When I say “River Cruise”, many ideas might come to your mind
Like: following the course of a river on a bike, renting a small boat and cruising along the rivers and canals, or going onboard big river cruisers by renting a cabin; etc.
The holiday concept that we, Bookarivertrip.com, offer is way different. It is much more personalized and exclusive. It is closer to what is called “charter cruising” on the sea, and is basically a fully staffed river cruise, with the comfort of a 5-star hotel, along the best river spots in Europe. Read on and get the full experience!
Lets start by explaining you about the rivers
In Europe, thanks to our old political and economic history, waterways have been used for centuries for transport of goods and people across the continent. That is why the rivers and canals have been built and maintained for navigation. Being the reason why they have a very high standard in comparison with those of other continents.
Since 1910 their use has decreased and economic actors have preferred train and road transport over waterways. From there, many riverboats have been retired, but some of them have been refitted into floating homes. Today, there are approximately 3.000 households living on these riverboats in France, housing about 10.000 people.
While most of them lie in and around big cities (Paris, Lyon, Toulouse, Bordeaux), the river trips we present you on Bookarivertrip.com mostly take place in the countryside. Although some of them depart from these major cities. The owners are often people that have been working in the hospitality industry at sea or on land, and who decided to become owners and captains of such riverboats. They are professionals, and really love what they do.
The main regions for river cruising in France are:
- Paris-Champagne
- Alsace-Lorraine
- Burgundy-Saone (North-East of France)
- Loire-Nivernais
- Brittany (West of France)
- Provence-Camargue
- Canal du Midi
- Aquitaine (South and South-West of France)
Most of the river trips take place from March/April to September/October, so half of the year. This is in order to enjoy the best weather, and when most activities (tours, farms visits, restaurants, etc) are open to the public. Some of the river cruises do take place all year long, but they are a minority.
So how does a typical River Trip usually take place?
Let’s say you book your holiday on Bookarivertrip.com from Saturday the 17th of August 2019 to Friday the 23rd of August. Everything from local transport, food, drinks, accommodation, guided tours, local products, cultural activities, sports and beautiful pictures are all included in your booking, except airplane tickets of course! Remember that your booking options and personal requirements are 100% customizable through Bookarivertrip.com. Our tailored efforts will make your holiday unique and personal.
River cruise prices generally range from 300 to 3.500 euros a day/person, depending of the level of luxury of the boat and the amount of options you select (fully catered, tour guides, sport activities, etc). Resulting in the weekly price for a fully chartered riverboat ranging from 14.000 to 32.000 euros/week. The riverboat capacity ranges from 4 to 24 people. Depending of the owners, you can book either single cabins or the whole riverboat only.
Our specialized guide or driver will come to pick up your group at the airport or the train station of your choice in a 200 km range of the boat's mooring location. He will then drive you to the riverboat and you'll be welcomed by the first evening cruise! During the cruise, a three course dinner will be cooked by our chef and champagne will be served at your table by our stewardess. In the meanwhile, the boat is slowly cruising through the heart of Paris during sunset, or in between the beautiful landscapes of Burgundy. The boat will then go back to a secret mooring-spot, where you will spend your first night lulled by the river.
Next morning, you will wake up while the boat is already cruising the waterways and full breakfast will be served while the landscape keeps passing. Generally, navigation only takes place 2 to 3 hours per day. Depending on your selected cruising options, there is a possibility to follow the boat by bike or canoe/kayak for the sportier people amongst you. After lunch is served the rest of the day will be spent visiting the region, its best locations, its artists, its people and its nature. Your whole trip is customizable, depending on the available options of course!
The next days will take place in the same way, sharing your time in rest, with amazing food and drinks, sightseeing and cruising. You will experience what Siddhartha in Hermann Hesse masterpiece calls “the quietness of the elements, and the energy of the molecules”.
So what do you think, let’s cruise together?
Contact Marc to help you book your cruise!