European Waterways
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| Company type | Private Limited Company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Travel |
| Founded | 1974 |
| Headquarters | Datchet, Berkshire, United Kingdom |
Key people | Derek Banks, John Wood-Dow |
| Products | Hotel Barging |
Number of employees | 50 - 75 |
| Website | www |
European Waterways is an international company based in Berkshire, England that operates a fleet of 17 river cruising vessels along the rivers and canals of Europe. The company takes old trading barges and converts them into "boutique luxury" hotel barges.
Company history
European Waterways, a UK company based in England, was established in 1977 by owner Derek Banks with the purchase of an existing French inland waterways cruising company which had been created 3 years earlier in 1974.[citation needed] The first hotel barge was Anjodi, which was originally purchased in 1982. In 1994 the company built the 12 passenger La Belle Epoque followed by its sister ship, 12 passenger L'Impressionniste, in 1995. After these acquisitions European Waterways expanded steadily and, as a result of cooperation with several companies in the travel industry and additional acquisitions, now operates a fleet of 17 hotel barges along the inland waterways of 9 countries in Europe.
Derek Banks, the company founder, was brought up on the River Thames and has enjoyed all aspects of life afloat. It was as a result of this early exposure to the inland waterways that he was inspired to move to a lock house in the middle of France in the mid 1970s and start the now thriving European Waterways.[citation needed]
The company originally focused on the Canal du Nivernais in central Burgundy, France, but as the company grew, cruises were programmed all over Europe. With purchases such as the barges L'Art de Vivre, Scottish Highlander and Panache the company expanded to cover Scotland, France,[1] Italy, Holland, Belgium, England, Germany, Luxembourg and Ireland. Today, with an international clientele, European Waterways has clients from all over the world, primarily from the United Kingdom, USA, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, France, Canada and Hong Kong.[citation needed]
Cruising with European Waterways
European Waterways' barges carry between 6 and 20 passengers and also provide tandem cruises to accommodate up to 20 passengers. The cruises are marketed as being unique from other tours in that they provide the inland cruising vacationer, views and access to areas that, in a car or on a bus tour, are not ordinarily accessible in addition to other tourist attractions such as Châteaux, markets and villages
The cruises are a minimum of 6 nights long and take place on the Nivernais Canal, the River Yonne, the Burgundy Canal, the River Rhône, the Canal du Midi,[2][3] the River Cher the Venetian lagoon, the Brenta Canal, the Garonne River, the Caledonian Canal,[4] the River Thames and the River Shannon. All voyages include at least one guided shore excursion per day.
Geared toward the North American and UK tourist market, European Waterways provides English-speaking staff on its barges and fully escorted tours. Many of the tours are guided walks that showcase history, culture, art and architecture of the visited towns and villages.[5]
Current fleet
| Ship name | Year built | Length | Crew | Guests |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Belle Epoque | 1930
|
128 feet | 5 | 12 |
| L'Art de Vivre | 1917
|
100 feet | 4 | 8 |
| L'Impressionniste | 1960 | 128 feet | 5 | 12 |
| Rosa | 1907
|
98 feet | 4 | 8 |
| Enchanté | 1958
|
100 feet | 4 | 8 |
| Spirit of Scotland | 2003
|
126 feet | 6 | 12 |
| Anjodi[6][7] | 1930
|
100 feet | 4 | 8 |
| Athos | 1964
|
103 feet | 4 | 10 |
| Nymphea | 1921
|
80 feet | 3 | 6 |
| La Renaissance | 1960
|
128 feet | 5 | 8 |
| La Nouvelle Etoile | 1964
|
129 feet | 5 | 8 |
| Scottish Highlander[8][9] | 1931
|
117 feet | 4 | 8 |
| Magna Carta | 1931
|
117 feet | 8 | 4 |
| Shannon Princess II | 2003
|
107 feet | 5 | 10 |
| La Bella Vita | 1960
|
140 feet | 5-8 | 20 |
| Panache | 1959
|
128 feet | 6 | 12 |
References
- ^ Hill, Richard (May 1997). "Lost in France". Canal & Riverboat.
{{cite journal}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ Fuller-Love, Heidi (February 2005). "French Waterways". Living France.
- ^ Kay Kritzwiser. "Six slow days on the canal". The Globe and Mail.
- ^ "www.thetraveleditor.com/article/2358/Feature_Article_Cruise_Cruising_the_Caledonian_Canal.html".[unreliable source?]
- ^ Stern, Steven (2009). Stern's Guide to the Cruise Vacation. Pelican Publishing Company. p. 356. ISBN 978-1-58980-614-6.
{{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ Pritchard, David (2009). Shooting the cook. FSC AND Harper Colins. ISBN 978-0-00-727830-5.
{{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ Bowler, Vivian (2005). Rick Stein's French Odyssey. BBC Books. ISBN 0-563-52213-5.
{{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ Gardner, Alison (2009). "Barging Across Scotland, Clan History, Nature and Scottish Cuisine". Travel with a Challenge. Retrieved 2 October 2009.[unreliable source?]
- ^ "www.intltravelnews.com/2009/02/cruising-scotlands-caledonian-canal-thomas/".[unreliable source?]