Are you trying to find ideas for your next vacation destination? Imagine yourself watch the beautiful countryside of France slowly drift by as you curl up on a chaise and sip some exquisite French wine. Throw into that some gourmet meals made by an incredible French chef. Now imagine yourself exploring some quaint little French villages, this is what a vacation cruising French Canals can be like.
Canal Barges
Taking your next vacation on a hotel barge is an incredible journey, you can enjoy the small villages and really it doesn’t get much better than local French food. France is a country filled with history and along the way you can visit sites of historical battles, ancient churches and villages that have been around since the Roman times. You also have the option of just getting away from it all and relaxing in comfort for a couple of days. There are more than 5,000 miles of canals you can cruise through so your vacation can be as short or as long as you like.
Visit the Wine Regions
France has some of the best wines in the entire world and you can take a canal cruise through the Burgundy, Loire and Champagne regions of France. Imagine sipping champagne less than a mile from where the grapes are grown. The Loire Valley is both visually stunning and here you will find some bottles of world renowned French wines. Visiting the wine regions alone is reason enough to take the tour.
Finding a Charter
There are hundreds of small and medium sized boats who run up and down the canals, along with different agencies that can book you a tour. These charters can range from the very casual afternoon to a luxurious multi day cruise. Before the rise of rail transportation these canals were built to transport goods, now they have been converted to floating hotels and many of the newer ships are meant for luxury travel.
The barge can hold anywhere from 4-20 passengers and you book an entire boat to yourself, what a fantastic way to spend your honeymoon or an anniversary trip. The barges are pretty spacious and they run up to 35 feet wide and 130 feet long, but the canal system you’re on will determine the size of the vessel and they all come fully crewed so you don’t need any sailing experience at all. Lay back and enjoy the scenery while sipping French wine.