We just got back from a trip to France and Spain to see family and friends, check out a couple of barges and visit a few museums. We drove from Paris to Brittany to Bordeaux, then along the Garonne River and the Canal des Deux Mers, which links the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea. Before turning in our rental car at Perpignan, we took time to explore Collioure, a lovely little seaside village ”discovered” by the Fauvist painters Henri Matisse and André Derain in the early 1900s.

As we ”cruised” along, I thought about how driving in France over the years has gotten to be much more like it is in the US, but it’s still helpful to be aware of some differences.

First, gas is still expensive - about twice as much as in the US. To cut back on the cost, we always rent the smallest car available - which has the added advantage of being easier to park in crowded city streets! If you can get a car that uses diesel, so much the better, as diesel is widely used and is cheaper than regular gas. I once rented a small car that went 500 miles on a tank of diesel! You’ll need to brush up on your stick shift skills, though, as small cars rarely come with automatic transmission.

French roads are really good these days, but the major highways (”autoroutes”) are toll roads - except in Brittany, which has some sort of exemption - so expect to pay up regularly. You’ll need cash or an American Express card, because even the manned toll booths don’t accept US-issued Visa cards or MasterCard. If you don’t need to cover long distances quickly, you can always take the free ”routes nationales” (national roads), which are well-maintained but pass through all the local towns.

My favorite aspect of driving in France is traffic circles or roundabouts. These can be intimidating at first, but once you get used to them, they are wonderful. If you’re not sure where you’re going, you can enter the circle and just keep going around until you’re sure where to exit. If you find you’re going the wrong way, continue on to the next circle and make a 360° turn to go back the opposite direction. Just remember that when entering a circle, you must yield to the other cars. You’ll see a sign showing the symbol for a traffic circle with the words “vous n’avez pas la priorité” (= you do not have priority or, in other words, yield).

With the roads all numbered now, finding your way is a lot easier than it used to be. However, the concept of using compass directions (north, south, east and west) has never caught on in France. The road signs still assume you know the towns along the route you plan to take. For example, you’ll see the word “direction” followed by the name of a town, so you’ll need to check the map for nearby smaller towns or more distant cities to make sure you’re going the right way.

Be sure to buy local and city maps. I especially like the yellow Michelin maps, which are scaled 1 cm = 2 km (approximately 1″ = 3 mi.) You can buy these at rest stops that have gas stations along the toll roads. You can also get directions and maps before you leave at http://www.viamichelin.com

Road signs can be confusing, but Avis and Hertz have PDF documents showing many of them, along with other helpful information (and some advertising, of course).

One nice thing about barge cruising in France is learning about the local traditions. Since Christmas is coming up soon, it made me think of santons.

During the French Revolution, when the churches were closed and not allowed to have Nativity scenes, an artisan from Marseilles started the tradition of making santons (”little saints”) for ordinary people to  have  Nativity scenes at home. 

These small figurines represent not only the traditional figures of Joseph, Mary, the baby Jesus, etc. but also various personnages typical in a French village.  For example, we have one of a woman carrying lavender and another of a man playing pétanque (a form of boules similar to bocce ball). Some of the figurines have the costumes painted on them, while others are dressed in clothes like dolls.

A santon fair was started in Marseilles in 1803, and now there are fairs and festivals all over Provence in November and December. Although this isn’t cruising season, if you get a chance to go to Provence at that time of year, be sure to check out these fairs. (You can buy santons all year round in gift shops.)

“The largest Nativity Scene in the World” (Guinness Book of World Records) is in Grignan. It covers more than 10,000 square feet and contains more than 80 houses, built of traditional materials (stone, wood, cement) and covered with 60,000 handmade tiles. Many expert santon-makers have contributed more than 1,000 santons of animals and people.

To read more about santons and see pictures of some of them, go to   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santon_(figurine)

No visit to Burgundy is complete with a stop in Beaune, in the heart of the famous wine region. From the renowned Clos de Vougeot to the equally famous Montrachet vineyards, the Côte d’Or (”Golden Hillside”) is a must-see for any serious wine afficionado.

Besides the vineyards, Beaune is famous for its Hôtel-Dieu (Hospices de Beaune), a hospital founded in 1443 by Nicolas Rolin. This building, with its beautiful multi-colored tile roof, is now a museum. The interior has been restored and gives a fascinating glimpse of how sick people were cared for, in one large room, with rows of curtained beds - each holding two patients! - along the sides. There is also a pharmacy, with old bottles labeled with the names of various herbs and other substances used as medicines. In the kitchen, with its massive fireplaces and cooking pots, you can see figures of nuns working to feed all the sick people.

The charitable institution now cares for the sick in modern hospitals, but its work continues to be supported by the proceeds from the sale of wine from its vineyards. Every November, a large charity wine auction is held in Beaune’s covered market. In 2008, 544 barrels were sold, 450 of red wine and 94 of white wine. 

If you have a few days before or after your Burgundy cruise, you may want to check into the gorgeous Hotel le Cep and tour some wineries, indulge in the local wine and cuisine, and just stroll around the quaint old town of Beaune.

Most cruises in France include a visit to a local market. If you have never been to one of those marvelous collections of fresh produce, fresh flowers, fresh fish, freshly baked bread… Did I mention everything is fresh? Except the cheese and sausages, of course, which are aged to perfection.

There are all sorts of markets all over France, from small outdoor markets to large, permanent indoor installations called “Les Halles.” Don’t be confused by the ”Forum des Halles” in Paris, though. This ugly underground shopping center is on the site of the original wholesale market, but the market was moved in 1971 to Rungis, a suburb of Paris. The market in Rungis is huge, but you don’t have to go that far, as you can still find lots of great street markets in the central part of Paris.

Most towns and villages have markets at least once a week. Whether you want to buy food for a picnic or just a local specialty to take home, you’ll find an amazing assortment of produce and other edibles. (If you’re from the US, make sure you know what you’re allowed to bring back. Those cute little beagles at the airport are very good at what they are trained to do, which is to sniff out contraband food items.)

French markets are primarily for the local people, not tourists, as French people love fresh food and are willing to take the time to shop for it. Take cash (small bills and coins) and preferably a shopping bag for all your purchases. Just remember that prices are in euros and weights are in grams and kilograms. Take a calculator or plan to work on those math skills.

Even if you don’t need or want to buy food, it’s worth going to the market for the sights and smells, from juicy red tomatoes to enormous mushrooms and truffles to fresh spices sold in bulk. Lavender honey in Provence, fish and seafood in Normandy, even used books and paintings in Paris - going to a local market will help you understand and appreciate France like nothing else!

Do you enjoy drinking wine and other alcoholic beverages?

Most cruise packages include water, tea and coffee, but beyond that, policies vary. If you don’t drink wine or other alcoholic beverages, you can usually save money on a cruise that doesn’t include these or only includes wine with dinner, for example.

The usual options, depending on the cruise, are:

1. Wine with dinner only, all other alcoholic drinks extra  (soft drinks may or may not be included with meals)
2. Wine with lunch and dinner, all other alcoholic drinks extra
3. Wine with lunch and dinner, plus open bar between meals

Most cruises include at least one or two wine tastings of local vintages, but if you’re really interested in wine, look for a wine theme cruise. Many of the smaller luxury barges offer these for group charters. We even offer a “Wine and Chocolate Cruise” in the Chablis region of Burgundy. This cruise is open to both individuals and groups in the spring and fall.

Do you want to do a lot of sightseeing or just relax?

Most cruises include at least one sightseeing excursion per day, and these are usually included in the price of the cruise. However, it’s a good idea to find out if any of the excursions are “optional,” i.e., you have to pay extra for them. In addition to wine tastings at local vineyards, excursions can range from visiting a village farmers market to touring nearby chateaus and cathedrals.

If you just want to relax, you can skip the excursions, of course. And with a barge charter, your group can decide to do things like additional wine tastings instead of sightseeing.

Do you have a special interest?

Besides wine cruises, you can take a cruise focused on a special interest, like garden cruises, golf cruises, bicycle cruises, etc. Most of these require putting together a group for a charter, but this can be arranged for groups as small as four people.

As you can see, there are a lot of choices available for cruising in France, from larger boats that cruise the Seine and Rhone Rivers to small luxury barge-hotels that travel the networks of canals and smaller rivers in Burgundy, Provence, Champagne, the Loire Valley and other regions. So, whatever your interests and budget, you’re sure to find the perfect cruise that will provide a lifetime of wonderful memories.

Questions to ask yourself and your travel agent before booking your river or canal cruise:

Will this be your first visit to the country?

If you’ve never been to France, you may want to see ”don’t miss” sights like Paris, the Loire Valley chateaus, or the Champagne region on your cruise. But if you’ve “been there, done that,” then taking a barge cruise through the Burgundy countryside or the wild landscape of the Camargue will offer a totally new experience.

How many people in your group?

If you have a family or a group of friends, you may want to charter a barge. That will give you the most flexibility to choose how to spend your cruise. The barge captain will have lots of suggestions - all you’ll have to do is agree among yourselves! If you prefer a larger riverboat and have a big enough group (usually 10 or more), you may be able to get a group discount or a free cruise for one person.

If you’re traveling as a couple, you’ll be with other people. So, the question is, do you want to be with a lot of new people or just a few new people? Remember, you’ll be spending a lot of time together on the boat and on the sightseeing excursions.

A single person will want to pay close attention to single supplement fees, which can cost anywhere from a few hundred dollars more up to as much as double the single price. A few barges and riverboats have single cabins, but most do not.

Do you want a luxury experience or do you need to watch your pennies?

Generally speaking, the larger the boat, the cheaper the cruise. Because the ratio of staff to guests is much higher on the smaller barges, they typically aim for the high-end experience. Gourmet meals, fine French wines, and personal attention are the selling points of a luxury barge cruise.

Larger riverboats offer several sizes of cabins, with corresponding price breaks, while barges usually are outfitted with several similar staterooms. In many cases, the cabins on a barge can be made up as either twin or king for maximum flexibility. A few barges even offer staterooms with bathtubs.

There are no inside cabins on riverboats or barges, but window sizes vary considerably, from sliding glass doors opening onto a French balcony to small, fixed porthole-style windows. This is not as big a concern as it might be on an ocean cruise where you spend days at sea. But if you think you will want to spend time alone in your cabin instead of in the lounge area or on the sundeck, it’s something to check out.

Cruises in France are most expensive in the late spring, early summer and early fall because that’s when the weather is usually the best. If you want to save money, plan to go during the low seasons.

Next time, we’ll take up a few more things to think about when deciding on a cruise that’s right for you. In the meantime, you may want to check out our Frequent Questions page.

A trip to Burgundy without a wine experience wouldn’t be complete, of course. So, while I was visiting barges on the Canal de Bourgogne, I went to one of the most famous vineyards in Burgundy (and in France, for that matter)–the Clos de Vougeot. This 12th-century winery/chateau was built by Cistercian monks for their wine production. They owned the property for 700 years and life was good for a long time. But the French Revolution took everything away from them. Today, it is the headquarters of the “Confrérie des Chevaliers de Tastevin,” an elite fraternity of wine connoisseurs known for, among other things, its annual event, the “Trois Glorieuses” (the three glorious days). This extravagant event takes place on the third weekend of November. First, a meeting of the Confrérie on Saturday, then a famous charity wine auction at the Hospice de Beaune on Sunday and finally the “Paulée de Meursault” and the award of its literary prize on Monday. All of these happenings are carried out with ample celebration and pageantry, of course. At the chateau, I was particularly impressed by the four mammoth, medieval wood presses on display in the cellars. They are really enormous!

As for the vineyard, well… it is clustered all around the chateau and it is a very unique and unusual growing arrangement. The stone-wall enclosed area of 125 acres is now owned by 80 different owners. Some of them only own a few rows or even less. So, although it is the largest Grand Cru area in Burgundy, the average production per owner is just over 1,000 bottles. The grape grown is Pinot Noir which produces a delicious full-bodied red wine. Taste it–you will not be disappointed. Clos de Vougeot is classified as a national monument and is well worth the visit. Being there on the Trois Glorieuses weekend would be so much fun!

Canal barges vs. riverboats - Canal cruises are boat trips on barges that travel on man-made waterways. These barges usually are remodeled commercial cargo hulls that have become obsolete for modern freight transportation. The canals are narrow and not very deep. They were dug decades or centuries ago, and they normally allow for just two boats to pass each other. The barges are small. Depending on the size of the cabins, their capacity varies from 4 guests to 10 or 12… sometimes 20. By contrast, river cruisers typically have over 100 passengers and travel on much larger rivers: the Seine, Rhone, Rhine, Danube, etc. Because they are small, barges can reach deep into the countryside, away from major tourist destinations, for a more unique and personal encounter with the local culture. You can even charter the smaller ones for your own family or affinity group (wine, gardens, golf, bicycling, cooking, art, etc.) Imagine… the whole boat just to yourself!

The lap of luxury - As I said, canal barges are small. However, they are more comfortable than you might think. Again, depending on the number of guests, some of the deluxe ones have very large cabins with gorgeous private bathrooms (usually with a shower, but sometimes a bathtub). Many of these boats even have saunas and hot tubs on board. Living rooms and dining rooms are decorated with beautiful fixtures and furnished with fine furniture.

Daily life on board a barge - One of the most striking features of a canal cruise is the slow pace. The boat sails only during the day and usually covers short distances: typically 50 to 100 miles a week. So, there is ample time for strolls in the neighboring countryside, bicycle rides along the towpath or minivan excursions to a local castle, monastery, winery, museum or other historical site of interest. The other “claim to fame” of a barge cruise is the gourmet food and the wines. During the course of a cruise, guests will sample dozens of cheeses, wines, local dishes and desserts.

Your hosts - Many of these small boats are owned and operated by a husband and wife team who are totally dedicated to barging. They operate the boat as they would their own home with additional rooms for a bed and breakfast (except that, in this case, “breakfast” means all the meals… every day). Your hosts are a combination of captain, cook, butler, sommelier, social director, chauffeur… everything. They “baby” their guests in every way they possibly can.

How long and when? - Barge cruises normally last a week, starting on Saturday or Sunday and ending the following weekend. They operate from April through October. In the south of France, where the climate is milder, some of them start as early as March.

You can find more information about barging on the FAQs page of our website. You can also see itineraries for a couple dozen of these canal cruises.

Welcome! This travel blog is about river and canal cruise vacations on luxury barge-hotels and riverboats in France. With its extensive network of rivers and canals, France offers dozens of cruising possibilities from Alsace to Normandy and the Loire valley, down to Burgundy, Provence and the Languedoc. The boats navigating French waterways can be as small as upscale barges for 4 guests on the Canal du Midi or as large as 150-passenger river cruisers on the river Seine through Paris. Cruising around the French countryside is a great way to spend a vacation. Exploring out-of-the-way places, seeing the locals up close and sampling the many regional dishes and wines is a lot of fun. So, we hope you enjoy your trip (or enjoyed, if you’ve already been there) and we look forward to chatting with you.

From our “About” page you will see that we are travel professionals who specialize in tours and cruises in France, Spain and Portugal. You might want to take a look at our website.