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2026 European Waterways
Hotel Barge Adventures
Here's the Deal
We fell in love with these trips and have been on 4 of them. These are unique experiences that you've never had before. They are nothing like a cruise ship or a river ship experience. You will travel on canals that meander through another world. These were built long ago to move commercial goods between cities, royal palaces, castles, and small villages. Every mile or so, your barge will pass through a set of locks. It takes 20~30 minutes. You'll be invited to operate the lock mechanism, or just sit back and enjoy the experience. Since you are a captive audience in the lock, local people are curious about us. Conversations are spontaneous with local townspeople and are a hoot! We only travel during daylight.
We try and plan for the first week in September 2026 to avoid peak travel times. These trips are very casual. However, we do have a dinner experience at a Michelin rated restaurant. Casual evening attire is appropriate. If you've never had a 14 course dinner, you are in for a treat.
If we don't fill up a barge, European Waterways will fill the empty cabins with other guests. Most of the people who go on these trips are from Australia, The United Kingdom and America. The people who go on these barge trips are typically seasoned travelers, well eduated and fun to be around. We still keep in contact with a delightful couple from England, as well as our chef on the second trip, He owns two Michelin star restaurants in France. Holly found out Laura and I were celebrating our 50th wedding anniversary on that trip. Thursday night, we were surprised with an impromptu anniversary dinner, topped with a French version of a Baked Alaska. That's an indication of the level of service and attention to details you can't find anywhere else.
We move at the speed of a person on foot. This means you can get off the barge anytime and stroll along the old tow paths where, in times past, horses and oxen pulled the barges. Each barge provides very nice bicycles for exploring the villages we pass through. Each barge has two luxury Mercedes-Benz coaches that follow our barge. If you see a castle on a hill, and want to go have a look. Just ask. They pull over and drive you to where you want to go! These are open-ended explorations.
The Food!!!! I could write a book about this topic. Just know that you will experience food, wine, and cheeses that are unbelievable. Meals begin with a delightful presentation to what you are about to enjoy. The menu reflects the kinds of wines, cheeses, and food from the very region you are passing through. Laura, being a foodie, was taken into the galley where she went crazy as she watched the chef prepare the meal. Every morning, the chef is up early, grocery shopping for the day's meal. Laura was invited to tag along with him as they visited, little shops. No big grocery stores here. Laura was asked what she would like to eat that day. Wow. Laura was in culinary heaven! Our barge has an open bar. On one of our trips, our daughter Jennifer mentioned that she liked Gewurztraminer wine. No German wines on a French canal barge. One of the hostesses went ashore that night and got a very nice Gewurz and served it to Jen the next night at dinner. No Charge! When they found out I liked hot chocolate, the most decadent cup of hot chocolate started appearing in front of me, served in a silver cup on a sterling silver platter. On Manday, day one, three of us drank their entire supply of Baileys Irish Cream. By Tuesday, the Baileys' supply was replenished and kept that way for the entire trip. We were a very happy bunch.
Note: I hope you like cheese. There are 360 registered cheeses in France. You will encounter most of them on this trip!
In 1974, European Waterways acquired some of these cargo barges. They rebuilt them into floating 5-star hotels and staffed them with Michelin-quality chefs. The trips are 7 days long. A typical barge is 127 feet long. Each has a crew of 5 to 6. Cabins are exquisitely decorated with en-suite baths. There are only 4 to 6 cabins, meaning the barges accommodate between 8 and 12 passengers. You are Pampered!
Here's a typical timeline and cost for a 2-week experience of a lifetime:
Our group decides on a trip using the European Waterways website. We also must decide on where to explore after leaving the hotel barge. This is where it gets fun. On past trips, we've gone to Italy, Milan, Lake Como, and Rome. Or fly to Scotland to explore St Andrews, the golfing Mecca of the universe. We took in the world-famous Edinburgh Castle Tattoo. On another trip, we flew north to tour Amsterdam. There is no limit to the destinations we can choose, or, take off on your own.
Once we nail down where and when. I begin doing the planning and arranging for flights. We start our trip in Paris. Our barge crew picks us up at a hotel in Paris. It's a short drive to our barge. We arrive in Paris on a Sunday afternoon. We meet our barge crew with a welcome party. (The eating and drinking begin!) Monday, we cast off for our trip.
What I do: I plan the entire trip. All you have to do is send me checks. I make the plane reservations, set up trip insurance if desired, and handle train tickets from La Bourge airport if our start point is further away. I plan the second week of our trip, making travel as well as hotel reservations. We rent a van big enough for our group. After deciding on what we are going to do in week two, I set that up for us. I can be pressured into driving our van when we are in the UK. Driving on the other side of the road is a challenge, especially at round-abouts!
You will get a binder containing all our trip information, including copies of the travel itinerary, the trip calendar, and suggestions on what to bring. You'll get a guest list with contact info for all of us. Any medical concerns will be handled separately and in confidence. All costs are disclosed. Vouchers and receipts are included in the binder.
Cost. For two people, our past trips, including everything, generally run around $18,000. All expenses are disclosed with receipts. Take a look at the European Waterways website for details on selected trips. If we get enough people to fill a barge, we then charter it. That opens up all kinds of things we can do.
After returning home, we have a post-trip dinner and party to share memories and pictures. I produce a trip hardcover coffee table quality book of our adventures. Again at cost. I also produce a nice professional video of our time together. No charge.
I know this is expensive, but it is great value-for-money. Take a look at our trips here on my website. Call me anytime with questions. Text me for more information.
For info on the various trips, go to: www.gobarging.com or www.europeanwaterways.com
Mike on Island Lake
One last thing. Our trip will become a reality when we get 3 couples (6 people) or more to commit before I can make it happen. European Waterways' largest hotel barge has six cabins (12 people). Take a look at the cabin diagrams on their website. Commitments must be made by June 1, 2026 for a tentative September 6-12, 2026 trip aboard Penache. Our second week is to be determined.
Mike's European Barge Trips
