An itinerant slow travel experience through ever-changing landscapes, gorgeous nature and charming towns, far from the crowds, with the freedom to personalize your route, stops and even the length of the journey while cruising.
Houseboat holidays are perfect for families, couples, or groups of friends. Le Boat, the leader in river cruise vacations, offers trips along the navigable canals and rivers of Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia on a true floating home, equipped with all comforts and easy to pilot.
Traveling on Water
A holiday on the water lets you wake up to a new view each day, stopping whenever and wherever you like. Le Boat specializes in houseboats—real floating homes that make it easy and safe to enjoy a peaceful and flexible getaway with loved ones. Discover new towns, taste local specialties, and enjoy outdoor sports or pure relaxation. Houseboats are easy to handle (no boating license required), making them a great option for safe, crowd-free travel, rediscovering the charm of slow tourism in unique natural and scenic settings.
Le Boat’s Italian bases in Casale and Precenicco are easy to reach by car. Here you’ll board your houseboat and receive all the instructions and support you need for a trouble-free trip.
In Italy, Le Boat gives you a new perspective on some iconic destinations: first of all Venice and its lagoon, home to more than 120 islands, or you can head up rivers and canals to discover enchanting towns and villages. It’s a journey into nature, art, food and wine, and even the sea, since you’ll explore two regions renowned for their beaches: Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia. After docking, you can cycle the scenic trails and bike paths that crisscross the region—ideal for an active holiday.
Le Boat also extends its “Travel with Confidence” policy, which allows cancellations up to 48 hours before departure with no penalty, offering a voucher for future bookings valid through 2021. The policy applies to all trips departing by 31 July 2020. Le Boat has also introduced enhanced cleaning procedures: each vessel is cleaned and thoroughly disinfected at the end of each cruise for maximum guest protection and safety.
Houseboat Itineraries
Le Boat suggests a range of itineraries that guests can customize during the trip to suit their tastes and interests—there’s truly something for everyone in such a diverse and inspiring region.
Venetian Lagoon
If you focus on the Venetian lagoon, beyond Venice, you can visit Torcello, the lagoon’s most important archaeological site, colorful Burano, painted by fishermen, world-renowned Murano—famous for glassmaking—and Lido Jesolo, perfect for a beach stop, plus Chioggia, described by Carlo Goldoni as “a beautiful and prosperous city twenty-five miles from Venice, also set in the lagoons, isolated but made a peninsula by a long wooden bridge to the mainland.”
Treviso
Traveling up the Sile, you’ll visit Casale sul Sile (Le Boat’s embarkation base) inside the river’s nature reserve, and Casier, a traditional village home to the Burci Cemetery—where old Venetian wooden cargo boats lie abandoned. Continue to Treviso, nicknamed “Little Venice”, a fortified gem renowned for its food traditions. If you’re dreaming of the sea, Lido di Jesolo’s 15-kilometer beach is the region’s family hotspot.
Brenta River
Heading up the Brenta River, you’ll see sumptuous Venetian villas and grand rural estates. In Dolo you’ll find Villa Badoer, now the Fattoretto Winery, a renowned wine estate with a local crafts museum, while in Stra you shouldn’t miss the mighty Villa Pisani, the “queen of Venetian villas” with its exquisite frescoed halls and a hedge maze loved by kids. You can sail all the way to Padua, to admire Giotto’s frescoed Scrovegni Chapel and the great Basilica di San Antonio—one of the world’s largest churches.
Nicesolo Canal
Along the Nicesolo Canal you can visit Concordia Sagittaria, with roots tracing back to Roman times, while on the Lemene River you’ll reach fascinating Portogruaro—the “Eastern Venice”—built on channels fed by springs, and founded in 1140. From Concordia Sagittaria there’s even a riverside cycle path to Portogruaro for an easy bike ride.
Litoranea Veneta
Beach and sea lovers can cruise the Litoranea Veneta, detouring along waterways to reach some of the Veneto’s most popular coastal resorts, like Bibione—famous for its thermal spas and cycling network through shady pine forests and countryside—and charming Caorle, with endless beaches and brightly colored cottages. In Friuli, you’ll find Lignano Sabbiadoro with its wide beaches, Marano Lagunare—an ancient Roman fishing village and gateway to Shell Island—and Grado, an old fishermen’s town by a vast lagoon from where you can cycle to Valle Cavanata Nature Reserve, home to 260 bird species including many migrants.
Aquileia
History buffs shouldn’t miss Aquileia, founded in 181 BC and one of the most important cities in the Roman Empire. A UNESCO site, it’s an open-air archaeological treasure trove with museums and a basilica from 313 AD—its mosaic floors are among the largest and most beautiful in Europe. The Le Boat base in Precenicco—starting point for this lesser-known but fascinating part of Friuli—is a charming medieval town with cobbled alleys.
Le Boat Caprice houseboat in Venice[/caption>
How Much Does a Houseboat Holiday Cost?
Prices vary according to route and boat model. They start from €2,369 for 7 nights for six people, roundtrip from Precenicco, departing at the end of July. One-way cruises are also available from Precenicco to Casale, starting from €2,619 for six people in August. Plus, Le Boat houseboats are pet-friendly, so your four-legged friends are welcome aboard.
Safety
In line with Covid-19 safety guidelines, Le Boat has implemented new protocols for information, cleaning and sanitation. There are five key principles in Le Boat’s Covid-19 protocol: all base offices and staff follow the latest safety, cleaning, and distancing procedures. After each rental, every boat is thoroughly cleaned and sanitized with disinfectants on all surfaces, linens are washed at high temperatures and all on-board materials such as navigation manuals and maps are disinfected. All check-in and navigation briefings can also be handled online in advance to reduce your time at the base, with physical handover organized in staggered slots. And to give guests even greater peace of mind, the “Travel with Confidence” policy covers all departures until 31 July, so you can cancel up to 48 hours before your trip without penalty.
