There are about 60 boutique hotel barges that cruise along the peaceful and beautiful canals and rivers of France. They vary in size, comfort level and price – and they can be found in all the most attractive regions of France. Some can be booked by cabin (room) others are chartered complete by groups and families. Whatever the details of any particular barge, they all come complete with captain and crew who look after navigation; and professional chef and hostess to care for guests.
People often say that they feel they have been treated ‘like royalty’ and this is a very unique experience. Here is just one example of what that fabulous luxury hotel barge cruise in France is like:
Cruising through the canals of Upper Loire aboard Meanderer
Hotel Barge Meanderer
Cruises in Upper Loire, Canal de Briare: Montbouy to Léré
Named to reflect the leisurely pace of life on board a luxury hotel barge, the Meanderer offers spacious accommodations for a select few – just six lucky passengers can luxuriate in the beautiful communal areas which are decorated with clean fresh lines, or sun themselves on the elegant teak deck, or retreat to en-suite cabins which provide 125 square feet of space each and come equipped with flat screen televisions. Owned and operated in person by George and Susan Kovalick who were previously highly successful travel entrepreneurs in the USA, the service and ambience on the Meanderer is second to none.
South of Paris, where the western part of Burgundy blurs prettily with the Loire Valley, a cruise along the Canal de Loing, the Canal de Briare and the Canal Loire Lateral reveals a number of hidden treasures in a landscape that inspired the painter Alfred Sisley. There are engineering feats to marvel at along the way, such as the elegant aqueduct at Briare which was the longest in the world when it was constructed in the 1890s. There are thousand year old castles in abundance – Saint Fargeau and Sully-sur-Loire boast breathtaking examples and the wooded forests of the region attracted royal hunting parties from as early as the 12th century: the world-famous Palace of Fontainebleau originally served as a hunting lodge.
Most days will involve gliding along shady green waterways during the morning – you can sit on deck with a cooling drink in your hand and watch the lock keepers do the hard work, take a stroll along the towpath, or for the more adventurous hop onto one of the barge’s well-maintained bikes and pedal your way to the nearest exquisite medieval village. After lunch, some irresistible diversion will be suggested – perhaps a trip to the lovely town of Montargis, famous for its praline chocolates.
With dishes such as duck breast, duck confit pastilla, potatoes dauphinoise, baby vegetables, and an orange sauce on offer, fine dining on the Meanderer will be difficult to resist. The gourmet chef conjures up four course set menus created using only the freshest of locally sourced ingredients in the evenings – that’s if you still have room after his delicious breakfasts and lunches. Fine wines from the region a selected to accompany your meals and dietary needs can be accommodated given prior notice.
A champagne reception and mouth-watering dinner provide a fitting start to your week on board Meanderer, which begins in earnest the following morning with a cruise to Rogny-Les-Sept-Écluses, named after its abandoned 7 lock staircase. After lunch, a choice of excursions includes the Château de Sully-sur-Loire, or the spectacular Palace of Fontainebleau, or the Château Vaux le Vicomte, each one magnificent in its own way. Your next overnight mooring is at La Gazonne within a stunning nature reserve and there is a trip to Montargis, home of the praline, along the way. The highlight of Day Four is a cruise to Briare, renowned for its aqueduct, a masterpiece of engineering which spans the wide and shallow River Loire, then your next destination is Beaulieu-sur-Loire, with an excursion to Gien to see the famous Faience Boutique, the Hunting Museum and the Château de Gien. Additional options include the private Château de La Bussière with its 18th Century gardens, or a visit to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Vézelay or a private visit (by appointment) to Château de Buranlure. Your final port of call is at Léré and there’s an excursion to the world famous hill-top wine village of Sancerre for a wine-tasting, followed by the book town of La Charité sur Loire, which has an extraordinary location surrounded on all sides by the river. Back on board, the Captain’s Farewell Gala Dinner rounds off your holiday to perfection.
These lazy days on Meanderer, drifting through some of the most languidly beautiful landscapes and offset with just the right amount of cultural stimulation, will surely work their magic and leave you feeling renewed and replenished. The countryside, the culture and the cuisine really are the stuff of which dreams are made and when you surface at the end of a memorable week, you will probably find yourself wanting to dream again.
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Burgundy North ~ Loire ~ Nivernais
This heartland of France offers sunny rolling vistas dotted with thousands of chateaux, famous vineyards, fields of sunflowers and picturesque villages. Well-served with waterways – both rivers and canals – you’ll be able to cruise by self-drive boat, hotel barge and riverboat through this wonderful countryside.
Just call us to make your dream cruise come true
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Our Unique Expertise – France, Cruising the Waterways and Hotel Barging
We have explored the rivers and canals of France on our own boat since 2003, logging up over 10,000km along most waterways, in most regions, at all times of year.
Independent, impartial and enthusiastic, we have personally visited and know every hotel barge, every owner-operator and fleet, published here.
