Q. How do we get to “Imagine?”
A. Many of our guests fly into Paris’ Charles de Gaul airport and spend some time seeing the sights. Most of our guests then take a TGV fast train down to Dijon from Paris’ Gare de Lyon for 90 minute ride. We will arrange to meet you at the train station in our minivan and drive you to the boat. Occasionally, we may want our guests to arrive at another city like Dole or Chalon-sur-Saone. We will tell you in advance where we will meet you. You may also find good flights into Switzerland's Geneva airport and can also take a train into Dijon.
Q. Since guests arrive and depart from Dijon, does this mean the boat retraces its route when we are aboard?
A. No. We pick guests up and drop them off in our minivan. Malcolm leapfrogs the car along with us as we travel. "Imagine" is within driving distance at either end of your cruise.
Q. How do I get to the Gare de Lyon from the airport?
A. There are buses and local trains. However, we find a cab ride worth the money (40 or 50 Euros) for the convenience after the long trip over, especially with luggage.
Q. How do I make train reservations?
A. Train schedules can be found at the national French train site http://www.sncf.com. Click on "Information Schedule and Booking" and if necessary, the British flag for English. It is best to make reservations in advance, and there is usually no penalty for change.
Tip: If you're over 62, ask for the senior rate.
Q. Which train station do we go to in Dijon?
A. There is only one station in Dijon, which is sometimes referenced as "Dijon ville." The station also has major rental cars for returns or renting before or after your trip with us.
Q. Which train should we take to meet you?
A. If you are coming in the day of departure from Paris to Dijon, there is a very convenient train from the Gare de Lyon, TGV 9269, departing at 12:58 p.m. arriving in Dijon ville at 2:37 p.m. Once you have your tickets, email us with the information, including your car number. (voiture)
Stay on the platform and we will meet you and take you to our minivan.
Q. Is there a big difference between first and second class on the TGV trains?
A. No, just more room. We find the ride quite comfortable in second class.
Q. Do I have lots of time at the station once the train stops?
A. NO! When you see people getting ready, and the train slowing, get your things together and prepare to move fairly quickly.
Q. Do you have a list of recommended hotels?
A. The city of Dijon is a great place to stay. Saturday morning is the local market from early morning to noon. It is in the old section of town and is very lively, full of colorful vendors, fresh food and flowers and lots of good outdoor cafes. The Fine Arts Museum in the Palace of the Dukes is considered one of the top five art museums in all France and on Sunday admission is free.
The town is excellent for walking with all attractions within easy reach. Nearby are the vineyards and Beaune where we usually plan a trip during the week via minivan.
The " Le Jura" is in a very good location (an easy walk straight out of the train station), and our guests often stay there very satisfactorily. The rate is about 85 euros a night for a double room.
Note: We have had guests have difficulty making reservations for this hotel more than 3 months in advance. The hotel shows false "No availability" when this happens.
At the higher end are the Sofitel la Cloche and the Philip le Bon hotels. Some of our guests have found good rates for these hotels on the Internet.
There are also two Ibis hotels, usually the least expensive, but are not as well located.
If you would like the apartment experience, we have friends who rent out a gorgeous apartment in Dijon. You can find out more at
In Paris, Malcolm and I usually stay overnight at the Charles De Gaul Airport. CDG- Ibis on arrival and the night before we fly out.
Other hotels in Paris depend on your desires to see various attractions. We use either Fodor’s guidebook or Rick Steves Paris guides to select areas of interest and nearby hotels.
Q. What time should we arrive and depart?
A. “Imagine” is ready for boarding around 4:00 p.m. and disembark time is around 9:00 a.m. We arrive in our final port the night before leaving, giving us time to organize departure. We will drive you via our minivan to the station.
Q. What do I wear on the barge?
A. Check out the Internet weather forecast for Dijon the week before you finally pack to get current and forecasted temps. www.weather.com
Enter "Dijon, France" to search.
We also observe the Dutch custom of removing our shoes below deck. We have slippers for each room, but you may want to bring your own. Also, "easy on and easy off" non skid shoes like boat shoes, or slip on sneakers are perfect for wearing on deck.
If in doubt, pack lightly. If you are taking a train anywhere, the platforms are up and down stairs NOT escalators or elevators! Besides, you’ll want some room for your souvenirs on the return.
Q. What do I wear in Paris or other places on shore?
A. In Paris and other large cities, men should bring along a nice shirt, slacks and dark shoes. A tie and jacket are rarely required these days, but bring them if you are planning to go to the finest restaurants. Women can wear slacks, or to be more Parisian, a skirt and pretty shoes. If you want to look very French, tie a scarf around your neck, no matter what you wear.
Most of the restaurants along our routes are informal and casual attire is acceptable.
Q. What about the food and wine?
A. We will have dinner for you when you arrive, and on your first night aboard, we'll discuss the route while you get acclimated to the boat. Each morning we will have a continental breakfast (fresh pastries, fruit, cheese, meats, coffee, tea, etc.). We will also provide a buffet lunch complete with local wines. We'll then provision as much as you want to eat on board. Typically we eat about half our dinners on board and half at local restaurants, dinners on shore are at guest's expense.
Q. Tell me more about the wine.
A. It's fantastic. If you desire, we will take trips and wine tasting excursions into Beaune and the villages of the Cote d’Or.
Q. What can I do in advance?
A. We think doing a little homework will pay off. Buy a guidebook on France, watch Rick Steve's "Travels in Europe" on PBS, especially his shows on how to travel in France, or study the language enough to say "Hello" ( Bon jour), and thank you (Merci) and a few other polite phrases that will show you are trying to communicate in their language. Read some books by Colette, like "Cheri" and "My Mother's House". Check out a book or two on Impressionist painting in France. Read "Barging in Europe" by Roger Van Dyken, the man who taught us about barging.
And of course, for the inside scoop, read the book, "Just Imagine: A New Life on an Old Boat" available from major on-line retailers and directly from the publisher at http://www.lulu.com/JustImagine.
Q. What about the language? Do the locals speak English?
A. Most people in Paris do speak English, especially at the airport, train stations, hotels, restaurants and museums. People in the countryside speak less English, but like most people in the country, they are very nice and if you try, they try. Some of our best communications have taken place with minimal words and maximum pantomime. We think it's part of the fun.
Q. What about personal electrical appliances?
A. We have hair dryers for each cabin, but if you bring over curling irons, hot curlers, etc., they need to work with 220 European voltage. We will have some limited 110 v. for electric shavers and recharging batteries for camcorders etc.
Q. What else do we need to bring?
A. We have robes in each room. Bring your own toiletries and personal belongings and a paperback or two to donate to the ship's library. But we should have plenty of opportunities to shop for anything you forget. Although we will mostly be in the country, we will still go through towns and they have everything from fantastic specialty shops for pastries, delis, and fresh fruits to market days when the vendors arrive with their special goodies. And there are super markets too.
Q. What about communication with the outside world?
A. We have a TV satellite (when available), VCR, DVD (with a library of DVDs), stereo and a ship’s library. We will check email regularly so give those who need to reach you our address at info@imaginebarging.com.
Q. I don't want to just sit around all day. What can I do that's active?
A. We have bikes on board and we travel at a snail's pace (3 to 4 miles an hour on the canals) so you can walk, run or ride while we move or stay put. You can learn as much about barging as you want including working the lines (ropes) and piloting it (driving). Once the lines get wet, it's a great upper body work out every time we go through a lock.
Q. Will there be time for sight seeing?
A. Absolutely! We generally cruise for 3-5 hours per day and leave plenty of time to see the local sites. We also include several day trips to visit area towns, markets, churches, wineries etc.
Q. What about cash?
A. Most of Europe now uses the Euro currency. Your best bet is an ATM card that can be used in the very available ATMs, check with your bank that your card will work in France. This gives you the best conversion rate and less worry about loss or theft. DON'T bring large American bills to change during the cruise - banks are seldom willing to change American money. Major credit cards work in most larger stores and restaurants.
