You might be wondering what the difference is between a European barge cruise and a river cruise. The relaxed and intimate atmosphere onboard is very similar, and destinations are often largely the same as well, visiting many of the same major ports. The main differences between a barge cruise and a river cruise in Europe are the speed and size of the boats.
Occupancy
Barge cruises have much smaller occupancy (usually 12-24 passengers) and cruise the rivers at less than 4 miles per hour, whereas river cruises may host around 200 passengers and cruise around 11 miles per hour.
Speed
Both river cruises and barge cruises are excellent ways to experience all that Central Europe or Britain has to offer, especially if you want to take in the beautiful scenery. While the speed of the barge cruises might seem quite slow compared to river cruises, it is actually a comfortable and relaxing pace to enjoy the panoramic views of the rolling countryside and postcard-perfect landscapes.
You might even realize that the barge moves slower than a person typically walks. Because of the significantly slower pace, barge cruises visit fewer ports along the way but give you more time to enjoy the landscapes. And the small size of the barges allows them to navigate the canals in addition to the bigger rivers.
Rosa Barge (Mark Jade Pintor)
Number of Passengers
Plus, the smaller number of passengers aboard makes for a much more intimate experience, with more one on one attention from the captain and crew. Barge cruises can be a great option for small groups and families - a barge can typically host about two families. These are ideal for sociable travelers who enjoy making fast friends in small groups. There are affordable options to charter barge cruises as well.
Cuisine
Food also distinguishes European barge cruises: The small occupancy means that the captain of the barge might also be the owner and the cook, and that means that the cuisine onboard is not produced en masse but rather prepared especially for you and made with the freshest local ingredients. Since the people cooking your food are local to the area that you cruise, you can count on authentic local dishes and flavors and truly exquisite wine pairings from nearby vineyards.
Cabin Size
You should note that as far as cruising goes, cabins aboard barges are quite small - smaller than those on a classic European riverboat. If you are planning a romantic cruise with your partner, you will likely be able to find accommodations with a double or queen bed, but make sure to request this.
TrustScore 4.8 | 175 reviews
TrustScore 4.8 of 5
Based on 175 reviews on
7 hours ago
The response from Adventure Life to my first inquiry was prompt and promising. I worked with Jamie Broeckel, Trip Planner, via text, email, and phone calls- always extremely responsive and thorough with information and explaining the process to arrange a private tour for me to Malaysia Borneo. Within about week, the booking was complete and I made decisions because of Jamie's great customer service , friendly manner, and overall competence on behalf of the company's travel expertise. Now I have an itinerary, additional Trip Planner Assistants, several links for vital information for traveling to Maylasia, etc. Still many details for Sept. trip, but now the heavy lifting is done and I can enjoy the rest of the anticipation and research!! Thanks Jamie- you are amazing!!!!
Susan Campo
2 days ago
The trip was not only memorable for the amount of animals we saw but also for the people and accommodations at the two camps where we stayed. Our first guide, BK, was a wealth of information about the animals, landscape and down to the plants and what they were used for. Everyday out was a learning experience with him. All the people at the camps were gracious and the food was excellent.
Our second camp in the Okavanga was just as good as the first as far as the staff, accommodations, food and animals. After our experience at the first camp we amazed that the high quality remained the same. Our guide, G, made sure we were able to enjoy every experience including a rush through the bush to witness a cheetah and an ensuing hunt that he heard over his radio.
In both camps there were enough guides out that if they saw something the other guides were informed which helped in seeing as much as possible. It was also nice that the concessions were large enough that we did not have vehicles following each other throughout the day.
Normally there is always something in a trip of this length that we think could be improved upon but this is the rare case where we cannot think of anything. From the time we left the States to when we returned it was one of the most hassle free vacations we took.
Perhaps emphasizing the use of the laundry facilities at the camps would be useful because of the luggage restrictions would be the only thing I can think of as an improvement to future clients.
Kenneth Dropek
3 days ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.
