Hotel Barges in Burgundy France: Special offers

TIME-SENSITIVE SPECIAL OFFERS FOR FRENCH HOTEL BARGES IN BOURGOGNE/ BURGUNDY REGION OF FRANCE

Full-boat charter promotion: Pay the full 8-passenger price and receive a 25% discount

• Renaissance in Western Burgundy/Upper Loire
• L’Art de Vivre in Burgundy

Full-boat charter promotion: Pay the full 12-passenger price and receive a 25% discount

• La Belle Epoque in Burgundy
• L’Impressionniste in Southern Burgundy

Cabin booking promotion: US$1,000 discount per cabin on all April, May & June 2009 departures

• La Belle Epoque in Burgundy, France
• L’Impressionniste in Burgundy, France

Cabin booking promotion: US$800 discount per cabin on WALKING CRUISE departing 25th October 2009

• La Belle Epoque in Burgundy, Walking cruise

These French barging holiday vacations are ALL INCLUSIVE, which means:

• 6 nights' accommodation on board in an air-conditioned en-suite cabin
• Return transfer to and from local meeting/drop off point.
• Daily excursions by chauffeured barge minivan and inclusive entry fees to Castles, Exclusive Vineyards, Markets and local Historical and cultural places of interest.
• The services of an experienced Captain / Host, Chef, Housekeeper(s) Driver/Tour Guide
• Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner aboard. All lunch and evening meals aboard are a gastronomic adventure with local produce.
• Local lunch ashore, once per week on most barges. Depending on the route, this may well be in a Michelin-starred restaurant.
• An excellent selection of fine regional and international wines and spirits plus all day Open Bar, tea and coffee.
• Use of barge facilities such as bicycles, boules, barge library and on certain vessels a spa pool.

CONDITIONS:

• Normal Terms & Conditions apply.
• Some cruises may require a minimum of 4 passengers booked to guarantee the cruise. The above offers apply to new bookings only.
• US$1,000 & US$800 discounts are based on two people sharing a twin/double cabin. 50% of the discount can be applied for single occupancy of a cabin or single cabin.
• Full-boat Charter Promotion Offer is valid for all 2009 departures except September. Deposits for these special offers must be received by 31st May 2009
• Credit card payments on all promotions carry a 2% surcharge (no charge for debit cards).
• LIMITED CAPACITY HAS BEEN ALLOCATED TO THESE PROMOTIONS SO EARLY RESERVATION IS RECOMMENDED.

Interested? Good !!!

• Contact Paradise Connections to start planning your barging vacation!
• Visit the barging section of our website: www.paradiseconnections.com/barges

Looking forward to hearing from you soon...

French Hotel Barge EMMA - Ready to invite you aboard

The charming French hotel barge EMMA, owned and operated by Rene & Liz, mainly cruises the canal du midi in the south of France, but also has alternative Provence & Camargue routes.

Rene getting EMMA all spruced up for the new 2009 season

Here are some wonderful comments from guests they had aboard:

"Passengers with the good fortune of travelling aboard Emma will find themselves in the company of Liz and Rene, two of the finest, most experienced and friendly hosts that Southern France has to offer. Your barge experience will remain unmatched and you will fall in love with this boat and its hosts. Liz and Rene have perfected the pampering that is commmonly associated with France and the luxury barge experience. Their knowledge of the region is well connected with their ability to provide their guests with exceptional cuisine, tours, ambience and, most of all, friendship. We look forward to returning to Emma and telling our friends about our wonderful experiences."

EMMA's interior is spacious, bright and very comfortable for six guests . If your group consists of more than 6 people, we can arrange a "tandem" charter with another barge. The three guest cabins with en-suite facilities can be either twin or double bedded, as you wish.

EMMA is fully air-conditioned and has central heating for the cooler evenings in Spring and Autumn. The deck outside has a comfortable dining area and deck chairs to relax on as you watch the French countryside glide by.

• Contact Paradise Connections for more information
• View Emma's online brochure
• Visit the Barge section of our website

Liz & Rene are friends & former neighbors of ours and we highly recommend them for your vacation. They'll take good care of you :)

Enchanté New French Hotel Barge - South of France : Canal du Midi and Provence & Camargue routes

Enchanté says delighted to meet you! The new hotel barge Enchanté is scheduled to start cruising the rivers and canals of the South of France beginning August 2, 2009 and the task of converting her into a luxury floating hotel has been progressing as planned.

Here's an update that we recently received. Oh, by the way, there is a 10% discount for August 2009 cruises aboard Enchanté... contact us for details.

When we build a hotel barge, the first question we ask, is just what size are the locks on the particular section of the canal or river to be cruised? Usually locks are 130 feet long in France and the majority of our barges are 127 feet long and fit just right! However, in his esteemed wisdom, the engineer Pierre Paul Riquet who designed the UNESCO World Heritage acclaimed Canal du Midi in 1625, built the locks at 100 feet long.

Finding a barge to fit these smaller dimensions is nigh on impossible these days. In 1982, when I built Anjodi for the Midi, I spent 3 months trawling the backwaters of Holland and Belgium before finding a perfect barge which would just fit the stone-sided, oval Midi locks.

When Enchanté was conceived, we knew we would never find a 100 foot barge, so we acquired a 130 footer and cut her down to size! This, as you may imagine, is not an easy process and there are only a few places left in the Low Countries that I would trust with this hugely skilled task.

The photographs give you a quick view of just how we did it. These shots were taken some time ago and Enchanté has now been launched is now having her luxury interior fitted out ready for the season ahead.

Here are the photos (used by permission)... Click to enlarge!


Notice the two cuts...


Here the section has been removed. Look closely and you can see it off to the right.

















For several years Bob & I lived on a barge that was being converted into a houseboat on the Seine outside of Paris (La Péniche "Black Moon" in Port Marly, France), plus we built two sail boats, so we really enjoy "baby" pictures :)

• Contact Paradise Connections to plan your barging vacation
• View ENCHANTE's online brochure
• Visit the Barge section of our website

Enjoy!

French Hotel Barge ALEGRIA : Cruise the Canal du Midi in Southern France

This weekend we have created a new online brochure for the French Hotel Barge ALEGRIA who cruises the Canal du Midi in the south of France.

Alegria hosts a maximum of four guests in two large cabins fitted with king size beds (or twins if you prefer), and is managed by a crew of five.

Barge cruising offers a week of relaxation, gastronomy, excellent wines, fascinating culture, great landscapes, and friendship with a warm nation.

Each day is a new day of discoveries...

• Contact Paradise Connections to plan your cruise on the French canals
• View ALEGRIA's online brochure
• Visit the barging section of our website: http://paradiseconnections.com/barges.html

Experience France from a different perspective!

News from French Hotel Barge EMMA - Canal du Midi, France

A couple of days ago, we received an email from our friends Liz & Rene, owner-operators of the French Hotel Barge EMMA, who cruise the Canal du Midi, plus the Camargue & Provence areas of southern France.

Liz said:
It is absolutely gorgeous here now. We have started the painting and varnishing for the new season and on Sunday we are taking Emma from Capestang to the top of the locks at Beziers as there are no plane trees on the pontoon so we can paint at peace without all the fallout from the seed pods sticking in it. I hope this is Spring definitely settled in now with no big cold spells on the horizon, I am in summer mode.

Doesn't this look delicious!

• View our online brochure for EMMA
• Contact Paradise Connections to plan your Hotel Barge Cruise Vacation
• Visit the barge section of our website http://www.paradiseconnections.com/barges.html

à bientôt,
Sheila & Bob

Dutch Tulip Cruise 2009 - Hotel Barge Savoir Faire Holland

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We received an email from Chris yesterday announcing cabin availability for a few choice weeks of the season.

Holland Tulip Cruise April 19-25, 2009 2 cabins available Itinerary
Burgundy (France) Cruise Nemours to Villeneuve August 2-8, 2009 4 cabins available Itinerary
Burgundy (France) Cruise Villeneuve to Nemours August 9-15, 2009 4 cabins available Itinerary
Champagne (France) Cruise Epernay to Paris September 13-19, 2009 4 cabins available Itinerary

While many weeks are no longer available, please contact Paradise Connections to inquire for open weeks for full-boat charters and individual cabin bookings, and we'll see what we can do!

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The Savoir Faire accommodates up to twelve guests in six staterooms, all with private bathrooms. Each stateroom can be configured with either two twin beds, or with one queen bed.

In the public areas, the Savoir Faire is unique with five separate areas for passenger enjoyment; whether for a personal retreat, a quiet conversation, a small group get-together, or for all passengers to enjoy together.

• The main lounge has a panoramic view, comfortable custom-made furniture, upright piano, game table, and library.
• Adjacent to the lounge is an elegant dining room, large enough to double as a dance floor on festive evenings, and a writing desk in its own quiet corner.
• To the aft is a cozy cocktail lounge, a favorite meeting place for aperitifs or quiet conversations, with stereo and CD player.
• Outside there are two spacious decks -- a fore deck that opens directly from the main lounge, and an elevated observation deck offering a magnificent view of the passing countryside.

Each day, the chef combines fresh ingredients drawn from local markets to create the most incredible cuisine you have ever experienced. The menus YOU will experience aboard will always be unique, and tailored to your specific needs.

• View SAVOIR FAIRE's online brochure
• Contact Paradise Connections to plan your European barge vacation
• Visit the barging section of our web site

Looking forward to hearing from you!

ROI SOLEIL - Special GALA evening in the South of France

Guillaume & Tracey of the luxury barge, River Yacht ROI SOLEIL wrote to announce their special offer for new charters confirmed by April 31, 2009, "Champagne Aperitif with Live Music and Gala Dinner with Grand Crus".

Roi Soleil is available for private, luxury, barge cruises in the South of France and accommodates up to six guests in three double cabins with Queen-sized berths. Roi Soleil is fully air conditioned throughout and has a spa pool, Bose sound system, DVD library, bicycles, even a fireplace!




This Gala Evening aboard the River Yacht ROI SOLEIL includes:

• Live Music with Champagne Aperitif followed by a Gala Dinner with Foie Gras, plus Grand Crus (three bottles) of Bordeaux or Bourgogne, such as Margaux, Saint Julien, Gevrey-Chambertin, Puligny-Montrachet.

Roi Soleil boasts innovative gourmet cuisine, with cooking demonstrations in their galley which was special designed for this purpose.

© Photo by Paradise Connections

© Photo by Paradise Connections

• View ROI SOLEIL's online brochure: CLICK HERE
• Contact Paradise Connections to charter your barge: CLICK HERE
• Visit the Barging section of our website: CLICK HERE

Go Barging this summer and enjoy!

Low Air Fares to Europe - Take a barge vacation

We just received a Fare Watcher announcement from Travelocity.com informing us that there are flights from JFK (New York) to London, England and also JFK to Paris, France for the super low price of only $308-ish Round Trip from now to May 20, 2009.

So, you can no longer use the excuse of high airfares to NOT book your barging vacation this season. Nope, no way! That rates right up there with "the dog ate my homework". Come on, don't you deserve to treat yourself and get away from things for a bit?

Cruise the Thames... Meander through the French canals... Enjoy the tulips of Holland...

There are some excellent special offers currently in effect... such as Magna Carta rolling back their prices to 2005 and Renaissance's 10 nights for the price of 6 special Paris Marathon cruise...

CURRENT SPECIAL OFFERS - EUROPEAN BARGE VACATIONS Hotel Barge Magna Carta, River Thames England The British Hotel Barge MAGNA CARTA is offering 2009 & 2010 cruises at 2005 prices! More info... Burgundy France Walking Tour Cruise, October 2009 Book a cabin before 31st March 2009. More info... Hotel Barge Alouette - 2 Free B&B hotel nights Confirm your new 2009 booking by 31st March 2009. More info... Hotel Barges Napoleon & Hirondelle Offers Free TGV Confirm your new 2009 booking by 31st March 2009. More info... Hotel Barge Emma, Canal du Midi France - 10% discount Book before the end of March 2009. More info... Paris Marathon 2009 - Barge Renaissance, Special Cruise 10 nights for the price of 6. More info... $1000 discount on Burgundy Hotel Barges - April & May 2009 Book before 31st March 2009. More info... Cruise the River Shannon, Ireland - $1000 discount on May & June 2009 Book before 31st March 2009. More info... La Dolce Vita - Venice Italy : $500 discount per person on all May & June 2009 private charters Book before 31st March 2009. More info... Promotional rates on select barges for 2009: 25% discounts Book before 31st March 2009. More info...

Enjoy the European Waterways in 2009. It's a good-value vacation for couples, families, and friends.

• Contact Paradise Connections for more info: CLICK HERE
• Visit the Barging section of our web site: CLICK HERE

Barge LA DOLCE VITA Venice ITALY discount

Inquire: CURRENTLY NOT CHARTERING - see LA BELLA VITA 

The Italian Barge LA DOLCE VITA which cruises the Venetian lagoon and along the Brenta river (Venice Italy) is offering a $500 discount per person on all private charters taking place in May and June 2009. This offer expires March 31, 2009 so book soon!



Their unique cruise not only visits Venice's many attractions but also encompasses the outer islands of Torcello, Burano and Murano, as well as cruising the beautiful, canalised Brenta river.



The cruise around the Venetian lagoon and along the Brenta river is as unique as Venice herself. La Dolce Vita's itinerary combines four very different landscapes: from that of the picturesque islands of the northern lagoon to the charm of romantic Venice; and from the wilderness of the southern lagoon to the splendid architectures of the countryside villas along the Brenta river. This mixture of culture, art and nature is unparalleled in hotel barge cruising terms.



The additional opportunity afforded by hotel barge travel becomes obvious as they create their own schedule oblivious to the hustle and bustle of other visitors to Venice, Italy.

Come and experience the sweet life of Italy aboard La Dolce Vita.

• View LA DOLCE VITA's online brochure: CLICK HERE
• Contact Paradise Connections for more details: CLICK HERE
• Visit the barge section of our website: CLICK HERE

Your fun is our business!

Inquire: CURRENTLY NOT CHARTERING - see LA BELLA VITA  

 

Promotional rates for 2009: 25% discounts

The following luxury hotel barges are offering 25% off their normal rates for 2009 charters. Offer expires March 31, 2009.

Barging is a unique experience, offering a combination of relaxation, gastronomy and immersion in the local landscape & culture.

Click on the barge's name to view their online brochure.

Book at the full 8-passenger US$ charter price and receive a 25% discount. (i.e. 2 guests are free):

SCOTLAND:

• Scottish Highlander

FRANCE:

• Renaissance (except September)
• Anjodi (except September)
• L'Art de Vivre (except September)

Book at the full 12-passenger US$ charter price and receive a 25% discount. (i.e. 3 guests are free):

FRANCE:

• La Belle Epoque (except September)
• L'Impressionniste

Contact Paradise Connections to book your European Barging Vacation: CLICK HERE

We hope that you will be able to take advantage of this special offer and that we'll be hearing from you soon!