Basis of financial statement presentation (Details)	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2013 segment canalboat hotel ship restaurant train
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Number of hotels and resort properties	35
Number of restaurants	1
Number of tourist trains	6
Number of river cruise businesses	2
Number of canal boat businesses	1
Number of reportable segments	6

Number of segments reported by the entity. A reportable segment is a component of an entity for which there is an accounting requirement to report separate financial information on that component in the entity's financial statements.

No definition available.

Name:	us-gaap_NumberOfReportableSegments
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration