Travel: Why the best way to see the French countryside is on a barge

Travel: Why the best way to see the French countryside is on a barge

The differences between ocean, river and canal cruising are vast. One of the clearest emerged the evening before French Country Waterways’ eight-passenger luxury barge, Princess, overnighted beside a 160-year-old lock in historic and romantic Châlons-en-Champagne. During the captain’s briefing of the next day’s activities, he mentioned that his deckhand would be walking to a local boulangerie at first light so guests could start the day with fre…