Le Boat's top boating destinations – Our ultimate boating vacation index
The best region for your next boating vacation revealed!
Going on a boating trip is an incredibly exciting experience. When you rent a boat, you’re free to enjoy your vacation however you’d like. Better yet, there’s a boating vacation to suit everyone. Whether you’re a family looking for an action-packed trip, or a group of friends booking a short break away, you’re bound to find a boating vacation that offers everything you want it to. And, to make the decision that much easier, we’ve created the ultimate boating vacation index.
30 popular boating routes were analysed based on eight different factors: family-friendliness, food, nature, sport, culture, pet-friendliness, cost of living and transport — you can find out how we did this further down. With the scores all totalled up, the locations could then be ranked on their performance in each category.
So, without further delay, we can reveal the best boating destination for your next vacation below.
Contents:
Index categories:
- Our top destinations for family boating vacations
- Best foodie destinations
- Destinations to enjoy nature and wildlife
- Best destinations for sports and active vacations
- Top destinations for culture and history
- Top destinations to travel to with your dog
- Ease of travel
- Cost of living
- Overall top destinations
If the whole family is coming along
A boating vacation is a memorable experience for the whole family, especially if you choose a destination jam-packed with things to do. The Thames is a particular favourite among families, coming joint top in our family ranking. Here, you can experience countless museums and historical sights, let off some steam with some watersports, or enjoy the thrills of LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort or the famous Thorpe Park (which is just a short walk from our Chertsey base). Further along, you’ll also find pick-your-own farms like Garsons farm in Surrey, where the whole family can pick fresh produce to enjoy on board your boat.
Also top of our family-friendly routes are Flanders in Belgium, Mecklenburg and Brandenburg in Germany, and Holland — which can offer plenty of thrills and fun.
If you’re looking for the best food
Foodies will delight in a boating vacation in France, with the majority of our French routes ranking top of our culinary category. These include the Canal du Midi, Burgundy, Lot, Aquitaine, and Brittany, where you’ll find a range of Michelin-starred restaurants, vineyards, and food festivals to enjoy. Try out local dishes like cassoulet in Castelnaudary, Brittany’s famous oysters, or Dijon’s iconic mustard.
For the cheapest meal, head to Franche-Comté or Mecklenburg and Brandenburg, where an inexpensive meal can cost as little as £10.53. In Germany, you can also enjoy famous German dishes like Currywurst and Eisbein mit Sauerkraut (pork knuckle with sauerkraut), both said to originate in Berlin.
Also in the top destinations for foodies is Holland, where you can taste local dishes, drinks, and perhaps even take a cooking class.
If you’re interested in nature
A houseboating vacation is the perfect way to experience the very best a country has to offer, from an entirely new perspective. The tranquillity of the world’s waterways makes the best home to an abundance of wildlife. Among one of the most scenic routes in our index is the Loch Ness and Caledonian canal, where the landscape is like no other. Sit back and enjoy the unique mountainous beauty of the Scottish Highlands, where you may spot a variety of local birds, red deer, fox, and possibly even a certain monster.
Similarly, the rivers Shannon and Erne play host to a selection of wildlife, from ducks and geese to terns, coots, and Great-crested grebes. It’s one of the best bird-watching spots in the whole of Ireland! For something a bit different, the Camargue is home to some interesting wildlife, including pink flamingos and white horses.
Of course, Canada’s famous landscape is one not to miss, and the Rideau Canal offers the ultimate vantage point to enjoy this wonderful region. We particularly recommend visiting in autumn as the scenery transforms into a rich canvas of red, orange, and yellow.
If outdoor activities are what you’re after, Burgundy, Charente, and Brittany are all packed full of nature, and you can make the most of it with a spot of golf, horse riding, fishing, or maybe some cycling or watersports.
If you’re after a sporting break
If you’re looking for a vacation full of adventure and experience, or maybe a short and relaxing golf or fishing break, then you’re in luck. Nearly all of the routes in our index scored full points for leisure and sport, with plenty of golf courses, cycling routes, and fishing spots, along with horse riding schools and watersport rentals.
France’s Brittany region is a particularly top spot for golfers where you can experience a round at one of the area’s many immaculate golf courses, including La Freslonnière, often regarded as one of the very best in the region. The River Shannon in Ireland is also popular with golfers, thanks to the Enniskillen Golf Club and the scenic Manor House Marine.
Ireland isn’t just a great spot for golf either. Here, anglers can head over to Lough Derg for some of the best fishing in the country, while equestrians can enjoy a relaxing horse ride through the city of Banagher.
For a really unforgettable horse riding experience, a trip to the French region of Camargue is a must. This location is famous for its wild white horses, and the whole family can enjoy a riding lesson at one of the many horse riding schools in the region.
If culture is your thing
Just over half of the routes in our index scored full points for history and heritage, making them the best boating vacations for those wanting to broaden their cultural horizons. A boating vacation in any of these regions promises plenty of museums, historical buildings, art galleries, festivals, and even some UNESCO world heritage sites.
Soak up some French culture on the waterways of the Canal du Midi, Franche Comté, Nivernais & Loire, Alsace-Lorraine, Lot, Charente, and Aquitaine. Cruise along any of these routes and you’ll discover pretty French towns and villages steeped in history.
Of course, a trip to the famous city of Berlin or a break in Flanders is a must for any history buff, and we couldn’t talk about culturally-rich vacations without mentioning Italy. Discover the remarkable canals of Venice on a trip along the Friuli-Venezia Giulia coast.
If you’re travelling with your dog
All UK, Italian, and French locations came out top for dog-friendliness, so if you’re travelling with your dog in tow, these are the best regions to explore. If you’re located in the UK, the Caledonian Canal and Loch Ness are particularly great for staycations with your pets, and you won’t need to worry about pet passports or paperwork. You’ll find plenty of walking routes along these rivers where both you and your pooch can enjoy a change of scenery. It’s also much easier to travel with your pet if you’re staying local!
That’s not to say you can’t travel outside the UK with your dog, but you will need to prepare all the necessary paperwork. To travel to the EU, you’ll need to have a valid rabies vaccination as well as an animal health certificate. So, if you’re heading further afield, perhaps on one of our nature-filled French boating holidays like Burgundy: Nivernais and Loire, Camargue, Charente, or Brittany, you’ll need to prepare the necessary documents beforehand. You can find out more about travelling with your dog, including how to come back to the UK, in our guide to dog friendly vacation.
If you want to keep travel to a minimum
It’s understandable that you’ll want to spend as much time as possible relaxing during your vacation, which means minimising your travel time. That’s why we’ve ranked each route based on their ease of getting to. Each route was awarded a point if one of its bases was within an hour’s drive of an airport or 30 minutes’ drive from a train station. Canada’s Rideau Canal scored full points, along with Holland and Germany’s Bernburg and the River Saale.
If a trip to France is on the cards, the Canal du Midi, Franche Comté, Alsace-Lorraine, Camargue, Charente, and Brittany are all just a short car ride from an airport or train station.
Of course, if you really want to keep travel time to a minimum, there’s bound to be some great staycation spots just a short train ride away. For example, here in the UK, the Thames, Shannon and Erne, the Norfolk Broads, and Stratford-upon-Avon all have a nearby train station and airport, so you can start your vacation as soon as possible.
If you’re looking for a bargain
Looking to keep costs down? A houseboating vacation is perfect if you’re on a budget. You’re free to visit wherever you want, and you can go entirely self-catered — meaning no expensive restaurant bills! If you choose a location where the cost of living is relatively low, you can reduce your spending even more. Our holidays on the Rideau Canal and Burgundy’s Nivernais and Loire region came out as the cheapest routes in our ranking.
If you’re in the UK and looking to minimise travel costs as well as vacation spending, Scotland’s Loch Ness and the Caledonian canal came out as the cheapest of our UK routes. Here, you can expect to spend as little as £22.97 on basic groceries.
The overall best boating holiday destinations
| Boating Region | Country | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Canal du Midi | France | 40 |
| Burgundy: Nivernais & Loire | France | 40 |
| Brittany | France | 40 |
| Charente | France | 39 |
| Mecklenburg, Brandenburg and Berlin | Germany | 39 |
| Burgundy: Franche Comté | France | 39 |
| Holland, Amsterdam and Friesland | Netherlands | 39 |
| Alsace-Lorraine | France | 38 |
| Camargue | France | 38 |
| Aquitaine | France | 38 |
After adding up all the scores for every category we were able to award the title of the overall best vacation to three of the routes. It was an incredibly close race, but the Canal du Midi, Nivernais and Loire, and Brittany came out top with 40 points. We’re certainly not surprised either. All three routes scored full points for food, leisure and sport, and dog-friendliness among others. If you’re travelling in a large group or want to experience as much as you possibly can, these are the best trips to book.
In light of the results, Cheryl Brown, Le Boat’s Managing Director commented:
“There really is a boating vacation for everyone and the mixture of our results helps to cement that. There’s a boating region to suit everyone and almost any kind of vacation. The River Thames has everything a family could want from their break away, while Loch Ness is a haven for nature lovers, for example. And, of course, foodies will adore almost anywhere in France thanks to its fabulous gastronomical heritage.
“A boating vacation isn’t often the first option on people’s minds when they start booking a vacation, and often people don’t quite know where to start. With so much variety, our index shows that a boating vacation is perfect for anyone, and our ranking will help make the decision process much easier.
“Our house boats can be rented without any prior experience or licence too, meaning everyone can make the most of a canal or river vacation. Simply use our boat index to find your dream route and book your next trip away.”
Methodology
We ranked 30 canal cruising routes on eight different factors: family-friendliness, food, nature, sport, culture, pet-friendliness, cost of living, and transport. To gather the data, we looked at route brochures and guides to determine what attractions were on the route. We also plotted the route on Google Maps to determine what attractions were within 5 miles of the canal or river. If a route had at least one of the attraction type within 5 miles it was awarded a 1. If the attraction type couldn’t be found in guides or on Google Maps, it was awarded 0 points. The routes were then given a score for each main category and an overall score. Other data, including pet-friendliness and cost of living scores, were compiled using research from third parties.
Full research and sources (Google Sheets)
If you’re planning your next trip away, use our boating index to narrow down your destination options. We offer a wide range of house boat vacations here at Emerald Star — we are the UK’s number one provider of European and Canadian boating vacations after all! Just browse our options today and rent a boat on one of the world’s best waterways. Don’t forget to check out our blog too, for even more helpful advice.
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