The Best Ways to Experience Travel by Sea
There’s nothing quite like travelling the world by water. From the earliest seafaring days of the human race to today’s vibrant small-world maritime possibilities, we’ve always had some kind of affinity with sailing the seas and rivers of our planet. And thank goodness we’re around today, to enjoy such widespread travel possibilities and modern conveniences on the water.
If you’re starting to have designs on a holiday involving the sea, you might already be struggling to pin down exactly what you want to do with your travels. Here, we take a handy look at the best ways to experience travel by sea, from common escapades to rare, luxurious options and beyond.
1. Cruising: Exploring Multiple Destinations in Comfort
One of the most common ways you can experience travel by sea is via a cruise. Cruise holidays are eminently appealing, offering the convenience of visiting multiple curated port destinations without the need for constant packing and unpacking. There are many popular cruise lines with positive reputations to their name, P&O Cruises and Royal Caribbean perhaps being the most well-known. Shopping around will ensure you find a great deal, with a travel itinerary that suits your personal preferences.
2. Ferry Travel: Convenient Cross-Channel Journeys
Ferries are a little less glamorous than cruise travel, but no less viable! Indeed, there’s a great deal of practicality to ferry services that connect the UK to mainland Europe and Ireland – particularly if you intend to road-trip around on the other side of the journey. Ferries are low-cost and flexible ways to take you and your vehicle across the Channel, or indeed the North Sea.
3. Sailing Adventures: Hands-On Maritime Experiences
If you’re interested in sailing, there are so many ways you can get gloriously hands-on with your maritime travel. Many are content with catamaran-ing around the English channel, but if you have the budget you could invest in something with a little more power and autonomy for enjoying a coastal cruise at your own pace. You could even have a browse through yachts for sale if you’d like an especially luxurious sea-borne base from which to enjoy your favourite European coasts!
4. River and Canal Voyages: Tranquil Inland Exploration
We’ve focused on the sea so far, but there are waterways aplenty inland – and plenty of incredible opportunities to enjoy life on the water as a domestic tourist. Interest in the UK’s canal and waterway system has increased considerably in the last few years, particularly as more people cotton on to the possibilities of life on a narrowboat; could this be your own home from home?
Even if you’re not quite ready to invest in a canal boat of all your own, there are still some amazing ways to enjoy our great canals – or indeed the riverways of other countries – for much less money. River cruises are also growing in popularity, and have all the trappings of an all-inclusive holiday to boot.