6-night all inclusive cruise onboard our casual luxury barge through the Gascony region
Cruise through the Gascony region from Lacourt St. Pierre to Boé Port
Excellent! 4.8/5
BOOKA CARE
- Your money is safe, we pay your host 2 days after check-in.
- 100% refund in the unlikely event the host cancels.
- Changing booking details is always free.
- Access to urgent phone line during your booking.
- Book Co2 positive, we compensate 3 times more than we emit.
River trip highlights
- The Lily Gardens that inspired Monet
- 12th century hill top town of Lauzerte
- Moissac Abbey and Cloisters, historic sightseeing
- Local weekly market at Valence d’Agen
- Top quality locally and seasonable food and wines
- Visit to Auvillar and its historique corn exchange
River trip summary
THE BARGE ITSELF ;
- Our barge is one of the most luxurious and best-appointed barges on the canal network in France today.
- The team will work hard to bring you the ultimate experience in luxury cruising. We are one of the only 5* barge to cruise on this route!
THE TEAM AT YOUR SERVICE ;
- Onboard the barge we have four full-time crew members, our pilot, chef, hostess, and tour guide to manage all aspects of your cruise and make sure you will feel at ease and well taken care of.
- From the moment you are met at your agreed pick-up point for transfer to the barge at the beginning of your week to the final transfer to your agreed point of departure at the end of your cruise, our crew will be there to provide for you and deliver an outstanding service.
GASTRONOMY ;
- The Barge cruises in the extremely abundant South West France where some of the finest fruit, vegetables, meats, cheeses, and wines are all produced. The Atlantic is nearby and the lively local markets here are bursting with varieties of fish, oysters and "fruit de mer".
- We celebrate the rich cuisine of this region and our chef will tailor your menu to suit your personal preferences whilst being mindful of any allergies amongst your party.
- We can arrange for some cooking lessons & tips with our chef: these lessons will be based on the preparation of fish, oysters or a stuffed filet mignon or specialty sauces.
- You will learn how to select the right cut of meat for a specific dish, how to cook different meats, and lots more! We can also engage the guests with the pairing of wine with food, what to look for and how to do it successfully without having extensive knowledge of wines.
OUR FOOD ;
- We have developed strong and lasting relationships with the top local producers to ensure that we bring to your table distinguished locally sourced and seasonal products of the highest quality that rightly represents this region, it’s culture and traditions.
- Because of the unique quality of our ingredients and their freshness, our belief in the kitchen is: "cook it simply, cook it lightly, embrace seasonality and avoid heavy use of sugar, salt and fat, let the flavor and texture of the food be the focus " – and our guests always love it this way!
OUR WINES ;
- Pairing wine with food is an art and we work closely with our wine distributor in Saint Émilion's famous wine town, himself a famous chef, to bring you a wide variety of wines of great quality from across this region that is specifically selected to accompany our food.
- We have an exceptional cellar and cruise with approximately 600 bottles on board. No worries, you won't get thirsty!
THE TABLE ;
- The enjoyment of food is central to what we do; it is not only a taste experience it is also a visual one.
- Each evening our guests sit down to a different table setting, we carry a wide selection of table cloths, jacquard linen napkins, candles and other decorative finishings that uses to great effect to create a variety of themed table settings throughout the week – she’s even been known to hold napkin folding classes with inquisitive guests!
River trip description
This trip runs two ways depending on the previous charter:
- EITHER Gascony Cruise (Route 1) from Lacourt St. Pierre to Boé Port
- EITHER Gascony Cruise (Route 4) from Boé Port to Lacourt St. Pierre.
- Our pick-up point for this cruise is either Toulouse or Agen train station.
- Our departure point is either Toulouse, Bordeaux or Agen train station. Other points may be possible with prior agreement.
- A crew member will meet guests at the agreed point of arrival and all transfers and tours are in our fully air-conditioned Mercedes V Series people carrier.
Pick-up times
- Toulouse or Agen: 4.00 pm. The journey time is approximately 1 hour.
Departure times
- The latest departure time of the barge is 10.00 am.
Approximate transfer times
- Toulouse: 1hr 45mins
- Bordeaux: 1hr 30mins
- Agen: 20min
Day 1-Saturday: Arrival onboard and champagne on the deck!
- Transfer to the barge to arrive around 5 PM. Champagne reception upon arrival, then time to settle in, get to know your crew, a short safety briefing and a general talk through the itinerary for the week.
Day 2-Sunday: First-morning cruise and locks passing, and visit of Lauzerte
- After breakfast, we enjoy our first cruise through to a series of five locks, which will be your first taste of navigation on a barge. We will then disembark and drive in our mini-bus to the 12th-century town of Lauzerte. A hilltop Castle-Nau with a bloody history behind it but now a crossing point for pilgrims on the route to Santiago de Compostella.
- We will then enjoy lunch together in this picturesque village before returning to the barge at Saint Porquier.
- Our cruise then continues through the afternoon; you can relax while observing the beautiful landscapes passing by; to our evening mooring at Castelsarassin, another beautiful an typical town.
Day 3-Monday: Explore Castelsarassin, cross the aqueduct and reach the Tarn river
- After breakfast there is time to explore the local village where we spent the night before we cruise again along the tree-lined canal to our next mooring for lunch, in the middle of nature, observing the wildlife around you.
- Afterward, we cruise again, and you can enjoy laying on deck while we cross the aqueduct and enter Moissac port. It leads us onto the potent river Tarn for an afternoon river cruise followed by a visit to the Monastery and Cloisters at Moissac Abbey, a renowned world heritage site.
- We then return to the barge for dinner, where our chef will have prepared you its amazing dishes, cooked with locally sourced products (see our pictures for a glimpse).
Day 4-Tuesday: Morning market tour, coffee on the square and afternoon cruise
- After your succulent daily breakfast on board, it is off again! This time, we go to Valence d’Agen and its flitting weekly market. We will stroll through the jungle of stalls offering an astounding array of fresh local products, such as fish, meats cheeses and a wide array of locally crafted artisanal. There you will discover the variety of things this region has to offer!
- We will then relax for a coffee and pastries in the local square, wherefrom you will observe the habits and ways of doing of locals, and enjoy its unique ambiance.
- We then return to the barge for lunch and our afternoon cruise through to our evening mooring berth at Pommevic village.
Day 5-Wednesday: Visit Auvillar and learn about its historic trading routes
- After a short drive, we will reach the elegant town of Auvillar. In the past, it was a major trading town and will discover it with a captivating history and tales.
- We will visit the antique corn exchange and learn about the potent trading route that used to exist along the river before the canal network opened up and caused its progressive demise.
- Afterward, we return to our piece of paradise; your barge; and cruise our way to our next native mooring at La Magister. Enjoy dinner, drinks and chilling onboard while looking at the stars.. what a plan!
Day 6-Thursday: Beautiful landscapes, Lily Gardens, and Lakeview lunch!
- Enjoy a laid-back breakfast and then a stunning drive through the countryside. That will be how we reach the Lily Gardens at Temple Sur Lot that was founded in 1875 and inspired Monet. Take your time to visit this quite unique gardening piece of art!
- We arrive in time to enjoy a relaxed walk around the ponds and gardens before lunch overlooking the lake, in a delicious restaurant we will have selected for you.
- Afterward, we return on board for a cruise to Boé port, our final destination, and the endpoint of our adventure. But no worries, you can join us next year for a new adventure!
Day 7-Friday: day of departure, enjoy your last breakfast with your new family, the crew!
- After breakfast depart the barge for transfer onwards.
Details
Location
How to get there
The Gare d'Agen connects Agen with Toulouse and Bordeaux as well as Périgueux. It takes the same time to reach it from Toulouse or Bordeaux; around an hour from. By train, you can also reach it from Paris through the TGV; it takes around three hours with a stop in Bordeaux.
By car, Agen is connected by the A62 highway, to Toulouse and Bordeaux, and to the rest of the national highway network.
The Agen Airport is serviced by Airlinair service to Paris Orly airport, 6 days a week. This airport is also used for business and leisure flying, but it is better to use Bordeaux or Toulouse airport which has many more destinations.
Agen stands on the "Voie Verte", which is a cycle path between the Mediterranean and close to Bordeaux. It is well known from a bike lover for that!
About the area
The area around Agen which is the administrative capital of the Lot-et-Garonne is called the "Agenais". Geographically, it has a clay-limestone soil (so very good for agriculture), hillsides with stunning views and small valleys with picturesque villages.
The sub-region lies in between the Périgord to the north (famous for its food, historic towns, natural parks, and wildlife), the lower Quercy to the east and the nearby Landes area to the west, which gives access to the ocean and its endless beaches. Agenais is a unique holiday area with very little industry, but lots of handicraft and agriculture.
If you stop south of Agen, you will find the town of Astaffort, which is the homeland of the famous and loved French singer Francis Cabrel. Astaffort is in the center of Brulhois and produces a delicate and fair wine: the Côte de Brulhois. Twice a year, Astaffort hosts the “Young Singers Festival”, which was created and is still supported by Francis Cabrel.
Further south of Agenais, visit the town of Moirax and its awesome 11th-century Clunisian Priory which dominates the Garonne Valley offering you a quite unique view on it! It is one of the most remarkable priories in the region, as you will discover with our help.
As you can see, it is not lacking activities and sites in order for you to continue the discovery of the region before or after your river trip on board with us!
River trip owner
Peter
Cruising onboard our 5* luxury hotel barge is a very personal affair. We will attend to you and your party as a family and take care of all the arrangements from pick up to drop off. Our guests love our hospitality, our style, our varied and interesting excursions and of course our great food, wines and local cheeses.
We have the largest sundeck of any barge of our size and class, we are air-conditioned throughout all guest areas and pride ourselves in delivering what has been described as the unforgettable experience of a once in a life-time holiday.
For full details and reviews please ask our Bookarivertrip.com agent!
18 Reviews - 6-night all inclusive cruise onboard our casual luxury barge through the Gascony region
Excellent! 4.8/5
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