Barge Cruises and Canal Boats

ABOVE: Narrowboats at Stratford-upon-Avon, England.

Well into the 20th Century, barges and narrowboats were an important means of freight transport throughout much of Western Europe and Britain. The ancient Romans built canals more than 1,900 years ago, although European canal-building didn't reach its zenith until the 1600s through the mid-19th Century. By the 1850s, England and Wales alone had more than 4,000 miles or 6,400 km of navigable canals and rivers. (For an excellent fictional account of barge life in England, read the children's novel Thursday's Child by Noel Streatfeild.)

The invention of railroads sounded the death knell for canal shipping. Traffic gradually declined over the next hundred years, with a more precipitous drop after World War II. Today, canals play an insignificant role in European freight transport, but many abandoned canals have been cleaned up and restored for use as recreational waterways.

For the tourist, European canals can be enjoyed in two ways:

• Barge or narrowboat cruises. Here, everything is laid on: Sleeping quarters, meals, a crew to run the diesel-powered barge or narrowboat, and local excursions when the vessel stops for sightseeing or ties up for the night. Passengers who become restless can often jog or bicycle along the towpath as the barge or boat chugs slowly to the next town or village.

• Boat rentals. Do-it-yourself boaters can rent modern cabin cruisers or restored "narrowboats" and explore canals at their own pace. In theory, boating experience isn't needed, and even a landlubber needn't fear a Titanic-style disaster.

If you'd like to try your hand at European barge cruising or boating, we strongly recommend purchasing Waterways of Europe by Insight Guides. This reasonably-priced 450-page book is packed with photos and descriptions of canals in France, Belgium, Holland, Britain, and Ireland. It's an indispensable guidebook for the waterborne tourist.

Related articles at Europe for Cruisers:

La Renaissance (Barge Cruise Review)

Barge Charters

Coastal, Canal, and River Cruises in Britain

Cruise and rental links:

European Cruises by Hotel Barge

European Canal-Boat Rentals

European Yacht and Sailboat Charters

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