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:

Hotel barge Luciole

Hotel Barge Luciole

Canal du Nivernais and river Yonne, Burgundy: Auxerre to Clamecy

With more than 50 years’ cruising under her belt, Luciole has learned a thing or two about holidays afloat, catering for cabin guests or providing themed cruising for charter parties – Girlfriends Getaway, anyone? Able to welcome between 12 and 14 visitors on board in eight en-suite cabins, she exudes a relaxed ambience and has chic contemporary décor. Owner Penny Liley, a trained chef herself, is now responsible for the overall running of Luciole, a family business in its 40th successful year, and her crew of six makes faultless service appear effortless.

Hotel Barge Luciole french-waterways.com Nivernais

The Nivernais canal, constructed in the 18th century to bring timber from the countryside to Paris, links the Loire and the Seine basins and crosses the remote and beautiful heath land of the Morvan. One of the most characterful and unspoilt waterways in the whole country, it is often possible to buy local produce from some of the 110 locks along the way and many of them have exhibitions or beautifully planted gardens to ravish the eye. Treats include the Châteaux of Bazoches and Tanlay, complete with romantic moat. Vézelay is the starting point for one of the pilgrimage routes to Santiago di Compostella and still on a religious theme, Auxerre is a historic city of such astounding loveliness that it boasts not just an 11th century cathedral, but a 12th century abbey too, and is where the unforgettable canal finally joins the river Yonne.


Let indolent mornings glide by as you sit on deck with a cooling drink in your hand and watch the impossibly beautiful countryside reveal itself. You can take a stroll along the towpath, or the more adventurous can cycle to the nearest photogenic medieval village. After a mouth-watering three course lunch, most afternoons will offer diversion in the form of a visit to a local attraction – for example a trip to Chablis to imbibe some crisp dry white wine.


Hotel Barge Luciole Burgundy

Luciole’s chef is innovative and imaginative, marrying French cuisine with a contemporary twist whilst using fresh local ingredients. Each evening a memorable four-course meal provides the climax to the day and during your stay you will be introduced to a variety of twenty-three delicious French cheeses, from creamy Camembert to the famous blue Roquefort. Special diets are easily catered for.


Cruises on Luciole can be infinitely flexible and potential themes include Adventure Activities, Bike and Barge, Wine Week or Girls’ Getaway, but a typical week between Auxerre and Clamecy might include a champagne reception on board and the first of many gourmet dinners, then the following potential itinerary. Setting off upstream for your first full day’s cruise to Vincelles will allow a time to visit Chablis to sample some of the most famous white wines in the world; while moored at Accolay the next day you will be able to join an excursion to Auxerre, originally a Roman camp, then in the Middle Ages a centre of learning and pilgrimage with two stunning places of worship – the Cathedral of St Étienne and the 15th century Abbey of St Germain – to choose from. Mailly-le-Château is the next stop, with an excursion along the way to Noyers-sur-Serein whose market stalls, half-timbered houses and turreted ramparts rank it as one of the most beautiful villages in France. Day Five takes you to Lucy-sur-Yonne via Vézelay , a stunning 11th century basilica perched on a hilltop that was the historic starting point for two of the Crusades to the Holy Land, where Saint Bernard preached to the Crusaders in the presence of Louis VII and Eleanor of Aquitaine. On your last full day afloat you can enjoy a scenic cruise to Clamecy before setting off to discover the Château de Bazoches, 17th century home of the Marquis de Vauban (1633-1707), famed military tactician and engineer. The whole delightful experience is rounded off by the Captain’s Farewell Gala Dinner back on board.

These lazy days on Luciole, 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.

 

Find out more about hotel barge Luciole

Make an enquiry to get a firm quotation for this or any other hotel barge for the time of year that interests you.


French waterways rivers canals map Burgundy Loire Nivernais

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.

Cruise France rivers canals Burgundy Loire Nivernais

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.