Barges In Europe: A Way To Savor The Countryside

A one-week barge trip may cover only 30 to 50 miles, total. It would be faster to walk, but that's not the point.

"A barge trip is all about slowing down," says Ellen Sack, a trip broker who does business as the Barge Lady. "The point is, you don't want to go any faster. You want to see things in depth."

A barge cruise is not a river cruise, although the two are often confused. Barges travel exclusively on canals, man-made navigational channels that have no current. Barges must be small - carrying from four to 24 passengers - in order to fit in narrow canals and the locks that even out the water level.

While there are river cruising opportunities all over the world, from the Nile to the Rhine to the Mississippi, most barge travel is in Europe, where some canals were built by the Romans.

Barge cruising is expensive, with cruise-only rates ranging from $1,000 to $4,000 a week per person, double occupancy. Sack says this is because operating a barge is costly - each usually has its own chef as well as other crew members.

Sack says barge trips appeal to experienced travelers looking for a chance to immerse themselves in a particular area's culture, and it has become increasingly popular among older travelers seeking a more stimulating alternative to ocean cruising.

Passengers can help open and close canal locks and accompany the chef to market. Many barges carry bicycles for exploring the countryside, and some companies will arrange that a car accompany the barge to offer greater sightseeing mobility.

Be aware that most barges are privately owned vessels chartered by tour operators and that the quality of the cabins can range from basic to luxurious. Among the barge trips available in Europe:

-- Abercrombie & Kent (800-323-7308) offers about a dozen barge cruises with itineraries that include England's Upper Thames, the Netherlands and Belgium, and trips through Bordeaux, the Loire Valley and Provence in France. Rates for a six-night cruise in central Burgundy on the 20-passenger Litote start at $1,990 per person, double occupancy.

-- French Country Waterways Ltd. (800-222-1236) owns and operates four barges in France, with three itineraries in Burgundy and one in Champagne. Cruise-only prices start at $3,095 per person.

-- Kemwel's Premier Selections (800-234-4000) has barge cruises in France, England and the Netherlands. The eight-passenger Stella goes on six-night Dutch countryside cruises March-May, timed to tulip season. Cruise-only prices start at $2,490 per person.

-- Le Boat (800-922-0291) offers conventional barge cruises in France, Scotland and England and can also arrange for self-drive barge trips. Cruisers who want to operate their own barge can select a boat and choose from about 70 embarkation points in France. Itineraries and lessons in operating the boat and canal locks are provided, said Le Boat co-owner Debbie Petermann. The smallest self-drive boat sleeps two people; charter cost ranges from $895 in low season - early spring and late fall - to $1,341 in summer.

-- The Cruise Co. of Greenwich (800-825-0826) offers weekly six-night cruises on the Thames River. Cruise-only prices on Le Sans Egal are $1,600 per person.

-- The Barge Lady (800-880-0071) represents barges in Great Britain, France and the Netherlands and offers several specialty cruises, including golfing programs and cruises for families with small children. The golf cruise on Scotland's Caledonian Canal aboard the eight-passenger Vertrouwen - April-November - includes golfing at the Royal Dornoch, Lossiemouth and Nairn courses. The price for chartering the entire boat is $15,600, plus greens fees and equipment rental.

-- Fenwick and Lang (800-243-6244) offers six-night cruises on board luxury hotel barges in France, England and Holland from spring to fall. The hotel barges, accommodating from six to 51 passengers, cruise the Seine, Champagne, Upper Loire, Burgundy, Nivernais, Midi, Franche-Comte and Alsace-Lorraine in France. Itineraries in England combine cruising with visits to stately houses, pubs and historical sites. Holland Tulip Cruises are offered in April and May. Trips start at $1,680 per person, double, including six nights, all meals with wines, excursions, fees and transfers to and from meeting point, excluding airfare. Three-day trips start at $1,160 per person, double. Charters, for four to eight passengers, to cruise in France, start at $10,500 for four.

The Mature Traveler appears on the second Tuesday of the month in Travel.