Sunday, December 07, 2014

Barge Cruises: World War One (WWI) Picardy France

World War One Commemorative Cruises aboard Hotel Barge La Belle Epoque

Just a reminder that we still have availability on the French Hotel Barge La Belle Epoque for their World War One Commemorative Cruises in April 2015.

It is 100 years since the outbreak of World War One, which ran from July 1914 through November 1918, and we will be offering a number of 6-night, all-inclusive, World War One commemorative cruises each spring over the next few years. See below for 2015 availability (as of Dec. 4, 2014).



In 2015, La Belle Epoque, a superb 12-passenger hotel barge, will have a special theme cruise along the Canal du Nord, while another route will also branch along the Canal de la Somme. Both these waterways were the at the center of battles during the War and there will be excursions to some of the most significant sites and memorials in Flanders and the Somme, including:

Menin Gate Memorial
Thiepval Memorial
Vimy Ridge Memorial
  • The Menin Gate in Ypres for the very moving Last Post ceremony.
  • The Thiepval memorial, a heart-rending monument to 75,000 missing soldiers who fell during the Battle of the Somme.
  • Vimy Ridge, site of the Canadian National Memorial, Canada's largest overseas memorial.
  • The forest clearing at Compiegne where the Armistice was signed on November 11, 1918.

Two cruises will follow the Canal de la Somme, starting or finishing near Villers Bretonneux on the weekend of the ANZAC Day Dawn Service, an event of deep significance to Australians and New Zealanders.

The excursion program for the four cruises will have some flexibility built in to allow, where possible, guests of different nationalities to visit sites of particular significance to their own countries. In addition, there will be interesting cruising through the spring Picardy countryside with highlights such as passing through the historic city of Lille and negotiating the 3-mile-long Ruyaulcourt Tunnel.

The departure dates for La Belle Epoque's 2015 WWI cruises:
  • April 5-11, 2015: Compiegne to Lille
  • April 12-18, 2015: Lille to Compiegne
  • April 19-25, 2015: Compiegne to Villers-Bretonneux
    • 2 cabins open, 4 cabins booked
  • April 26–May 2, 2015: Villers-Bretonneux to Compiegne
These WWI cruises are available for individual cabin bookin gs and the first two weeks are still open (current as of December 2, 2014) for private charter.

La Belle Epoque would love to welcome you aboard for one of these fascinating voyages through the landscapes of Northern France that witnessed events a century ago that changed the course of history.

Sounds interesting? 

Contact Paradise Connections and let's get started. This will be a very popular cruise that will book up quickly. Don't miss this special opportunity!


Looking forward to your inquiries


Contact Paradise Connections Yacht Charters to book LA BELLE EPOQUE 
View La Belle Epoque's online brochure
Visit our website for more info on our barges and barging: www.BargeCharters.com