Luxury Barge Cruise Highlights From the Experts

It’s easy for us to say how much we love luxury barge cruising, but there’s nothing quite like hearing it from the experts! We’ve asked a selection of travel bloggers, food writers and cruise experts to share their cruise highlights from their European Waterways luxury barge experience…

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Loving Life as a Local

“As a chef and world traveler, I look at the world a little differently than most. Visiting smaller villages and towns lets me enjoy life as a local rather than a tourist. What could be better than fresh baguette or pastry from the local bakery or lunch at a local restaurant? And another reason I love traveling with European Waterways is the intimate dining experience, where knowledgeable chefs treat you to local specialties made from local ingredients.  And, if we start talking about wine and cheese I could go on for hours….sigh.  Life is good when you cruise with European Waterways, try it once and you’ll never go back to big ship cruising.”

Dennis Littley, Chef and Food Writer from AskChefDennis.com

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Barging Through Burgundy

“Barging through Burgundy was a fabulous experience, and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it. My wife and I considered this to be one of our best holidays, we loved every minute! The highly professional crew on L’Impressionniste worked together as a team providing guests with a friendly service and experience that I would describe as outstanding. Nothing was too much trouble; guests were treated like royalty!”

David Powel, Editor of Your Holiday & Cruise Magazine

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Magic at the Chateau de Vaux Le Vicomte

“We loved all the excursions on the Champagne Cruise, but one stands out as particularly magical: Visiting the largest private estate listed as a historic monument in France – the magnificent baroque Chateau de Vaux Le Vicomte. This château, we were told, was the inspiration for its bigger sister, Versailles, and despite being the fantastic and successful culmination of work carried out by three of the greatest artists of the Grand Siecle it has its own tragic and fascinating tale to tell. Walking into this impressive castle was awe inspiring. Its scale, majesty and balance were breath-taking. During our visit we discovered not only its history, but also gained a real insight into how life in the noble lane was once lived in France.”

Johanna Castro, Founder of Lifestyle Fifty and The ZigaZag Mag

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Dining With the Count and Countess de Taisne

“My favorite excursion on La Belle Epoque was the special lunch with the Count and Countess de Taisne. This was a true bespoke experience that was only possible because of the barge cruise on the Burgundy Canal with European Waterways. This encounter was unique not just because of the family titles and estate, but because of the authenticity of the interaction with the couple. They were charming and completely open about their life and their challenges of maintaining a historic property. This castle was their home and was lovingly lived in rather than being a museum showpiece. And lunch was pretty fantastic also, especially since it included some of the wines made on the estate.”

Rose Palmer, Creator, Writer, Photographer from QuiltTripping.com

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Falling in Love with Strasbourg

“Barging has allowed us to meander along inland waterways with stops at interesting cities, towns and villages along the shores. On our cruise through the Alsace and Lorraine regions of France on European Waterways’ 12-passenger hotel barge, Panache, we fell in love with the city of Strasbourg. Its scenic, medieval half-timbered buildings; bridges with balconies dripping with colorful flowers; and eclectic mix of architecture make it one of the most photogenic destinations we’ve ever visited.”

Irene S. Levine, Editor of MoreTimeToTravel.com

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A Feast for the Senses

“Exploring the Canal du Midi aboard the Enchanté European Waterways barge was a trip of a lifetime. We enjoyed learning about the food, cheese and wines of this beautiful southern region in France. One of our favorite excursions was exploring the Lézignan-Corbières market. There was a mélange of flavors in the air as we strolled from stall to stall deciding what we should taste next. The vendors smiled with pride showing off their dishes and welcoming us with samples. It was truly a feast for all our senses and a memory we cherish.”

Sue Reddel, Editor of FoodTravelist.com

Barge Holidays in France aboard Hotel Barge L'Impressionniste-Cruising past Châteauneuf in Burgundy

Inspired?

Have our cruise highlights reignited your travel wanderlust? Follow in the footsteps of the experts mentioned above: order your free copy of our brochure, for travel inspiration sent straight to your inbox, subscribe to our monthly newsletters or for help in planning your cruise – speak to a member of our cruise team today.

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