11 Night Cruise sailing from Bruges to Paris aboard La Nouvelle Etoile.

Sunday, Day 1 Bruges
Embark the hotel barge moored in the beautiful little town of Bruges, known as the “Venice of the North”. After a champagne welcome, we will take you into Bruges for a city tour on one of the little canal boats. Upon return to La Nouvelle Etoile, you will have time to relax and get ready for your first of many gourmet meals on board.

Monday, Day 2 Bruges to Ghent
This morning we join a guided walking tour of Bruges with a local guide. Return to the hotel barge for lunch. In the afternoon, you’ll have some free time in Bruges. Later in the day we cruise to Ghent. Dinner on board.

Tuesday, Day 3 Ghent to Oudenaarde
After breakfast, we visit Ghent. Visit the cathedral with fabulous painting “The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb” painted by the van Eyck brothers. Return to the hotel barge for a cruise up the River Schelde to the town of Oudenaarde where we will moor for the night. Dinner on board.

Wednesday, Day 4 Oudenaarde to Tournay
A morning cruise further up the River Schelde will take us to the ancient town of Tournay with its famous “Pont des Trous” (Bridge with Holes) used to collect tolls on the rivers in the old times. This afternoon you can stroll around Tournay before dinner on board.

Thursday, Day 5 Tournay to Arleux
We continue along the Schelde through the town of Valenciennes to the junction of the Canal du Nord at the little French village of Arleux. Along the way, we visit the museum of fine arts in Valenciennes. Dinner on board.

Friday, Day 6 Arleux to Peronne
We begin our climb over the Vermandois Hills of Picardie through the many locks and several tunnels of the Canal du Nord. The scenery is spectacular, rural France at its best. There is a great towpath for the barge along the canal for a leisurely walk if you wish. After lunch, there will be a trip to Amiens to visit what must be one of the greatest of all Gothic cathedrals with its powerful towering spires and columns. Dinner on board.

Saturday, Day 7 Peronne to The Canal du Nord
After breakfast we visit the war museum in Peronne. Upon return, we will continue on the Canal du Nord. There will be plenty of opportunities to walk or bike while the barge travels from lock to lock. The cruise now continues along the Canal du Nord as it drops down into the valley of the Somme River. Dinner on board.

Sunday, Day 8 The Canal du Nord to Compiegne
After breakfast, we cruise down to the Oise River valley to moor in the riverside town of Compiegne. There are many places to visit, including the train where the World War I armistice was signed, as well as the Royal Palace. Dinner on board.

Monday, Day 9 Compiegne to Auvers sur Oise
This morning we are now cruising down the Oise River valley where we stop at the village of Auvers sur Oise. This charming village is a van Gogh scene. Here is where he lived and painted most of his last and most important paintings, when he stayed in a small room above a local café. In the afternoon we walk around the town and visit the cemetery where Vincent and his brother are buried. Dinner on board.

Tuesday, Day 10 Auvers sur Oise to Conflans
After a short morning cruise and an early lunch we drive to Giverny to visit the home and gardens of Claude Monet, probably the most famous of all the impressionist painters. The gardens will be at their most beautiful at this time of year where we will see the famous lily pond and the Japanese bridge that inspired so many of his paintings. This evening, we moor for the night in Conflans, which is the junction of the Oise and Seine Rivers. Dinner on board.

Wednesday, Day 11 Conflans to Paris
This morning we cruise to Bougival and visit Malmaison, the home of Napoleon. Here you’ll see its many lavishly decorated rooms furnished by Josephine. We will rejoin La Nouvelle Etoile for an afternoon cruise up the River Seine past the Eiffel Tower to our Paris mooring for the Captains Farewell Dinner on board.

Thursday Day 12 Paris
After breakfast, disembark La Nouvelle Etoile.

La Nouvelle Etoile has been designed to offer a very high level of comfort and convenience, to provide an on board blend of traditional elegance and modern-day facilities.

The spacious, air conditioned saloon with its attractive cocktail bar, piano and elegant furnishings provides a truly sophisticated setting, while other amenities include an exercise room and a lift.
Each of the four generous 200 sq ft cabin suites is lavishly equipped and the en suite bathrooms feature double hand-basins and oversized showers. On deck there is a large sun deck with comfortable loungers and a hot tub, as well as bicycles for you to pedal along the nearby towpath.

This cruise on the luxurious La Nouvelle Etoile is a journey back in time through a picturesque landscape along two delightful canals, including France’s oldest, the Canal de Briare. She also cruises in Alsace, Champagne, Holland, Belgium, Picardy, Germany and Luxembourg in Spring and Autumn.

We have been involved in all aspects of the hotel barge and travel industry for over 35 years including designing, building, owning and operating our fleet of luxury hotel barges. We have gradually refined our barge cruise holidays into unique travel experiences, which are just waiting to be discovered.

Our fully crewed, all inclusive luxury hotel barges cruise the inland waterways of nine European countries, along canals, rivers, lakes, lagoons and lochs, giving you the opportunity to experience life there from a truly unique perspective.

Our hotel barges are ideal for people looking for either an individual cruise with other like-minded people, or for those choosing a whole barge charter for a family or group of friends.

On your all-inclusive cruise, your ‘floating boutique hotel’ glides gently along while you relax and enjoy gourmet cuisine, fine wines and the company of fellow passengers. There will be guided tours to castles, chateaux, vineyards, markets and when you return to the barge, you can be sure our dedicated, professional crew will be there to look after you once more.