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Cruising along the waterways of Europe is like floating back and forth in time. By day you're drifting past old villages, medieval castles and cathedrals; by evening it's the bright lights of the riverside cities.
Although some canals still operate commercially, now the focus is largely on tourism. According to the waterways management group, Voies Navigables d'Europe, there are 40,000km of waterways in the European Union, attracting millions of visitors a year. Sitting back as the scenery passes by, the appeal of cruising or barging through Europe becomes clear. Instead of walking, driving or flying between sights, by boat the sights come to you. There is no need to find accommodation in each new town, or to unpack and repack; no fiddling with maps or braving crowds and traffic. And yet when people think of 'doing Europe', they tend to stay grounded on terra firma. By cruising, you can have the best of both worlds - land and water. The network of rivers, canals, lakes and estuaries joins Holland in the north to the Mediterranean in the south, and stretches east through the heartland out towards the Black Sea. The Rhine River flows north from the Swiss Alps; the Moselle River cuts through France, Luxembourg and Germany; the Main-Danube Canal straddles the Franconian Alps, connecting to the Danube River which weaves its way east through Austria, Hungary, Slovakia, Croatia, Serbia, Romania and Bulgaria. After exploring these famous rivers, you can moor the boat and step ashore for other activities - sightseeing, walking, cycling, fishing, wining and dining - and then get back on board for the next leg of the voyage. There are several ways to explore the waterways of
Europe. Options include hiring a penichette (self-drive), buying
France "For young retirees, hiring a penichette is a great way to have a relaxing holiday away from noise and big cities, while enjoying the hidden side of French countryside," he says. "For less mobile retirees, I would strongly recommend canal barging, which permits you to enjoy rivers and canals without effort, and you get the most of scenery and attraction nearby, thanks to sightseeing tours included. Spending a week on board, everything included, is probably one of the very best package deals one can get in France, with the best food, top wines, exclusive service, and genuine excursions in rural France." Canal Cruising in France operates in Australia through its website, which rounds up the different options available on the French rivers and canals. The 17th century Canal du Midi, Europe's oldest manmade waterway, has been designated as a world heritage site. Also check out the gorges of the River Lot, the castles and cathedrals of Brittany via the Erdre River and Napoleonic canals, the vineyards of Charente, famed for its cognac, and Burgundy, famed for its wine, and the lush landscapes, forests and villages of Alsace-Lorraine. The Netherlands The Amsterdam marina takes some skill to navigate and you must purchase a permit to enter. There is also a toll at the entrance lock at Utrecht, where you will be given a plan of the city's canals and bridges. Germany Italy In Marano Lagoon, the Valle Canal Novo nature reserve is an untouched wetlands ecosystem with a unique variety of flora, fauna and marsh scenery. England The River Thames, outside London, passes many of these heritage buildings and traditional pubs amid the green pastures. Start at Benson and head for the royal castle at Windsor, via Henley, home of the famous regatta, Reading and Cookham; or head the other way towards the university town of Oxford. Further north, Birmingham, known as the city of canals, is said to have more canals than Venice. Although not as scenic, it's an interesting way to see the urban and countryside midlands of the UK. Ireland The Shannon-Erne Waterway heads north from Ballinamore, passing old bridges, villages and untouched landscapes. Highlights include the historic town of Enniskillen and Ulster. The only licence required is a fishing licence if you plan to fish in Northern Ireland. For hiring boats and barges in Europe, contact Paris Provence, which has a base in Australia, or Outdoor Travel. Barging season is April to November, with big savings possible in the low season; the standard rental period is six nights. Boat share or charter Another option is sharing ownership of a boat, which can greatly reduce expenses and responsibilities. This can be arranged through companies such as The Boatshare Company in the UK, which claims you can have your 'own' boat every year for less than the price of a fortnight's rental. River cruise holidays For a five-star experience, Avalon Waterways, part of the Globus family, operates the newest river cruisers on Europe's waterways. In 2005 the MS Poetry will be in motion. This spacious ship, accommodating 176 passengers, has a two-storey lobby, restaurants, hair salon, exercise room and whirlpool. The lounge and dining areas, and most of the outdoor staterooms, have floor-to-ceiling glass doors and windows through which to watch the passing scenery. The MS Poetry will operate on three of Avalon Waterways' 11 itineraries: The Legendary Danube, The Blue Danube Discovery and Magnificent Europe. Other itineraries, ranging from eight to 21 days, cover Holland, Luxembourg, Belgium, France, Germany, Austria, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Slovakia and Hungary. Prices start at $2,045 per person. APT has an 18-day cruise on a five-star river ship through Europe plus three nights' hotel accommodation in Paris. Shore excursions include the Romantic Road to Rothenburg, Heidelberg, Vienna, Bratislava and Budapest. Prices from $5,030 per person. For cruising aboard a smaller boat, hotel barges typically accommodate 20 to 50 passengers. Facilities generally include twin and double ensuite cabins, bar and dining area, outdoor deck, onboard chefs and tour guides offering daily sightseeing excursions. Food, drinks, excursions and bicycle hire are included in the price with companies such as the European Waterways or Continental Waterways. In 2005 Outdoor Travel is taking bookings for a new tour to Venice. La Dolce Vita cruises down the Brenta River to explore the Venetian lagoons and islands, and then passengers are transferred to a boat taxi to see the Grand Canal. Music lovers may enjoy the seven-night tour from Bavaria to Budapest, booked through Odyssey Travel. Sailing along the Danube, this trip includes an onboard classical concert, a baroque concert in the National Gallery of Bratislava, and a small organ concert in DÛrnstein. The half-day tour of Vienna has options to attend the city's famous opera performances by the Vienna Mozart Orchestra and the Vienna Boys Choir. Barging through Europe So far it's taken three leisurely years to cover France and now they're heading for the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. While sitting out on the deck of their boat, the Van Nelle, with a glass of champagne in one hand and mobile phone in the other, Jay talked about the lifestyle of barging through Europe. A decade of decadence "We're here to discover Europe by the waterways, but some people stay in one area. We bought the boat in the Netherlands and travelled first to France. There are 15,000 kilometres of waterways in Europe and 7,500 of them are in France. We've done most of it now so next year we head back towards Holland because every four years we have to have the boat surveyed. "At 55, we're one of the youngest couples barging here; most of the people we know are 60 to 65. There are quite a few Australians and New Zealanders and many are professional, retired engineers or company directors, that sort of level. They're all fit and active - this is not a lifestyle for people who can't jump on and off a boat - but if you walk and ride bicycles and enjoy the outdoors, you'll like it. "One of the great things about this life is that you meet a lot of people on other boats and you make friends very quickly because you may only have a couple of days to spend with them. In Perth I probably made 10 friends in 25 years, but here, in the first summer you'd make friends with 10 couples and carry on the relationship for years. It's a very social lifestyle - you'd be crazy to isolate yourself from other people or the culture of the country. We have found the French to be absolutely open and friendly and amazingly helpful. "Highlights have included visiting the battlefields, museums and cemeteries of Australians from the First World War, which was very moving; lazy days on the back deck with people you've met; long lunches by the Mediterranean; and taking people on river cruises around the islands of Paris. "It's not necessarily a lifestyle that requires a great deal of money. If you're doing it for a short time, renting a boat, especially if you share with another couple, it is quite inexpensive. The nice thing about renting is that you can rent throughout Europe once a year, every year, in a different location each time, but on a familiar boat. We have friends who have come back every summer for the last 10 years. "If you're going to do it for an extended time, you should buy a boat and live on it for a year or just the summer. For five months of the year you're locked in the one place, in your winter port, so you just get connected to the central heating, light your fire and enjoy your social engagements. Maureen goes back to Australia every winter but I haven't been back in the three-and-a-half years. I don't miss it. "We've got a big boat and we live a relatively lavish lifestyle - we buy expensive wines and food and hire cars to go and see other places. In total we spend about $45,000 a year, including Maureen's airfares back to Australia and the cost of living there for winter. But you could probably live on $30,000 a year if you had a smaller boat, used less fuel and bought less expensive food and wine. We live on our savings and income from property back in Australia. "We paid 200,000 Euro, about $350,000, for our boat, but for less than $100,000 you can get a good, smaller, ex-rental boat that uses less fuel and you'll be charged less fees. Ex-rental boats, from Connoisseur or Crown Blue, start at about 60,000 Euro, or $80,000. "When we have people come on trips with us, we operate on the basis of shared costs, just enough to cover food and the extra expense of having more people on board. The original idea was to take friends and their acquaintances, but then they told other people and our website attracted enquiries from people in the US, the UK and New Zealand who wanted to find out what it's like before they buy a boat and do it themselves." Jay and Maureen McDaniell can be contacted by email or phone. For contact details or more information about barging, please see their comprehensive website, 'A Couple of Aussies Barging Thru Europe': www.mcdaniell.com.au.
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Hundreds
of years ago, these water highways were used to transport heavy
goods between market towns and villages. Many canals were constructed
in the early 16th century, while some in Holland and France date
back to Roman times. Much of this history has been preserved in
the sites and buildings along the banks, and the rest of modern
Europe lies not far beyond - just dock the boat and walk, cycle
or take a tour into town.
