The notion of travelling by directly by train from St Pancras international to Avignon and then to spend 6 nights aboard a small peniche travelling along the canal from Sete to Arles and visiting points of interest on the way seemed perfect. We booked this trip with GREAT RAIL JOURNEYS which we later realised to be a huge mistake. The barge was beautiful, the weather perfect, food delicious, company delightful and scenery superb, but although we had booked, paid for and been ticketed for a twin cabin my husband and I were allocated the upper deck cabin offered to people with mobility issues. We are both fit and healthy! The cabin was hemmed in between the bar and restaurant and not sound proofed. The small double bed was fixed on three sides and required a level of agility for one partner to access their sleeping area. Cupboard space and storage adequate for one. No storage in the bathroom and a reduced height shower/wet room which flooded across the bathroom. Air conditioning malfunctioning! All twin cabins downstairs comfortable compact and well designed. GRJ initially offered us a £100 voucher as compensation. On further investigation we find that other tour companies either do not use this cabin or specify that it is for a person with impaired mobility. Had we known that we were to be allocated this cabin we wouldn’t have booked. Other travellers should be aware of this situation.
