Booking Codes E113, E116 & E121

Meanders of the – Cruising Between Cha teau-Thierry and La Villette

7 days staying part-board at a 4* Disneyland Hotel and connecting via Eurostar

Cruising between Château-Thierry and Paris La Villette Thursday 28th July

Cruising between Paris La Villette and Château-Thierry Sunday 14th August & Thursday 29th September

£1,425 (Discount of £450 for children of school age staying in parents’ room) Single room supplement £295

Entering the tunnel underneath Place de la Bastille on the St-Martin

A great chance to savour Paris and the Marne Valley from the waterways perspective as we cruise between the champagne town of Château-Thierry and La Villette basin, in the heart of the city, fully 142km of spectacular cruising with 19 locks. We also pass through three canal tunnels, the 2km tunnel on the Canal St- Martin which takes the canal underneath Place de la Bastille; and two more tunnels at St-Maur and as we make our way along the Marne navigation.

Booking Codes E113, E116 & E121

Although we might cruise all that distance on the waterways, such are the meanders of the Marne that as the crow flies the beginning and end points of our cruise are only 90km apart, and this allows us to stay throughout at the excellent 4* Hotel L’Elysée in Marne-la-Vallée, perfectly situated close to the midpoint of our cruise journey.

In all we spend four full days cruising with one clear day which we leave free for guests to choose their own visit destinations in and around Paris. With our hotel located alongside a suburban train station it will be straightforward for guests to make their way into the centre of the city.

On opening day our adventure begins at St Pancras where we meet our escort at 10:30 to check in for our booked Eurostar departure. We can then sit back and enjoy the ride. On arrival in Paris we transfer to our hotel at Marne-la-Vallée where we can relax and enjoy the hotel’s excellent facilities for the rest of the day.

Our four days of cruising may be in either direction between La Villette basin in the centre of Paris and the historic Champagne town of Château-Thierry. Here we describe your cruising as though setting out from Château-Thierry but of course the cruise experience will be the same either way.

Château-Thierry to La-Ferté-sous-

After a half-hour autoroute transfer from our hotel, cruising begins as we board in the champagne town of Château-Thierry and set-off downstream. We quickly appreciate the meandering character of the Marne as we cruise-electric through the champagne vineyards and forested slopes around the village of Charly, noted for its place on Napoleon Bonaparte’s route to battle.

Some especially extravagant meanders take us past the villages of Crouttes-sur-Marne, Nanteuil-sur-Marne, Méry-sur-Marne and Luzancy before a lock at Coutaron drops us down on to a stretch into La-Ferté-sous-

Booking Codes E113, E116 & E121

Jouarre where we moor for the day having covered 39km with 5 locks. Before leaving La-Ferté for our return to hotel there will be opportunity to visit the Allied Memorial to the Missing of the Battles of the Marne.

La-Ferté-sous-Jouarre to

For our second day of cruising we resume in La-Ferté as the river continues its wandering pathway towards Paris and the . The villages of Changis-sur-Marne and are just 6km apart by road, yet we cruise 4 hours and 27km to traverse between them by waterway! Despite our proximity to Paris this is still very much rural cruising, with the forested valley sides providing a scenic backdrop and the occasional village and farm adding to the contrasts. Our cruise for today concludes in the historic city of Meaux after 44km with 2 locks.

Day 4 – Free Day

Day 4 is left free for guests to decide their own programmes. Our hotel in Marne-la-Vallée is close to the Disneyland complex for anyone wanting a day of high adventure! Other local attractions include the historic Château de Vincennes, and Paris Zoological Gardens. But for wider exploration the best recommendation is to buy a Paris day-pass and enjoy the freedom of the city, perhaps venturing out to Versailles or . Our hotel is perfectly placed alongside the local suburban RER A Val d’Europe Station offering regular services into central Paris. The hotel also offers a free shuttle service to Disneyland and the Marne-la-Vallée main line railway station presenting the chance to day-trip further afield by TGV to Reims or Strasbourg.

Meaux to Chelles

Resuming our cruise, we delay departure from Meaux to allow ourselves some free time to see something of this fine city. Twinned with both Reading and Basildon, Meaux is celebrated for its magnificent cathedral and episcopal palace, which accommodates the city’s Art and History Museum. Today’s cruising then continues, initially on the Canal du Chalifert which parallels the river, through the 700m Chalifert Tunnel which takes us back on to the river and into the city suburbs, onwards past Lagny-sur-Marne and thence on to the Canal de Chelles where we conclude for the day after 27km and 4 locks

Chelles to Tour Eiffel to La Villette

Continuing along the Canal de Chelles, we return to the river proper at Neuilly-sur-Marne and onwards to Joinville-le-Pont where the 600m St-Maur tunnel takes us across the neck of a 13km meander! Emerging from the tunnel, a final lock on the Marne then drops us down to the with the Seine at St-Maurice.

From here we will make a return cruise along the Seine through the centre of Paris, passing the Île de la Cité where we should be able to see the restoration work on Notre-Dame Cathedral, continuing as far as the Eiffel Tower before we backtrack to Paris Arsenal junction where we turn on to the Canal de St-Martin for the final leg of our cruise programme. This is a fascinating way to end our adventure as we pass through the tunnel underneath Place de la Bastille, then climbing via a series of double-chambered locks before reaching the La Villette basin where we conclude.

For our departure day we leave the morning for guests to check-out at leisure for time to shop at the Auchan hypermarket complex which is adjacent to our hotel, or perhaps to visit the sea-life centre which is also a short stroll from our hotel. Our coach will depart from the hotel at 13:00 for the short transfer to Gare du Nord

Booking Codes E113, E116 & E121

Station and our onward journey back to London. As we gain an hour on our return journey, we expect to be back in London by 6pm.

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 transfers will be escorted, and meeting instructions at St Pancras will be issued with tickets prior to the trip. Our train times are expected to be as follows and may flex a little with any timetable changes applied by Eurostar:

Outbound - London St Pancras 12:24 Paris Gare du Nord 15:45

Return - Paris Gare du Nord 16:13 London St Pancras 17:35

The Daily Programme : Cruises from Château-Thierry

Cruising Château-Thierry to Paris La Villette

Report to St Pancras for Eurostar Departure by 10:45. Local transfer from Gare du Nord, expected hotel Day 1 check-in in at around 17:00 Group Dinner in hotel Embark Disembark Km/Locks Lunch Excursion Dinner Hotel ETD/ETA Day 2 Château- La-Ferté-sous- 39/5 On board All day cruise Guests 09:00/17:30 Thierry 10:00 Jouarre 16:30 dine privately La-Fertésous- Group Day 3 Jouarre Meaux 16:30 44/2 On Board All day cruise Dinner in 09:00/17:00 10:00 hotel Guests Day 4 Guests are free for the day. RER rail station is adjacent to the hotel dine n/a privately Morning free for Guests Day 5 Meaux 12:00 Chelles 17:00 27/4 On board sightseeing in dine 09:00/17:30 Meaux privately La Villette Group Day 6 Chelles 09:30 16:00 32/8 On board All day cruise Dinner in 09:00/16:30 hotel Day 7 Morning free in Marne-la-Vallée. Coach departs hotel for Gare du Nord at 13:00. Booked ETD 13:00 Eurostar departure at 16:13 for arrival London St Pancras 17:35 UK time

Booking Codes E113, E116 & E121

The Daily Programme : Cruises from Paris La Villette

Cruising Paris La Villette to Château-Thierry

Report to St Pancras for Eurostar Departure by 10:45. Local transfer from Gare du Nord, expected hotel Day 1 check-in in at around 17:00. Dinner in hotel Embark Disembark Km/Locks Lunch Excursion Dinner Hotel ETD/ETA La Villette Guests Day 2 10:00 Chelles 16:30 32/8 On board All day cruise dine 09:00/17:00 privately Afternoon free for Group Day 3 Chelles 09:30 Meaux 14:30 27/4 On board sightseeing in dinner in 09:00/17:30 Meaux 15:00- Hotel 17:00 Guests Day 4 Guests are free for the day. RER rail station is adjacent to the hotel dine n/a privately Day 5 Meaux 09:30 La-Ferté-sous- 44/2 On board All day cruise Guests 09:00/17:00 Jouarre 16:00 dine privately La-Fertésous- Château- Group Day 6 Jouarre Thierry 16:00 39/5 On Board All day cruise dinner in 09:00/17:00 10:00 Hotel Day 7 Morning free in Marne-la-Vallée. Coach departs hotel for Gare du Nord at 13:00. Booked ETD 13:00 Eurostar departure at 16:13 for arrival London St Pancras 17:35 UK time

What’s Included:

• Escorted Eurostar returns at Standard Class between London St Pancras and Paris • 6 Nights accommodation at the 4* Hotel d’Elysée at Chessy, Marne-la-Vallée with breakfast • All lunches except on free day in Paris and on the outward and return travel days • Dinner with drinks package on three evenings • 4 days cruising the River Marne, River Seine and Canal St Martin, with lunch and drinks included • Free time in Meaux and Marne-la-Vallée and/or Paris • Tour Manager services

Guests Should Please Budget separately for:

• Travel to or from St Pancras • Any overnight accommodation required in UK preceding or following our train transfers • Lunch on our free day in Paris and on our outward and return travel days • Dinner on three evenings whilst staying in Chessy • Travel and Health Insurance

Our Hotel:

The modern and highly-rated 4* Hotel L’Elysée is located within the La Vallée Village complex in Chessy, just south of Paris Disneyland. Originally commissioned in 2002 and fully refurbished in 2016, this beautiful hotel has been created in the style of the great buildings of the capital. The adjacent complex includes an Auchan

Booking Codes E113, E116 & E121

hypermarket and a sea-life centre, and the RER Line A for regular trains into the centre of Paris is just 50 metres away.

The hotel has 152 spacious, air-conditioned rooms and suites.

If you plan to use the free day to visit Disneyland please be conscious that your park entrance tickets will need to be purchased separately.

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.