Welcome to the h2olidays english language web site dedicated solely to your next vacation by barge or houseboat on the canals and waterways of Europe. We hope that you can pronounce our name. As it implies we are a travel agency specialising in waterways holidays.

We have without doubt the most extensive site on the web dedicated to canal boat holidays in continental europe.

We are the sister company of H2O who are waterways specialists since 1987. 

For many years we organised and operated our travel business within H2O, but it became more and more obvious that this is a business that deserves to exist in its own right.

We are a small company and you will have easy and direct contact with the people organising your vacation.

We work with most of the major operators and we can always find you the best available boat for where and when you want to cruise. If we don't have the boat that you asked for available, we will propose the closest alternatives. Please let us know which criteria are the most important to you: the exact dates?, the boat?, the company?, the departure base? etc.

We are here to help you before, during, and after your trip. 

There are hundreds and hundreds of pages of information to enable you to make your choice.

We are constantly upgrading and improving the site and we welcome any comments that you may have to make it load faster and look good on your screen. Our priority is to get as much information to you as quickly as possible.

We love boats and France and we hope that you enjoy this site enough to try out the canals and rivers some time in the near future.

We are a fully bonded French Travel agency. Beware of other websites where there is no company name and address as they are probably not travel agents and you have no guarantee that your cruise will take place as booked. If they do not specify their travel agency licence number then they could be closed down at any moment by the authorities concerned in the country that they operate from. We are registered in France and this is one of the most serious qualifications that can be obtained.

We hope that you will find this site informative and friendly and that you will book through us. We need you! 

We would like to present to you 3 different types of canal holiday depending on your comfort requirements and budget.

No previous experience or driving license is necessary but you should be in normal reasonable physical condition. 

The boats are arranged to sleep from 2 to 12 persons and are provided with everything to help you enjoy your holiday; bedding with duvets and linen, fully equipped kitchen with oven and fridge, shower with hot water, heating, bicycles (bicycles are a paid extra) and canal guides. 

The boats are regularly inspected by the canal authorities rather like the 'coast guard' inspection and they are fully equipped with safety equipment. 

You must of course rent the entire boat. Bargains are available in the mid and low seasons. These boats are very popular so book early. More details.

These are barges for charter only and based on cruises of 2, 4 or 6 nights. The barges are driven by the owners who live in separate quarters in the aft of the barge. There are 3/4/5 separate sleeping cabins each with a private bathroom. The total sleeping capacity is limited by law to 6 guests (12 on the Au Fil de l'Eau).. 

We can arrange any extra services such as a chef to shop, cook and wash up, a guide with minibus, pickup and drop off at a train station or airport, hot air ballooning etc.. (the minibus is usually included with the Who Knows and the Alphonsia Maria). This gives you the maximum flexibility to enjoy the canals and also discover the region. 

Prices do not vary throughout the season and so it is a bargain for the summer months. More information.

There are many companies providing either the entire barge for charter or individual cabins. You can sit back and relax and everything is provided for you including crew, meals, excursions, bicycles etc. 

Cruises are usually for one week. Many operators arrange pickup and drop off in Paris or the nearest large city.

There is a good ratio of crew to guests, and you will be well taken care of. Excursions ashore enable you to visit the surrounding area whilst still having plenty of time on board.

This is a big market but we have selected a few of our favorite operators to present to you here. Book early as these boats are very popular and are often full 6 months ahead. More information.