• The River Seine is a popular place for cruises.river seine paris image by david hughes from Fotolia.com
  
  Never mind cruising the Mediterranean Sea. Hop aboard a riverboat or barge for a luxury cruise through France itself. North, central or south, history meets scenery when the waves hit the hull, and you can sit back and enjoy it all. Riverboats are made for cruising in style, but don't discount those retired river barges. An entire industry is built around former working barges refitted as floating five-star hotels. Choose your favorite way to cruise.
  
  

France Cruises

• Van Gogh, Cezanne and Gaugin all found inspiration in the landscapes of south France.lavande image by razorconcept from Fotolia.com
  
  France Cruises offers hotel barge, riverboat cruise-only and all-inclusive riverboat cruise itineraries. The hotel barge cruises are aboard one of 47 barges taking a variety of cruise routes. Prices range from $1,700 to $7,770 with passenger capacity ranging from 4 to 24 people.
  
  Each of the three riverboat cruise-only itineraries spans seven nights. Parisian Winter Holiday sets off from Paris and costs $1,899; cruise northern France -- specifically Paris and Normandy -- for $1,999; or become inspired by the south of France for $2,049.
  
  The three all-inclusive riverboat cruises France Cruises offers use three different routes and prices. For $2,399, spend three nights in Paris, take a train to Lyon, cruise the next seven days through Provence and end with three nights in Barcelona, Spain. Another option, at $4,099, is the Grand France cruise, which takes you from the bridges of Paris to the Mediterranean Sea in 14 nights. On the Best of Portugal and France cruise, travel Lisbon and the Douro River Valley, spend seven nights in southern France, and wind up with three nights in Paris -- a total of 20 days -- all for $5,197.
  
  France Cruises, Inc.
  
  9901 IH 10 West, Suite 800
  
  San Antonio, TX 78230
  
  866-498-3920
  
  www.francecruises.com
  
  

Barges in France

• A barge; in French, la peniche.peniche image by Philf from Fotolia.com
  
  Barges in France makes use of retired river barges to offer a luxury hotel experience on the water. The cruises are divided by region -- Alsace, Bordeaux, Burgundy, Canal du Midi, Champagne, Loire Valley, Normandy, Paris, Provence and Upper Loire -- and then further divided by the itineraries of individual boats. Per-person costs, based on double occupancy, begin at $2,500 and go up to $11,500, with many of the boats being charter only, which requires booking the whole boat. Rates may vary by boat depending on the season. Barges in France also categorizes the amount of space in an individual cabin, with First Class being the smallest, followed by Deluxe and then Ultra Deluxe.
  
  Barges in France
  
  Edgewater, MD
  
  877-642-2743
  
  www.bargesinfrance.com
  
  

Cruise France

• None of the cruise ships that sail the rivers of Europe approach the size of ocean liners.cruise ship image by Roy from Fotolia.com
  
  Cruise France puts a lot of boats into the water, offering cruiser boat holidays, penichette barge holidays, hotel barge holidays and river cruise holidays. Choose a cruiser boat from more than 800 for hire based on passenger capacity -- two to 12 people -- level of luxury and itinerary. With a Penichette barge, you're literally in the driver's seat. Only six to 12 passengers are aboard hotel barges, leaving plenty of room to be pampered by the crew. And river cruise ships have a full crew and staff on hand to tend to the needs of their approximately 150 passengers.
  
  Boating Europe
  
  Bridge House
  
  Brook Street
  
  Skipton
  
  North Yorkshire BD23 1PP
  
  44-0-1756-701200
  
  www.cruisefrance.com