Am Hausboot bist Du Dein eigener Kapitän!

Houseboat vacation: For cruise fans, it sounds quite tempting to be the captain themselves and steer the houseboat wherever they want. I tried out what it felt like to sit behind the helm of a Horizon 4 houseboat from Le Boat on the French River Saône in Burgundy – including responsibility for safe maneuvering through locks and docking in the marina. You don't need a boat license for these houseboats, by the way – which doesn't mean that steering them is child's play. But with a briefing from the specialists at the base harbor – in our case, at Le Boat in St. Jean de Losne – and a test run in the harbor, you'll quickly get a feel for how the boat handles. And then it's off on a long journey, including maneuvering through large locks and docking in the marina of your chosen next destination. Because that's one of the fascinating aspects of a houseboat vacation: Where you go and which routes you travel each day are completely free and spontaneous to decide for yourself. But just watch the video, and you'll get a pretty good impression of what it's like to travel on a houseboat. My short conclusion: Even if you have to make some compromises in terms of comfort compared to a cruise, houseboating is a fantastic experience that's a lot of fun and has a huge relaxing factor. Therefore: I'd do it again anytime, even if you have to cook, stock up on water, and refuel yourself, and there's no cabin steward to take care of a dropped towel in the bathroom ;-) Sections in this video: 00:01:35 Lock 00:03:05 Our boat: Horizon 4 00:06:36 Arrival, docking, stocking up on water, shore power 00:07:44 Impressions of places along the Saône 00:11:16 My personal conclusion