Are Most Barge Trips Boring?
 

I mean, lets face it, this could be a disaster if all you did was sit and stare at cows and corn fields all day. And I will not go into the sea-sickness aspects, having to row those huge things, and the high costs.

Seriously, do they usually stop every so often and let you do hikes or bike around the countryside? And do you moor near a village each evening so you can do some back alley stuff with the locals?

I'm for Slow Travel every once in awhile, but I've always been afraid to commit to this activity. I really would like to have an open mind about this activity, but maybe misperceptions are blinding me to the truth! Please educate me.

Degas, I think you are being funny....but the concerns are real. I am considering a Grand Circle Tour barge trip and share the same concerns. I look forward to the answers ...

I actually am serious. It all looks so romantic, but I'm afraid it might not be for me. Some of those prices knock me for a loop. Still, I'm open to the idea.

"having to row those things"???
Degas, I'm picturing you and the other slaves in loin cloths being whipped while you pull the oars.

But seriously, I had friends who did one and nearly went mad from the slowness of it. They'd get out and walk, and get way ahead of the barge which took forever to get through locks every "10 feet" as they put it. One day they took bikes and met the barge at the next stop later in the day. They really don't go very far in a day.

degas, you might be able to catch some catfish and have a fish fry with hush puppies and grits.

It all sounds TOO SLOW for me.

Post your question over on the bonjourparis.com site's forums and you might hear from Al, who went on a GCT barge trip down the Rhône this past spring and really enjoyed it. And he is not easily pleased!

Okay, rowing is out. Maybe I could swim ahead of the barge and pull it with a rope in my teeth to speed things up.

I had forgotten all about the fishing angle. Do they use snails for bait or are they only used in soup?

Degas,

Reminds me of barging in France many years ago. We were on the Canal du Burgogne in company with an English sailboat making a passage through France to the Med. She hit a foating something and snappped her propeller shaft.

Since George had a heart condition and wasn't supposed to do anything strenuous for extended periods, it was up to Grace, his wife, to tow the small boat along the canal with a line to the towpath. The had about 20 killometers to go to the nearest town where the boat could be hauled and repaired.

He stood proudly erect in the cockpit, steering the boat, in his skipper's cap, just in front of the British flag flying from the stern, while Grace, rope over her shoulder like a Volga Boatman, toiled to tow the boat.

George was greeted by cheers, jeers, and applause by Frenchmen, Germans, and others as they passed through villages, and under bridges. People would stop their cars and take pictures of what the French (men) loudly proclaimed was the "proper" role of womankind.

George would wave gaily, and Grace would ham it up to the delight of all.

:-)

WOW! Degas you have hit a nerve here!

I have wanted to do a barge trip for ages..H*** I want to do a cruise to anywhere ..but the DH says he could not stand the boredom and inactivity..and he does have a genetic sea-sickness thing!

If anyone knows a way to convince this infidel please let me know!

I've also used that ole bad heart condition dodge to very good advantage over the years. Best $20 bucks I ever paid a doc for a false treatment sheet.

I guess it would be a bit easier to walk and pull the barge by rope rather than swimming and pulling it. And you would avoid the gators and sharks that way as well.

VBT has bike and barge trips in Burgundy. That might not be so boring.

Thanks, those VBT tours look pretty good.

Jodi,

The barge cruises are on canals and (small) rivers. There are no waves. The only time the boat would roll even a tiny bit would be if another boat went past and the wake caused a momentary slow tipping. Besides, boat traffic on the canals and most rivers absolutely stops when the lock keepers go home at around 7:30 in Summer.

Your DH really can't use seasickness as an excuse. A ride in a taxi would cause more trauma to his inner ear.

About the "boring" bit, the cruises that go on the larger rivers like the Rhone/Saone stop at larger cities, where there is lots to do, as well as having excursions to nearby places of interest.

We did a sef-drive barge cruise ten years ago. We covered a grand total of 75 miles in one week. We went through about 50 locks that are operated manually by the lock keeper and the boaters. Speed limits on canals are about 3 mi. per hour. Do it with friends with whom you want to talk hours on end about everything and nothing. Choose a canal with has a lot of old stones, i.e. historically interesting buildings near-by. That is why we went from St. Florentin to Monbard, using Rives de France; Tonnerre has a worthwhile hospice to see, there are a couple of chateaux along the way, and toward the end one can visit the Forge Buffon. Pay the premium for a one way trip. Go upstream so that you do not have to wait for the lock to fill before you go in it (they usually are kept open on the lower side).

Traveling on one of the barges that does have the bicycles (you can cycle along or in the area while it is docked) and has really great food, etc., is worth it, I think, but pricey as you've probably already found out.

It is a much slower pace but some of these boats are absolutely luxurious and felt to be perhaps a one-time, but very memorable, travel experience.
Another potential drawback is the small number of people who are traveling with you (assuming you are not renting a boat for your own exclusive use). Perhaps you should read the "Which Fodorites Would You Travel With" thread 100 times before doing this!!!

If you'd rather fly all over Europe or prefer driving then I wouldn't recommend it.

I read about half the posts and will now respond. We LOVED our barge trip--a small 22 passenger barge--beautifully outfitted. I would not go on the large river cruisers. We were on the river (Saone) and the canals in Burgundy. It does go slowly on the canal--fast on the river. You tie up at a town and get off to either walk around and sightsee, or get on a little tour bus with a very knowledgeable guide to go to a site or a wine tasting. You have 3 memorable meals a day prepared by the chef. Two wines with lunch and dinner with an explanation of the wines and their characteristics. Wonderful cheese selections along with your elegant meal/dessert. ANYthing you want (Johnny Walker Gold, Bombay Sapphire, etc) will be provided at the next opportunity. It is relaxing to sit on the deck and read while travelling--or just watch the scenery--or heaven forbid, converse with the other passengers. Biking and walking along the canal is also fun. You do not travel at night--tied up in a city. And the total distance travelled is not far but the trip is wonderful. If travelling in style is not for you, then I definitely would not recommend it for you.

Oh, I might say about price. I am one of the people who wring every nickel out of a travel dollar, but if you divide the 6 days you are on the barge into a daily charge, and everything is included, it becomes more "palatable".

I wasn't going to barge into this discussion since I've never considered this. However, a guy in my office did such a trip and he said you spend way too much time going through locks. Gretchen's trip sounds good, but I still don't think this suits my travel style. I do think that a barge trip w/degas would be entertaining.

It seems to me that a barge trip would be just right for someone who likes to sketch or paint.

Wear a scopalomine patch on your neck for seasickness. It lasts 72 hours and works almost miraculously. Take enough for your entire trip; do not listen to those who tell you you'll "get over it" in a few days. You may not. (Experience speaking: I have been on sightseeing barges only, but lived on a sailboat for several years.)

Just this morning I broke down and sent an e-mail to bonjour Paris for a brochure about barging in France. After reading these posts, something tells me it's going in the garbage as soon as I receive it.

Thank you all for the feedback. I have done some more research and understand the situation much better now.

Being able to hike and bike along the canel and having good food does make it a viable, if a bit pricey option. But it would have to be a short trip with the right bunch of chowerheads along to pass the time.

Barge trips are not for everyone--but don't put them down unless you have actually been on one. Several years ago, a friend and I took a trip on the Doubbs/Saonne (SP?) rivers/canals in eastern Burgundy--sounds a bit like the one Gretchen took. There were 18 other people, all unknown to us prior to the trip, but we managed to enjoy each other's company for the 6 day "event." The boat we were on was the "Marguerite"
operated by Continental Waterways.

I usually prefer a lot of activity on a trip, but the "unusualness" of this trip--the food, the historic towns visited, the views of the landscape, away from the main roads, was really enjoyable.

There are often opportunities for less expensive trips in the spring and later in the fall. Summer is prime time and $$$. Try it--you might like it. (I will mention that the cabins are small and my 6'2" husband wasn't interested in going and neither was my friend's.) It is not like a cruise ship experience. But my friend and I enjoyed it and all things being equal, would do it again. mhm

Degas: Have been concerned about you since your post sometime ago, but I'm pleased to see you seem to be in fine fettle once again! Incidentally, we sailed under the Golden Gate Bridge earlier this month and I didn't see any lanterns, but it was a very satisfying experience.

Here's a website for a French company we considered using several years ago:

La Penichette
http://www.locaboat.com/index_an.html

My wife and I have done 4 self-drive barge trips. Early on, we considered a hotel barge buit decided on self-drive for the following reasons:
1. Price - probably a third of the price.
2. Flexibiltiy - our schedule, not someone else's.
3. Food - we'd rather eat in the cafes and resturants in the little towns than have the same chef every day and night.
4. Locking does provide a fun diversion and breaks up the trip and is not strenuous. It's also an opportunity to meet other boaters.
5. And most important - as my wife says, we'd rather spend a week traveling with the A******s we know than the A********s we don't know.

Ms UNDERHILL...I certainly would like to give advice but I am not the person for barge trips. I went this spring on a RIVERBOAT trip and its all the difference in the world. A riverboat is sized to carry 50 to a couple of hundred people while a barge is mostly in the 6 to 12 area. I ddont't think I'd be interested in a barge trip. But my Grand Circle Rhone /Soane riverboat trip was fantastic. Went from Arles to Dijon with the whole tour including stop-overs in Nice and Paris

What I don't think some of you are "getting" is that the actual time spent going from place to place on the boat is relatively short. You dock, get off and go shopping or sightseeing. We did not do interminable locks. I have to admit that the first ones were really exciting because they are VERY narrow and getting into the lock was fun. The crew was absolutely terrific--fun to visit with. Our barge was a Continental Waterways barge--Lafayette. It was a very relaxing and enjoyable trip from many points of view.

Hi Jody,

>I have wanted to do a barge trip for ages... but the DH says he could not stand the boredom...<

One is either a boat person or one is not a boat person. There is nothing you will be able to do about DH.

How about separate vacations one year?

((I))

Degas, Did you ever take your Spring trip to Umbria?

As for barging, I think it would be boring for me. The only place I like to barge is through the front door of a good tavern.
((H))

Actually, IMHO, barge trip is far more enjoyable than any vacation rental/seaside resort holidays.

Many years ago, I took one barge trip around Cognac area (near Bordeaux). It was a very hot summer in Paris, after 10 days enduring a hotel room without air-con, I went to a travel agent near Gare du Nord, booked a last minute 7 nights barge trip off from Angoulame. It costed about 1/3 of the price by broucher.

The barge took off every morning after breakfast around 9 AM, so early raiser would have time to take a morning walk to nearby village/market. It stopped at early afternoon for lunch, always close to town/village. After lunch, mini-bus took passengers to visit historic sites/ churches/ cognac houses/ vineyards, then came back for afternoon tea/coffee break. Before dinner, it was free to cycle around countryside/ go shopping/ walk.

Dinner usually served late, on sundeck under starry sky; sometimes, town people taking evening promenade along the canal would stopby for a chat.

The barge lounge equiped with some booksehelves. In the morning, it was relaxing to sit on the sundeck reading/ watching the fields going by.... The canals was so calm, for someone used to the choppy waves of Great Lakes, it felt almost motionless.

Food was one of the best parts: every morning, the chef would come back from local market loaded with bags of fresh local produce. I don't remember ever eating same dish twice.

However, as with limited space on the barge, it was a bit too confined for some passengers (totally 9 of us). After few days, some of the 4 couples started to have little disagreements between them. At one point, I was the only one on speaking terms with everyone else on dinner table. This experience has cured me forever the disquite of travelling solo.