Wedded Wonderland

Luxury holidays in France

France travel packages

Drift past Burgundy's vineyards on a barge at walking pace, then finish with a few nights in Paris. Choose your week and we book the canal cruise, hotels and every transfer.

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Reserve for A$200

It comes off your final price, and is refunded in full if you don't go ahead.

Let France set the table

For most travellers, the first French evening is the one they remember: a terrace table in Paris, a glass of Champagne and nowhere to be until morning. The country rewards that appetite. Each region has its own cheese, its own wine and its own reason to stay a little longer, and the pleasure comes in settling in rather than ticking off sights.

Burgundy is best seen at walking pace, gliding along its canals by barge past locks, vineyards and stone villages around Beaune and Dijon. Provence brings lavender in early summer and the papal palace at Avignon, while the Canal du Midi winds through the Languedoc under plane trees. Normandy, the Loire châteaux and the Riviera each make a fine second chapter after a few nights in Paris.

Browse our French barge and river trips

France

Avignon to Aigues-Mortes by barge

7 days · 6 nights

Avignon → Roquemaure → Vallabrègues → Arles → Gallician → Aigues-Mortes

You board in Avignon and spend the first days between the Pont du Gard, Châteauneuf-du-Pape and the Palais des Papes. The barge then follows the Rhône to Arles for a walk through Roman ruins and Van Gogh's streets. From there you enter the Camargue wetlands, visit a lavender farm and finish inside the walls of Aigues-Mortes.

Price on enquirySee the journey: Avignon to Aigues-Mortes by barge

France

Béziers to Carcassonne by barge

7 days · 6 nights

Béziers → Capestang → Le Somail → Narbonne → Homps → Trèbes → Carcassonne

You board in Béziers and drift west along the Canal du Midi, stopping for the cloister at Fontfroide Abbey and the artists' village of Le Somail. Narbonne's covered market and a winery visit come next, then Minerve on its limestone cliff. The week ends inside the walled city of Carcassonne.

Price on enquirySee the journey: Béziers to Carcassonne by barge

France

Burgundy by barge and bicycle

7 days · 6 nights

Pontailler-sur-Saône → Saint-Jean-de-Losne → Seurre → Fragnes-la-Loyère → Chagny → Saint-Léger-sur-Dheune

You board at Pontailler-sur-Saône and spend your first full day at the Clos de Vougeot, then cycle the Route des Grands Crus by e-bike. A mustard workshop in Dijon and a visit to Château de Germolles follow as you cruise the Saône. Beaune brings a market visit, a cooking class and a last tasting near the Hôtel-Dieu.

Price on enquirySee the journey: Burgundy by barge and bicycle

France

Burgundy Canal for four guests

7 days · 6 nights

Fleurey-sur-Ouche → Gissey-sur-Ouche → La Bussière-sur-Ouche → Pont d'Ouche → Vandenesse-en-Auxois → Escommes

You board at Fleurey-sur-Ouche and begin at Clos de Vougeot with its old wine presses. Dijon's market, the hilltop castle at Châteauneuf-en-Auxois and a cooking demonstration on board fill the middle days. You end in Beaune and at Château de Chassagne-Montrachet before leaving at Escommes.

Price on enquirySee the journey: Burgundy Canal for four guests

France

Burgundy's canal by small barge

7 days · 6 nights

Escommes → Châteauneuf-en-Auxois → Pont d'Ouche → La Bussière-sur-Ouche → Gissey-sur-Ouche

You join your barge on the Burgundy Canal and descend a flight of locks to the hilltop village of Châteauneuf-en-Auxois. The canal then follows the Ouche valley, with a day in Beaune for its Hospices and cellars. The week ends with market day in Dijon.

Price on enquirySee the journey: Burgundy's canal by small barge

France

Dijon and Beaune by barge

7 days · 6 nights

Saint-Jean-de-Losne → Seurre → Dijon → Fragnes-la-Loyère → Beaune → Saint-Léger-sur-Dheune

You board at Saint-Jean-de-Losne and cruise the Saône, with afternoons at the Clos de Vougeot and a private tasting in Gevrey-Chambertin. Dijon's market and Ducal Palace come next, then the barge turns onto the Canal du Centre for the Côte de Beaune vineyards. The week ends with Beaune's Hôtel-Dieu and a 14th-century ducal residence at Germolles.

Price on enquirySee the journey: Dijon and Beaune by barge

France

Montargis to Briare and Sancerre

7 days · 6 nights

Montargis → Montbouy → Rogny-les-Sept-Écluses → Briare → Châtillon-sur-Loire

You board at Montargis and visit Château de la Bussière and its Le Nôtre garden. The seven-lock staircase at Rogny, Rosa Bonheur's studio and a Sancerre vineyard follow. You cross Eiffel's canal bridge at Briare and end at Châtillon-sur-Loire.

Price on enquirySee the journey: Montargis to Briare and Sancerre

France

Rully and Chalon-sur-Saône by barge

7 days · 6 nights

Saint-Julien-sur-Dheune → Saint-Léger-sur-Dheune → Remigny → Rully → Fragnes → Chalon-sur-Saône

You board on the Canal du Centre at Saint-Julien-sur-Dheune and visit the ducal Château de Germolles. Roman Autun, the Santenay vineyards and Beaune's Hôtel-Dieu follow as you cruise towards Rully. The week ends on the Saône at Chalon-sur-Saône, with a visit to Clos de Vougeot.

Price on enquirySee the journey: Rully and Chalon-sur-Saône by barge

France

Strasbourg to Cologne in Advent

8 days · 7 nights

Strasbourg → Freiburg → Heidelberg → Rüdesheim → Koblenz → Bonn → Cologne

You begin in Strasbourg with its Christmas market and the city's oldest wine cellar, then board your riverboat. Day trips take you to Freiburg in the Black Forest and Heidelberg under its castle. The Rhine Gorge, Koblenz and Bonn lead to a final day among Cologne's Christmas markets.

Price on enquirySee the journey: Strasbourg to Cologne in Advent

Explore France with people who know it

Guided days that show the cities and regions from the inside.

  • The artists' Montmartre

    Climb the cobbled lanes of Montmartre with a guide, past the cafés, studios and cabarets where painters, poets and musicians once gathered.

  • Inside the walls of Avignon

    Cross the Pont d'Avignon into the walled city and spend a few hours with a local guide among the halls of the Palais des Papes.

  • A royal day at Versailles

    Walk the Hall of Mirrors and the state apartments built for Louis XIV, then wander the formal gardens and fountains at your own pace.

  • The Latin Quarter on foot

    Spend an afternoon in the Left Bank streets around the Sorbonne, with bookshops, cafés and the stories of the writers who lived here.

  • Nice from the castle hill

    Start with the view from the Colline du Château, then walk down through the old town and its flower market with a local guide.

  • Bordeaux market morning

    Join the locals at the Marché des Capucins, the city's biggest food hall, tasting oysters, cheese and pastries from across the south west.

Choose your French canal or city

Burgundy's canals suit wine lovers, while the Canal du Midi in the south suits sunshine and old Roman towns.

  • The Burgundy Canal

    Locks, tow paths and hilltop Châteauneuf, cruised between Dijon and Saint-Jean-de-Losne with bikes ready on the bank each morning.

  • Beaune and the Côte d'Or

    Grand cru vineyards, the tiled roofs of the Hospices de Beaune and cellar visits in the villages along the wine route.

  • The Canal du Midi

    Plane trees shading the water from Homps to Capestang and Béziers, with the walled city of Carcassonne close by.

  • Avignon and Provence

    The Palace of the Popes, the Rhône and the Roman town of Arles, with lavender fields in early summer.

  • Strasbourg and Alsace

    Half-timbered houses on the canals of Petite France and wine villages along the foot of the Vosges.

Time France around the vineyards

Barge weeks in harvest season fill first, so we hold cabins well ahead.

  • JanuaryAvoid

    Cold and grey, the canal barges are out of season.

  • FebruaryAvoid

    Winter in Burgundy and Alsace, barges still moored for the season.

  • MarchMixed

    First barges start late in the month, cool nights on the water.

  • AprilGood

    Spring along the canals, blossom in Burgundy and quiet locks.

  • MayBest

    Green banks, long days and warm afternoons for cycling the tow paths.

  • JuneBest

    Lavender begins in Provence and evenings on deck run late.

  • JulyGood

    Warm and busy, lavender at its peak, the Midi hot by afternoon.

  • AugustGood

    Many French on holiday, hot in the south, pleasant in Burgundy.

  • SeptemberBest

    Harvest in Burgundy's vineyards and softer heat on the Midi.

  • OctoberGood

    Autumn colour on the canals, the barge season ends late in the month.

  • NovemberMixed

    Barges finish for the year, a quiet time for Paris and the cities.

  • DecemberMixed

    Christmas markets in Strasbourg and Alsace, cold on the canals.

Land in Paris, then take the train

Charles de Gaulle has non-stop flights from across Europe, the Gulf and North America, and fast trains run on to the canals.

  • Sydney (one stop): about 23 h
  • Melbourne (one stop): about 23 h
  • Brisbane (one stop): about 24 h
  • Perth (non-stop): about 17 h
  • Los Angeles (non-stop): about 11 h
  • London (non-stop): about 1.5 h
  • Dubai (non-stop): about 7.5 h

Cross a French border by train

Fast trains run into Switzerland and Spain, and the Riviera continues into Italy.

  • Italy

    Rome, Florence and Venice, with Amalfi, Puglia and Sicily.

  • Spain

    Seville, Granada and Córdoba, with Madrid and the white towns.

  • Switzerland

    Lucerne, the Jungfrau and Lake Geneva by train.

Ask us about life on a French barge

Will I need ETIAS or a visa for France?
Not for now if you hold an Australian, UK, US or Canadian passport. These can stay visa-free in France for up to 90 days in any 180-day period across the Schengen area, and the EU's ETIAS authorisation has not started. The Entry/Exit System now takes your fingerprints and photo when you first enter the Schengen area. Check your own government's travel advice before you book, as rules change.
What is a week on a French hotel barge like?
A hotel barge usually carries a dozen guests or fewer, with a chef, a captain and a guide on board. You cruise a few hours a day, walk or cycle the towpath between locks, and take a minibus out to vineyards, châteaux and markets.
Which is better for a first barge trip, Burgundy or the Canal du Midi?
Burgundy suits wine lovers, with grand cru villages and Beaune close to the canal. The Canal du Midi runs through the warmer Languedoc under plane trees, with Carcassonne's walled city nearby.
When is the best time for a barge cruise in France?
Barges sail from about April to October. Late spring brings green vineyards and quieter locks, high summer is warmest, and September adds the grape harvest in Burgundy.
How long should we spend in Paris before or after a barge week?
Three or four nights in Paris suits most travellers, enough for the Louvre, a morning in the Marais and a long dinner or two. Most barge weeks begin with a transfer out of Paris, so we time your hotel stay to meet it.
Can we charter a whole barge for an anniversary or birthday?
Yes. Smaller barges can be chartered for your group alone, so a family birthday or anniversary has the whole crew and every meal to itself. Your travel expert arranges the cake, the wine and any private winery visit you want.
Are wine tastings and excursions included on French barges?
Many hotel barges include daily excursions, meals and wine with dinner, so the fare covers almost everything on board. Your travel expert confirms exactly what is included on your barge before you book.
Do I need to speak French on the canals?
No. Barge crews speak English, and your guide handles the conversations at markets and wineries. A few words of French, such as bonjour and merci, are always welcome in the villages.

Tell us about your trip to France

Tell us when you want to go, for how long and who is travelling. Your travel expert replies in writing with a trip shaped around you.

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