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European Waterways is an international company based in Berkshire, England
that operates a fleet of 21 river cruising vessels along the rivers and canals
of Europe. The company takes old trading barges and converts them into
"boutique" hotel barges.
European Waterways, a UK company based in England, was established in 1977
by owner Derek Banks with the purchase of an existing French inland waterways
cruising company which had been created 3 years earlier in 1974.[citation
needed] The first hotel barge was Anjodi, which was originally renovated at a
cost in excess of £100,000. In 1994 the company built the 12 passenger La Belle
Epoque followed by its sister ship, 12 passenger L'Impressionniste, in 1995.
After these acquisitions European Waterways expanded steadily and, as a result
of cooperation with several companies in the travel industry and additional
acquisitions, now operates a fleet of 18 hotel barges along the inland waterways
of 9 countries in Europe.
Derek Banks, the company founder, was brought up on the River Thames and
has enjoyed all aspects of life afloat. It was as a result of this early
exposure to the inland waterways that he was inspired to move to a lock house in
the middle of France in the mid 1970s and start the now thriving European
Waterways.
The company originally focused on the Canal du Nivernais in central
Burgundy, France, but as the company grew, cruises were programmed all over
Europe. With purchases such as the barges L'Art de Vivre, Scottish Highlander
and Panache the company expanded to cover Scotland, France, Italy, Holland,
Belgium, England, Germany, Luxembourg and Ireland. Today, with an international
clientele, European Waterways has clients from all over the world, primarily
from the United Kingdom, USA, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, France,
Canada and Hong Kong.
Cruising with European Waterways
European Waterways' barges carry between 6 to 20 passengers and also provide tandem cruises to accommodate up to 20 passengers. The cruises are marketed as being unique from other tours in that they provide the inland cruising vacationer, views and access to areas that, in a car or on a bus tour, are not ordinarily accessible in addition to other tourist attractions such as Châteaux, markets and villages
European Waterways' barges carry between 6 to 20 passengers and also provide tandem cruises to accommodate up to 20 passengers. The cruises are marketed as being unique from other tours in that they provide the inland cruising vacationer, views and access to areas that, in a car or on a bus tour, are not ordinarily accessible in addition to other tourist attractions such as Châteaux, markets and villages
The cruises are a minimum of 6 nights long and take place on the Nivernais
Canal, the River Yonne, the Burgundy Canal, the River Rhône, the Rhône-Sète
Canal, the Canal du Midi, the River Cher the Venetian lagoon, the River Brenta,
the River Amstel, the Caledonian Canal, the River Thames and the River Shannon.
All voyages include at least one guided shore excursion per day.
Geared toward the North American and UK tourist market, European Waterways
provides English-speaking staff on its barges and fully escorted tours. Many of
the tours are guided walks that showcase history, culture, art and architecture
of the visited towns and villages.
Cruise Deals in European Waterways
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