European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 19, 1995, Darmstadt, Hesse Travel tips p we by Evelyn Hsu the Washington Post a one week Barge trip May cover Only 30 to 50 Miles total. It would be faster to walk but that a not the Point. Quot a Barge trip is All about slowing Down Quot says Ellen sack a trip broker who. Does business As the Barge lady. Quot the Point is you Don t want to go any faster. You want to see things in a Barge cruise is not a River cruise although the two Are often confused. Barges travel exclusively on canals Man made navigational channels that have no current. Barges must be Small a carrying from four to 24 passengers a in order to fit in narrow canals and the locks that even out the water level. While there Are River cruising opportunities All Over the world from the Nile to the Rhine to the Mississippi most Barge travel is in euro pie where some canals were built by the romans. Barge cruising is expensive with cruise Only rates ranging from $1,000 to $4,000 a week per person double occupancy. Sack says this is because operating a Barge is costly a each usually has its own chef As Well As other Crew members. Sack says Barge trips Appeal to experienced travellers looking for a Chance to immerse themselves in a particular area s culture. A passengers can help open and close a canal locks and accompany the chef to Market. Many barges carry bicycles for exploring the Countryside and some companies will arrange that a cat accompany the Barge to offer greater sightseeing mobility. Be aware that most barges Are privately owned vessels chartered by tour operators and that the Quality of the Cabins can Range from Basic to luxurious. For More information Contact your local travel office or the following companies Whick offer Barge trips in Europe. They can be contacted in the states a a a. A / a Abercrombie amp Kent 600-323-7308 offers about a dozen Barge cruises with itineraries that include England s upper thames the Netherlands and Belgium and trips through Bordeaux the Loire Valley and Provence in France. Rates for a six night cruise in Central Burgundy on the 20-passenger i tote Start at $1,990 per person double occupancy. A French country Waterways Ltd. 800222-1236 owns and operates four barges in France with three itineraries in Burgundy and one in Champagne. From april through october the horizon ii cruises weekly with stops at Dijon Chalon sur Saone and Beaune with visits to a chateau and a Vineyard. Cruise Only prices Start at $3,095 per person double occupancy. V. A Kemvel s Premier selections 800234-4000 has Barge cruises in France England and the Netherlands. The eight passenger Stella goes on six night dutch Countryside cruises Between March and May timed to Tulip season. Cruise Only prices Start at $2,490 per person double occupancy a be boat 800-922-0291 offers conventional Barge cruises a France Scotland and England and can also arrange for self drive Barge trips. Cruisers to by Pittsburgh Post Gazette the Best Way to guarantee a pleasant trip is to select the right travelling companions. In Short leave the crabs at Home. Flexibility is a necessity. Some tips on smoothing the Way a choose a bookkeeper. This person be Able to add subtract multiply and Divide or own a calculator keeps a notebook of All expenditures and who paid for them. These include car rental if an gasoline meals and motels. This is a big Job. A create a Petty Cash fund. Start with $20 apiece and add Cash As needed. This fund pays for parking Highway and Bridge tolls Coffee Breaks ice Cream Cones ice for the cooler car snacks admission to historic Sites museums and Art exhibits. A a a a. A a Trade off paying Farthings. One person buys the fancy dinner the next. Day someone else pays for the Motel. If you keep casual track of who paid for what no one should owe big Bucks to another person at the end. Shares Are divided equally. Travellers buy their own souvenirs and gifts of course. A a be considerate of your travelling buddies budgets and expectations. One person likes antique shops another a wants to Stop at every fudge Kitchen. Still if you Don t share most of the same goals maybe you should stay Home and watch travelogues on television. A take the High Road this Means you Don t get involved in Petty stuff such As Quot she had salad and i did to Quot when the Check is always split equally or whining Quot i m tired of for Ceorge and my feet a map readers Are a must. But if you. Get lost consider it an Opportunity. If you get truly lost you May be spending the rest of your life with these people. A share dessert. It cuts calories and adds camaraderie., a distributed by Scripps Howard no i ser let made easy from wire reports farmhouse accommodations Are deservedly popular in Britain and with 1,000 Stab i ish m in to o fee i n g bed a and breakfast or self catering the whole country is covered. Most Are Lovely old buildings Ami unspoiled Farmland and v v a amps Ken George an excursion boat goes through the locks at la Petite the heart of old Strasbourg. The City can be visited on a Barge trip through Alsace and Lorraine to regions in Northern France near the German Border. Who want to operate their own Barge can. Select a boat and choose from about 70 embarkation Points in France itineraries and lessons in operating the boat and cant locks Are provided said be boat co owner Debbie Petermann. The smallest self drive boat sleeps two people and the boat charter Cost ranges from $895 in Low season a Early Spring arid late fall a to $1,341 in the summer High season. A the cruise co. Of Greenwich 800825-0826 offers weekly six night cruises on the thames River that visit the towns of Windsor Cookham Marlow Henley and Oxford and go through the Chiltern Hills. Cruise Only prices on be sans Egal Are $1,600 per person double occupancy. A the Barge lady 800-880-0071 represents barges in great Britain France and the Netherlands and offers several specially cruises including golfing programs and cruises for families with Small children. The Golf cruise on Scotland s caledonian canal aboard the eight passenger ver Rouwen a available april through november a. Includes. Golfing at the Royal Dornoch Lossiemouth and Nairn courses. The Price for chartering the entire boat is $15,600, plus greens fees and equipment have belonged to the same family for generations. Home cooking at its Best is another Bonus. The Host amp guest service has joined forces with the farm Holiday Bureau a a National network of farming families a to offer a new computerized booking service. Bed and breakfast is from $16.50 per person per night self catering from $210 per week and All accommodations Are inspected by the tourist boards. A Quot farmhouse bed and breakfast Quot leaflet is available free from Bra offices and booking and full details from Host amp guest service Harwood House 27 Effie Road London sw6 1 in. Telephone 0171/736-7230 fax 0171/731-5340. The Irish like to have the most fun according to eur stat the Agency that tracks statistics for the european Union. The Irish spend More than their. European Brethren a about 12 percent per household a on entertainment recreation education and culture. The. British come in second spending about 10 percent per household on such pursuits while Luxembourger spend the least 4,1 percent. A. / a \ eur stat figures also reveal italians spend the most on clothes creeks the most on food and germans the most on cars according to reports. A 4 a a Madrid Rome Chicago and new York Are cheap party towns says Runzheimer International which compared the Price of a party package a a bottle of wine Vodka and scotch a six pack of Beer a Carton of cigarettes plus aspirin and Alka Seltzer for the morning after a in major cities around the world. The package Cost from $60 to $80 in these four venues most expensive world party towns Tokyo where the party pack would Cost $ 150, Hong Kong $ 105, Sydney $104 and London $103. Antique Hunting is pastime in. Britain and a new free guide is packed with advice for visitors. Quot Lockson s guide to Antiques in. Britain Quot contains a map highlighting the towns and cities that offer some of the Best shopping opportunities As Well As sections on Antiques fairs auctions exporting and where to learn More about Art and Antiques. Published by the British tourist. Authority As Parton the festival of arts and culture the guide is available from Bra. Offices overseas. January 19, 1995 stripes Magazine 21
