Sheer Luxury in Burgundy & the Upper Loire

Category: Deluxe

This barge is perfect for: Couples, Families, Groups of friends, Wine appreciation, Excellent Cycling/Walking (extensive sections of uninterrupted towpath all along the cruise route), Historic interest, Markets, Charming villages.

Ask us about specific departure dates for these special interest cruises: Golf Cruises.

Renaissance features at a glance

8 GUESTS

4 DOUBLE/TWIN CABINS WITH EN-SUITE BATHROOMS

5 CREW

39 METRES LONG

8 BICYCLES

AIR CONDITIONING/CENTRAL HEATING

1 AIR CONDITIONED MINIBUS FOR EXCURSIONS

OPEN FIRE

JACUZZI

INTERNET ACCESS

SATELLITE TV/DVD IN ALL SUITES

Imagine relaxing on deck of one of the most luxurious of the French canal barges, cruising along the River Seine and the picturesque Canal de Briare, enjoying the best cuisine and wine France has to offer… on board the stunning Renaissance guests experience the highest of standards and the most beautiful of itineraries!

Renaissance has had a complete refit in recent years and now offers an exceptional sundeck with roof extension for al fresco dining, upgraded staterooms with new furniture, beds and bathrooms, and flat screen TV’s with satellite channels in all cabins. There is a computer with internet access on board, and DVD and CD players in each cabin. Fantastic excursions include chateaux visits, wine tastings and weekly markets, and the cruise route includes the 7-flight lock at Rogny-les-Sept-Ecluses and a crossing of the famous Briare bridge, built by Gustave Eiffel. Enthusiastic shoppers will also be thrilled to discover the famous pottery town of Gien!

We have no hesitation in recommending this fabulous barge and its unforgettable itinerary – a glorious barge holiday in France!

Renaissance itinerary

Sunday - Paris to Chatillon-sur-Loire
Guests are met at Hotel Ampere in Paris at 1.30 pm (charters can be met at their hotel) and transferred to the spacious Renaissance where a Champagne Welcome awaits you. We preview Monday’s crossing of Gustave Eiffel’s magical aqueduct across the River Loire, an amazing 10,000 ton, 662 metre Pont Canal, which was completed in September 1896. Time for a walk or cycle ride before your first dinner aboard.

Monday – Chatillon-sur-Loire to Briare
Morning cruise across the River Loire on Eiffel’s Aqueduct to Briare. Before lunch, time to wander around fruit and vegetable, seafood, cheese and French fashion stalls in the market in Briare. Afternoon visit to a family-run vineyard in Sancerre. This medieval hilltop village overlooks a vibrant and pulsating region which has known viticulture since Roman times. Dinner on board

Tuesday – Briare to Ouzouer-Trezee
This morning we visit Gien, home of the Faience pottery and hunting museums and Chateau de Gien, built at the end of the 15th century for Anne de Beaujeu, Louis XI’s older daughter. Afternoon cruise to the village of Ouzouer-Trezee. Dinner aboard.

Wednesday – Ouzouer-Trezee to Rogny les-Sept-Ecluses
This morning we visit Chateau Sully sur Loire. The castle originally belonged to Georges de la Trémoïlle, who infuriated Joan of Arc by encouraging the Dauphin to devote himself to idle hunting in the forests around Sully. After Joan’s failure to liberate Paris 1430, de la Trémoïlle virtually imprisoned her in the castle. In the 18thC Voltaire, exiled from Paris, also spent time at the Château. Afternoon cruise to the historical town of Rogny. Dinner ashore at Michelin starred Auberge des Templiers in Les Bezards.

Thursday – Rogny les-Sept-Ecluses to Montbouy
We leave Rogny this afternoon for a gentle cruise to Montbouy. Today’s excursion is to Chateau Guedelon. A team of fifty people have taken on an extraordinary feat to build a castle using the very same techniques and materials used in the Middle Ages. Work on the site began in 1997 and is scheduled to take 25 years to complete. Guédelon offers a unique opportunity to witness the different stages of a castle’s construction with each phase being of interest in its own right. Let yourself be transported from the present day, back to the sights and sounds of a 13th century construction site. Dinner aboard

Friday - Montbouy to Montargis
We enjoy a morning cruise through Little Venice, past flower-bedecked bridges and medieval watercourses joining France’s oldest canal. The cruise takes us through the Loiret countryside with towpath cycling to Montargis. Our visit this afternoon is to the splendid town of Moret-sur-Loing, home to the great Impressionist artist Alfred Sisley. This medieval walled town is still an inspiration for painters today, with its elegant Renaissance facades, colourful shops and medieval half-timbered house. Captain’s Farewell Dinner aboard.

Saturday – Montargis to Paris
After breakfast we return you to the Hotel Ampere in Paris by midday

On alternative weeks the itinerary will operate in the reverse direction.

Renaissance photo gallery

Renaissance map

Chatillon-sur-Loire to Montargis or vice-versa

Cartography ©Euromapping/European Waterways Ltd

Renaissance prices

Note all our prices are in euros. We convert to Australian dollars at current exchange rates on the day of payment of deposit/full payment.

Price is all-inclusive – accommodation for 6 nights, food, high-quality local wines, mixed drinks and other beverages, excursions and entries are included.

Value Season: April 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, July 15, 22, 29, August 5, 12, 19, October 7, 14, 21, 28

Regular Season: May 6, 13, 20, 27, June 3, 10, 17, 24, July 1, 8, August 26, September 2, 9, 16, 23, 30

Renaissance floorplan

Renaissance bookings/enquiries

If you would like to contact us please use one of the methods below.

Email: info@toujoursfrance.com.au
Phone: (03) 9889 1885
Outside Australia: +61 3 9889 1885

Address:
Toujours France
1 Radnor Street
Camberwell VIC 3124
Australia

Ph: +61 03 9889 1885
Mobile: 0413 055 360

Or fill out our online form.