All You Need to Know
By Campbell Simon
Gently gliding along the rural canals of France is becoming more and more popular with Americans, says Naomi Kabak, director of marketing of New York-based B&V Associates, whose European Waterways division operates 13 delightful hotel-barges throughout France.
But while barging is more and more popular, many people - including experienced travelers - aren't precisely sure what it's really like. Here are some hints and pointers I garnered on a recent visit:
Getting Aboard, Getting Acquainted
The first day aboard is always a thrill. B&V travelers are brought to the barge by air-conditioned bus from the pick-up point in Paris or the nearest railroad station or village. The barge is usually moored in some hidden-away rural location, next to a green pasture dotted with cream-colored Charolais cows, or in a village or town resplendent with 15th-century half-timbered houses. The whole crew turns out to greet the arrivals, flutes of champagne are filled, the captain bids travelers welcome, luggage is whisked to the cabins, hors d'oeuvres are passed and new friendships are begun. Travelers are encouraged to make themselves feel entirely at home and, usually within 24 hours, feel they are among dear old friends, and within 48 hours, among family.
The Crew
The key to a wonderful barge cruise is the crew. Almost invariably, B&V crew members are from England, where a coterie of British people seem to be continually developing a rather charming passion for barging, wine and the good life. The captains make gracious hosts and entertaining tour leaders. The rest of the crew are a group of smiling, enthusiastic and helpful young people, who know that if their passengers are happy, they'll have a good time too.
Cabins
Barge cabins are invariably larger and roomier than most people assume. Aboard some B&V barges, beds are set-up in an L-shape, occasionally with one higher than the other, feet overlapping. On other barges, beds are arranged - twin or queen - side-by-side, like in a hotel. All have private, beautifully tiled and appointed bathrooms.
Speed
On the first day, you may find yourself wondering when the barge is going to speed up. Forget about it: it isn't. And that's part of the charm...because you are forced to withdraw so dramatically from our usual fast-paced lives and enter a world where everything happens gently, slowly and gradually. It automatically allows you to relax and look at life and your surroundings in a calmer, more peaceful way. How slowly does a barge travel? Let's put it this way: a gentle stroll along the canal's towpath could get you to your destination long before the barge gets there. As you walk, you can wave at your fellow passengers, lazing in chaise-lounges on deck, or in the barge's plunge pool or hot-tub.
The Locks
Every 20 minutes or so your B&V barge passes through a lock, enabling the canal to rise or descend with the topography. Each lock passage is a delightful interlude, with the lock-keeper greeting the captain, and with his family waving at the passengers, as the crew maneuvers the barge into the lock with literally an inch to spare on either side. The lock gates are closed, water rushes in, the barge rises, the gates open, and onward you go. Constructed in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the locks are masterpieces of engineering. Surrounding the locks are small gardens and the homes of the lock-keepers, some ornately manicured, some brimming with ivy and flower beds. At one, just outside Dijon, a bouncing Scottish terrier - tail a-tremble - encourages barge passengers to throw stones for him to fetch. At another, the lock-keeper's family has a vast collection of garden gnomes, from Marie Antoinette to Charles de Gaulle to Snow White. It doesn't seem an overly hard life to be a lock-keeper - navigation of the canals is permitted only from 8.30 am to 6.30 pm, and the locks close for an hour at lunch. Some of the happiest interludes in a cruise are disembarking at one lock, and taking a stroll to meet the barge at the next. Or the next.
A Gourmet Adventure
Clearly a central part of any B&V barge cruise is what happens three cheerful times a day as the passengers come together for meals. Each barge's on-board chef, managed to produce a magnificent succession of gourmet meals...all from often quite tiny kitchens. Some chefs are more "nouvelle" than others, some more traditionally "cordon bleu," yet, whichever barge they choose, travelers are assured an almost endless array of delicious and sophisticated French gourmet treats. Lunches are often buffet-style, and dinners include four leisurely courses. Meals are accompanied by excellent local wines, and as routings take travelers through a number of the world's most legendary wine-producing regions, many extraordinary vintages are provided. Each meal is also an opportunity to sample wonderful and aromatic cheeses - including those acquired at local cheese makers en route. There is an open bar on board: passengers just help themselves whenever they please.
All Ashore Who's Going Ashore
Every day, B&V travelers can take an excursion by minibus that's included in the cruise cost and guided by the captain or a member of the crew. These are gentle outings, one day to a famous winery, the next to a gorgeous country market resplendent with local produce and crafts. Sometimes, it's a visit to a chateau, or an abbey, or just a stroll in a town that looks like a film set for "Beauty and the Beast." And all this comes together, of course, to create the fundamental charm of the entire barge experience...discovering the delights of rural France with ease, in luxury, with relaxation, in good company and with, ultimately, a massive dose of contentment.
Extended Barge Season Specials
B&V Associates announces a successful launching of its extended season specials. Europe's very popular canal barges have been operating during the months of April through October. Beginning the season in March and ending in November has long been a goal of many barge operators.
Although the weather tends to be a bit chilly, all of the deluxe hotel barges being marketed by B&V are centrally heated. The modern, deluxe motor coaches, that are used to transport guests to and from the various sightseeing venues, are also heated. There is always fabulous food, prepared daily with fresh ingredients by the onboard chef. Guests are introduced each day to wonderful regional wines and cheese, and of course, there is an open bar. The atmosphere on board is warm, friendly, and comfortable. The service is elegant yet informal and guests come away feeling as if they have truly understood the soul of the country.
The most popular route for the extended season is cruising between Dijon and Vandenesse in Burgundy. Best know for its fine wines and hearty cuisine, this part of Burgundy is also noted for its unique architecture and flamboyant history. There is a chance to explore Dijon and its Ducal Palace, the famed Hospice and Wine Market in Beaune, the medieval castle of Chateauneuf overlooking the canal, and the 15th century Chateau of Commarin.
The barges that are being used carry between 20 and 24 passengers and are owned and operated by Continental Waterways, one of the premier hotel barge companies in France. All cabins are fitted with drawers, wardrobe, and bookshelf, reading lamp, portholes/window with private shower bathroom en-suite. With one crewmember for every three passengers, the service is always excellent and highly personalized. The crews are bi-lingual and well informed and are responsible for the marvelous atmosphere on board and the success of the cruise.
March is an ideal time to charter these deluxe hotel barges for incentives, meetings, special interest groups, family celebrations and the like. Most of the tourists have returned home and there are no crowds at the important sites along the way. The weather is comfortable for sightseeing and programs can be tailored to meet the needs of the charter group.
Barges Ideal for Honeymooners
It never stops; that inveterate search for the ideal honeymoon. Beach? City? Mountains? A cruise? A really special cruise? Yes, a really special cruise. But not on a massive, impersonal cruise-ship amidst two thousand other passengers. B&V has something more romantic in mind. A gentle cruise aboard a floating luxury hotel barge through the glorious heart of France. With just six, or ten, or twenty-two other passengers. Yes, that's 6, 10 or 22. Not 600, 1,000 or 2200.
And it's the honeymoon that more and more newlyweds are selecting...in Provence, with its heady aromas and fields of wild lavender; in the Midi - medieval and mysterious and close to the Pyrenees; amongst the parks and the chateaux of the Loire valley; and in Burgundy with its extraordinary wines and vistas. There's a sense of calm and well being. Days are lazy and serene as your hotel barge glides through the vineyards and meadows of rural France. Each day is special - starting with a delicious breakfast, served by an expert and friendly crew. The scenery is pastoral and blissful, and ready to be photographed or painted as travelers recline in a chaise lounge on deck, or sit in the decktop hot-tub. Yet while each day is restful, there are also opportunities to play golf, stroll the footpaths or ride bikes into an array of charming small villages. And each day, the crew arranges a gratis afternoon excursion to a chateau or a winery or a wonderful country market.
Barge cruises are normally six nights, seven days, and include transfers from and to Paris - perhaps the city honeymooners agree is the most romantic on earth. B&V offers special packages too, including flights and Paris hotel stays.... And when you reserve under the B&V Associates umbrella, you automatically earn American Airlines AAdvantage mileage.
Every barge cruise begins with a champagne welcome - a suitably festive continuation of the wedding celebration. Cabins are larger than many travelers assume, with queen-size beds and well-appointed bathrooms. A highlight of every cruise is the cuisine, furnished by creative and talented chefs who produce truly gourmet fare three times a day - with the occasional snack in between. Dinners are four courses and accompanied by excellent regional wines that are rarely exported. And every meal crescendos with extraordinary cheeses discovered in local farms.
Yet for many honeymooners - whether first- or second-time around, the beauty of a barge cruise is the opportunity to travel somewhere calm and quiet, elegant and satisfying, scenic and notable, in the company of cordial people. With the added bonus of being able to be alone whenever honeymooners choose to be. And no place is more perfect than the peaceful waterways of France.
