Embarking on a boating vacation offers an exquisite way to savor the summer season! Simply pack your bags and drift along the water on a houseboat or yacht for a few blissful weeks. Bask in the warmth of the sun, indulge in fishing and swimming, and explore charming coastal towns. The cost is comparable to a hotel stay but with significantly less hassle.
This idyllic escape is perfect for families, providing ample entertainment for everyone, especially the kids. Children delight in water activities such as swimming and snorkeling, allowing adults to unwind in a comfortable fold-up chair with a refreshing drink and a good book.
It’s a rejuvenating experience for all!
Boating Vacation or Cruise Ship?
Boating vacations, as opposed to travel on large cruise ships, offer a more intimate and relaxed voyage without the bustle of thousands of mega-ship passengers all around you. And the venues are more intriguing than the tourist traps visited by the big cruise ships.
The smaller boats are surprisingly well-serviced, with features such as showers and sometimes bicycles for tours around the countryside during stops.
Numerous online services globally provide opportunities for excursions on local canals and lakes, set against the backdrop of historical sites. How about embarking on a canal journey across Holland? This maritime nation, constructed on marshland, retains remnants of its origins in the intricate network of canals that weave through the entire country, linking charming towns (whose architecture is meticulously preserved due to Dutch laws safeguarding historic buildings from extensive renovations) to cosmopolitan hubs like Amsterdam.
A Boating Vacation on a River
England and Wales also have canals, are a multitude of tours are available, such as Llangollen, Four Counties and Cheshire Rings, Oxford and Avon canals, and the river Thames. Unknown to most tourists, there is a network of waterways that traverse England from Yorkshire to Avon and into Wales.
See different historic towns without battling vacation drivers on Europe’s crowded roads (and believe me, if you are used to driving only on North America’s wide freeways, European traffic will give you a shock).
In Scotland, how about a boating vacation on 23-mile long Loch Ness? There’s no guarantee Nessie will show up, but you are bound to be impressed by the rugged grandeur of the Great Glen and the battle-scarred castles surrounding it. It is one of Europe’s most spellbinding locations, and a pleasant surprise to those under the impression that there is no wilderness left in Europe.
Eagles, ospreys and other rare birds and even otters live in this pristine environment. Needless to say, opportunities for fishing abound. Visit the Loch Ness Center at Drumnadrochit to learn the in-depth history of the area.
Don’t forget to consider a romantic boating vacation on the waterways of France. The canals of Brittany, Burgundy, Alsace, River Charente, River Lot and the South of France offer beauty, culture, and inimitable French food and wine enroute.
In North America, the Great Lakes region is so large it is impossible to see it all on one 2-week boating vacation. The St. Lawrence River is one of the most important rivers on the North American continent. It begins in the Great Lakes, leading to as vast estuary before ending in the Atlantic Ocean. It is approximately 500 miles long, and forms the border between Canada and the USA for approximately 100 miles.
Sail up the St. Lawrence canal on a tour into French Canada for spectacular northern scenery and wildlife such as Beluga whales.
While on the topic of North American boating vacation destinations, let’s not forget Lake Tahoe. This is a perennially popular tourist destination, and every American who has the chance should visit this unique lake at least once. There are Emerald Bay sightseeing cruises on the Tahoe Queen, and rides on the M.S. Dixie II paddle wheeler.
There is also a 44-foot trimaran and 55-foot catamaran. Small family boats are available for private family rental. Lake Tahoe offers many upscale resorts and restaurants as well as historic tours.