I wonder if anyone can help. I have spent hours researching what Barge to take my family on. The confusion is that there are so many and they range drastically in price! Obviously you pay for what you get but I would really appreciate a rating on them and wish there was a review as there is with the hotels. The ones I am looking at are hugely expensive usd 4000 per person all gourmet meals and all drinks - but with no reduction for children(who dont drink alcohol and dont eat much) I dont want to book one of the cheaper ones and end up in a dump. Any recommendations would be welcomed.
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My husband and I are looking at a barge cruise with French Country Waterways in France in August. The price is good, I would like to know what you or anyone have heard about this company. Thanks
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Realizing you already have a great deal of vacation options from which to chose, I am going to suggest one more anyway; rent your own boat.
Being at the helm of your own craft is an enormous amount of fun, particularly for families and small groups. There are plenty of restaurants along the way, as well as bakeries, wine producers, and farmers selling eggs and fresh produce. Getting the whole family involved in navigating your boat through the locks can be a rewarding experience and unless they are very young, your children will probably have a lot more fun participating in the adventure.
The canals/rivers are the same as those taken by the barges and overall you%26#39;ll pay a fraction of the price of that demanded by a barge company. True, you are not pampered in the same way as one is on a barge but with children along, it%26#39;s sometimes hard to really enjoy all of that luxury.
There is a lot of information available on the forum about the specifics if you are interested, just search canal travel.
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Four of us just returned from a magical (and delicious!) week on the Saroche barge. We traveled from Avignon to Sete (in Provence) but I know the barge also travels through the Burgundy region.
The crew was exceptional (Captain Kevin personally designed the 128 foot barge), the food simply amazing (Chef Jody is a very talented professional chef), the wine never stopped (Branwen the hostess and wine maiden was lovely) the scenery was beautiful, the personal tours were delightful (Sir Simon drives the van and provides the personal tours with such interest), and the barge was roomy and gorgeous! What more could you want? We were pampered and spoiled every minute...and we loved it!
It is worth checking out before you make any reservations on another barge. A week on a wrong barge would be a very long week!
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Hello. Did you take a cruise last year and if so, which one? I am finding it difficult to decide on a barge trip for October 2006. There are so many to choose from!
Thanks.
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If you are claustrophobic this is not a trip for you - the cabins are tiny and below the water-line.
If you don%26#39;t want th have to be sociable every night and lunch for a week with the nsame bunch of people, likewise this is NOT FOR YOU - in spite of the drawing in the brochure showing sepatate tables, guests are forced to share one long communal table all trip (despite pleas to be able to sit alone with just our family).
If you don%26#39;t much like travelling with a crowd of people who are drunk most of the time, and behave accordingly, think twice as the free endless alcoholic drink offered seems to attract a particular crowd.
If you are looking for any serious culture in the area the barge goes through, think again - half a day for Dijon without even going into the historic cathedral and a quick walk throug Beaune are hardly the answer. The promised Chateau is a crumbling private house with one good historic room worth seeing.
There are better ways to spend ones money!
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I was writing about French Country Waterways barge Esprit
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Does anyone have a barge recommendation for a honeymooning couple? We would like to see Paris as part of the cruise. I%26#39;m pretty social; he is more shy. I%26#39;ve been around a bit, this will be his first trip to Europe and to a non-English speaking country. We are interested in more of the cultural aspects of France. He doesn%26#39;t drink at all, so we don%26#39;t mind a boat without an open bar policy. We are looking for something moderate: not expensive and luxurious, but comfortable.
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We just recently were on the Horizon II barge through French Country Waterways and it far exceeded all our expectations. We were on the Burgundy Canal. The barge is fairly new and beautiful done. The staterooms and baths were especially nice. We had 4 staterooms with a crew of 6. The service and food were fantastic. We can%26#39;t recommend this barge and trip enough - it helps if you are all together in a group and know the other couples. Fifteen cruises were good - one barge trip was great!
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Well ,cruising in style on a hotel barge is possible ...but of course you need to find the right boat !
Do not let your agents choose for you ; ask the right questions !
The real questions about luxury is not how many crew is on the barge ( sitting on the back deck drinking beer ) but how far goes the attention to details !
How well educated is the crew and above all how flexible .
What will be your space on board ,your privacy , your comfort .
The size of the bedroom and the number of windows ; upper deck or lower deck ( very important for claustrophobic )
Is it possible to look outside while sitting at the table or on the sofa ? ( you do not want to be in a cave or stand all day to look thru the windows)
You are going to spend a big part of your day outside, so you must take in consideration the size of the sun deck ,is there an awning , space enough for lounge chairs ?
Can you enjoy a lunch or diner outside, will you get the chance to relax in a spa pool while cruising ?
Are there enough bicycle for everyone, air conditioning inside ,is the generator running all night ( noise )
The guide on board ; does he speak French ? ( can be helpful for shopping and making contacts) does he know the region well ( most of them are not French )
Who is the cook on board ? (someone living in France since a couple of month and cooking the best French cuisine in the world)...Oups !
Is it a French registered boat under the very strict regulation for passengers or not........it does make the difference in term of security.
What makes the difference in price ? : the number of passengers, the maintenance and the quality of the barge itself ( it is wrong to think that only the size of the cabin makes the difference )
Some barges are build and look like ordinary buses, others are made with luxury and expensive materials like a limousine , in other words a real yacht (not much, some of them just pretend), the quality of the food and the wines, the options ( half / full board , open bar , guided tours ) the cruise route and the personal services provided.
keep in mind 95 % of the Hotel barges are not French owned nor operated ! It is mostly not a French product and you are offered a real French adventure......!
A good agent is important , try to find one that will help you customize your trip to your real needs ( only possible when you charter the whole barge) and keep in mind you are going to be in France so
the person should be fluent in French to be able to get the best for you and able to arrange any problem while your are on holiday .
Anyhow It is a wonderful experience and a very relaxing holiday so I hope this little topic will help you make a better your choice .
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