French Country Waterways is offering savings of up to 43 percent for select departures during the July-August summer season.
The 18-passenger luxury barge Esprit sails through Burgundy’s Cote d’Or wine-growing region with fares of $2,995 per person, double, reduced from $5,295. Standard fares of $6,595 and $6,795 for the eight-passenger luxury barge Princess, formerly the private barge of shipping magnate Daniel K. Ludwig, are reduced to $4,500 and $4,700 and the July 6 departure of the company’s newest barge, the 12-passenger Adrienne, sailing in Champagne between Maizy and Château-Thierry, is priced at $4,495, a 30 percent savings over the regular rate of $6,395; it includes a night at the Hotel Raphael in Paris.
The six-night cruises are designed as leisurely, upscale experiences and cater to wine aficionados with tastings of dozens of Grand and Premier Cru wines, many of which take place in private cellars of some of France’s best vineyards. Passengers also sample locally produced cheeses and enjoy extraordinary meals, both onboard and at Michelin-starred restaurants onshore.
The Esprit’s route follows the narrow 18th-century Canal du Centre, overlooking vineyards of the Cote de Beaune, the River Saone and the Canal de Bourgogne between St. Leger-sur-Dheune and Dijon. The Princess plies the Canal de la Marne au Rhin between Nancy and Hochfelden in the Alsace-Lorraine region, passing medieval villages with idyllic green field and forests and picturesque villages. And the Adrienne sails on the Canal de l’Aisne a la Marne and the River Marne, showcasing champagne producers such as the House of Ployez-Jacquemart and the vast cellars of Moët & Chandon, along with historic battlefields dating back to Julius Caesar.
Prices cover accommodations, all meals, estate-bottled wines, open bar, daily sightseeing excursions, bicycles for riding along the towpaths and the surrounding countryside, and escorted transfers between Paris and the barge. Hot-air ballooning is another option.
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