Wondering about barging in either Netherlands or France and would like to know if anyone has done it where they drove the barge themselves and what the experience was like. Also, if anyone has booked a room on a barge where everything is catered for you and how you liked it. We are interested in barging but not sure which way to go and what country to choose (we have been to both).
Thanks for any insights and tips! There are so many companies to choose from and it's hard to know which one to choose.
Posted by
Brisbane, Australia
126 posts
Have a look at this company – http://www.utracks.com/utuk/index.php they do bike and barge holidays.
The bike part is optional; if you want, you can just stay on the barge all day while the others cycle between A and B.
When you are on the home page choose the country you want from the drop down menu, then the activity as “bike and barge” then hit the search button.
Posted by
Centennial, CO, US
2125 posts
We rented a DIY barge from Locaboat in southern France a few years ago, and loved it.
Here are some links to Forum posts about barging & Locaboat -- you can use the search at the top to find more.
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/france/locaboat-recommendations-and-smoking-concerns
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/transportation/travelling-by-barge-throught-the-canals
Posted by
Washington
919 posts
Did a trip with Yubike! In Netherlands last year. Very well run. We were on the Barge Gandalf. Excellent service and food. Also check out Tripsite.com. Made reservations through their agency, and it was a smooth process.
Posted by
2 posts
Hello Jana
Check out www.bargenilaya.com/index1.htm
Kevin and Isabelle run a wonderfully informal 1922 Dutch barge and cruise a huge area in France each summer season. Barge Nilaya has a great facebook page plus has been listed in Rick Steves France guide book for around seven years. The food is home cooked with lunch and breakfast plus two dinners included and on other evenings, they moor up next to some fab little country eateries.
The cruising's great, company a hoot and they have bikes aboard so you can head off if you like. We've been twice and it's highly recomended.
In early 2016, I believe that they are barging in burgundy and the Loire.
Posted by
Cape Ann, Massachusetts
3207 posts
Over 10 years ago, we took a bike barge trip through the Netherlands with this company: http://www.cycletours.com. We actually went through this company: http://vangoghtours.com. Others on the trip had taken more than one such tour and went directly through Cycle Tours after their first trip; i.e., skip the middleman. We loved the tour. We biked during the day to the next location of the barge through charming countrysides and villages/towns. I think we saw a lot more of the Netherlands on bikes, than we would have seen any other way. It is a beautiful country and a wonderful country to ride bicycles in. What I didn't like was that they put all the Americans on the same boat and one Swedish couple. I don't go to Europe to spend time with Americans, I can stay home for that. LOL. And some were type A vacation types, which was very annoying, others were lovely. It was a nice small group though. We wouldn't hesitate to do it again as we loved it. We were given the best barge, which included a nice common area to socialize and dine. The food was wonderful! Some of the other barges had smaller if any common areas, I believe I heard, but I am not sure. We still talk about the guide, the captain and his wife, they were all lovely and informative. The cabins were small, but efficient and clean. No AC, everyone just left their doors open on the one hot night. I believe each had a small bathroom with the room, or head. We did anyway. It was a lovely vacation.