Aug 16, 2007
Ever thought of living on a canal boat in Europe? They are fairly cheap, and so very authentic
In their endless quest for vacations bringing them close to the people of the destination, and not costing much money, more and more Americans are renting so-called canal boats, living aboard them, and traveling on them down the waterways of Ireland, Italy, France, Germany and Spain. I'm not referring to the large hotel boats carrying cooks and stewards that cruise the rivers of Europe, but the smaller boats housing four to eight people that you skipper yourself down the very narrow canals and waterways that criss-cross the continent and were dug as far back as the 1600s. These are lined with small villages at which you stop whenever you wish and take your meals in country restaurants, or go bicycling into the interior. You also sleep aboard the boat, and rent one carrying four persons for as little as $1,100 a week in spring and autumn.The newest company to offer that form of vacation to us Yanks is a British firm called European Boating Holidays (their boats are moored in several European countries) that has just opened a booking office in Lake Placid, New York, staffed by an American enthusiast who will take your calls and book your boat. She's at tel. 866/606-5278. And for descriptions of the kind of boats she offers, go to www.locaboat.com.
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Fifty years ago, 
Arthur Frommer is generally acknowledged to be the nation's foremost travel authority. He is the founder of the
