Q – We are in our late fifties (well, in truth, that would be the missus) and early sixties (yours truly). We are anxious to cruise the Rhone between Taarascon and Chalon-sur-Saone with some extra days in Paris at the end (I proposed to my wife in the garden of a small restaurant in the Marais).
But here’s the thing; We are quite active runners, and especially bicycle enthusiasts. We don’t much fancy paying for a vacation in which we are led around by guides on and off buses. Walking tours are fine but we would prefer hopping on a bike and just exploring on our own. It appears that most of the river boat firms offer bicycles but it is hard to tell if they really have enough to guarantee that the young-at-heart and fleet-of-foot will not be disappointed. We are going to want to do this but with whom?
A – River cruise line executives tell us that your tribe is growing and they are making plans accordingly. Even the so-called bus tours on every itinerary quickly end with the participants being dropped off for a guided walking jaunt in some small to mid-size charming town. The current best bicycle programs are on Scenic and that is the line we would suggest you look at first. They have plenty of regular and electric-assisted bikes to make their independent-minded guests happy. And don’t be surprised if you see other fleet-of-footers aboard your ship. They are multiplying like rabbits on Europe’s riverboats.
