MS Loire Princesse, 5 Night From the Châteaux of Chambord and Chenonceau to the Loire Valley ex Paris, France to Nantes, France

A taste of Paris linked with the history of France: discover the castles of the Loire between Chambord and Chenonceau before boarding the river boat for a cruise on the Royal Loire river whose beautiful landscapes are legendary. Visit Nantes and The Machines of the Isle of Nantes, a gallery that recreates the imaginary world of the famous writer Jules Verne. Discover Saint-Nazaire and admire its shipyard and the Escal’Atlantic which immerses you in the world of steamships from the beginnings of their gigantic construction to life on board. Soak up the magical castles of the Loire such as Brissac, the highest castle in France whose monumental facades rise up from its large landscaped park. 

Day 1
Our guide will greet you starting from 5:00 p.m. at the Villa Montparnasse hotel, 2 rue Boulard, 75014 Paris. At 6:00 p.m., you’ll be transferred by coach to the Noces de Jeannette restaurant, 14, rue Favart, 75002 Paris. After dinner, our coach will take you back to the Villa Montparnasse hotel for the night.

Day 2
Breakfast will be served at the hotel. At 6:30 a.m., we’ll set off by coach for the Château de Chambord, one of the most recognizable châteaux in the world because of its very distinctive architecture blending traditional French medieval forms with classical Renaissance structures. Enjoy a tour of this majestic castle and its grounds. We’ll then continue on to Chenonceau, stopping for lunch in a local restaurant. Our afternoon will be spent visiting the Château de Chenonceau, one of the best-known and most-visited châteaux in the Loire Valley with an architecture mixing late Gothic and early Renaissance.After our visit, we’ll head to Nantes, arriving in the evening. We’ll welcome our passengers on board upon your arrival. After comfortably settling into your cabins, we’ll introduce our crew at a welcome cocktail.

Day 3
This morning, join us for the optional excursions proposed :CLASSIC: Guided tour of Nantes and the Castle of the Dukes of Brittany.DISCOVERY: Nantes, the Machines de l’Île, secret courtyards and covered passageways.In the afternoon, take part in our optional excursion for both packages : Tour of Saint Nazaire, a town on the sea. We’ll visit Escal’Atlantic, a museum that explores the historic ocean liner experience, and the Saint-Nazaire shipyard, one of the largest shipyards in Europe (This excursion must be booked in advance through your travel agency. Each passenger will be asked to produce a valid passport in order to book the excursion and gain access to the shipyard). We’ll return on board in Saint-Nazaire. Enjoy an evening of dancing.

Day 4
This morning, join us for the optional excursions proposed :CLASSIC: Guided tour of Nantes and the Castle of the Dukes of Brittany.DISCOVERY: Nantes, the Machines de l’Île(3), secret courtyards and covered passageways.In the afternoon, join us for the optional excursions proposed:CLASSIC : The Muscadet Wine Route and Clisson, a charming medieval town.DISCOVERY: Helicopter ride(3), the Loire from above (this excursion must be booked in advance through your travel agency).

Day 5
We’ll cruise towards Bouchemaine. Join us for the optional excursions proposed:CLASSIC: Guided tour of Angers, its historic districts and the famous Apocalypse tapestry(3).DISCOVERY: Tour of Brissac castle(3) and its cellars complete with a wine-tasting session*.Enjoy an evening of entertainment.

Day 6
Join us on a full-day included excursion for both packages to discover the Châteaux of the Loire Valley. We’ll return on board in Ancenis. Tonight’s our gala dinner and evening. Our ship will start sailing towards Nantes.

Day 7
Enjoy one last buffet breakfast before disembarking at 09:00 a.m. Transfer by coach from Nantes to Paris. End of our services.

The design of this ship is exclusive to CroisiEurope since it is the first French ship to sail on the Loire, the last "wild river" in France. Built in 2015 in Saint-Nazaire, its specificity lies in its side paddle wheels and shallow-draft. The noble burgundy and pearly colors mingle with copper elements, which give a prestigious character to the interior decoration. A “royal” atmosphere to discover the Loire châteaux from the water. A nod to the famous “inexplosibles” that once crisscrossed the Loire: a large fireplace is located in the middle of the lounge. The welcoming public spaces have large window areas and the cabins on the upper deck have terraces with outdoor furniture. All meals during the cruise are served in the restaurant on the main deck. Onboard fun, music and dancing happen in the lounge / bar on the upper deck, where a cozy patio also provides great landscape views. The sun deck has deck chairs and sun loungers ideal for relaxing. In the reception area you can admire the mechanism of the paddle wheels during navigation.

CroisiEurope has a fleet of Prestige category boats with cabins, which ply the most beautiful rivers in Europe. Spacious and light, they offer a welcoming and refined setting. Accommodation capacity varies from 100 to 180 passengers depending on the boat’s design. At the cutting edge of technology, their facilities offer comfort and safety.

Carefully maintained and partially renovated each year, the CroisiEurope fleet is largely made up of recently built vessels, less than five years old, all with Veritas certification. The leading European river tour operator, our company owes its international reputation to its seriousness, its dynamism, its sense of innovation and its recognised value for money of long standing.

Vessels are rated four-star and food is superb – as you’d expect on a French-owned cruise line, staffed by French chefs and with top French and German wines aboard. One cruise of the Rhone and Saone Rivers in France concentrates on gastronomy and traditional French cusine, visiting Collonges Abbey, renowned for its great French chef, Paul Bocuse.

CroisiEurope is a family-owned and operated firm, with brothers and sisters running different aspects of the company and keeping a close eye on all operations to ensure excellence.

River cruising offers much free fun. Wake in the morning and observe the passing riverside scenery through your cabin window – perhaps from your bed. Gaze upon village churches or a patchwork of fields sparkling in the morning sun.

CroisiEurope’s network traverses a phenomenal number of European rivers and waterways. They range from the Guadalquivir and Guadiana (flowing through Spain and Portugal respectively); the Douro in Portugal, the Po and Venice Lagoon in Italy; the Rhone in Provence, plus the Seine from Paris to the Normandy Coast. And there’s more: the Moselle, the Neckar, the Saar, the Oder, the Havel, the Baltic Sea, the Camarge, the Rhine, the Main and the mighty Danube; the Tisza and the Black Sea; the Belgian and Dutch waterways. Everything from tulip time in Holland to Christmas Markets in Germany.

Drinks included with on board meals: mineral water, house wine, beer, fruit juice, and tea or coffee.

Select the Deck to view detail.

Loire Princesse - Main Deck

Loire Princesse - Upper Deck

Loire Princesse - Sun Deck

Select the Cabin to view detail.

Upper Deck 1 double bed

Upper deck: 30 cabins with picture window and private balcony (25 double-occupancy cabins, 4 double cabins with king size beds, one cabin for persons with reduced mobility). Amenities: All cabins have private bathroom with shower, hair dryer, safe, desk/dresser, flat screen TV, and telephone. The bed faces the window to better admire the scenery.

Upper Deck 2 Single Bed - Reduced Mobility Cabin

Upper deck: 30 cabins with picture window and private balcony (25 double-occupancy cabins, 4 double cabins with king size beds, one cabin for persons with reduced mobility). Amenities: All cabins have private bathroom with shower, hair dryer, safe, desk/dresser, flat screen TV, and telephone. The bed faces the window to better admire the scenery.

Main deck 2 adjustable twin beds

Main deck: 18 double-occupancy cabins. Amenities: All cabins have private bathroom with shower, hair dryer, safe, desk/dresser, flat screen TV, and telephone. The bed faces the window to better admire the scenery.

Upper deck 2 adjustable twin beds

Upper deck: 30 cabins with picture window and private balcony (25 double-occupancy cabins, 4 double cabins with king size beds, one cabin for persons with reduced mobility). Amenities: All cabins have private bathroom with shower, hair dryer, safe, desk/dresser, flat screen TV, and telephone. The bed faces the window to better admire the scenery.