Pontcysyllte Aqueduct on the valley of the River Dee in Wrexham, northeast Wales, UK. / WATERWAYS H

September can be a chance to enjoy a different vacation in Europe. Six major rivers (Rhine, Moselle, Elbe, Loire, Volga and Danube) and 30,000 kilometers of navigable channels allow leisurely discover a continent of green banks, castles, storybook villages and lavender fields.
These inland courses weave a web of liquid roads that were used to transport coal, cereals and articles from their places of origin to destination ports and cities during steam boat the Industrial Revolution. With the advent of the railroad, most of these canals fell into disuse and ended converted into places for leisure and tourism. For them to currently circulating motor barges converted into shallow draft floating apartments, cabins, bathroom, kitchen and lounge. Very easy to maneuver ry were rented by the day or week. Prices steam boat vary according to seasons, countries, models of boat and length of the route. As a guide, hire a boat for four people in summer in France costs between 1,000 and 1,500 euros on average. The minimum stay is usually 3 nights. Almost always steam boat the payment of a bond is required.
Pontcysyllte Aqueduct on the valley of the River Dee in Wrexham, northeast Wales, UK. / WATERWAYS HOLIDAYS pattern To become one of these boats do not have to be an experienced sailor. In most cases no title or license is required; enough to be 18 and receive brief instructions on maneuvering and operation steam boat of the locks, although some companies ask for a driver's license for Class A cars. The vessel capacity ranging from 2 to 12 people, making them perfect for a holiday with family or friends. On board, unhurried life goes at a top speed of five knots (about ten kilometers per hour), which gives sunbathing, fishing, contemplating riparian forests stretch your legs or take a walk on foot or by bicycle (after mooring the boat at the dock of any of the springs).
FRANCE 8,500 kilometers of navigable waterways linking furrow France and five rivers: Seine, Loire, Garonne, Rhine and Rhone. The star of river tourism in the country is the Canal du Midi, built in the late seventeenth century and declared World Heritage in 1996 by UNESCO. A river highway that is more than 240 kilometers to the south of France, and links the city of Toulouse and Sète, in the Mediterranean. One among the possible crossings between Castelnaudary and Port Cassafieres (a week, 157 miles, 35 hours and 64 navigation locks), passing through Carcassonne, Cathar city that emerges in the stunning landscape with its 52 medieval towers. Another appealing option (one that I have personally tested) is the region of Burgundy, with its 1,500 miles of rivers and canals, which allow threading a path Cistercian art and vineyards places like Auxerre, Dijon, steam boat Cluny, Paray-le -Monial, Vézelay, La Charité-sur-Loire or Fontenay.
UK In the UK abound suitable regions for tourism fluvia l as the Broads steam boat East Coast, the region of the Midlands, the Thames or the Scottish lochs. You can rent motorboats up to eight people or traditional narrowboats, barges that plied the old industrial channels. Among the most spectacular is the Llangollen in Wales, allowing literally float on an aqueduct 38 feet above the ground. Another must: the Caledonian Canal, which runs through Scotland.
Towpath steam boat in one of the British steam boat canals built during the Industrial Revolution. / RIVER CANAL TRUST HOLLAND There are few places as capable as Holland river tourism: a web of 7,000 miles of canals and lakes - only in the Amsterdam region there are over 300 miles - lets go all the country without stepping ground .
PORTUGAL steam boat The Alqueva reservoir area in the Alentejo (Portugal), was the first tourist destination you received (in 2011) the certificate Starlight Unesco for its excellent conditions for observing the night sky. The Portuguese Marine Resort Marina Amieira rental houseboats there for days, weekends steam boat or full weeks. Accommodating between 2 and 12 occupants, captaining boats can be without having a license pattern. Rent for a week of summer steam boat a yacht for two persons costs 1,842 euros (more fuel, between 15 and 30 euros per day). To search for constellations lying on the deck. SPAIN Castilla Canal, between the provinces of Palencia and Valladolid, was built in the eighteenth century, during the reign of Ferdinand VI, and tried to unite the Castilian capital