Sun-drenched towns, cities rich with history and glittering waterways lined with unimaginable vistas await on this cruise holiday through France's elegant Provence region

With the delights of France's charming waterways beckoning, your cruise holiday begins this morning at London St Pancras International. As you arrive, meet the Tour Manager and your travel group, and together, board the Eurostar to Paris. On arrival in the French Capital, we continue by rail to Montpellier St-Roch.

Joining our coach here, we drive to Sete at the cusp of the Garonne and Rhône Rivers, where our stylish hotel barge awaits. We arrive this evening and board our home for the next seven days, the delightful Anne-Marie. We are welcomed aboard by the friendly crew and can enjoy a welcome drink while taking our first looks at the scenery from the sun deck. Take some time to get settled into your cabin, and then we sit down to our first dinner together.

After a calm night moored in Sete, this morning we set out by coach for Étang de Thau, world-famous for its shellfish. We visit the Étang de Thau Museum, where we learn about the history of the shell-fishing trade and discover how the farmers and fishermen made their living. Before heading back, we sample some of the freshly caught shellfish while savouring the beautiful scenery from a terrace along this unique seascape.

Lunch is served onboard, and then this afternoon, we enjoy an excursion by coach to Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert, a beautiful French village tucked away in the folds of a verdant valley and boasting a wealth of medieval treasures. Here, we embark on a guided tour that explores the atmosphere of this destination, which feels frozen in time. Some of the town's most impressive sights include its Romanesque abbey and the Devil's Bridge, which spans a turquoise stretch of the Hérault river and dates back to the 11th century. Afterwards, we return to our barge for dinner this evening.

Setting out on our first cruise with breakfast, you can enjoy the changes in scenery as we drift toward our next port of call, Palavas-les-Flots. This morning is the perfect opportunity to enjoy a leisurely breakfast or to grab a sun lounger on the sundeck, relaxing as the riverbanks pass.

Mooring after lunch, we step ashore and visit a 'manade' farm in Palavas-les-Flots. This authentic farm grows many types of produce and has a population of bulls, which we get to see sorted during our visit. Discover the lives of the herders and enjoy some time to taste the produce and snacks made fresh on the farm before returning to the ship.

The day continues with some free time in Palavas-les-Flots, during which you could explore this spa resort whose rich identity reaches back more than three centuries. Dinner is served upon returning to the ship this evening.

With a leisurely morning of sailing, you can continue to soak up France's ambience from the window-lined lounge or a table on the sun deck as we float towards Aigues-Mortes.

On arrival early this afternoon, we walk into Aigues-Mortes, perhaps one of the most beautiful sites in Provence. Encased by square medieval walls, this ancient, fortified city is symmetrically perfect, with white-washed terracotta-topped houses contrasting with the surrounding green countryside. We get a look at it all during a guided tour.

The medieval city is also famous for its nearby salt marshes which we discover by tourist train. Interestingly, Roman Legionnaires stationed in the area used to receive a portion of their wages in salt harvested from these very marshes. What makes this sight extraordinary is the marshes' enchanting pink hue, caused by the presence of microscopic algae in its waters. Admire their colours against the surrounding scenery and learn more about the history of salt mining with included admission to the Museum of Salt before returning to the town by tourist train and the ship in time for dinner.

We spend this morning surrounded by enchanting waterside scenery as we cruise toward Gallician, the starting point for our next adventure: a visit to the Camargue. With 140,000 hectares of natural wetlands, the region is home to an array of wildlife, making it a paradise for nature lovers as we see wild white horses and even the odd pink flamingo. Additionally, the paddy fields here produce red rice, which is a fascinating sight to behold.

Continuing to Sainte-Marie-la-Mer, there's time to explore at your own pace. You could visit the fortified church located in a strategic position near the mouth of the Petit-Rhone. It was built in the 9th century as an imposing bastion to deter pirate raiders along the coast. Today, it holds a towering presence over the village and can be seen as far as 10km inland. A coach transfer takes us back to the ship for dinner this evening.

After a relaxed morning on the water, we enjoy a guided tour of Arles, the home of some of Europe's best Roman ruins. With a long history dating back to Celtic times, Arles' heritage of conquest over the years has left it with a rich variety of architecture, which we explore during our visit. We take in the stunning Roman Amphitheatre and enjoy the myriad of Romanesque architecture and sun-baked houses.

Arles inspired some of Van Gogh's artistry, and its heritage harks back to the glory days of Julius Caesar. Once a major Roman port, Arles rose to prominence after Caesar plundered Marseille for backing his political opponent, and evidence of that prosperity is preserved wonderfully for us to see.

Following our tour, we travel inland to learn about olive oil production in Provence, and we sample some of the local produce. Back onboard tonight, we enjoy a Gala dinner as a perfect way to round off our French adventure.

From shellfish farms to 'manade' farms and medieval villages to the Camargue Delta, stunning scenes of Southern France have been revealed during this week-long cruise. Our barge has provided a luxurious base on the water, taking us along scenic waterways from Sete to Arles, where our journey comes to a close.

After enjoying breakfast onboard, we say goodbye to our crew and disembark the Anne-Marie for the final time. A coach transfer takes us to Avignon, where we board the train to Paris. Switching trains here, we continue on the Eurostar back to St Pancras. Your voyage concludes on arrival in London this afternoon.

Step aboard the high-speed international rail service, linking London St Pancras to Paris and Lille in France, Brussels in Belgium and Amsterdam in the Netherlands.

Eurostar's Standard Class coaches feature two seats on either side of the central aisle, most of which are arranged in an 'airline' seating configuration with drop-down tray tables. There are two tables for four per carriage. Passengers travelling in Eurostar Standard Class coaches can take advantage of the Bar-Buffet which sells a range of snacks, meals, and hot and cold drinks - including Champagne!

The highest class of Eurostar travel available for leisure customers is Plus class. In your dedicated Plus carriage you'll find a less dense seat configuration, meaning the seats are larger and you have ample space to relax and stretch out. As part of the service, you'll enjoy complimentary drinks and refreshments, served at your seat by friendly, helpful waiting staff.

For the class of travel used on your chosen tour, please refer to the 'What's Included' section of the tour page.

Introduced in 1981, France's TGV (Train à Grande Vitesse) was the original European high-speed train. Linking Paris with Lyon, the new service revolutionised train travel and meant that travelling by air over medium and short distances was no longer seen as the best option, even for business travel.

The network has expanded rapidly and today these sleek, stylish trains offer links to over 60 destinations throughout France. Operated by SNCF, the French national rail operator, TGV trains travel over specially constructed high-speed lines. The trains can achieve speeds of up to 186mph (300km/h) on most long-distance routes and 200mph (320km/h) on the new TGV Est line, which links Paris with Strasbourg, Luxembourg and Basel. With the exception of shorter journeys, TGVs almost always have an on-board buffet car, serving a selection of drinks and light refreshments.

The contemporary and stylish MS Anne-Marie hotel barge offers its passengers the best in modern river cruising. Purpose-built, this contemporary, intimate boat allows you to discover the hidden gems of a French canal cruise as we sail right into the heart of the Provence Region's historical cities. We receive a first-class service from the dedicated on board crew who are on hand to help wherever possible. On board, there's air conditioning and Wi-Fi throughout as well as a sun deck with loungers, a restaurant and a lounge with a well-stocked bar. There's also a relaxing Jacuzzi on board.

The barge has a maximum capacity of 24, with just 12 well-appointed cabins. It boasts a spacious lounge with a bar, allowing guests to enjoy a drink while the barge serenely passes through the waterways of the beautiful Provence region.

Also on board the MS Anne-Marie is a well-equipped restaurant, a fabulous sun deck with sun loungers and parasols and a barbecue - the ideal opportunity to catch the sun while enjoying the passing scenery. And for the ultimate in relaxing cruising there is a jacuzzi at the prow of the barge available for guests.There is also Wi-Fi available for guests' convenience.

Your holiday begins the moment you meet your Tour Manager at St Pancras International and board the Eurostar train for mainland Europe. If you wish to get your holiday off to an extra special start, why not consider upgrading your on-board accommodation from Standard Class to Plus Class?

As well as all the amenities enjoyed in Standard Class, Plus Class travellers benefit from extra spacious, comfortable seats, complimentary newspapers and magazines and a light snack with drinks served at your seat during the journey. Before 11am, the light snack comprises breakfast pastries, yoghurt, fruit juice and tea or coffee. After 11am there is a choice of 2 main dishes and a dessert, accompanied by soft drinks, wine or beer and tea or coffee.

Prices for an upgrade from £110pp each way. Please call us for more details.

Spending a night in London before your tour can make such a difference to the first day of your holiday - you can arrive in the capital in good time, relaxed and ready to join your Tour Manager the next morning. You may even want to take in a show on the West End or dine in one of London's famous restaurants. Perhaps on your return to London, you would like to break your journey with an overnight stay before continuing home.

We can book a wide range of hotels in central London or, for our holidays beginning with a flight, at Heathrow, Gatwick, or Manchester Airport for the night before or after your holiday. If you require a quote for single occupancy at any of the hotels, please contact us on 01904 734 805.

Buying tickets for UK train services can be a tricky business - there are so many fares to choose from, each with different rules and restrictions. As you are connecting with an international departure, we strongly recommend that you book a fully flexible ticket to ensure that should the departure times for your holiday change, your rail ticket can allow for these changes.

We can book fully-flexible UK rail tickets from your local station to join your holiday whether this be a European holiday from St Pancras or a UK holiday. The prices are competitive and tickets are not restricted to a particular train or time of day, and in most cases offer you a free choice of routes.

For an up to date quote from your local station, please ask one of our Tour Advisors.