Booking Codes E114, E115 & E122

Palaces of the Seine – a Royal Adventure

6 days staying part board at the 3* Ibis Styles Hotel in Melun

Wednesday 3rd August (La Villette to Moret-sur-Loing) Tuesday 9th August (Moret-sur-Loing to La Villette) Saturday 15th October (Moret-sur-Loing to La Villette)

April & October Departures £1,095 August Departures £1,245 Single room supplement only £175

One of the hidden attractions of Paris – entering the 2km tunnel underneath Place de Bastille on the Canal St-Martin

A compelling tour-and cruise programme following the Upper Seine between the centre of Paris and the confluence with the River Loing at Moret-sur-Loing, and including a fascinating trip along the Canal St-Martin in the centre of Paris. To most regular river cruise customers this will be a new cruise experience as the big hotel boats are unable to cruise upstream of Paris, and we complement our cruising with visits to two of the great palaces to be found south of the city, in Fontainebleau and Vaux-le-Vicomte.

Our cruise programme comes in two parts as we spend three days cruising the delightful stretches of the Seine upstream of Corbeil-Essonnes, and a further day on the river through the heart of Paris and including our journey along the Canal St Martin, which includes a 2km tunnel passage which passes beneath Place de la Bastille!

Booking Codes E114, E115 & E122

Our cruising may be in either direction as indicated by the dated programmes. Here we describe the cruise as though starting in Paris, but the content is the same in reverse for the departures which commence in Moret- sur-Loing.

Paris La Villette to Paris Bercy

Our cruise begins in La Villette basin in the centre of Paris and only a few minutes walk from Gare du Nord station, where we will arrive on our Eurostar train. This fascinating navigation was commissioned in 1802 by Napoleon to bring water into the city from the river Ourcq. Waterway construction was funded at the time by a levy on wine!

After boarding along the Quai de L’Oise, we immediately pass through a lift bridge leading us into the wider part of the waterway basin, a vibrant multi-cultural hub of shops, offices, bars and restaurants bustling with activity. Adjacent to the Stalingrad quarter we make the first of a succession of double-chambered lock descents which take us down the tree-lined boulevard following the Quai de Valmy. A final double-lock adjacent to République Metro Station drops the canal into the “cut & shut” tunnel section taking us underneath Bastille and into Paris Arsenal marina, then another final lock for the day brings us down to the canal’s junction with the Seine.

Our cruising now takes on a different note as we turn downstream, cruising past Île Saint-Louis and Île de la Cité, under all of the great bridges, as far as the Eiffel Tower where we turnabout and re-trace our pathway through the heart of Paris, with a view from the river of the restoration work under way at the Notre-Dame Cathedral before we moor for the day in Bercy.

Corbeil-Essonnes to Melun

Our cruising resumes in the suburb of Corbeil-Essonnes around 30km upstream of Bercy so we are now well out of the city and emerging into the vast expanse of land embraced by the Gâtinais Regional Park and the Forest of Fontainebleau.

Hereabouts the Seine meanders extravagantly along its southbound course, almost turning back on itself at Morsang-sur-Seine and again at Saint-Fargeau-Ponthierry where the river is flanked to the north by the great Forest of Rougeau. Guests will notice that this far upstream on the Seine, river crossings are few and far between – we do not reach our first bridge of the day at Saint-Assise until we have cruised fully 15km.

The second of our two locks today comes at Boissise-le-Roi, taking us on into Melun where we conclude for the day. Originally a Gaul settlement on the Island of Saint-Etienne situated on a great bend in the river, Melun has a wealth of historical interest, most notably its Collegiate Church of Notre-Dame dating from the 9th Century. The Gendarmerie Museum, Church of Saint-Aspais and Saint-Jean Fountain all add to the attractions, and just out of town at La-Mée-sur-Seine there is a Museum dedicated to the sculptor Henri Chapu – a short taxi-ride from the hotel for interested guests.

Booking Codes E114, E115 & E122

Île St-Etienne in Melun

Booking Codes E114, E115 & E122

Melun to Moret-sur-Loing

For our final cruise leg the Seine continues its meanders, taking us out of the Melun suburbs and back into a parkland setting. We pass the small town of Chartrettes, known for its stained glass manufacture, and thence past the lovely town of Samois-sur-Seine, associated with the jazz musician Django Rheinhart. We then pass Vulaines-sur-Seine, where the home of the poet Stéphane Mallarmé is now a museum dedicated to his works. Perhaps we will see in the tranquility of the river the inspiration of these different creative artists, matched of course by the works of the great pre-impressionist painters who found inspiration in the landscapes of Fontainebleau Forest.

As we pass Thomery we may notice the stone retaining walls along parts of the valley side which indicate that vineyard terraces once flourished close to this busy river port. There is also one final lock here along our Seine passage before we turn on to the River Loing at Saint-Mammès to conclude in Moret-sur-Loing, which we will also visit separately – more below.

To complement our cruising we will include several visits to places of interest.

Beginning “close to home” in Melun, we provide for some free time for private sightseeing and there is also one evening where we offer guests the opportunity to choose their own restaurant alongside the river in Melun.

We spend a couple of hours in the gated medieval town of Moret-sur-Loing, which is also the southern extent of our cruising on this trip. The adopted home of the English impressionist painter Alfred Sisley, Moret makes for a fascinating stroll with attractions including the Musee du Sucre d’Orge, a unique museum revealing the history of barley sugar making. There are also some delightful and often-painted vistas of the River Loing as it passes the town’s fortifications just outside the south gatehouse.

Then we have an audio-guided tour of the UNESCO-listed Palace of Fontainebleau, one of the largest of the French Royal Châteaux. This great tourist attraction is steeped in Royal history and spectacular for architecture which survived the destruction of the French Revolution. Its many focal points include the grand royal apartments, beautifully-detailed Trinity Chapel, exquisite horseshoe staircase, Renaissance halls, integral museum collections of Napoleon I and Chinese treasures, and the formal French Gardens.

Then there is another the great highlight of the region, Château Vaux-le-Vicomte. The 17th century Château, situated only a few miles from our hotel, is one of France’s most famous châteaux and is renowned for its stunning architectural design, grand decorations and beautiful formal gardens. Constructed for King Louis XIV’s superintendent of finance, the lavish structure marks the beginning of the Emperor’s expressive style which is famed for combining impressive exterior, detailed interior and stunning landscape designs to create remarkable architectural masterpieces.

For our Paris cruise day there is some free time post cruise where the respective programmes differ. For our cruises departing from La Villette we will moor post-cruise at Bercy, where we allow guests a couple of hours to explore the adjacent Parc de Bercy; and for the reverse programme our last cruise day will conclude at La Villette where guests may like to explore the neighbouring science institute or the Parc de la Villette. In both cases the boat will remain available for guests who would simply like to relax on board with a glass of wine.

Booking Codes E114, E115 & E122

The complementary programme continues even into travel-home day as we spend the morning at the National Botanical Gardens at Austerlitz, a wonderful place of beauty and calm in the heart of Paris incorporating a delightful menagerie, tropical glasshouse, and galleries all in the setting of the Gardens’ 19th Century buildings. We will allow time here for guests to enjoy a leisurely lunch before our short transfer to Gare du Nord for a late afternoon return Eurostar.

The Daily Programme: Wednesday 3rd August Departure

La Villette to Moret-sur-Loing staying at the Ibis Styles Melun Day Report to St Pancras by 09:00 for late morning Eurostar Departure by. Local transfer by coach from Gare du 1 Nord for late afternoon hotel check-in. Dinner in hotel Embark Disembark Km/Locks Lunch Excursion Dinner Hotel ETD/ETA Day La Villette Paris Bercy 17/5 On board Free time post cruise to Hotel 09:00/17:00 2 Basin 10:00 14:00 visit Parc de Bercy. Coach departs mooring 16:00 Day Morning visit to Moret-sur-Loing 10:00-12:00 with restaurant lunch, afternoon Free 09:30/17:30 3 audio-guided visit Palace of Fontainebleau 14:00-16:30. Evening free to choose evening own restaurant in Melun Day Corbeil- Melun 24/2 On Board Afternoon audio-guided Hotel 09:00/17:00 4 Essonnes 13:30 visit Château Vaux-le- 09:30 Vicomte 14:00-16:30 Day Melun 11:30 Moret-sur- 29/2 On board Free morning in Melun Hotel 09:00/17:00 5 Loing 16:30 09:30-11:30 with boat available as base Day Morning visit to Paris Botanical Gardens Austerlitz, depart after lunchtime for Eurostar ETD 09:00 6 departure expected to be between 16:00-17:00

The Daily Programme: Tuesday 9th August Departures & Saturday 15th October Departures

Moret-sur-Loing to La Villette staying at the Ibis Styles Melun Day 1 Report to St Pancras by 09:00 for late morning Eurostar Departure by. Local transfer by coach from Gare du Nord for late afternoon hotel check-in. Dinner in hotel Embark Disembark Km/Locks Lunch Excursion Dinner Hotel ETD/ETA Day 2 Moret-sur- Melun 29/2 On board Free time post-cruise in Hotel 09:00/17:00 Loing 09:30 14:30 Melun Day 3 Melun 13:00 Corbeil- 24/2 On Board Morning audio-guided Hotel 09:00/17:45 Essonnes visit Château Vaux-le- 17:00 Vicomte 10:00-12:30 Day 4 Morning visit to Moret-sur-Loing 10:00-12:00 with restaurant lunch, afternoon Free 09:00/17:30 audio-guided visit Palace of Fontainebleau 14:00-16:30. Evening free to choose evening own restaurant in Melun Day 5 Paris Bercy La Villette 17/5 On board Free time post-cruise in Hotel 09:00/17:00 10:00 Basin 14:00 La Villette. Coach departs mooring at 16:00 Day 6 Morning visit to Paris Botanical Gardens Austerlitz, depart after lunchtime for Eurostar ETD 09:00 departure expected to be between 16:00-17:00

Please note some programme adjustments may be needed to allow for museum closing days

Booking Codes E114, E115 & E122

What’s Included:

• Escorted Eurostar returns between London and Paris • Executive coach for local transfers in Paris • 5 Nights at the 3* Ibis Styles Hotel in Melun • All meals except lunch on our two travel days and dinner on one evening when we are free in Melun • Wine with all evening meals • Complimentary bar whilst cruising • 3 days cruising the River Seine and Canal St Martin, with lunch included • Free time in Paris, Melun and Moret-sur-Loing • Visits to the Château Vaux-le-Vicomte and Palace of Fontainebleau • Visit to the National Botanical Gardens at Austerlitz, Paris • Tour Manager Services

Guests Should Please Budget separately for:

• Travel to or from London St Pancras • Any overnight accommodation required in UK preceding or following our Eurostar transfer • Lunch on our two travel days and dibber on one evening when we are free in Melun • One evening meal when guests are free to choose their own restaurant in Amiens.

Our Hotel and Meal Plan:

We stay at the convenient and well-reported Ibis Styles Hotel, situated in a retail park on the northern outskirts of Melun. Shoppers may be interested that there is an Auchan hypermarket next door! This recently

Booking Codes E114, E115 & E122

refurbished hotel offers 54 light and air-conditioned rooms with all the regular features of a mid-range Accor hotel including free high-speed wi-fi and a terrace restaurant.

Our package includes all meals aside from lunches on travel days and the one evening when we invite guests to choose their own restaurants in Melun.

Travelling Direct:

Guests wishing to join the tour in France by either driving direct or connecting independently will be welcome to meet us at the hotel. In this case the tour price will be reduced to allow for the Eurostar return no longer required.