(FORTUNE Magazine) – Picture yourself meandering downriver in Burgundy on a sunny day and pulling over for lunch at a Michelin two-star. Even if you've never so much as rowed a dinghy, it's an easily realized dream. Renting a self-drive barge is one of the most affordable and relaxed ways to explore the European countryside.

Restless souls may worry about the five-mph speed limit, but they shouldn't. "If you were going any faster, you'd miss things," explains Bill Abbott, a sales manager from Madison, Conn. Next time Abbott and his wife, Sally, travel France's Canal du Midi, they hope to stay for two weeks to fit in more sightseeing.

There are a handful of large-scale rental firms in Europe, each with several bases along the main waterways. Start by figuring out where you want to go in France, Ireland, England, Wales, Germany, Belgium, or the Netherlands and what size boat you'll need. Then call for brochures. Plan on spending at least $100 per person per day.

Barges are typically 28 to 45 feet in length and can accommodate as many as ten people in snug but comfortable quarters. For the most part the boats have full kitchens and hot and cold running water, including showers. A 30-minute lesson is given upon arrival on how to drive, steer, tie up the craft, and handle the tricky locks--mechanical chambers that fill and drain with water and enable the boat to change elevation. After the initial, unnerving experience, the locks--usually operated by a lockkeeper onshore--become just another part of the routine.

"It's best to ask a lot of questions before you go," suggests Marcia Halvorsen, an accounting professor who, with her husband, Bill, has taken four barge trips to date. Ask whether linens are provided. Rent bikes. Don't swim in a canal, no matter how clean it appears. And if possible have the rental company stock the barge with groceries, but keep in mind that half the fun will be stopping at markets and cafes along the way.

--Kimberly Robinson