The feeling of joie de vivre greets you everywhere in France. From Paris, the city of romance and revolution, to Provence, where wine and artists flourish equally, you fall in love with it simply.
There are several ways to explore its museums, wineries, chateaux, antique towns, gardens, monuments, and other attractions. The most luxurious, relaxed, and stylish way is through a French barge cruise.
It is a timeless experience as the barge leisurely makes its way through the canals and river dotted with markets, antique shops, and the rich countryside. What are the other top reasons to take a cruise? Here you will find your answers.
Experience the Pleasure of Fine Dining
Besides sightseeing and activities like bicycling, wine tasting, and shopping, a barge cruise also offers you the pleasures of fine dining. There’s something about French cuisine that makes it popular globally.
It involves using fresh ingredients, formal techniques, and a stylish presentation. There’s also a fascinating history behind it.
During your cruise, you will be given some famous dishes like Beef Bourguignon, Entrecote Bordelaise, Morel Mushrooms, Filet de St Pierre, and Gascon Foie Gras. The expert chefs with years of culinary experience will ensure that you savor every bite. They will explore the local markets for seasonal fruits and vegetables.
Besides the main course, you will relish desserts like Apple Tarte Tatin, Sauce au Caramel, Confiture de Coings and Raspberry Mille Feuille.
Find Yourself Surrounded by Luxury Onboard
A barge is a flat bottomed boat that merchants once used to transport olive oil and wine, besides other goods. With time, most of them were converted to luxury hotels by their owners.
Today, they embody luxurious cruising. En-suite cabins, lounges, dining rooms, spacious sun decks, heated spa pools, and salons exemplify opulence. Imagine relaxing on the deck, holding a glass of French wine, and watching the fabulous scenery sail past, or enjoying the soothing effects of the heated pool even as the setting sun dresses everything in crimson.
These are experiences that will occupy a permanent spot in your heart for a long time.
The Wonderful Crew
For most people, taking a barge trip is unique because of the personalized touch provided by the crew. The perfect team-to-passenger ratio is one of the reasons that is possible.
They ensure that you are comfortable, relaxed, and enthusiastic at all times. But their services don’t just stop there.
Besides offering excellent hospitality, they are also well-informed about the local areas, including their history, cuisine, and other exciting pieces of information. For example, they would tell you about the locks and how they function when you deboard.
Being excellent tour guides, they could also organize photo sessions, shopping excursions, biking trips, and vineyard tours.
Amazing Sightseeing Opportunities
The routes taken by the barge will cover the most famous canals in France, including de Briare, de Garonne, du Loing, and the UNESCO World Heritage Site du Midi. The routes offer excellent sightseeing opportunities.
You will visit the historical châteaux like Fontainebleau, La Bussière and Vaux-le-Vicomte and get a chance to explore wine regions like sancerre. Along with sightseeing, you can also enjoy exploring the market towns, shopping for souvenirs, and going biking on beautiful biking routes.
Alongside that, you will always have the marvelous landscape of the countryside accompanying you. The best thing is that the cruises are organized so that you have a lot of time to savor the sights and sounds without hurrying.
A French barge cruise is a stylish way of exploring the timeless beauty of France. Seated in the lap of luxury at all times while enjoying the heart-winning hospitality of the crew, you will realize what the fine things in life are.
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