Le Phénicien - Southern France Barge Cruises

Share the French “Art de vivre” for a while, forget the land and just relax aboard LE PHÉNICIEN! Sip fine wines and enjoy gourmet Provençal cuisine cooked by the French chef, learn about the history and traditions of Provence and the Camargue, remember the Roman times, discover the local cowboys on their superb white Camargue horses, have a cool bike ride in the back-country and enjoy being pampered by the crew.
Individual travellers, family groups, and corporate managers can all feel like medieval queens, kings and nobles, as they travel through space and time in luxury and style on the waterways of southern France.
Le Phénicien is a special barge, spacious, luminous and very comfortable. Up to 18 passengers can be accommodated aboard. You will enjoy the teak sundeck in director chairs and on leather benches. Through the large panoramic windows,the sun of Provence will gently warm you up in the vast lounge. Further inside, with modern Provençal decor and fine local art lining the walls, you will find the bar and the dinning room. The barge is fully air-conditioned. The lower deck holds 9 cabins, 3 are queen cabins and 6 others can be set up as twin or king cabins. All cabins feature the same comfortable amenities, en suite bathroom, air-conditioning with individual control, superior bedding, etc.
In short, Le Phénicien can be your elegant floating home-sweet-home for a week!

Sunday

Transfer from a specified pick-up point to Le Phénicien, moored close to the Avignon ramparts. There is time for a little nap or you can explore the city. Your first gourmet dinner on board is served with specially chosen wines from top-notch local vineyards.

Monday

History and wines: First take a guided tour of Avignon to learn about the religious and artistic importance of the city’s prestigious past, with a visit of the Palace of the Popes. After a lunch cruise, have a guided visit and wine tasting at one of the best cellars of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Find wines tasted in the morning on the table at dinner. In the evening, sail to Villeneuve-lès-Avignon and stay overnight.

Tuesday

This morning tour the Roman aqueduct Le Pont du Gard, a stunning UNESCO W0rld Heritage Site, with its modern interactive museum. Return to the barge for lunch and sail down to Vallabrègues, a quiet and charming little port, a good place to rest, have a bike ride, or play pétanque under the plane trees.

Wednesday

After breakfast, visit the charming medieval village of Les Baux de Provence, with time for shopping. Back on the barge, pass through the huge 16-metre-high lock of Beaucaire and sail down to Arles, the open-air museum of Provence.

Thursday

The guided visit in Arles this morning will delve into Roman antiquity and Van Gogh’s year here in 1888. Then, cruise the Rhône River, the Petit Rhône, and the canal to reach Gallician, a quiet and typical village of the Camargue.

Friday

For the last day of the excursion, visit a typical ranch, where the local cowboys show how they tend herds of bulls on their superb white Camargue horses. Our final destination is Aigues-Mortes, a 14th century walled city. Farewell dinner on board.

Saturday

After breakfast on board, depart to the specified transfer point.

Tour Length:

7 Days / 6 Nights

Tour Includes:

• The cruise
• All meals with beverages
• Transfers
• Excursions
• Open bar