Hi Everyone:

I need some help from the experts and the collective brain of all the slow travelers in France who have taken a barge trip. I did find some information on the slow travel site concerning this topic but I was hoping for some more reviews of recent trips. I am interested in learning more about trips in Burgundy, Provence or the Dordogne area.

Also a few years ago when I was working in San Francisco I heard about a woman who owned a barge I believe near Agen. She offered cooking tours. I can't seem to find information about her. Does anyone have information about her trips.

Thanks in advance to the brain trust for all your help.

Germaine

Are you interested in a self-drive barge trip or one where someone else does all the work? We've taken an upscale trip with French Country Waterways in the Loire Valley and we just signed up for a self drive barge trip for next September starting from Agen. I think the name of the woman you're looking for is, believe it or not, "The Barge Lady" (go figure).

Mark:

I think this time I am looking for someone else to do all the work. Was the Loire trip wonderful? Did you stop and go and visit some of the castles as well? I love the Loire Valley but I am thinking of the barge trip being in the south somewhere. I might get more adventurous the second time out. I will google "The Barge Lady". Thanks for your help.

Do you go to any of the slow travel get togethers in the Boston area? My sister lives in the area.

Germaine

yeah its Rosa the lady...great trip I have done it; beautiful country. i put the link here its in English click on the flag.
http://www.rosa-croisieres.com/

Germaine,

Although I haven't personally used them, you might check out Paul and Michelle Caffrey's barge, Imagine, at bargeandbreakfast.com They cruise in Burgundy. These trips can be very, very expensive, whereas they're a bit more reasonable. They're also one of a minority of barges that charter 4 berths instead of 6 or more.

Although we've not cruised with them, they were very helpful and friendly when I contacted them a few moths ago about their business and life aboard; my wife and I are seriously planning to start our own canal barge chartering business in a few years.

One of the other outfits I contacted (who shall remain nameless, unless you'd like to contact me privately) were frankly off-putting and snooty; I can't imagine spending a week with them.

We did a self drive barge tour from Agen to Valance sur Baise (? spelling). The Baise River is very quiet and non touristy and we enjoyed pulling into the small towns for the night.
Rick Stein (TV chef)has done a tour from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean on the "Rosa". It looked great. We enjoyed doing it ourselves but next time would like to have tours from the barge organised for us. Cooking classes and wine tasting would be wonderful, although expensive.

I've recentally talked with two people who did barge trips. One said it rained the whole time and that the cabins were so small that she and her roommate and to take turns getting dressed-one had to leave the room. The other person did a barge trip in the summer and was really bothered by the heat as it wasn't air conditioned. Just something to consider.