Booking Codes F107, F112, F113 & F114

Just Cruising à-Loing

Cruising over 3 days between Moret-sur-Loing and 5 days staying full board with Eurostar transfers

Thursday 21st July Saturday 20th August Friday 7th & Tuesday 11th October

October Departures £795 July & August Departures £925 Single room supplement only £145

Cruising through Montargis on the Canal de

Another new stretch of fascinating inland waterway to explore as we cruise the between its junction with the at Moret-sur-Loing and start of the Canal de Briare connecting onwards towards the . Our cruise takes us through the southern limits of the great Forest of Fontainebleau and into the Gâtinais Regional Park – scenic and close-up cruising at its very best.

The Loing navigation holds an important place in waterways history. The River Loing had been utilised since medieval times to float wood towards the Paris basin, but in 1604 it was decided to construct the world’s first summit canal to link the catchments of the Seine and the Loire, and it was in 1642 that the waterway was finally opened to barge traffic. It is a gently winding course throughout, passing through countless villages and with long stretches through woodland and countryside and fascinating history always close-by.

Booking Codes F107, F112, F113 & F114

There will be plenty of free time to explore the lovely town of Montargis where our hotel is situated, and aside from all the scenic cruising we will also provide some free time for sightseeing in Moret-sur-Loing and .

We stay at the recently refurbished Ibis hotel in the centre of Montargis, well-reported by our previous tour groups and with an independent restaurant on the ground floor providing our evening meals on all except one day when guests can choose their own dining venue in Montargis.

This tour-cruise will operate by Eurostar into Paris Gare du Nord, with a local coach operator supporting our transfers for the rest of the week. Train times will be confirmed once Eurostar have issued their 2022 schedules, but are expected to be a late morning outbound from St Pancras, and an early evening departure from Paris on travel-home day. Our train transfers will be escorted.

Our three days of cruising between Moret-sur-Loing and Montargis may be in either direction. In this narrative we describe the daily cruises as they will be starting from Moret-sur-Loing, but the same content applies in reverse for cruising northwards from Montargis.

In Moret-sur-Loing we arrive at the boat which then serves as a base for guests to spend a couple of hours seeing this delightful gated town, associated with the English impressionist landscape painter Alfred Sisley. There are some celebrated views of the river at the southern gate, and we are recommended to buy barley- sugar made in the Moret Nunnery!

As our cruise sets off, we will follow the canal as it skirts Moret-sur-Loing, with locks occurring quite regularly as we start to climb away from the valley of the Seine. The canal now follows the edge of the Forest of Fontainebleau so much of the cruise corridor is treelined, but with occasional splendid views of the rolling countryside and a succession of villages full of character. Today’s cruise concludes in Nemours, a truly historic site given that archaelogists working here have found relics from the camp of deer hunters dated to over 12,000 years ago. Amongst its many attractions, Nemours offers us its 12th century church and château, both alongside our mooring, and the road bridge crossing the river here has the distinction of having been inaugurated by Pope Pius VII in 1804 en route to the Cathedral Notre Dame in Paris to crown Napoleon!

We allow time before the start of our next day’s cruising for guests to explore Nemours, and as before the boat remains available for those who would simply like to enjoy the riverside views over a coffee. As we set off from Nemours the canal takes us southwards and we will notice the valleysides steepen as we pass through an always-varying mix of woodland, flood plain and the occasional village. At Souppes-sur-Loing we pass a 19th Century quarry whose distinctive creamy coloured limestone was used for some of the most prestigious buildings in Paris including the Sacre Cœur in Montmartre.

Continuing to follow the river’s gentle meanders, we reach the village of Nargis by late afternoon, and we moor here for the day before we make our way back to Montargis.

Resuming our southward passage next morning, our final cruise takes us past the village of , and shortly afterwards we glimpse the canal’s junction with the old Canal d’Orleans, sadly no longer open to navigation though it is finding new life as a long-distance cycle route. It is at this point where we pass from the Loing navigation on to the Canal de Briare, though we won’t notice the join.

Next comes what for many will be the highlight of our cruise as we navigate the intricate and sharply twisting channel which takes the waterway through Montargis. Two locks here delay us and give us more time to enjoy the spectacle before a last onward stretch brings our cruise to a close south of town just

Booking Codes F107, F112, F113 & F114

before the lock at Amilly. Throughout our cruise there are opportunities to stroll the towpath along sections where the locks are closely spaced.

Known as the “Venice of the Gatinais” because of its profusion of linked canals and rivulets, Montargis is a wonderfully characterful town, with its network of streets and pathways offering a delightful stroll and many a bridge to cross, also a busy covered market on Wednesdays and Saturdays to attract our early-risers.

With a free morning in Montargis on travel-home day we can also explore the Musée Girodet which has a celebrated collection of paintings, drawings and sculptures centred on the works of Anne-Louis Girodet- Trioson (1767-1824), one of the greatest French painters of the early nineteenth century.

Leaving Montargis early afternoon on our final day, we will book our return Eurostar to be back in London in mid-evening.

The Daily Programme : 21st July & 7th October Departures

Moret-sur-Loing to Montargis staying at the Ibis Hotel, Montargis

Day Embark Disembark Km/Locks Lunch Excursion Dinner Hotel ETD/ETA 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 2 Moret-sur- Nemours 18/7 On Pre-cruise free time in Moret-sur- Hotel 09:00/17:45 Loing 17:00 board Loing 12:00 3 Nemours Nargis 21/7 On Free time in Nemours pre cruise. Guests 08:30/17:00 11:00 16:30 board free this evening to choose own restaurants in Montargis 4 Nargis Amilly 18/9 On Pause in Montargis over lunch Hotel 09:00/16:30 09:30 15:30 board 5 Morning free in Montargis with time for lunch. 14:00 departure to check-in at Gare du Nord for planned Eurostar departure soon after 18:00 and arrival St Pancras around 19:30 UK time

Booking Codes F107, F112, F113 & F114

The Daily Programme : 20th August & 11th October Departures

Montargis to Moret-sur-Loing staying at the Ibis Hotel, Montargis

Day Embark Disembark Km/Locks Lunch Excursion Dinner Hotel ETD/ETA 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 2 Amilly Nargis 18/9 On Pause in Montargis over lunch Hotel 09:00/16:30 09:30 16:00 board 3 Nargis Nemours 21/7 On Free time in Nemours post cruise. Guests 09:00/17:00 09:30 14:00 board free this evening to choose own restaurants in Montargis 4 Nemours Moret-sur- 18/7 On Free time in Moret-sur-Loing Hotel 08:30/17:30 09:30 Loing board post-cruise 14:30 5 Morning free in Montargis with time for lunch. 14:00 departure to check-in at Gare du Nord for planned Eurostar departure soon after 18:00 and arrival St Pancras around 19:30 UK time

What’s Included:

• Eurostar Transfers London-Paris • 4 nights hotel stay at the 3* Ibis Hotel, central Montargis • All meals excluding lunch on the two travel days and dinner on one evening when guests are free in Montargis • Three days of cruising the 57km of waterway between Moret-sur-Loing and Amilly (Montargis) • Complimentary bar whilst cruising and wine with all lunches and dinners • Free time in Montargis, Nemours, Moret-sur-Loing

Guests Should Please Budget separately for:

• Travel to or from London St Pancras • Any overnight accommodation required in UK preceding or following our Eurostar transfers • Lunches on travel days • Dinner on one evening when free in Montargis • Travel and Health Insurance

Travelling Direct:

Guests wishing to join the tour in by either driving direct or connecting independently will be welcome to meet us at the hotel. In this case there is a reduction of £90 per person on the tour price for the Eurostar tickets no longer required.

Booking Codes F107, F112, F113 & F114

Our Hotel and Meal Plan:

The centrally-situated and welcoming Ibis hotel in Montargis is ideally-placed relative to our cruise route and offers all the facilities expected of a mid-range Accor hotel.

Our package includes a continental breakfast every day at the hotel; lunches on board the boat; and evening meals in the Hotel de la Poste Restaurant which occupies the ground floor of our hotel (excepting one evening which we leave free for guests to enjoy choosing their own restaurant in Montargis. Wine is included with all lunches and dinners.

On the Canal du Loing near Nemours