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Sail along its picturesque waterways of Burgundy, soaking up the views and savouring the local produce this famed French wine region.
Embrace the joys of slow travel aboard a comfortable barge, enjoying visits to attractive riverside towns and exploring with expert guides.
Journey along the Grand Crus Wine Circuit whose vineyards produce the world's finest wines and enjoy ports of call at Saint-Jean-de-Losne and Dole. As we sail, relax and savour the serene beauty of sloping vineyards and idyllic villages that make up the landscapes of the region.
What’s included
Your holiday begins at London St Pancras, where you meet the Tour Manager and board the Eurostar to Paris.
In the French capital, we change stations and continue by high-speed rail to Dijon. As the former capital of the wealthy Duchy of Burgundy, Dijon is an attractive and historic city. In the grand Place de la Libération, a crescent of honey-hued restaurants and bars look out to the medieval Palace of the Dukes and Estates of Burgundy.
On arrival in the French city, we are transferred to our hotel barge. After boarding the MS Daniele and settling into our cabins, a three-course welcome dinner is served onboard.
Our Burgundian explorations begin today with a coach excursion along the Grand Crus wine route. Passing through picturesque villages, we view the beautiful vineyards where the most prestigious Burgundy wines are produced. Enroute, we stop to enjoy a wine tasting as we begin to immerse ourselves in the region and discover its famed produce.
Returning to our boat, we cruise onwards to Petit-Ouges. On arrival, there's the chance to discover the Path of the Three Wash Houses - a 2.5-mile walk tracing the area's surprising history. This little-known area near Dijon can trace its origins back to the 7th century, as we explore ancient wash houses that boast different architectural styles.
This evening, we enjoy dinner and drinks on board.
A full day sailing towards Saint-Jean-de-Losne provides the chance to embrace the joys of this form of travel. Take the time to sit back and admire the riverbank scenes of quintessential French landscapes as we uncover parts of rural France that other forms of transport cannot reach. Enjoy verdant views, pastoral architecture and charming villages from our barge. You can even opt to cycle alongside the boat as we travel.
Our destination is the historic village of Saint-Jean-de-Losne. Despite its small size, it's renowned as the capital of canal barging in France and boasts a significant history, due to its position on the banks of the Saône River. During the Thirty Years' War in the 17th century, the village was besieged by forces of the Holy Roman Empire but managed to withstand the imperial army.
After we moor in Saint-Jean-de-Losne, dinner are drinks are served on our barge this evening.
This morning, we uncover the history of Saint-Jean-de-Losne, exploring monuments that tell the story of the village's prestigious past. On our tour, we view the monument commemorating the siege of 1636, as well as the Hôtel-Dieu - a charitable hospital founded in 1658.
In the afternoon, we join the Saône River and begin sailing towards Dole. Unwind aboard our barge as we glide past picturesque riverscapes of tree-lined shores, serene backwaters and small islands. This is an idyllic way to travel and soak up the views that pass slowly by.
Dole is a historic town in the Jura department and is renowned as the birthplace of Louis Pasteur. Arriving this evening, we enjoy dinner and drinks aboard our ship.
After breakfast, we disembark for a unique tour around Dole. The 'Trail of the Chat Perché' refers to the famous tales of a perched cat and was written by Marcel Aymé who lived in Dole as a child. It also refers to Dole's location, which is nestled on a beautiful hillside.
The tour reveals Dole's history and celebrated monuments as we stroll its quintessential French streets, lined with shuttered limestone buildings topped by grey slate roofs. The town's focal point is the 16th-century collegiate church of Notre-Dame, which reflects Dole's history as a capital of Burgundy and is topped by a 240ft bell tower.
Returning to our barge, we set sail during lunch as we glide eastwards along the Rhône & Rhine Canal and Doubs River to Ranchot, where we moor ahead of dinner this evening.
Our final day of sailing sees us spend the morning cruising along the river towards Besançon. As the get closer to our destination, the banks become steeper and are blanketed with thick forests.
In the afternoon, we transfer by coach to Arc-et-Senans, a small village famed for its remarkable UNESCO World Heritage site. Built under the reign of Louis XVI in the 1770s, the Saline Royale (Royal Saltworks) reflects the architectural ideals of the Age of the Enlightenment. These saltworks were where the workers lived and produced the valuable commodity of salt, with a semi-circle of houses gathering around the main works. Our tour relays the history of the Saline Royale and we can also explore the attractive gardens.
Returning to our boat in Besançon, we gather for our gala dinner this evening to celebrate our barge experience.
From the Burgundy Canal to the winding rivers of the Saône and Doubs, this barge holiday has revealed the region's idyllic waterways. Enroute from Dijon to Besançon, we have savoured tastings of world-renowned wines and uncovered the timeless history of Burgundy.
This morning, we enjoy our final breakfast onboard before disembarking and taking the coach from Besançon to Mulhouse. From here, we travel by train to Paris, via Strasbourg, and board the Eurostar service back to London St Pancras, where your holiday comes to an end.
Please note: Our sailings on 30th May and 13th June operate a different itinerary. Sailing from Dijon, excursions are included to Longecourt-en-Plaine, the Grand Crus Wine Circuit, St Jean de Losne, Chalon sur Saone, a hike to the Cirque du Bout du Monde, Santenay, and St Leger sur Dheune. Please call for more details.
| 17 June 2027 | From £2,799 |
| 26 August 2027 | From £2,799 |
All prices are per person and assume full occupancy of the room.
Please always refer to the website for up-to-date prices and availability.
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 Daniele hotel barge offers its passengers the best in modern river cruising. Purpose-built, this intimate boat allows you to discover the hidden gems of a French canal cruise as we sail right into the heart of the charming towns and historical cities on our cruise. We receive a first-class service from the dedicated on board crew who are on hand to help wherever possible. On board, relax on the sun deck's loungers, in the Jacuzzi, or in the lounge, where there's a well-stocked bar.
We offer a selection of upgrades and 'add-ons' designed to help you make the most of your holiday - and make it even easier!
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.