Discover the hidden side of European capitals by boat

Across the Old Continent, the desire to embark on a relaxing voyage of discovery of the hidden facets of tourist cities—coastal and otherwise—is growing, to the point that more than eight out of ten Europeans (85% according to an independent survey conducted by Appinio for Tui Musement ) are interested or very interested in participating in so-called "boat tours. " Tour specialist Tui Musement compiled the ranking of the most popular European destinations for boat excursions, analyzing Google searches for over a thousand European cities with navigable rivers and canals across the EU between May 2024 and April 2025.

Leading the top 10 travel destinations 'to sail' with over 257,000 searches in the last 12 months is Amsterdam , whose canals, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2010, are a true emblem of the Dutch capital. In particular, from a boat, travellers have an exclusive view of the dancing houses on the Rokin Canal and the Skinny Bridge . Equally unique is the perspective from which one can admire the historic centre of Bruges , which, with over 175,000 searches, occupies second place in the ranking ahead of Paris (112,000): a cruise on the Seine , perhaps at sunset, has always been one of the most evocative ways to experience 'the City of Lights'. In fourth place, with 98,000 searches, we find London and its excursions along the Thames , preceded by: Copenhagen (81,000), with its dense network of canals; Budapest (almost 78,000), the 'Pearl of the Danube '; Berlin (almost 76,000), with the Spree River acting as a bridge between history and modernity; Stockholm ( 69,000), built on 14 islands and connected by 57 bridges. Ninth place, with 67,000 searches, is Venice , which, as the quintessential floating city, is a case in itself. Finally, with 60,000 searches, Prague and its Vltava River round out the top 10 of the most "navigated" cities.