Self-drive Barge Cruise Question

[katiekatie]

We have friends that would like to do a'self-drive' barge cruise through the wine country of France. To be honest I'm not so sure about doing this independently and am worried about how difficult it will be.

Can anyone share their experience with renting a barge and doing a river cruise on their own? Pro's and con's would be appreciated.

Is it worth it? Are barges hard to handle? What river would be the most interesting and what time of year is the best.

What Barge companies should we look at that rent to individuals would also be a big help. I assume cost would depend on the time of year and how many people the barge holds.

All input is greatly appreciated.

Katie

[letsgo39]

Do these people have a boat now? If so how large is it?

We do and I sure would not like to be the one to get the barge in and out of the locks.:eek:

[Yosemitegal]

Letsgo39.....I'm with you!

It's not only the navigation of the barge that I would be woried about, but if I understand correctly there is a charge or toll for going through the locks. I dont know how many locks you would go through in France, we went from Amsterdam to Budapest in July and I think we went through something like 80 locks. It's not just a matter of floating into the lock, you would have to know how to secure the barge....It would be a lot of work.:eek:

[Hambagahle]

I have done this many times. You don't hire a "barge" - they are huge and anyway hard to hire!! What you hire is a "cabin cruiser" in English terms. Look on Crown Cruisers website. There are boats to fit all numbers of people up to about 10 and on most canals. We have rented from them at least 4 times and never had a complaint.

It is best to rent a boat that sleeps at least two more people than in your party. We have rented, for example, a 6 sleeper for 4 and this works really well. Rentals are normally Sat-Sat, but sometimes you can get other starting days.

My experience is on the Canal du midi, starting from Beziers (3 times), Narbonne (once) and St Gilles (once-and not really the Canal du midi!!)

The great advantage in my mind of the Canal du Midi is that it is in the south and the weather is usually great. If you rent in Burgundy, you may have a week of rain. Down south, this is rare though it could happen.

I think that the weeks we have rented boats in France have been the happiest and most relaxed of my life (aside from being on Regent when all is done for me!!) Our "modus operandi" has always been to arrive punctually at 4pm at the shipyard - or even a little before. You are given a lesson on how to manage the boat. It is really not at all hard. then we leave and go out and moor on the canal for the night. It is quiet out there, (aside from the one time we - stupidly - moored across from a kennel in Narbonne and heard dogs howling all night!!. We usually have breakfast and lunch on the boat. Because we live in Switzerland we drive down with a lot of supplies. But you could get everything in a supermarket near the base. Dinners we have in local restaurants, and plan our nightly moorings in function of this. The boats are really well equipped but you will need all your foodstuff, including such basics as salt and pepper!!

The locks are a daunting prospect before you do them but the lockkeepers and the other boaters will help you and you will soon learn. If you screw up, a smile and a "je m'excuse" will help loads. On the Canal du Midi the rental companies pay the lock tolls. It is usual practice however to tip the lock keeper - 1 Euro will more than do. Often they have fresh produce for sale and this is great.

If you have more specific questions don't hesitate to e mail me at Thompson@verbier.ch I would be happy to help because we have had so much fun doing this!! Go for it!!:)

[H2Otstr]

Hambagahle, do you have any pictures you can share? Also, what kind of price for the trip?

[katiekatie]

Thanks all for your input! We are power boaters on the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland and the other couple's husband is an airline pilot. He is the one who has the urge to do this barge adventure. I would have not thought about lock 'tolls'!

Katie

[skandls]

We did a barge trip on a 20 passenger boat in Burgundy. While going in or out of the many locks we watched several different 'rental' boats struggle to get it properly attached to the side of the locks. We had great food on the boat and a fabulous tour guide. With one guide for the entire trip we did not have to listen to repeats about architecture and art styles. The chef shopped daily for groceries and we had fresh breads and pastries every morning.

 

There are some barges that can be chartered - with the crew. You can then design the stops etc you want to do. Also I don't know if 'parking' is free or if you need to pay fees for nightly parking. We also took on fresh water every day - I am sure the barge rental people know what is free and what is not. But since you have a boat you probably know a lot about the care and feeding of water craft.

 

Whatever you decide have a great trip - make sure you leave enough time in Beaune if you go to Burgundy -

[letsgo39]

Thanks all for your input! We are power boaters on the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland and the other couple's husband is an airline pilot. He is the one who has the urge to do this barge adventure. I would have not thought about lock 'tolls'!

 

Katie

 

 

Sounds like you all have the experience to make it work.Surely if he can fly a plane he can dock a boat!!!:D :D Are they Cabin Cruisers or are they barges?? Big difference in the way they handle!

[Hambagahle]

Sorry - I don't have photos - we did this last two years ago, just before I got a digital camera!!

As to costs - I think we are talking around 2500-3000 Euros a week for the boat which would sleep 4-6. This includes everything except your food and actual fuel used. You have to pay a fuel deposit when you check the boat out, and part of this is also a damage deposit. When you return the boat they calculate how much for fuel. Hopefully there are no damages! You can get insurance for damages. Once we were run into by another boat - the skipper had let his 10 year old son "drive" the boat - a reall "no no"! and had not taught him how to stop her nor how long it takes to stop!! But in 6 times renting this is the only accident we have had. Honestly, the locks are not hard. You fasten lines fore and aft and either take them in or let them out as you go up or down. It is, however, important to have enough crew. You keep one person to drive in the lock and two for the lines.

There are - on the Canal du midi, anyway - few places where you pay for a mooring. I can only think of one, actually, and this mooring is slap in the middle of a town, where you wouldn't want to be for long! If you need water you can get this (and you should top up the tank daily) very often for free. Sometimes for a couple of Euros. Electric connections - if you want to run a hairdryer, for example - are always paying.

You can rent bikes from the boat company and I recommend this. It is great to send someone off for the morning croissants! Though be aware that in very small villages in France there are, sadly, no more bakers! It is also fun to explore away from the canal or river.

For us the great joy of this type of holiday is going where we want, when we want. I cannot begin to describe the joy I had when walking my dog (he loves boats too!) along the Canal early one morning and seeing hundreds of pink flamingos in the marsh alongside!!

If you want wine areas you can find them on the Canal du Midi too and go for tasteings. The wine is respectable but of course not the grands crus you would expect in Burgundy. For me, it is the southern weather that is important in my choice of cruising area.

[letsgo39]

You make this sound wonderful.We have a boat here in Kentucky but it never even entered my mind that we could do the same thing in France.We so enjoyed are Budapest to Amsterdam river cruise last summer but it really sounds great to have the freedom to do it on your own.

Tell me what the regulations are to bring your dog to Europe. I am very interested in that.

Thanks!!

[Hambagahle]

We didn't bring our dog to Europe - we live in Europe! But when we were posted in the US and had two dogs we used to bring them home all the time. It isn't a problem if they are small dogs. On some airlines (Swiss for instance) they fly in the cabin with you. You need to book this as far in advance as possible as they only allow one dog per cabin. You put them in a shoulder bag carrier. Technically they are supposed to stay in it and sit under the seat -- in fact I have never had a problem taking the dog out once airbourne. Bigger (over 6kg) dogs have to go in a sky kennel in the hold with the baggs. We have done both and our dogs never had a problem - in fact, once I got the kennel and the bag out before the trip, they went right in, waiting to go!

Paperwork is more for returning to the US than arriving here. You need a certificate of rabies innoculation as well as a certificate of good health from your vet. Each country is different though so check with their consulate. The UK has all sorts of tiresome restrictions including, if you can believe this, an anti flea bath within 24 hours of arrival!! Apparently British fleas don't like foreign fleas or something...

If you book a boat you need to tell them when you book you will have a dog. In France you can take dogs anywhere. We always take our dog to restaurants with us - he loves it and the staff love him! He generally gets his own dish! The boat company will charge you a small amount extra for the dog, as will hotels. On trains you pay a child's fare.

Take your dog - he will love the whole experience! And $ for $ it is probably cheaper than putting him in a kennel while you are gone.

[katiekatie]

OK, I have to be the one to ask - what type of dog do you have:confused: ? We are pet-less after putting our 21 year and 4 month old cat to sleep a few weeks ago. We decided on a West Highland White Terrier after our trip in September ...

Katie

[Hambagahle]

Hi Katiekatie

We have a Shih Tzu, male and he weighs around 6kg (12lbs) but he is Swiss and has never flown. The dogs we flew were another Shi Tzu, smaller and female, and a little poodle. I have seen a Westie in the Swiss economy cabin and I am sure a Westie would be OK. I rather think Air France will let you take your dog in the cabin too. So apparently will Delta. Better call the airlines directly. If you are going to take a boat on a French river or canal - Burgundy or Midi - you could easily fly into Lyon or Geneva. (Geneva airport is an hour drive from Lyon by highway and if you rent a car there on the Swiss side the TVA - tax - you pay on the rental is 7.5% instead of 19% in France. Makes a difference.

Beaune is about 1 hour from Geneva airport too, and Beziers on the Canal du Midi will take you around 3.5 to 4 hours, driving through Chambéry and then to Valence. (NOT via Lyon because the traffic is awful!)

I felt so badly when you mentioned putting your cat to sleep. I know you will love a Westie!

[katiekatie]

Thanks Hambagahle for your input. Would have never thought about renting a car in another country since I've not been to Europe. Actually our cruise on the Quest in September will be my first trip over. I've been wanting to go to Italy for as long as I can remember and with the exchange rate, the cruise was the right way to go. The barge cruise will depend on my friends and when they put it together. I've been sending them the input from this thread, so we all are learning about this type of vacation adventure which seems so much fun! We've also shared different website on barge that we've found so far. The good thing is that no one has given us reason to think twice about self-barging!!!

I know we will love the Westie! We have 3 sets of friends that all have Westies and they are the ones that made us fall in love with the breed. I'm researching breeders in hopes to get on the list for late next year. Our plan is to get one, wait a year and then get the second one as they say that way the first one bonds to you and not the other pup ... names will be Derby and Bourbon (since my husband is from KY)!

:) Happy Holidays to all!:)

Katie

[Hambagahle]

Katiekatie -

be warned - don't take the Westie to Italy! Unfortunately Italy is not dog-friendly. The law states that all dogs must be muzzled. Most aren't, but that is the law! Also dogs are definitely not welcome in restaurants in Italy, nor in the Italian part of Switzerland. I would stick to French rivers and canals if I took my dog along!

Hambagahle

[katiekatie]

Don't think we'd take our little guy on long travel trips unless it's by car and within the US! We'll just beg one of our Westie friends to baby sit for us while on other types of travel.

Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy Holiday Season! It's almost time to open all the presents under my tree ... maybe one will be the barge cruise!!!!

Katie

[hybrn8]

We did one - just hubby and me - a while back on a canal whose name escapes me but it went thru the lovely town of Auxerre. We had a shallow draft, narrow barge - meant for 6 folks and barely enough room for us! It was easy to handle - just remember boats don't have brakes! We were so glad we brought a pair of binoculars with us as that made it very easy to see what was going on at the lock we were approaching. We probably covered a grand total of 60 Kilometers in a week - the locks open late, close for lunch, and shut down for the day around 5PM. That suited us just fine. We saw the cabin cruiser type boats but were glad we had the barge. We ate in great restaurants ashore every night. To park the thing, we just aimed for the shore and then tied off at a stake we drove into the bank of the canal. Friends of ours took a trip with another couple and rented a car which they drove to sightsee. That seemed way too organized for us! Remember to bring work gloves as you will be doing rope maintainence - we didn't have to manhandle the locks but we did have to mess with the lines. It's not hard at all...It was fun,fun, fun.

[hybrn8]

the company we used was called Locaboat and our barge was a penichette. The company reps checked us out and showed us the ropes (literally) before sending us on our merry way. They gave us a book of the canal with every twist and turn and lock and restaurant and village noted. It was extremely useful and would suggest that you insist on having one of these to help navigate and plan your stops and starts. By the way, the lockkeepers often sell wonderful wine and honey and fat dogs and cats were usually sniffing for handouts (no wonder they were fat!). We also tipped the lockkeepers most times with small coins - a couple euros for hard work! Would also recommend you choose a trip which is on a canal rather than a river as the latter has the potential for lots of commercial traffic and those guys are impatient with amateur barge handlers!

[spikemom]

We have rented boats form Crown Blue in Netherlands and from Locaboat in France on the Nivernais Canal in Burgundy. I can recommend both companies for their clean well equipped boats. The boats are NOT barges, barges are large freight carrying vessels. Locaboat rents penichettes, narrow riverboats similar to cabin cruisers, on the Nivernais. Our boat in Netherlands which we rented in Sneek and travelled into Friesland was a three-cabin cruiser, each cabin having an ensuite bath. When renting, do not plan to use the dining area as a sleeping area, it just makes it too crowded. Rent a boat that allows everyone to have their own private cabin.

Both trips were amazing. It is a fabulous way to see an area. Locks in France were free; locks in Netherlands had a small fee, as did lift bridges, but there aren't too many of them and it is charming to put money into the wooden shoe that is lowered by the bridge operator. Locks can be time consuming so allow for that in your schedule, but they are part of the fun.

The boats are easy to maneuver, especially if you have any kind of boating experience. Canals are a no-wake zone so you really don't get up any kind of speed. Our boat in Netherlands had a bow thruster. I highly recommend renting a boat with a fly bridge as everyone seems to enjoy spending much of the day up there watching the world go by, and whoever is piloting can be with them.

In terms of cost, renting allows a very reasonable vacation, especially since you cook a lot of your own food. It is fun to tie up in a village and visit the local markets for supplies. Typically on both vacations we ate onboard for breakfast and lunch and had dinner in a restaurant.

[katiekatie]

Thank you both for your input regarding your barge experiences.

 

Have a Happy New Year Everyone!

 

Katie

[jzerocsk]

I figured rather than start a new thread, I'd bump this old one.

 

Does anyone know of places where you can do this in the US?

 

Particularly in the northeast and even more particularly that are dog-friendly?

 

Dog-friendly is not a showstopper for us as we have a place for her to stay when we travel, but it's always fun to bring her along.

 

You can charter Euro-style canal boats on the Erie Canal in NY - has anyone done this?

 

Of course we don't mind going to Europe but if we can do it within driving distance of home we can A) see more of the US which we really don't see enough of, B) save on airfare, C) maybe bring the dog along, so it's a really enticing option.

[PinkMEB]

It sounds as if you have the experience to charter your own barge, but it's so easy and relaxing to leave the "driving to others." We took a barge trip in France and another in Scotland - 6 of us on one and 8 on the other - all good friends. We had a crew of 4. A van went along to take us on excursions each day. We were told what was in the area and we decided what we wanted to do. Food was exceptional and all drinks and excursions were included. You wouldn't have to worry about handling the locks. Check out www.thebargelady.com. She was so accommodating - helped us with hotel rooms before and afterwards. This May we are taking a river cruise, but definitely will take another barge trip. They have been my favorite of all types of trips.

Pink in SC

[littlear]

We are thinking of using H2olidays, because we like the configuration of the bedrooms for privacy. The boats look well equipped and dealing with the person, I have contacted, seems great. Has anyone rented from this company before on canal du midi?

Can you share experiences?

Thanks and please reply asap