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
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 | 254 reviews
TrustScore 4.8 of 5
Based on 254 reviews on
3 days ago
The holiday of a lifetime. The company is Alaksa-owned and thhat makes a big difference to the experineces you get i.e. meet genuine First Nations tribes people. The amount of wildlife was beyond my expectation, and seeing everything on sucha small, intimate boat made it even more spoecial and unique.
Liz O
3 days ago
Adventure Life covered all the details in planning our trip to Ireland. Any questions we had were answered immediately. Any trip glitches, which always happen when traveling, were resolved immediately. There were no worries, just fun!
Kathleen Weller
3 days ago
It was an outstanding, up-close, educational vacation of nature, culture, history, animals and geology! It was everything they promised! Binoculars were plentiful on the boat, but I'm glad I brought my own. Food was excellent. Rooms had black-out shades. Pack/wear multiple layers of clothing (I carried a small backpack when off the ship). Crew were delightful and very accommodating! Remember to jump FEET FIRST first when taking the optional polar plunge! Spend as much time outdoors as you are able and ENJOY!!!
Janet Dutton
1 week ago
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
1 week 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.