Canoeing the Semois with twenty people

Canoeing is the activity we get asked about most, and also the one groups most often get stuck on. The problem isn't the paddling itself. Twenty people in ten boats takes different planning than two people in one.

Ten boats, not twenty

A canoe on the Semois fits two adults and a child. For twenty people you'll need about ten boats, and in high season they aren't just sitting there waiting. Outfitters in Bouillon and Poupehan work with fixed departure times. Ask a week ahead and you'll get nine o'clock or three o'clock, and rarely anything in between.

The classic trip takes two hours

From Bouillon to Poupehan is about five miles. In normal water levels it takes you two hours, including one stop on the gravel bar. The outfitter's shuttle picks you up in Poupehan and brings you back to your car. Want to paddle longer? Continue to Frahan, which adds forty-five minutes.

"A group of eighteen ran aground three times in August. In May they did the same trip without getting out once."

August is often a letdown

In August the water in the Semois runs low. In three or four spots your boat scrapes the bottom and you hop out to drag it along. With two people that's kind of fun. With twenty it costs half an hour and part of the group gets cranky. May, June and September work better. After a wet week in October it can also work, but the current is faster and it takes a bit more steering.

What to arrange ahead of time

When you book, tell them how many people are coming and how many kids, because the number of boats depends on it. Ask about waterproof barrels for phones and keys. And decide who drives the cars to the finish point, or add the outfitter's shuttle to your booking. It costs a little extra and saves you an hour and a half of hassle.

Where to eat afterward

In Poupehan there are two cafés on the water that can seat a group, as long as you call ahead. If you'd rather eat at the house, buy meat in Bouillon from the butcher on Rue du Brutz. For twenty people, order a day in advance.

Which houses are on the water

Four of our houses in this destination are so close to a put-in that you can walk there. At La Ferme des Deux Vallées it's five minutes, at Le Presbytère de Herbeumont a quarter mile. That saves you a car ride with wet people in the back.

Who should stay ashore

Most outfitters don't take kids under six, not even with a life jacket. People who can't swim can often still go, but then they sit in the back with an experienced paddler. Mention this when you book rather than at the put-in, because a group that has to rearrange on the spot slows down the whole fleet.

What it costs for a group

You pay per boat for the Bouillon to Poupehan stretch, including the shuttle ride back. Outfitters often give a group rate, but you have to ask for it yourself.

What to agree on with the house

Wet clothes and twenty pairs of shoes are the real problem of a canoe day. Ask the owner beforehand where the group can put them. At houses with a barn or a utility room, that's solved. In a house without a drying space, the whole living room is hung full by evening. We flag that kind of thing up front.

We'll arrange the boats for you when you book, if you ask. Send us a request if you're coming with more than ten people.