In 1974 the Prefecture of the Nievre, one of Burgundy's four departments leased the Nivernais canal near Chablis from central Government in Paris and invited tourism companies to develop rural tourism in the region. We started in a small way, taking over a beautiful lock house in the village of Fleury about 5 miles south of Chatillion en Bazois.

"La Maison Eclusiere de Fleury" was lock house number 21 towards the river Loire and soon became known as one of the main barging bases in Burgundy. As well as developing tourism, Derek Banks also turned his hand to gardening and in 1978 Fleury won a prize for being the Lock house with the prettiest garden in France.

In the early days barging was fairly rudimentary, shared facilities, pretty cramped accommodations and restrictions on the the use of water, although the seeds were certainly sown and the essence of a great barging holiday was created.

Today, of course much has changed as the testimonials throughout the www.gobarging.com website show.

In 1976 Actief was launched on the Royal River Thames and was the first of the "new generation wide beam hotel boats".

Originally a 1907 Dutch Klipper barge her spacious interior has been gradually refined over the years to become a fine cruising home in the style of an English Country house.


Actief 's spacious sundeck is flower lined and her comfortable elegant saloon is complemented by beautifully decorated cabins. Royal Windsor castle, the playing fields of Eton College, The Astor family's home at Cliveden and Oxford university are all visited whilst cruising a magic carpet of rolling country hills, delightful riverside houses and picturesque english gardens.

In 1979 Nymphea was converted for just six passengers and launched, originally on the Nivernais canal before starting a trans-France series of cruises. Today she glides sedately along the tranquil waters of the Loire Valley.

Passengers have always been pampered, but today there are marble bathrooms, sauna's and jacuzzi's to add to the fun of winetastings, exploring markets and visiting castles.



In 1982 the first 8 passenger hotel barge with en suite accomodations, airconditioning, heating and a jacuzzi was created for the 300 year old Canal du Midi in southern France. After 6 weeks trawling the back waters of Amsterdam and Northern Holland for a specifically sized vessel for the constraints of the Midi canal, Derek discovered Anjodi. A hand painted "Te Koop" sign hung from the high bow of the classically designed Luxemotor hull announcing her for sale status.A deal was struck with the old skipper Foppa De Jong and she was ours.

Anjodi had been lying in an old siding for 3 years and was in need of a good spring clean, her hull and engine were sound though as the ultrasonic steel survey endorsed, she was still showing 7.5 mm of her original 8 mm thick 1929 iron hull which was the main thing and testimony to 50 years of good maintenance and a good Copper / Iron mixture in the original plating.

Searching for and finding her had been enormous fun, although there were certainly moments when it looked like the last 100 foot dutch barge ceased to exist. The design and upper steelworks followed quickly and the work was carried out by a small Dutch shipyard near the Isselmeer in Northern Holland during the summer of 1982.

As autumn approached though, it was important to leave Holland and make full speed to the South of France where the warmer winter weather would allow for progress to be made on the interior build.

Derek and Anjodi's journey south was really quite an epic voyage. Starting with long days heading up the River Rhine, not a journey for the faint-hearted, with 10,000 ton coal transporters hurtling downstream at 25 miles an hour, changing river banks to keep in the current and their speed up.

Little Anjodi, at just 100 feet, whilst soon to become the Jewel of the Canal du Midi and the largest boat to navigate that sleepy southern canal, played dodgems with those massive moving islands piled high with black coal. Somehow she managed to avoid them all and push her way up against the current with her trusty diesel engine never missing a beat.

The calmer waters of the River Moselle beckoned, with vineyard escarpments and smaller passing traffic to deal with. We completed the passage accross Germany with Anjodi arriving in Trier at the Franco-German border on October 15th just as the Canal de L'Est, which was the shortest route to the River Rhone, was closed for urgent repairs. There was no choice but to turn left and head east to Strasbourg along the Marne - Rhine Canal, crossing General Patton's famous battlefields and down the massive sideways lock at Arzviller which lowered Anjodi 117 feet in step, replacing the 17 old locks.

As the days began to draw in, there was plenty of barging in the dark, as all efforts were made to reach the Mediterranean port of Agde - our final destination. What contrast though, the River Doubs past Besancon was navigated in near drought conditions with barely enough water to keep the fish happy, let alone a 100 ton barge drawing 4 feet! And then with November, the weather broke and it started to rain. On arrival at St Jean de L'Osne in southern Burgundy and the cross roads off the french inland waterway system, the full force of a now flooding River Saone was met.

This was now a winter delivery and Anjodi protected her stalwart crew from the elements beneath her little teak wheelhouse. Outside it was a different story. Because the river was flooding, the old weir system, the "needle" barrages, were drawn and navigation continued between tall red and green marker posts and over instead of round the massive weirs. It was not white water rafting, but choosing the navigation channel down stream towards a weir in full flood for the first time at 25 knots took a lot of concentration! There were several interesting and challenging moments but we'll leave those for another day, or for when we write the book...

Anjodi covered the rest of the journey in just 4 days, a record even now and arrived in Agde just before Christmas having taken nearly 3 months to make the 1000 mile journey across europe to her new home and life as a luxury hotel barge. This remarkable journey is available today for charter groups who want to spend 6 weeks retracing Anjodi's fascinating route. Contact our reservations office and ask Derek for details.

A year's work followed , hardwood, brass, water tanks, windows, soft furnishings, the list seemed endless but somehow the first passengers boarded on time and the classic Beziers to Carcassonne vineyard route was carved out.

Some 20 years later, almost the exact route is still being enjoyed by just eight passengers every week. Constantly updated since her launch in 1982, Anjodi was our first hotel barge on the Canal du Midi and a vital part of the pioneering spirit for which the European Waterways team is renowned.

Over the next 10 years the fleet gradually expanded, routes were researched, itineraries designed, we sought the prettiest Dutch hulls to build the finest fleet of barges in Europe. Other vessels followed Anjodi, with many innovative ideas.

In 1995, La Belle Epoque was the first hotel barge to have a water ballast system which allows her to navigate over and under navigation obstacles such as bridges and sand banks as found on the river Yonne and Nivernais canal near Chablis.

This was her original home though, and it was a delight to tell her original owner, who had been born on board, that she would be returning to the old logging town of Clamecy.

Belle Epoque is the first vessel to have a sauna, jacuzzi and fitness studio aboard. She also has an ingenius flower watering system plumbed into her handrail and a bicycle lift set into the deck. Limited to 12 passengers her accommodation includs marble bathrooms and twin or double queen size beds.

In 1996, following La Belle Epoque's sucess as a 12 passenger powerful river and canal cruise vessel, we designed and built L'Impressionniste, her sistership.

This year responding to demand and following 7 years of Burgundy cruising we will take L'Impressionniste south to her new Provence and Southern France cruise area.

Avignon, Chateauneuf-du-Pape's vineyards, Van Gogh's Arles, Pink flamingoes, the medieval castle of Aigues Mortes, the inland salt water fishing villages of Bouziques, Meze and Marseillan, and the Camargue National park all create a fascinating atmosphere just waiting to be experienced aboard L'Impressionniste.

The L'Impressionniste 2004 Provence Itinerary provides full details on this unforgettable experience.


In 1998 Nymphea was transported overland by truck to the Loire Valley.

Not only had no one ever carried a hotel barge by road but she was also lifted by two 100 ton cranes about 30 feet into the air at both ends of the journey before she was launched into the enchanting River Cher.

Today Nymphea is the only hotel barge navigating the real Loire Valley, cruising underneath the Château of Chenonnceau's splendid banqueting hall every week.

She also visits some of the Loire Valley's other most splendid châteaux such as Chambord, Amboise, and Montrichard.



1998 also saw the creation of L'Art de Vivre. The only 8 passenger hotel barge cruising the stunningly beautiful Upper Nivernais in central Burgundy.

Her hand crafted interior has recently seen the addition of large bronze portholes and new furnishings, and her cruise route allows an in depth view of France really off the beaten track. White Charolais cattle stare at the barge as it passes under the hand operated lifting bridges, wild bore can sometimes be spotted early in the morning mists, and kingfishers flash blue and yellow along the river banks. This area is close to the original starting point of the company at Fleury and totally retains its charm 30 years later.

In 1999 we built Scottish Highlander. This beautiful barge cruises the most scenic part of Europe, with two back-up central heating systems and a cosy leather sofa'd interior, she represents the finest cruising available in Scotland. To get the Highlander to Scotland necessitated a hazardous journey accross the North Sea and up the entire east coasts of England and Scotland before entering the Caledonian Canal at Inverness. Her cruising route is exceptional, chasing the Jacobite rebellion and the bloody history of the MacDonald and Campbell clans, whilst enjoying a fantastic mixture of castle moorings under Urquhart Castle on Loch Ness and Glengarry Castle on Loch Oich, as well as coasting past snow peaked hill tops, wild heather and abundant wildlife.

We ship wine directly from the vineyards in France and southern europe and buy our blended and single malt whiskies from the best distilleries in Scotland. Scottish Highlander's theme Golf cruise also brings you the opportunity to experience Golf at the magnificent Skibo castle, Royal Dornoch and Inverness courses. Nothing quite beats chasing the sheep off Fort Augustus though..!

In 2002 we launched Magna Carta. Originally found in Holland where similarly to Anjodi, her steel work was completed following the classic basic design of La Belle Epoque. Magna Carta made an epic journey accross the North Sea before entering the flat waters of the Thames estuary. Her launch was a hectic moment with all hands on deck (even the office staff) to finish her in time for the arrival of the first clients. What a reception she had, even appearing on the BBC whilst sailing under Windsor Bridge during the Queen Mother's final journey.

Magna Carta's 8-10 guests enjoy full width cabins, spacious bathrooms and an on deck jacuzzi, just the thing for enjoying a glass of Pimms! Her new route between Hampton Court and Henley is described in detail here - Magna Carta itinerary

2003 saw the new Shannon Princess II take to the waters of the Upper Shannon in Ireland.

After studying several of the french designs and the newly launched Magna Carta, her spacious accomodations for just 10 guests soon took shape. An instant success Shannon Princess is the largest hotel barge cruising the river Shannon and there is no question that the cuisine on board matches the finest we have to offer. Rivers and Loughs, a 6th century monastery, Celtic Bronze settlements and the warmth of Irish hospitality combine to provide an experience you will find hard to forget, and we offer golf and fishing charters too.

GoBarging offers european luxury cruise vacations and special interest charters - including a european golf vacation package and a
european family cruise vacation package

on our fleet of luxury hotel barges, cruising the canals and rivers of Scotland, England, Ireland, Germany and France

We offer you the unique opportunity to explore the treasures of the countryside in ultimate comfort aboard our fully-crewed luxury floating hotel barges

Why not come along and experience the magic for yourself,
contact us today to find out more...