tour guide).
Guests can expect a very high standard of living in what is essentially a floating boutique hotel – cruises include gourmet meals with wine (onboard and onshore), an open bar and shore excursions with the tour guide.
All the hotel barges are air-conditioned and heated and the cabins have private, well-appointed bathrooms with showers. Many have on-deck hot tubs and other facilities such as small exercise room, and all have bicycles for guests to use. They also each have a music system such as a CD player/iPod dock and most have WiFi internet access.
Unlike river cruises, which sail on Europe’s major rivers and might visit up to five different countries over 10 or more days, luxury hotel barges travel short distances, often at walking pace, over seven days.
And because luxury hotel barges can navigate narrow waterways inaccessible to larger vessels, guests enjoy genuinely local, spontaneous experiences as well as exclusive small-group, insider tours that are tailored to the destination. 232
When and where do hotel barges cruise?
European Waterways operates 18 hotel barges in nine countries across Europe: France, Germany, Italy, Holland, Belgium, Luxemburg, Scotland, Ireland and England.
Most cruises run from early April to late October, but the 12-guest Panache offers Christmas Markets cruises in Alsace-Lorraine from late November to December.
The hotel barges cruise in specific regions of the nine countries – for example, in France different barges operate in Alsace-Lorraine, Bordeaux, Burgundy, the Canal du Midi, Champagne, Gascony, the Loire Valley, Paris and Picardy.
In Italy, the 20-guest La Bella Vita takes you into the heart of Venice on its Venetian Lagoon cruise, or from Venice to Mantua (or vice versa) through the Po Valley; in England, the grand Magna Carta offers an itinerary on the Thames between Hampton Court Palace and Henley-on-Thames, and another that takes in visits to Windsor Castle, Highclere Castle (of Downton Abbey fame) and Oxford’s historic Christ Church college.
Guests can book out a hotel barge for a family or group of friends, or join cruises as a small group, couple or solo traveller. If you book a private whole barge charter, the company can organise itineraries to suit the group’s ages and interests; it can also take groups of up to 24 on two barges travelling in tandem.
Themed cruises
Whole barge charters also offer a variety of themed itineraries. To name just a few:
- Wine-appreciation cruises with an onboard wine expert are available in several regions in France.
- The Malt Whisky Trail in Scotland, on the eight-guest Scottish Highlander and the 12-guest Spirit of Scotland.
- Golf cruises, in Scotland, Ireland, England and France that include rounds of golf on internationally renowned courses.
- Walking cruises in Scotland, Ireland and Burgundy, combining slow cruising with easy hiking.
- Other themed cruises can also be arranged with special itineraries, such as Art Cruises in the Midi, Flower Show Cruises on the Thames and Opera Cruises in Italy.
Insider experiences and shore excursions
Having operated for 50 years, European Waterways has developed an incredible network of friendships with local businesses, tour guides, restaurants and vineyard owners along all its routes.
These relationships allow guests to enjoy insider experiences such as dinner in a lock-keeper’s house, private wine-tastings at an out-of-the-way vineyard, meeting a clock-maker in his studio or chatting with traditional boatbuilders.
Impromptu encounters happen all the time and are part of the appeal of these “slow voyages of discovery”.
There are also daily excursions to local places of interest, led by the English-speaking tour guide. They might be within walking distance of the hotel barge, or if not, one of the company’s air-conditioned minibuses will transport you to the destination.
Excursions are widely varied and include visits to UNESCO World Heritage sites, privately owned stately homes and chateaux, movie locations, artisan food producers, art galleries, gardens, and lots more.
About European Waterways
The UK-based company was founded in 1974 by Derek Banks and John Wood-Dow and was among the first to operate on France’s scenic Canal du Midi. The co-directors today run the largest luxury hotel barging company in Europe.
European Waterways’ 18 luxury hotel barges are refurbished every year and combine traditional features such as hardwood panelling and antique furniture with all the mod cons contemporary travellers expect.
Luxury hotel barging has been instrumental in revitalising Europe’s less-visited inland waterways and local communities, while the small scale of the barges keeps the environmental footprint to a minimum.
All meals prepared and cooked onboard the luxury hotel barges are created from locally produced seasonal ingredients, and shopping with the chef at markets is a highlight for foodie-minded guests.
For more information, visit europeanwaterways.com.
