Boarding a boat or barge to vacation on the rivers of Europe is becoming a hot ticket for sophisticated travelers ready to go beyond the obvious destinations. You can do this almost anywhere in Europe, it seems.
A travel agent can help you sort through the many companies. Here is a sample of what's offered:- KD River Cruises. This company, which offered Elbe River cruises for the first time last year, connecting Germany and Czechoslovakia, has been operating on the Rhine River for 166 years. Weekend cruises are offered every Friday from Cologne, Germany, to Frankfurt, and from Strasbourg, France, to Cologne. Boats carry between 130 and 200 passengers. Other trips include Switzerland. Prices range from $250 to $505. Call 1-800-346-6525 or 914-948-3600.
- European Waterways. The eight-passenger Stella sails from Strasbourg, France, for weekly cruises in Alsace. A new boat, the six-passenger La Vancelle, sails weekly on the waterways of Lorraine, featuring nightly dining ashore at regional restaurants. Prices for all cruises start at $2,105. Other programs are offered in England, Ireland, Belgium and Holland. Call 1-800-438-4748.
- French Cruise Lines. Luxury river cruises on 100-passenger boats on the Seine River through Normandy to Paris and on the Rhone and Saone rivers through Provence and Burgundy are offered each April through October. Prices range from $1,425 to $1,850 for six and seven nights. Call 1-800-222-8664.
- French Country Waterways. Six-night cruises for eight to 18 passengers aboard barges sailing from Paris through Burgundy are new offerings through October. Prices with gourmet meals and wines range from $2,450 to $2,850 for six nights. There are $300 discounts in late October. Single supplements are $750 to $1,000. Call 1-800-222-1236.
- Voyage into France. Yet another French tourist barge company, this one also offers cruises in Burgundy for 14 passengers through October. A week aboard costs $2,390; single supplement is $100 when available. Call 203-323-4551.
- Russian Cruise Tours. Ten-night river cruises between Moscow and St. Petersburg are offered mid-June to mid-August. Per person prices are $3,175 to $3,575 including tour excursions, round trip airfare from New York and an overnight in Frankfurt, Germany. These tours are affiliated with AHI International Corp., which also is the American representative for French Cruise Lines. Call 1-800-222-8664.
- Russian Waterways. Cruise Marketing International offers a number of Russian programs, including four-night and six-night round trip cruises to and from Moscow on the Volga River at prices ranging from $329 to $419 a person. Overnights on the riverboat in Moscow begin at $60 a person with three meals. Cruises between Moscow and St. Petersburg with city stays at each end are 16 days and cost from $699 to $999 in a double; singles are $1,100.
The company also has 14-night round trip cruises from Moscow starting at $699, and 14-night Ukrainian cruises from Kiev to Odessa and the Crimea and Black Sea, from $499 to $1,119 per person. Airfare is not included. Add about $1,070 from New York. Call 1-800-365-RUSSIA.