They are a far cry from "Tom Sawyer's" raft on the Mississippi River. I've found that Barge cruising is an exceptional, relaxed, self -contained way to explore Europe. Abercrombie & Kent are the expert travel agency used by local travel agents for their expertise in barge and river cruising. According to them, "You don't travel: your barge does, carrying a superb gourmet restaurant and a comfortable 'country house hotel' along for the ride."The barging trips travel on Europe's country canals and emphasize relaxed leisurely travel in country regions filled with often overlooked sightseeing treasures. The actual miles covered on a canal trip are relatively few, with frequent opportunities for waterside activities such as towpath walking or cycling and village rambles. You can walk through villages and find shops where the locals buy their costly Mephisto shoes and other European fashions. Many of the barges carry no more than twenty-two passengers per departure from a hotel in Paris and some as few as six or eight. You will be able to choose between a "hotel" or "charter" barge departure. "Hotel" cabins are booked separately by individual travelers, just like hotel rooms. Barging is for travelers who enjoy meeting new people and find pleasure in the camaraderie of travel. This can be part of the fun for you and may be your most attractive option.Families or groups of friends may prefer the option of "charter" bookings where all the cabins are reserved exclusively for them. Barges dedicated to charter use generally have space for six or eight passengers. For larger groups, two barges can travel in tandem, or a larger boat will be made available. Special interest destinations for bicyclers, golfers, tennis players, wine connoisseurs can be arranged. Just imagine playing golf on Scotland's challenging courses, savoring the finest vintages in the region where they are produced, marveling at the spring time tulips and the first herring catch in Holland, or antiquing in London and fishing in Europe's streams and rivers. I would have difficulty in choosing between the opera and theater cruises, the Henley Royal Regatta cruises, the tennis charters, the cooking cruises and the shopping cruises. Barge cruising starts in April and sails through November. France actually has the most canals for barging. There is the Canal de Bourgogne (Burgundy Canal), the most popular 150-mile-long canal in France for leisure cruising. It's the scenic gateway to Burgundy, the area world-famous for its vineyards and picturesque villages. Another canal is the Canal de la Marne au Rhin that has many locks which helps the canal make its way through the mountainous Vosges region in Alsace-Lorraine. A region that is part French and part German and is thoroughly captivating.Other canals are the Canal du Centre that dates back to the late 18th Century and traverses the hills that separate the Saone and Loire River Valleys and is an excellent gateway to the charming towns of historic Burgundy; the Canal du Midi, a tree-lined canal with many locks, tunnels and bridges through the scenic, historic Languedoc region, commissioned in the 17th century as an overland link between France's Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts; Canal du Nivernais that has 110 locks and was originally built to facilitate the transportation of wood to Paris, but now is primarily used for leisure cruising through the rugged valley of the River Yonne; and lastly, the Canal Lateral a la Loire that runs parallel to the Left Bank of the Loire River, which is the gateway to the region known for its fine wine and some of the most magnificent chateaux that I've ever seen. This Canal joins the Canal de Briare via a dramatic aqueduct built by Gustave Eiffel in the late 19th century.The canals in Holland offer a unique experience in a part of Europe that is rich in history and culture from cultural modern Amsterdam to picturesque Delft (famous for its blue and white tiles). Scotland has the Caledonian Canal that stretches for 60 miles from Inverness to Fort William, part man made canal and part lake designed to link eastern and western Scotland where the Scottish Highlands are the most outstanding. England has its famous River the "Old Father Thames" that flows through London.Ireland has Lough Derg on the River Shannon in the very heart of Ireland, a place that is rich in scenic beauty, with greenery that is just awesome as well as early Christian history. There is nothing more relaxing for me than cruising through rural Ireland and meeting its welcoming friendly people. You can contact Abercrombie & Kent through your local travel professional.Copyright by Marcia AbramsonE-mail:mascribe@verizon.net
