A few friends and I are in need of a fun vacation. We found a site for renting barges and thought it would be a blast. Are these barges easy enough for 3 women who don't have any boating experience? We thought Holland or Scotland would be our first choices. Has anyone been barging in either of these areas? Any tips or insights would be greatly appreciated!

Haven't barged myself, but it sounds like great fun. I loved the Highlands in Scotland, but you'd be kind of remote at times. Never been to Holland, but Amsterdam is supposed to be a blast. Hopefully someone has some good suggestions, since this sounds like an idea I might be looking into for my husband and I.

This Dutch site (in English) gives a good idea of models, routes, cost, amenities etc..<BR>http://www.hatenboer.nl/UK/index.html<BR>Worth exploring.<BR>I am sure you are not the first ones without boating experience and that the owners will be glad to give three single women a crash course. Have fun!

There's not much barging in Scotland because there's not much in the way of suitable canals. England and Wales offer more choices. There are loads of links at http://www.canals.com/index.htm.

I also recently saw a website that showed barging options in Scotland. I couldn't picture a lot of barging canals, but apparently they have them. One even mentioned barging to Loch Ness. Just don't plan on going during the winter when it's so cold.

6 women (with NO boating experience) navigated a cabin cruiser through the Venice lagoon and Brenta canal. We had a terrific time, and recommend the boating experience highly.<BR><BR>Three women barging on a canal should have no trouble at all (in retrospect, we should have done that BEFORE the Venice thing). The locks are easy to use, and the best part is you can't get lost on a canal. We liked our &quot;hotel&quot; moving with us, and being able to sit outside on the deck in the evening, sipping wine and eating dinner.

Actually barging in Scotland is VERY possible. The Great glen is one long waterway that connects Inverness to the northeast all the way to Fort Willaim and eventually southwest out to the Atlantic. It consists of a series of Lochs (including Loch Ness Loch Lochy and Loch Linnhe), rivers and canals and connecting locks.<BR><BR>There are other options in Scotland now that the Falkirk wheel lock is open between Edinbrugh and Glasgow.<BR><BR>The sceneray in Scotland would be awesome, and the trips in Holland would be full of villages and farmland, etc.<BR><BR>When you rent the narrow boat or barge they give you a short lesson on how to handle the vessel. Sometimes they even take you out for a couples of miles to practice.<BR><BR>You will never get above about 5 mph so it is a leisurely way to see things. I would consider renting bikes to take along. Then whereever you moor along the way you can ride to nearby villages, castles and gardens.

I guess I should clarify what I meant about barging in Scotland. While you can go the length of the Caledonian Canal, it just isn't the kind of thing I normally think about when I think about barging or narrowboating. A lot of it isn't narrow canals, but lochs, and there are plenty of sailboats and even big commercial boats (which get priority at the locks). It's true, though, the scenery is incredible.

Lochs vs. canals - I'd go with the canals. Sounds much safer.

Thanks for the encouragement! Does anyone have direct experience in barging in Holland or Scotland?

Yes, we have twice barged in Holland. It was a great experience but not what you would describe as restful, at least not with my husband who wanted to see as much as possible of Holland! We were moving on every day.<BR><BR>It is a great way to see a lot of the country and to meet plenty of people. I would stay away from the busy routes - you get a lot of large commercial shipping which is a little intimidating.<BR><BR>We had no experience at all, and had our two young sons with us. No problems at all and Dutch people were nothing but helpful and friendly.

Large commercial shipping - that does sound intimidating. It is nice to hear though that inexperienced boaters can take the helm and make a go of it. Maybe my husband and I could handle this type of trip. Do they give you good maps? How far can you get in a week of barging? Are bicycle rentals available? How are the cooking accomodations on most of these barges?