Boat hire on canals and inland waterways by Emerald Star
Market Leaders
Together with Emerald Star, we’re the No:1 provider of boating holidays on the beautiful rivers, lakes and canals of Europe and Canada. We have the world’s largest fleet of self-drive boats and the widest choice of fabulous boating destinations to choose from!
50 years of boating experience
We’ve been doing this for a long time, so you can rely on us to offer exceptional service and a wealth of helpful advice and knowledge to ensure you have the best time on the water!
No licence or experience required!
Not many of our new customers have driven a boat before. However, they quickly realise how easy it is and soon become confident navigating the waterways. Our base teams will show you everything you need know!
The early bird catches the best price
Book now to have the lowest price guaranteed for your 2026 boating vacation adventure.
2026 is calling
Never been on a boating vacation?
We’ll brief you, show you the ropes and give you the support you need – anyone can do it.
new to boatingOur Destinations
Our Fleet
Premier
Our exclusive Horizon fleet features an impressively spacious top deck complete with a barbecue hotplate and cool box as standard.
View our Premier boats
Comfort Plus
Spacious interiors have been designed with modernity and quality in mind to allow you to cruise in style.
View our Comfort Plus boats
Comfort
Good-quality, stylish and well-equipped boats of varying ages, designs and styles.
View our Comfort boats
Budget
Our ‘much-loved classics’. Traditional décor and basic features and fittings, clean and superbly maintained boats for a no-frills boating experience.
View our Budget boatsCompare our boats
We have more river and canal boats available than any other operator, which means we can cater to pretty much every party size, budget and expectation.
All boats are available to hire between April and October. Our wide range of boats sleeps between 2-12 people.
Compare boatsBoat Ownership Programme
With a variety of benefits, if you have money to invest and enjoy a boating holiday more than once each year, our Boat Ownership Program is too good an opportunity to miss!
What our customers say…
Why choose Emerald Star to hire a boat?
Boating Holiday Recommendations
FAQs
A boat licence is not required for your boating holiday on nearly all our destinations/cruises. After your instruction lesson you will be given a temporary permit for the duration of your holiday. In Germany, a permit is required in some areas. Check the cruise details or contact us for more information.
This will depend on the cruising region. On most canals you are free to moor where you want to, however on some river you are required to moor on a pontoon or in a harbour
Yes of course you can, dogs are welcome on all our boats. There will be an additional supplement per dog for cleaning. We recommend that you don’t take any more than two dogs per boat.
If you have a small dog that you can carry, then access to any of our boats with your dog shouldn’t be a problem. Unless of course you have limited mobility yourself, in which case you may wish to avoid our boats that have ‘ladder-style steps, such as the Caprice and Sheba. For those with bigger dogs, you may wish to choose a boat that is easy for them to jump on and off of and you might prefer to have the saloon and cabin on the same level, without any stairs. In this case, we recommend Salsa, Tango, Calypso and all boats of the Vision fleet. We suggest you check out our boat pages, examine the images and vritual tours where available, and our sales team are on hand to advise as well.
You can own your own boat thanks to our Boat Ownership programme. You’ll receive a guaranteed monthly income, many weeks of boating holidays at any of our destinations, and much more! We take care of the mooring and maintenance, so you can focus on what you truly love. Join our community of 150 owners and experience the joy of boat ownership with ease!
