Canal & Waterway
Hotel Boats and Barges

These boats come with a crew that drives the boat and prepares some or all of your meals. There will be some small number of other passengers. Lounge and eating areas are shared. On the UK canals, hotel boats are often a pair of 70 foot long narrowboats, and passenger cabins are small. On European canals, hotel boats are often wider and carry more passengers.

For larger vessels, please visit the River Cruise Ships (on the Continent) page.

There is no implied recommendation for any of the firms listed, nor is any criticism implied for any firm not listed. No firm has paid for any listing.

Visit the firms' web sites and/or contact them directly for further information.

North American residents may find that some of the US-Based Agencies represent hotel boat firms.

Hotel Boat Firms and Agencies - Continental Europe

See the French Waterways Links page

De 4 Vaargetijden - Belgium (web pages available in English, Français, Deutsch, Nederlands)

Canal & Co - France

Go Barging - France, Germany

MS Aventura - Rhine and other rivers; 12 passengers. (Web site in English, Deutsch)

HAT Tours - Holland; "bike and barge tour"; (web pages available in English, Deutsch, Nederlands)

Golden Odyssey - Luxury Dutch Barge - Belgium, Netherlands, France

Merganser - France

Clair de Lune - France

Johanna - Dutch barge; 8 passengers; France (Alsace, Lorraine and the Ardennes)

Dutch Paradise Charters - river salon yacht; 10 passengers; Holland, Belgium, France (web pages in English, Deutsch, Français, Nederlands)

Barge Colibri - 4 passengers (Canal du Midi, France)

Barge Nilaya - 4 passenger Luxemotor barge; France

Barge and Breakfast - "charter" service: your party are the only guests; 2-4 passengers; France

Feniks - hotel boat, cycling holidays, charters; cruises the Netherlands, Belgium and France

River Yacht "Roi Soleil" - cruises Canal du Midi and in Provence

The Saint Louis - up to six passengers; France

Hotel Boat Firms and Agencies - UK

Hotelboat firms who are APCO members - some boats have been graded by "Visit Britain". APCO is the Association of Pleasure Craft Operators.

UK - Narrowboats

As these sometimes roam around much of the canal system during a season, no "location" has been specified.

See also Hotel Boat Firms and Agencies - UK - Wide-beam.

Away4awhile

Barge Cruising - cruising R. Thames; wide-beam barge "Actief"

Bywater Holiday Cruises
- a horse drawn boat offering short breaks on the Montgomery Canal, with nights spent in hotels

Bywater Hotelboat Cruises

Canal Voyagers - hotel narrowboat pair Snipe & Taurus

Duke & Duchess Hotel Narrowboats

Exclusively Gay Cruising Company - reportedly has ceased trading 1/07; reportedly also traded as the Exceedingly Good Cruising Company

H & H Narrowboat Hotels - ceased operating 2004

Hotelboat Heather   Link broken?

Hotelboat Periwinkle

Hotelboat ShirleyAnne - ceased operating 2005

LadyLine Hotel Boats

Narrowboat Hotel Company - no longer operating in 2008

The narrowboating guesthouse - reportedly has ceased trading

Reed Boats

Charter Hotelboat Willow - "charter" service: your party are the only guests

Shadow Cruisers Luxury Holidays

Wood Owl Hotel Narrowboat - new owner for 2007

Hotel Boat Firms and Agencies - UK - Wide-beam

Baglady luxury hotel boat - cruises R. Thames; your party of two are the only guests

Bidford Boats - no longer operates hotel boat

The Boatel Experience   Link not working - cruises in area of Nottingham, Lincoln, and York

English Holiday Cruises - River Severn; two boats

Fingal Cruises - Scotland (Loch Ness and Caledonian Canal)

Go Barging - River Thames; Scotland

Hotel Barge Dudley Thomas - ceased trading 2006

Inland Waterway Holiday Cruises - Dutch barge - River Thames

Loch Ness & Great Glen Cruise Company - ceased trading 2005

Scottish Highlander - Scotland

Thames & Chilterns Holiday Cruises - narrowboat-style boat, but wider - River Thames; K&A Canal


Please email firm and agency suggestions to the address below.

Many thanks to Nigel Hamilton, Julie Shook, Robin Smithett, and Paul Higson for additions and corrections.


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Text, graphics, and photos Copyright © 1995-2009 by George Pearson.
Last Modified: Monday, 15-Jun-09 7:00 pm EDT