Boating holidays and river cruises

Boating Holidays Ltd is the specialist in holiday boating and canal holidays in the UK, France, Ireland, Holland, Italy, Germany, Belgium, USA and the Caribbean.

Check out the boating holidays below and pick the perfect canal holiday or river cruise with our independent advice and free booking service, plus online availability for most boats.

If you prefer a holiday afloat with crew, please check out our Blue Water Holidays website for a full range of hotel barge, small ship and cruise ship holidays.

Over 3000 boating holidays in these countries:

Boat Types:

UK Canal Boat Holidays

Take a unique canal narrowboat holiday along the canals of England, Wales and Scotland. Travel through countryside and heritage sites.

France Boating Holidays

Explore the rivers and canals of France on a cruiser or penichette. Cruise the famous Canal du Midi, wine areas of Burgundy, sample French regions.

Ireland Boating Holidays

Enjoy Ireland’s culture and life by boat. Travel the River Shannon or scenic Erne waterways and stop off to explore the villages and sights of historic Ireland.

Cruiser Boat Holidays

Check out our huge range of cruiser hire-boats available in the UK, Ireland, France, Holland, Italy, Belgium, Germany, USA and the Caribbean.

UK Cruiser Boating Holidays

See the rivers of England and lochs of Scotland on a cruiser boat. Choose from River Thames, Loch Ness, Norfolk Broads, Yorkshire Ouse.

Italy Boating Holidays

Steer your boat to historic Venice from our cruiser and penichette bases nearby. See the ancient sights, canals, and the lagoon islands.

Holland Boating Holidays

Cruise the famous Dutch canals from our penichette and cruiser bases. Explore scenic towns and villages or travel to cosmopolitan Amsterdam.

Narrowboat Canal Holidays

We offer a huge choice of traditional canal boat holidays. Drive your narrowboat through locks and tunnels, over bridges and aqueducts.

Germany Boating Holidays

Explore the lakes region of eastern Germany around the Berlin area. Choose from cruiser boats or penichette barges in a range of sizes.

Belgium Boating Holidays

Take a route from near the Belgian coast to the canal city of Bruges, or perhaps take a circular tour around the scenic areas of Belgium.

Poland Boating Holidays

For a new experience cruise in North-East Poland. Mazuria is a network of lakes and rivers fringed by great forests. A nature-lover’s paradise.

Penichette Barge Holidays

The distinctive Penichette barges sleep from 2-12 people, and are available in Ireland, France, Holland, Germany and Italy.

Selected crewed holidays afloat from our Blue Water Holidays website:

Luxury Hotel Barges in Europe

We offer luxury 6-12 berth crewed hotel barges in France, England, Scotland and Ireland, plus narrowboat hotel cruises in England.

River Cruise Ships Europe/Worldwide

Take a river cruise ship on the Rhine through Holland and Germany, or Danube to Vienna and Budapest. Cruise to Venice, Paris, Avignon or Porto.

Tall Ship Sailing Cruises

For a selection of tall ship cruises around the world, gulet holidays in Turkey, and active sailing trips visit our sailing cruises website.

Norwegian Coast & Northern Lights

Take the daily cruise ferry along the Norway coast and fjords to the Arctic Circle and in winter maybe see the famous Northern Lights.

For cruising holidays on small ships and cruise liners see our other websites at:
Blue Water Holidays, Christmas Cruises, Late Cruises.
For a variety of UK specific holidays see Holidays in the UK.