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Tips for Enjoying Europe by Houseboat

Travel Guides, Europe, Houseboat, Kid Friendly, Scotland

Join me in imagining you have awoken on a small private boat……

As you step out into the dewy French morning air you note how quiet it is and see that the lights still illuminate the nearby cathedral. The boulangerie will open soon, so you step off to join the locals in search of *the* freshest baguette you’ll ever enjoy. Oh, France isn’t your cup of tea? Scratch that, here’s scenario two….

It’s still morning, but you awoke on Loch Ness, Scotland, warm coffee in hand. The water is so still that you cannot differentiate the sky from the water. To your left a shipwreck, perfectly reflected so it resembles a winged creature, gently floating, makes you wonder who came before. Castle ruins to your right remind you that this peaceful area has not always been so. The hum of the boat brings you back to reality, but the moment will never leave you.

I am so thankful to have lived these experiences, in France and Scotland, aboard a private, self-navigated houseboat with my family. For many reasons, they are weeks I will never forget, and I will always be a proponent of traveling by houseboat. Are you ready to hear more? Here are our tips for enjoying Europe by houseboat!

Where can you rent a houseboat?

My friend, the possibilities are so varied it will amaze you! While we have only experienced France and Scotland there are also boats available for rent in Germany, Ireland, The Netherlands, Italy, England, and Belgium.

We highly recommend Le Boat and Locaboat for your self-drive houseboat rental, having used both. Our most recent trip was with Le Boat on the Caledonian Canal in Scotland, so I’ll focus most of my notes there for this blog. Another popular rental there was Caley Cruisers, which looked like well-appointed boats.

Why Travel Europe by Houseboat?

1
FREEEEDDDDOOOOOOMMMMMM (in my best William Wallace impression). Many of the houseboats on the Caledonian Canal (and other epic locations) are self-driven, making you the captain of your destiny. When you begin your excursion, you are taught all you need to know to safely drive, moor (park), and navigate the locks. This provides the ultimate freedom to stop as you please, stay where you want, and choose your own adventure.
2
A different perspective. The best view of Urquhart Castle, a famous ruin on the edge of Loch Ness, is from the water. And you, my friend, can see it at first light, or as the sun dips low, from your boat. Rather than watching boats traverse the famous lock system at Fort Augustus, you get to LIVE it as you navigate your houseboat through. It’s a different perspective of the area than most get to experience and when the glassy water perfectly reflects the sky each morning as you sip your coffee you will be thankful.
3
Conveniences of home. Our houseboat was from Le Boat’s “Comfort Line” and came fully equipped. We had four cabins and 3 bath/shower combinations, which sounds HUGE, but was still compact and easy to navigate through the Caledonian Canal. The kitchen features all the kitchenware needed for home-cooked meals, the showers were nice and warm, and the heater kept us toasty on the cool Scottish nights. The best feature of our boat was the outdoor dining table on the top deck, perfect for taking in the view. Your boat will have a sizeable water tank and maintain enough battery life to power the lights and heater, but to run the microwave and charge some devices you will need “shore power” available at many of the overnight mooring locations.
4
Cost effective. When you consider that your boat is both a “hotel room” and a “rental car” in one they really are a cost-effective way to enjoy the area. While we only had 5 people on board, our boat could accommodate 10 people.
5
A slower pace of travel. The pace of the lockkeeper becomes the watch to set your days by. In many locales, locks do not open until 9 a.m., stop for lunch, and close by 5. This has provided our family with a much-needed forced s-l-o-w down in pace. I am my father’s child when traveling. Planning, researching, and keeping the troops flowing safely from one site to the next. Our first houseboat in central France when I was in high school was the first time that I ever witnessed him take a breath. One of my favorite images of him is sitting on the floor in front of our steering wheel aboard the Mericourt, the door propped open, Coca-Cola in hand, complete serenity on his face. We rented bikes on that trip and matched pace with our slow boat, endless fields of sunflowers streaming by at sunset as the cooler air finally arrived to say goodnight.
6
Kindred spirits. The slow pace of travel on a houseboat will bring you gifts in the form of camaraderie you may otherwise never find. A closed lock gate in France at lunchtime gifted us a family of 4 to share a meal with, in front of a beautiful manor house. Table cushions from the boat were hauled into the grass, fresh fruit, and wine and cheese made the perfect of picnics. From that meal on we were companions for the week. In Scotland, having to moor your boat to another boat for the night led to an invitation to listen to musicians on the neighboring boat, whom we very quickly realized were well-known and well-talented. They are people and moments that lock themselves into your mind, whispering as you look out from your own eyes “You will carry this in your soul.”
Interior of a le boat houseboat
Le Boat Laggan

Tips for Traveling by Houseboat

Take the Onboard Safety Instructions to Heart

Learning to steer, operate your boat, traverse locks, and how to moor your boat are all important. Lockkeepers will not allow you through without a life vest on, so be sure to either wear them or keep them nearby. We opted to always wear them when on the exterior of our boat to set a good example for our daughter.

Learn the Terminology

MOOR- to tie off or park your boat.

SHORE POWER- Power available at some overnight mooring which will allow you to run items needing more power than the boat battery can typically handle, such as the microwave or a hair dryer.

SWING BRIDGE- a bridge that must be swung aside to allow boats to pass.

PONTOON- the dock where you moor your boat.

LOCK- used for lowering or raising your boat to the next level of a canal.

CANAL- a man-made waterway.

Ducks at Fort Augustus from a Le Boat houseboat
Le Boat Houseboat inside of a lock on the Caledonian Canal

Take Advantage of Extra Offerings

All the houseboat rental companies offer wonderful equipment rentals to add to your adventure. On our boat in France, we added bicycles to ride next to our boat. Le Boat in Laggan, Scotland offered paddle boards, BBQ grills, kayaks, bikes, and more.

Bring Games!

You will be without Wi-Fi unless the boat company offers an add-on. We love taking card games and coloring books since they are light and don’t take up much space in your suitcase.

Our current favorites:

Go Grocery Shopping Before You Board

Honestly, this is a favorite part of the trip for me. Who doesn’t love exploring a grocery store in another country? While we prefer eating dinner out, planning breakfast and lunch aboard your boat is easiest. The boat kitchens have been well-appointed in our experience, including a microwave (this only works when hooked to shore power), gas range and oven, utensils, and a French-press coffee maker. The refrigerator is typically on the small side, with very limited freezer space (although our recent boat from Le Boat had two of them).

Here is what we like to have on our houseboat shopping list:

BREAKFAST: Cereal, Milk, Oatmeal Pots, Fruit, Coffee, Tea
LUNCH: Bread, Sliced Meat, Sliced Cheese, Condiments, Lettuce, Tomato, Canned Soup
SNACKS: Crisps (Chips), Cookies
DRINKS: Bottled Water, Soda, Coffee, Tea, Scotch
OTHER: Extra Toilet Paper (the boat often only provides one), Trash Bags (again, the boat gives you one), Gloves (for handling ropes), Midge Spray, and Suncream.
The Magnifique houseboat from Le Boat's comfort line moored in Urquhart Bay in Drumnadrochit, Scotland
Loch Ness Research vessel parked in Uquhart Bay, Scotland

Selecting your houseboat

Houseboats come in a variety of sizes and configurations. It is important to choose one well-suited to your family. 

Here are amenities to consider:

  1. An interior and exterior steering location. 
  2. An al fresco dining table or other exterior space. 
  3. Bow Thrusters. These help to push the boat side to side and are handy for larger boats. 

Are you ready to learn more about a houseboat adventure?

Click Here To Read About Our Houseboat Rental on Loch Ness
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