France: Loire River Valley by barge

“IN mid-May, 12 of us contracted for a barge canal trip to the upper Loire River Valley in central France. This barge was like a floating luxury hotel with a captain, chef, an English-French historian bus driver and a crew of three.

We cruised medieval farm villages, churches, castles and gardens. The food and wine services were superb all the way. We were 95 miles from Paris but in a different world -- a real getaway.”

Six-night trips from $3,995 per person, double occupancy.

Destinations & Adventures International, P.O. Box 46698, Los Angeles 90046; (323) 650-7267, www.daitravel.com.

WALTER C. WOOD

Los Angeles

*

Scotland: Comfy bed-and-breakfast

“THIS is a very comfortable B&B; with wireless Internet, a good breakfast and even options for vegetarians like me. We were given breakfast menus the night before so we could select what we wanted. It’s an easy 10-minute drive to the middle of Inverness.”

Doubles from $70.

Wimberly House, 1 Wimberley Way, Inverness IV2 3XJ; 011-44-463-224-430, www.wimberlyhouse.co.uk.

OLIVER PEMBERTON

Studio City

*

Send recommendations to Readers Recommend/Travel, L.A. Times, 202 W. 1st St., L.A., CA 90012; travel@latimes.com. Include your name, address and phone number, as well as the address and website of the place you are recommending.