Barge cruising in Europe is nothing new, but it is certainly a trending option for avid travelers hoping to experience something different. The top destinations for barge cruising are France, the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, and Belgium.
France is the best destination for barge cruises and has been perfecting this style of cruising for years. Looking for a touch of the romantic for your European cruising experience? A barge cruise in France is unparalleled (make sure to ask for a bed that accommodates two, as cabins tend to be a bit small). As you cruise through France, you’ll certainly enjoy going through the many locks (especially on the Canal du Midi). Your cruise also may visit the popular countryside regions of Burgundy, the Loire Valley, Franche-Comte, Alsace-Lorraine, and Bordeaux. Sleepy villages, medieval towns, and chateaus line the way.
The United Kingdom has a host of great barge cruises to choose from, exploring the ancient and beautiful backcountry of Scotland, Ireland, and England. Castles, pubs, distilleries and rolling countryside highlight the itinerary. While exploring Scotland, you’ll navigate ancient Lochs, including Loch Ness, as well as visiting the theatres that first hosted Shakespeare’s plays. Step back in time centuries to see where Scottish clans battled each other. Listen as the traditional sound of bagpipes fills the air.
Cruising through Germany, the Netherlands, and Belgium are good barge cruise destinations if you want to really spend your vacation getting to know Central Europe. In Holland, you’ll see seemingly endless fields of tulips, windmills that look like they were picked straight out of storybooks, tiny towns where age-old traditions are still very much alive today, trademark Flemish styles, and big cities like Antwerp, Rotterdam, Amsterdam, and others.
Vineyard underneath the Niederwald Monument, Rudesheim, Germany
In addition to these top destinations, Italy is an up and coming destination for barge cruises and we feature several unique experiences from Venice!
Excellent travel advice and service
This is my second experience working with Adventure Life. I’m sold. Jess Heuermann is an experienced traveler and provides a lot of useful information when planning a trip. These are the questions I like to ask at the outset - What’s it like to go here, there, what would you suggest, what do people report, can we add any additional side trips? Jess took the time to answer my questions and seek additional information to share with me. Petchie Colina is outstanding in helping with travel logistics and final preparations. Adventure Life has excellent guides and offers private guides and small group adventures. We enjoyed the opportunity to talk with the guides and drivers to learn more about their countries, cultures and histories. A highlight was having the guides pick local restaurants where we could share meals together. Highly recommend.
Claire Cordon
3 days ago
Our six-day tour in Iceland went smoothly with one exception. We had asked for two rooms each night. Somehow we were booked with one room with three beds. It could not be fixed at the first hotel in Reykjavik because the hotel was fully booked. Once informed of the problem, however, Adventure Life rebooked for two rooms for the remainder of the trip. As an 85-year-old traveler, I appreciated that one could participate at different physical levels at many of the stops. Iceland is a great place to visit but on the expensive side.
Mary Warren
4 days ago
Jess was very easy going and answered all our questions. It’s not easy dealing with 6 people at once but she did an outstanding job!
Diane Foster
6 days ago
Kassandra and the Adventure Life team have been incredible! Kassandra was very knowledgeable and attentive to our asks while making sure we kept within our budget. This was our first experience with a travel agent and we were blown away by the booking/initial exploration service. We will use Adventure Life again.