Highlights:
-Visit Clos de Vougeot, home of the Chevaliers du Tastevin
-Visit to Beaune, including Hotel-Dieu Hospice, one of France`s most prestigious historic monuments
-Private wine tasting and exclusive gastronomic lunch in the cellars of Maison Champy
-Visit to the ancient roman city of Autun, including a 17,000 seat amphitheatre
-Private winery tour and tasting at Domaine Chanzy
-Excellent opportunities for walking & biking. “Biking Plus” option available~
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Classic Cruise in Southern Burgundy Barge Cruise package includes:
– 6 night barge cruise aboard Finesse from St Julien sur Dheune to Chalon-sur-Saone
– Gourmet meals prepared by the on-board chef, both onboard and ashore
– Select regional wines served throughout the cruise, a champagne welcome and an open bar with a large selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks
– Chauffeured and guided sightseeing excursions, including admittance fees (where stipulated)
– Use of non motorised bicycles (E-Bikes available at an additional charge)
– Attentive service from an experienced crew
– Local transfers to and from the barge and designated meeting points^
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PRICING:
The fares shown here are full brochure fare. Please contact us for the best current offer. All rates in EUR.
Solo Travellers: Single cabins are capacity controlled. Single supplements apply.
CHARTER:
This barge is available for charter. When the vessel is chartered, you and your party will have the full capacity of the boat and may request certain deviations from the regular schedule and the service. When doable, the crews will make all efforts to accommodate. These special requests must be made known at the time of the first deposit and will be confirmed in writing. Please contact us for current charter rates.
THEMED CRUISES:
European Waterways offer a wide selection of themed itineraries available for whole boat private charters, which appeal to all types of interest groups, large or small. Some themed cruises will incur a supplement – please check with our reservations team at time of enquiry.
~Biking Plus:
For those passengers who would like to be a little more adventurous, a number of the hotel barges have now had several upgrades to their “Biking Plus” option, as follows:
-Whilst others are relaxing on deck, or maybe enjoying a stroll, you can take a bike on most days and follow an interesting, but not too challenging route which we will have already carefully researched.
-You will be given clearly marked maps for each round trip route and a backpack with everything you might need so that, for an hour or two, you can explore the surrounding countryside and villages along the lanes, towpaths and byways.
-If you get stuck or lost, a crew member will come to fetch you. Otherwise, you can just rejoin the hotel barge where you left her – or maybe a little further along the canal.
-The hotel barge itinerary is arranged so that you won’t miss any of the organised excursions or much of the cruising, but you will have seen a little more of the people & places around you – and done yourself some good at the same time!
-Bike helmets are provided and our reservations team can advise you on the biking opportunities for each itinerary.
-If the idea of a little pedalling appeals, our reservations team can advise you on the biking opportunities for each cruise itinerary.
-With pre – designed offline maps and directions that you can download to your phone, you’ll never get lost!
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Not included:
-Service charges/crew gratuities. Tipping is entirely discretionary but is greatly appreciated by the crew if you would like to acknowledge recognition for the standard of service provided.
-Superior Chateaux vintage wines, optional activities such as hot air balloon flights, items of a personal nature such as laundry, communication charges or purchases and any other items not specifically included in the cost of your cruise.
Special Conditions
Special Validity Dates
Cruise Itinerary
| Date | Activity | Arrive | Depart |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Oct 2024 | St Julien, France |
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| 21 Oct 2024 | St Leger, France |
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| 22 Oct 2024 | Remigny, France |
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| 23 Oct 2024 | Rully, France |
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| 24 Oct 2024 | Fragnes, France |
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| 25 Oct 2024 | Chalon-sur-Saone, France |
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| 26 Oct 2024 | Chalon-sur-Saone, France |
All itineraries and ports of call at the discretion of the cruise line subject to local weather conditions and may change without notice.
6 Night Cruise sailing from St Julien sur Dheune to St Jean de Losne aboard Finesse.
Sunday, Day 1 St-Julien-sur-Dheune
Embark Finesse for a Champagne Welcome and the opportunity to meet the crew. Then there is time to wander along the towpath and admire the classic Burgundy scenery before dinner on board.
Monday, Day 2 St-Julien-sur-Dheune to St-Léger-sur-Dheune
This morning, we begin our voyage through Southern Burgundy along the Canal du Centre through undulating countryside to moor at the little village of St-Leger-sur-Dheune. We descend a series of 11 locks while cruising past the villages along the way. After lunch on board, we visit the 14th century Château de Germolles, the best preserved of the residences of the Dukes of Burgundy, with its ducal chapel, medieval wall paintings and romantic gardens Dinner on board.
Tuesday, Day 3 St-Léger-sur-Dheune to Remigny
This morning, we head to Autun, founded by the Romans as Augustodunum it has retained many of its original Antique monuments such as Roman gates, ruins of a Temple and a 17,000 seat amphitheatre. We return to the barge for lunch, then we cruise to the rural setting of Remigny, passing along the route picturesque Burgundian villages such as the famous wine-producing village of Santenay. Dinner on board.
Wednesday, Day 4 Remigny to Rully
After breakfast, we set off on a drive through the UNESCO-listed Côte de Beaune vineyards to the town of Beaune itself, which is the capital of Burgundy’s wine country. Our first stop will be a visit to the oldest winemakers in Burgundy, Maison Champey. Guests will enjoy a private tour of the wine cellars and experience a wine tasting, learning from an expert about the production of the region’s finest Premier and Grand Cru wines. A private lunch is served in a unique dining venue, which has been created from one of the winery’s historic large wooden wine vats or “cuves”. We then we go on to visit the stunning 15th century Hôtel-Dieu Hospice and return to the barge for an afternoon cruise past the charming little town of Chagny, to our mooring near the village of Rully. Dinner on board.
Thursday, Day 5 Rully to Fragnes
This morning, we continue our cruise along the Canal du Centre at a leisurely pace to moor at the village of Fragnes. There are perfect opportunities to walk or cycle along the towpath en route. In the afternoon we escort you on a winery tour and private tasting to the delightful Domaine Chanzy, one of Burgundy’s must-see wine estates thanks to its 80 hectares of vines growing over the three Burgundy hillsides. Dinner on board.
Friday, Day 6 Fragnes to Chalon-sur-Saone
This morning, we make our final cruise of the week, passing through the last lock on the canal which lowers us an impressive 35 feet. We then head out onto the peaceful River Saône and turn downstream to our mooring at Chalon-sur-Saône with its elegant waterfront, imposing cathedral and opportunities for some last shopping. After lunch on board, we visit Clos de Vougeot***, headquarters of the esteemed Chevaliers du Tastevin (translates as “Fraternity of Knights of the Wine-Tasting Cup”), who award a special prized label to the finest Côte d‘Or vintages every year. Continue along the Route des Grands Cru through the Côte de Nuits, before returning to Finesse. Captain’s Farewell Dinner on board.
Saturday, Day 7 Chalon-sur-Saone
After breakfast, disembark.
*This is a sample itinerary and is subject to change. On alternate weeks the cruise is in the reverse direction.
*** On Friday afternoon, charter groups might wish to visit Dijon with its Cathedral and mustard shops instead of Clos de Vougeot. This can be discussed with the Captain once on-board.
Finesse is a double-decker hotel barge that was built to exacting standards with luxury in mind, enhanced by her modern public areas and very spacious cabin suite accommodation.
The well-designed public areas include a saloon with contemporary furnishings and panoramic windows where the emphasis is on making the most of the natural light. There is also a demonstration galley where guests can watch their chef preparing delicious gourmet meals. Outside, guests can relax on the large sun deck with its alfresco dining area, comfortable seating and spa pool.
The four suites, which can be in twin or double-bedded configuration, are very spacious (approx. 265sq ft including en suite), each one air-conditioned and with a beautifully appointed shower room.
Finesse is the perfect vessel on which to cruise the meandering waterways of Southern Burgundy past vineyards and charming canalside villages, and to discover fascinating places along the way such as Autun, Beaune and Dijon.
Ship Profile & Stats
- Length: 128 feet
- Maiden Voyage: May 2016
- Passenger Capacity (dbl): 8
- Officer Nationality: European
Ship Amenities
- Individual climate control
Ship Facilities
- Sun Deck
- Spa Pool
- Bar
- Dining Room
- Central Heating & Air Conditioning
- Telescope for star gazing
- Guest Computer
- Demonstration Galley
- Saloon
We have been involved in all aspects of the hotel barge and travel industry for over 35 years including designing, building, owning and operating our fleet of luxury hotel barges. We have gradually refined our barge cruise holidays into unique travel experiences, which are just waiting to be discovered.
Our fully crewed, all inclusive luxury hotel barges cruise the inland waterways of nine European countries, along canals, rivers, lakes, lagoons and lochs, giving you the opportunity to experience life there from a truly unique perspective.
Our hotel barges are ideal for people looking for either an individual cruise with other like-minded people, or for those choosing a whole barge charter for a family or group of friends.
On your all-inclusive cruise, your ‘floating boutique hotel’ glides gently along while you relax and enjoy gourmet cuisine, fine wines and the company of fellow passengers. There will be guided tours to castles, chateaux, vineyards, markets and when you return to the barge, you can be sure our dedicated, professional crew will be there to look after you once more.
Select the Deck to view detail.
Select the Cabin to view detail.
Accommodation for up to 8 passengers in four spacious twin or double-bedded suites (approx. 265sq ft including en suite), each air-conditioned and with beautifully appointed shower-rooms.
* Unless otherwise noted all pricing is on a per person twin share basis. All prices based on cash payment - credit card fees may apply. Cruise deposit, amendment and cancellation conditions apply. Special conditions may apply - please ask for full details at time of enquiry. All passports, vaccinations and visas are the responsibility of the travelling guest to secure prior to departure from Australia. Any pricing not in Australian Dollars will be converted on the day of payment into the relevant currency based on our daily rate of exchange. Please note that many of the prices shown on this website are not shown in real time. Whilst we endeavour to keep our pricing as up-to-date as possible, the advertised prices shown here may differ slightly from the live prices in our booking system. All pricing and offers are subject to availability at time of booking. Whilst all information is correct at the time of publication, offers are subject to change. We reserve the right to correct errors without penalty. Please submit any data errors/omissions you may notice on this site.
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