Barging in France: River and Canal Barge Cruises in the South of France


	Barge Cruises, River Cruises and Train Tours in France, Spain and Portugal

CRUISE
DESTINATIONS

~ Barge Cruises in France ~
Aquitaine - Armagnac

French food and wine at their very best!

Cruise the canals of southwestern France aboard a meticulously retrofitted six-passenger barge-hotel (7 days - 6 nights). Visit the historical province of Aquitaine, between Bordeaux and Toulouse, while savoring local wines and sampling the famous Armagnac spirits produced locally.

Enjoy the tasty local cuisine: cassoulet, duck confit, piperade and of course foie gras, the world-famous paté, also produced in the region. Along the way, tour quaint medieval towns and ancient cloisters, as well as a few modern marvels of 20th century canal navigation. Barging offers all the comforts of luxury travel with your onboard personal chef. Go with the flow, relax and have fun "slowly."

Barge cruises on the Canal Lateral a la Garonne, France: Bordeaux, Castets, Agen, Montauban, Toulouse, Paris. Aquitaine-Armagnac barge cruise with French wines and gourmet cuisine plus private tours.

TYPICAL BARGE CRUISE ITINERARIES

This cruise offers two different routes centered on Agen:

1) downstream to Castets (about 35 miles from Bordeaux) or

2) upstream to Montauban (about 35 miles from Toulouse)

(Actual program may vary and may be tailored to your interests.)

Cruise Route	2012 Departure Dates
Agen - Castets	Apr 28, Jun 9
Castets - Agen	May 5, Jun 16
Agen - Montauban	May 12 & 26 Jun 23, Jul 7 & 21 Aug 4 & 18, Sep 1, 15 & 29
Montauban - Agen	Apr 21, May 19 Jun 2 & 30, Jul 14 & 28 Aug 11 & 25, Sep 8 & 22, Oct 6

Note: The Jul 28 and Aug 4 cruises will offer the option of attending the outdoor spectacle Au Fil de l'Eau

AGEN TO CASTETS (near BORDEAUX)

Day 1 - Saturday: Agen to Serignac-sur-Garonne. Meet around 3 pm at a designated place in or near Toulouse or Agen (airport, train station, hotel) and travel by minibus to the barge. Champagne reception while crossing above the Garonne River via the 19th-century stone Agen Aqueduct. Before dinner, pass through four beautifully landscaped locks, and then dine on the deck of the barge to the sound of the birds in the thick trees along the canal. Moor for the night at the quiet port of Serignac-sur-Garonne.

Day 2 - Sunday: Serignac to Buzet-sur-Baise. Take an early morning walk through the quaint bastide village of Serignac and admire its half-timbered houses and its unusual church. After breakfast, cruise to Buzet-sur-Baise. Lunch on board, followed by a visit to the medieval fortified villages of Vianne and Bruch. Dinner on board the barge.

Day 3 - Monday: Buzet-sur-Baise to Damazan. Cruise to Damazan during breakfast and then tour the medieval city of Nerac with its chateau of King Henry IV and the Gothic Pont Vieux ("old bridge"). Before dinner, visit a former Benedictine abbey that produces wine, Armagnac and the aperitif Floc de Gascogne. Dinner on board the barge.

Day 4 - Tuesday: Damazan to Mas d'Agenais. After breakfast, cruise on down the canal, stopping at Villeton to visit a museum of farming and country trades. In the afternoon, cruise to Mas d'Agenais, where the barge will moor for the night. Visit the old Roman walls of the town, the Romanesque wash-house, the market square, and the 11th-century church with its painting of the crucifixion by Rembrandt. Dinner on board the barge.

Day 5 - Wednesday: Mas d'Argenais to Meilhan. In the morning, you'll cruise to the pretty port of Meilhan between rows of plane trees and fields of sunflowers. After lunch, you can attend a fascinating presentation about the people of the Garonne valley.

Day 6 - Thursday: Meilhan to Castets-en-Dorthe. Today, you'll cruise to Castets with a stop in Fontet, where there is a museum that features matchstick models of the Chateau of Versailles and the Cathedral of Reims. Your last excursion will be to Roquetaillade, where you'll visit a castle - still occupied - that has been in the same family for 700 years.

Day 7 - Friday: Castets. After a leisurely breakfast, you'll travel by minibus to your departure point.

Other possible visits include:

A unique Romanesque fortified mill.
The small town of Clairac, with excellent examples of half-timbered houses.
Buzet's barrel-makers, who produce oak barrels that are exported around the world.
A wine tasting at the cave of Buzet, where you can sample some of the best wines of this famous AOC region.
A visit to one or more famous Bordeaux wineries.
The town of La Reole, with its 10th-century Benedictine monastery overlooking the valley.

On alternate weeks, cruise will be in the reverse direction.
This itinerary is subject to change without notice.

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MONTAUBAN TO AGEN

Day 1 - Saturday: Toulouse to Montech (near Montauban). Meet around 3 pm at a designated place in or near Toulouse (airport, train station, hotel) and travel by minibus to the barge. On the way, pass through Granade and Grisolles and admire their market squares. Champagne reception on board. Before dinner, you can visit a distillery that makes liqueurs from local fruits, stroll around the charming town of Montech, or enjoy a game of petanque (similar to bocce ball) by the barge.

Day 2 - Sunday: Montech to Castelsarrasin. After breakfast, you can take an excursion to Montauban, "City of Art and Culture." There, you'll visit the central Italian square and the Pont Vieux (old bridge) over the River Tarn. Back on the barge, you'll pass through one lock and enter the Canal de Garonne (the canal that runs parallel to the Garonne River from Bordeaux to Toulouse). Then, you'll go down the amazing Montech Water Slope, an impressive experience for everyone. In the afternoon, cruise to Castelsarrasin and moor for the night. Dinner on board the barge.

Day 3 - Monday: Castelsarrasin to Moissac. After breakfast, cruise through four locks and on to Moissac, "City of Roman Art," crossing above the River Tarn via the brick Cacor Aqueduct on the way. In the afternoon, visit the abbey with its medieval church, 10th-century organ and 11th-century cloister, one the finest in Europe. Dinner on board the barge.

Day 4 - Tuesday: Moissac to Auvillar. Cruise to Pommevic, where the barge is moored in a quiet area under a deep canopy of trees. You are likely to see some pilgrims walking to Santiago de Compostela, Spain, following the "Way of St. James," a pilgrimage route that has been used since the 6th century. In the afternoon, you can visit the lovely historic town of Auvillar, known in times past for its production of china and writing quills, which were exported via the Garonne River to the port of Bordeaux. Dinner on board the barge.

Day 5 - Wednesday: Auvillar to Lamagistere. After breakfast on deck in the shade of the plane trees, cruise through Valence and on to Lamagistere in time for lunch. In the afternoon, take an excursion to Donzac, where there is an excellent museum dedicated to the ancient trades of this part of France. Go on to the ancient bastide (fortified) village of Dunes, with its lovely half-timbered houses. Dinner on board the barge.

Day 6 - Thursday: Lamagistere to Agen. Today you'll start with an excursion to Clermont-Soubiran, where you can walk around the outside of the chateau and view the whole Garonne River Valley. Then cruise on to the city of Agen, famous for its melons and prunes. On arrival, time permitting, you can visit the Fine Arts Museum, with its numerous paintings by the Spanish master Goya and a fine Egyptian and Middle Eastern collection.

Day 7 - Friday: Agen. After a leisurely breakfast, travel by minibus to a local train station or airport.

Other possible visits include:

A wine tasting at a Fronton vineyard, one of southwest France’s hidden secrets.
The Abbey de Belleperche, on the banks of the Garonne River.
A genuine Roman bridge that is hidden away and not part of any tourist route.
The bastide town of Lauzerte.
The 11th-century church at Lachappelle – modified in a Baroque style and unique in France.
A working goat farm, where you can see the goats being milked and the milk made into cheese.
A museum dedicated to Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac, who founded the city of Detroit, Michigan in 1701.
A visit to an extraordinary winery in Cotes de Brulhois that has been in the same family for 300 years and where innovative wines from the early 1700s are once again being produced.

On alternate weeks, cruise will be in the reverse direction.
This itinerary is subject to change without notice.

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Included

Accommodations with private bath or shower and all meals from dinner on day 1 to breakfast on day 7
Wine with lunch and dinner and selected alcoholic beverages consumed aboard the barge
Sightseeing excursions
Round trip transfers from/to specified meeting points

Not Included

Transportation to and from beginning and end points
Health and travel insurance
Barge crew gratuities (suggested 5% of cruise price)
Superior vintage wines
Personal expenses
Optional activities when available
Other items not specifically listed under "Included" above

Barge Features

3 cabins: can be set up as twin or double (6 passengers)
Crew: husband and wife team plus one crew member
Cabin size: 127 square feet
Sundeck
Air conditioning and central heating
Air-conditioned minibus for excursions

Cruise Departures

Every Saturday subject to availability (except winter). See chart above the itineraries for specific dates.

This barge is normally chartered for groups of 4 to 6. Various themes, such as family and wine cruises, can be arranged to fit the specific interests of each group. Single cabins are sometimes available and a "tandem" cruise using a second barge can be arranged for groups of up to 12 - contact us for details.

DEPARTURES AND PRICES