A Typical Day on a Beautiful Barge

Imagine a typical day on board a charming floating home with a friendly crew to care for you.

You wake up to the smell of freshly baked bread and croissants. The aroma of coffee pulls you from your bed, and you pad to the dining room where breakfast awaits you at your leisure.

Then maybe a shower, or not, as the barge warms up the engine and casts off for a few hours of cruising through villages, vineyards, farms and oh-so-pretty countryside. A walk along the towpath or bike ride to a nearby village energizes you with exercise and fresh air. Or maybe you read a good book on deck and watch the world float by. With fascination, you watch the workings of the locks and marvel at the 300-year-old engineering feat that allowed cargo to be transported by barge.

Lunch is a luscious buffet of salads, cheeses and culinary delights prepared by the chef. Wine is served, bien sur, with every meal.

Then it’s into the chauffeured van for your daily excursion. Today you taste wine in an ancient cave where the family has made wine for generations. The entertaining guide regales you with history and stories of the local culture. Tomorrow it may be an open air market, a medieval village or an architectural wonder. The countryside abounds with historic sights to see and each locale has its wonders.

Back on the barge, a nap may be in order before aperitifs on deck. The day is capped with a delectable dinner in the company of your fellow passengers.

You wonder where the day went as you realize how relaxed and content you feel. Your comfy cabin welcomes you to dream of another fun day ahead.

Bon nuit, sweet dreams.

What is included in an all-inclusive luxury barge cruise?

• Transportation between the barge and designated meeting point. For barges close to Paris, most barges pick up and return guests to Paris.
• Six nights accommodation with ensuite private bathroom
• All meals and wines
• Open bar with alcoholic and soft beverages
• Guided excursions and entrance fees
• All amenities of barge including bicycles, library, music, games, etc.

What is NOT included in an all-inclusive luxury barge cruise?

• Air transportation to and from France or Europe
• Travel insurance
• Items of a personal nature
• Optional crew gratuity of 5-10%

Daily Excursions and Sights

Each barge strives to offer you a diversity of sights on the daily guided excursions. These may include chateaux, abbeys, bustling outdoor markets, wine tastings, medieval villages, local artisans, cheese farms, etc. Please see the individual barge itineraries for the highlights. 

Gourmet Food and Wine

This is France, the land of exquisite cuisine and fine wines. That means fresh food from local markets, innovative recipes and courses paired with handpicked French wines. Every day is another culinary delight with four or five course gourmet dinners capping your idyllic day of relaxed activity and fascinating sights.

General Barge Cruising Information

• LENGTH OF THE CRUISE Barge cruises are six nights, usually starting Saturday or Sunday with some exceptions.
• BEST WEATHER/SEASON is generally from March to November. Weather is unpredictable in Europe with May, June, September and early October having the mildest weather. July and August can be quite hot. April and late October can be rainy and cold.
• SIZE OF BARGES vary from 4-6 guests to large river barges which carry 50 guests. The classic canal barge carries 4-22 guests.
• CHARTER BARGES are for private parties who hire the entire barge with captain, chef and crew.
• HOTEL BARGES can be booked on an individual cabin basis for singles, couples or groups. The barge reserves the right to book the other cabins. The ratio of crew to passengers is high.
• FULL BOARD includes all meals, wines and open bar.
• HALF BOARD includes all breakfasts, welcome dinner and one other meal each day. Usually dinner is on shore at the guests' expense.
• SPECIAL INTEREST Many charter cruises can be customized to guests' interests such as wine, walking, biking, golf, antiquing, families, special occasions, etc.
• THEME CRUISES are offered regularly by many barges. See individual barges for scheduled cruises centered around wine, walking, biking, golf, antiquing, families, etc.
• CHILDREN Most charter barges are happy to take families with children and design the itinerary to include family activities. Hotel barges are generally adults only unless the entire barge is chartered.
• CABINS Each cabin has an ensuite private bathroom with a shower and occasionally a bathtub.
• NO SMOKING is permitted inside the barges.
• AIR CONDITIONING Most barges are air conditioned and have central heating with individual controls in each cabin.
• WHEN TO BOOK Barges book very early especially for the spring and fall. As soon as you know you want to go barging, let’s book to have the best selection.
• TERMS & CONDITIONS Each barge has its own Terms & Conditions which must be agreed to when booking. Cancellation policies should be carefully reviewed.
• TRAVEL INSURANCE We highly recommend travel insurance to cover trip cancellation, loss of personal property, medical emergencies, etc. Carefully review the coverage before purchasing.
• IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE that the above information is general and may vary with individual barges.

Barge Ratings and Prices

• Barges are rated by amenities and price per person based on two people sharing a cabin.
• Most barges offer Value and Regular season prices. Value season prices can save considerably and apply in early spring, mid summer and late fall.
• Charter prices often depend on the number of guests and can make the price per person less than booking individual cabins.
• SINGLE supplement applies to most single cabins. A few barges have single cabins with little or no supplement, Elisabeth (+$500), Luciole (+$100), La Belle Epoque (+$460) L'Impressionniste (+$460) in Burgundy, Actief in England, Shannon Princess in Ireland).
• INCLUDED IN PRICE Most barge cruises include transportation between barge and meeting point, daily cruising and chauffeured van excursions to local sights, meals, wines, open bar and barge facilities including bicycles and other amenities.

Prices below are approximate:

• CASUAL CLASS $2500-$3000 per person.
  This category offers a variety of unique barge programs where some meals are taken on shore. Though priced lower than all-inclusive, the barges themselves are beautifully decorated and cared for. There is no compromise in quality here for these great prices and fun, casual atmosphere.
• MODERATE $2500-$3000 per person.
  The most modest of barge cruises with smaller cabins usually carrying 20-22 or 50 passengers. Good food and wine with the same beautiful scenery and sights makes this a good selection for the budget conscious.
• FIRST CLASS $3000-$4400 per person.
  A very diverse category from owner/operated floating homes to classic hotel barges. Each barge has its own personality and style.
• DELUXE $4000-$5500 per person.
  Excellent cuisine, fine wines, elegant decor, large crew, more spacious cabins, many with a pool or hot tub.
• ULTRA DELUXE $5500 and up per person.
  What can we say - the ultimate with all the bells and whistles!
  
  (All information in this website is based on our current knowledge and is subject to change at any time.)