cp fa Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 The first time we went, it was with three other couples, all pilots + wives, all with previous boating experience, so we had lots of drivers. We went from Gray to Branges, in the Burgundy region. Beautiful scenery, lots of great food and wine, very rural, so not a great deal of English spoken.http://www.connoisse...nce/burgundy/35The second time, with the kids, we chose the Canal du Midi to make it more of an educational experience, since the kids were missing a couple of weeks of high school in September. It was a lot of work - many more locks than the previous cruise (don't forget to bring gloves for everyone - handling the ropes caused some nasty blisters by the second day!) There were six of us on this cruise, ourselves and the kids, and another couple. Between us, there were 2 pilots, and my son who had taken sailing lessons who were familiar enough to drive the boat.We rented this boat both times - roomy enough for a crowd, but maybe too big to drive unless you have a few people on board with a bit of boating experience.http://www.leboat.co.uk/flotte/415fbThere were no issues with safety, you can't go fast in these boats, and you're not allowed to motor after dark. When you make the arrangements for your rental, the company will send you a Guide Fleuviale with all of the nav charts for the area you're going to be boating in, as well as every restaurant and place of interest along the way.We had a great time, and I would do this again in a heartbeat, either in France, or elsewhere in Europe where it's offered.Here's a pic of my son, I think about 16 at the time, driving the boat: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Specs Posted January 8, 2012 Author Share Posted January 8, 2012 I wanted to do the canal boat in France thing for years but it always seemed a bit slow for the gang I travel with. This seems like a perfect opportunity to revisit the idea. Thanks for the great reminder.I'll leave it to the girls to decide. One way or another, they'll definitely get out of their comfort zone and and enjoy the trip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
better4me Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 Couple of things for the OP to keep in mind.- 2012 Olympic Summer games are July 27 to Aug 12. Expect usual price gouge for LHR hotel to be larger than life.- 2012 Olympics could be a major travel draw for Europe and impact flight availability. That siad I would still expect Southern Europe to be free from Olympic travel.Some other suggestions:- Germany: try Munich, Berlin, Hamburg/Dusseldorf/Copenhagen are all great areas. Get the kids used to old West Germany then plunk them down in East Berlin (where English is a lot less utilized). Berlin is a fabulous city to see a variety of cutural experiences (old europe, communist era, rebirth of unified Germany.- Spain: Stay out of Madrid (or only use it as a transfer point) and get to the outer areas on the coast. lots to see and do in Barcelona, Alicante, Malaga, Sevilla, etc. Highspeed rail (AVE) is great to get between the major cities. Cheap airfares into and out of Spain from a variety of LCCs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chockalicious Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 Have you thought about going North? Our oldest who is a total beach brat suprised us by saying she wanted to see the Northern lights. I also think Churchill could be interesting as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CAT3DUAL Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 Reading week is coming up for my son at the end of Feb, thought of taking him over to Normandy. Anyone done this trip? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Specs Posted January 9, 2012 Author Share Posted January 9, 2012 Couple of things for the OP to keep in mind.- 2012 Olympic Summer games are July 27 to Aug 12. Expect usual price gouge for LHR hotel to be larger than life.- 2012 Olympics could be a major travel draw for Europe and impact flight availability. That siad I would still expect Southern Europe to be free from Olympic travel.Some other suggestions:- Germany: try Munich, Berlin, Hamburg/Dusseldorf/Copenhagen are all great areas. Get the kids used to old West Germany then plunk them down in East Berlin (where English is a lot less utilized). Berlin is a fabulous city to see a variety of cutural experiences (old europe, communist era, rebirth of unified Germany.- Spain: Stay out of Madrid (or only use it as a transfer point) and get to the outer areas on the coast. lots to see and do in Barcelona, Alicante, Malaga, Sevilla, etc. Highspeed rail (AVE) is great to get between the major cities. Cheap airfares into and out of Spain from a variety of LCCs.Great advice. The Olympics could really throw a wrench in things. Decisions! Decisions!Good to know about Spain as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Specs Posted January 9, 2012 Author Share Posted January 9, 2012 Have you thought about going North? Our oldest who is a total beach brat suprised us by saying she wanted to see the Northern lights. I also think Churchill could be interesting as well.Gotta admit - seeing the far north is something every Canadian urbanite should do. We lose a sense of this country living in the urban areas and trips to Algonquin really don't give you the full perspective. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Specs Posted January 9, 2012 Author Share Posted January 9, 2012 Reading week is coming up for my son at the end of Feb, thought of taking him over to Normandy. Anyone done this trip?Thought about it for my nieces to give them a sense of our history and the events that went in to building this country today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boestar Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 Driving accross Canada was one of the best trips I have ever done. Even though I work for an airline I always vowed I would see CANADA before I traveled abroad. The scenery accross this country is fantastic. There are hundreds of places to stop and see something interesting in every province. One of my favourite routes is up around Superior. Breathtaking scenery up that way. The rockies, Cape Breton and the Cabot Trail, Gaspe.... This list goes on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Croc Dundee Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 Checkout G Adventures for trips all over the world. Galapagos comes to mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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