I just watched Burgundy: Gourmet Barge Cruise. While I'm a big Rick Steves fan, I gotta say this episode did nothing for me. And I say that as someone who enjoyed Great Canal Journeys series. Slow canal travel shows appeal to me.
This episode features Rick eating gourmet meal after gourmet meal. Nice for him I suppose.
Happy travels.
David, some of us enjoyed it per link below, but like everything, we all have different interests and views. I’m not a foodie, but the idea of relaxing, going for a walk, to a market, or cycling then getting back on the boat is appealing to me. I did this in the Netherlands about 10 years ago and have good memories of that type of travel.
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/france/episode-1306-burgundy-gourmet-barge-cruise
Glad you enjoyed it.
I would have welcomed an episode exploring canal journeys. However this stuck me as a vacation from doing travel episodes to film his vacation. I believe the cost of charting this barge is tens of thousands of dollars. Nice, I am sure.
The scenery was nice. I hope he doesn't do an episode of him relaxing on beach for a week. But hey, he deserves a good relaxing break so, yeah, good for him!
Happy travels.
After watching the episode last night, we wondered if there would be comments. I enjoyed seeing this area of France again but it was definitely an episode aimed at traveling for the wealthy, $35,000 for 6 days. Nice but not in my budget.
It confirmed to me that I have no desire to do a barge cruise. I can't imagine a duller travel style unless it is sitting on a beach or by a pool. And after watching what they were eating I mentioned to my wife that when Rick and Steve walked into town I'd have been on the lookout for an Irish pub serving Guinness and nachos. As much as I love France, the cuisine doesn't appeal to me, and to be trapped on a boat with only one choice each meal would have me jumping overboard.
Allan, of course every barge company will be different. Some are full charters, some are by cabin. Some include all meals, some you are on your own for lunch or dinner.
But, many years ago we booked 2 cabins on a larger barge in Burgundy. There were a total of 16 or 18 passengers on our trip. Every day a different excursion was offered in the morning- a winery tour, a castle, a walking tour of Beaune... Every afternoon there was an organized walk to a village, a church, through the vineyards... Participation was totally optional. We could also walk or bike along the canal paths and meet up with the barge along the way. Meals were wonderful and the chef didn't hesitate to prepare something different if the menu wasn't to your liking.
Yes, you don't cover a lot of territory. But you do have the opportunity to discover an area in depth. It was slow travel, but our week was anything but dull.
Allan,
I don't think I'd personally find canal barge trips to be too dull to do. A bike ride, a stroll, a walk into villages, trips to vinyards-- I could live with that for a few days.
When Rick did his shows on the cruising (also not typical Rick Steves fare), he really worked the content to give you tips and ideas how to maximize the experience. While I don't know it for a fact, I assume there were late nights and early mornings and getting perfect shots and sweating over the scripts.
This one however there was little to give the whole canal network context. Seemed to me he kind of phoned this episode in. Now let me be clear: Rick deserves this. He is hardest working travel writer out there. But still I'll give him an unfailingly polite little jab for this show-- it was yawner for me! Sorry! What do I know anyway?
Happy travels.
Well, I am being consistent with my opinion. I wrote a Trip Report in June after a River Cruise and I stated that it wasn't for me. https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/trip-report-amsterdam-to-zurich-by-boat-and-train
I see a barge cruise as a slower and duller version. Since barge cruises seem to be at a higher cost than a typical river cruise, I'm not about to find out if I'm wrong. I'd rather immerse myself in a region by land like my 2 weeks in Sorrento, 1 week in Dordogne and 2 weeks in SE England I've done in the past 3 years. Any two of those combined was about the same cost as our 1 week cruise.
"a foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds" - Ralph Waldo Emerson. Rude fellow, don't you think?
Anyway, Allan, you are consistent and thoughtful indeed!.
River cruises may someday appeal to me! Canal journeys already do! But I'd like to be steering the boat, opening the locks, bumping into things, cooking my own food and speeding along at 3 mph as they in do Britain! These French barges are too fast! Gourmet food is all well and good but who doesn't love a hotdog and a ballgame?
Happy travels
I’m with Allan! We watched this episode tonight and it was a lot of watching Rick eat. Barge cruising is definitely NOT on our travel list.
