About Le Bon Vivant ...
The Hotel Barge Le Bon Vivant is as comfortable and elegant as her sister ship, La Bonne Amie, but with an especially spacious sun deck, luxurious accommodations for eight, and the same incomparable attention to service that has been the benchmark of any French Waterways experience.
The salon is equipped with the Bose CD System, a library of current books, up-to-date magazines and periodicals, and a well-stocked bar. Fresh flowers are the complement to a decor furnished to be as comfortable as it is elegant.
You will have first-hand knowledge of French cuisine's world renown. Your chef on Le Bon Vivant uses only the finest fresh local produce, procured daily, to give added dimension to the term "dining". Special dietary needs will be accommodated with the same dedication. Attention to every detail is evident in the use of beautiful table linens, fine china, crystal and silverware.
Le Bon Vivant's four staterooms are located on the lower deck. Each beautiful, individually decorated bedroom is furnished with twin or full size bed, closet space, heated towel racks, individual climate control, and a bathroom with wash basin and shower.
The immaculate hot tub (in the form of a wine barrel) and a large sunning terrace await your outdoor relaxation and pleasure on the main deck.
"What a wonderful trip! Only one bad thing...7 days is just not enough! Sylvie, Jose, Leon & Isnel - you are all special people. Because of your hospitality and friendliness you made our trip special!"
"We had a wonderful time that went much too quickly. The food and wine were excellent and the service was like a five star hotel. Fantastic cooking and so creative. Our thanks to all, we had a great time and it ended much too quickly."
"Thank you for making our stay on The Bon Vivant so special. we always felt at home, a very magical home, with amazing food, wine & friends. We look forward to our next cruise with you, to be sure. Well, I hope we weren't too crazy for you all! Thank you so much for the amazing service and genuine friendship. We will be back for sure! We tried to drink & eat you out of business and it was a valiant attempt. Cheers!"
"Incomparable scenery, impeccable service, and a sense of tranquility and wonder that made our Honeymoon a huge success. Kudos to the crew!"
"Our trip was fabulous! As soon as we got on the barge, we felt very much at home. The decor & ambiance surpassed our expectations. we felt really comfortable with the crew's help. I got a chance to paint, sat in the kitchen with the Chef one morning (didn't go biking with the others). Each little town was more charming than the next. Sylvie & I shopped in Montargis and I was able to buy placemats similar as the ones on the barge. She & I were the only ones on Thursday to leave the barge. I was curious to see the "Museum of Enamels" and it was charming. We stopped at the tile showroom next door, and I hope my little set of 6 tiles doesn't break! We will definetely recommend our barge experience to our friends. While it's sad to leave, I hope that this is only our 1st barge trip...we look forward to many more."
"The thought of saying goodbye to the Bon Vivant is the most reluctant move my wife and I have to make. It's been a warm home and one that defies all the traditional routines of an ordinary home: by sheer elegance, luxury....We've dupped it "The Finest Things in Life..." The crew has so much soul, the food always a revelation, the service so humbling and the place so welcoming. Thank you for making our honeymoon so memorable...We'll be back."
"For the crew of Le Bon Vivant, We thank you for a magical week made especially so by the sunshine you provided when we expected rain. The weather, barge, food, company and country were perfect. Many many thanks for a vacation which so warmed us all. Merci!"
"A great trip, fine wine, excellent food and wonderful countryside, all provided by a First class crew! Thanks for your great hospitality. Fine cuisine! Very comfortable quarters, salon & deck. The hot tub was good. All the crew were helpful, friendly and expert! MERCI!"
"Farewell to the Bon Vivant crew! Thank you for a lovely, memorable, magical experience. A delightful experience, a wonderful crew, a superb cuisine! A true experience. Que belle! Que magnifique! I've exhausted my French but the experience was marvelous. Angelique's artwork, Leon's artistry in the kitchen, Jose's pampering, the Captain's steady hand at the helm, and last but not least, a toast to Martine's humour, patience & informative tours, all made us feel like Royalty, and we really liked that! Thanks and good luck in future endeavour."
"Wonderful experience. We were well cared for by the staff, the crew and Sylvie, wonderful service and they went out of their way to please. Our crew catered to our every whim and provided everything we asked for each day of our adventure. The cabin accommodations were very luxurious. The quiche was outstanding, the veal outstanding, the fois gras a real treat, the cheeses and wines great. Everything was above expectation. Excursions were very nice indeed, seeing the beautiful Alsace countryside, the incredible locks and lift, Saverne and the wine tasting excursions."
"Our barge trip was wonderful. Fine accommodation, great food, good staff - friendly, hospitable, helpful, capable - Sylvie is a jewel!"
"Cabin was marvellous. The bathroom was the nicest we had thoughout our entire visit to France. The bed was very comfortable, the cabin nicely and tastefully furnished and decorated. The housekeeping was excellent."
"Everybody was so accommodating. I think that we were, in general, an easy-going group. At the same time, I felt that any request that we might have made of the crew would have been welcomed and answered. We were asked continually if there was anything that we wanted or needed."
"Patrice is a creative and successful chef - at least to my taste. We were surpised that he was able to carry out his seaman's duties as well as prepared such excellent meals, and on time."
"High points of the cruise were seeing our cabin for the first time, the first dinner (and all other dinners), the first lock, lunch while cruising through a 4km tunnel, the Chagall stained glass window in Sarrebourg."
Canal de Briare, 65 kilometers, 32 locks & 1 Pont-Canal…
Excursions are tailor-made to suit your interests.
Sunday: We meet at your hotel in Paris and travel by private motor coach to Montargis where you will board Your Ship for a welcome reception with Champagne & petits fours, followed by a short cruise before dinner.
Monday: Cruise from Amilly to Montbouy, an old Gallo Roman site.
Possible excursions:
*Chablis, extensive visit of a private estate Domaine Servin and tasting of a selection of this world famous Chardonnay ( Petit Chablis, 1er Cru, Grand Cru)
*Lunch along the way, followed by another wine tasting at Domaine Laroche. Visit of this noble & ancient property built between the 9th & 16th cent., its cellars & wine press from the 13th cent.
Tuesday: Cruise to Chatillon Coligny and its 12th cent. Chateau, built by the Count of Sancerre
Possible excursions:
*Visit of a winery Appellation Coteaux du Giennois with wine tasting, followed by a visit to a goat cheese farm.
*Gien, its famous Porcelain Museum and factory shop and the International Hunting museum situated in the Chateau overlooking the Loire with its rich collections
Wednesday: Cruise to Rogny and moor at the foot of a 7 locks staircase built in 1604, an impressive engineering monument of the past, replaced by 6 automatic locks.
Possible excursions:
*Special Wine Tasting at home, aboard your ship, of a few vintages from different parts of France, including Burgundy & Bordeaux
*Chateau St Fargeau, with its extraordinary history, beautiful park & 19th cent working Farm
*Guedelon, an incredible project back in time, a site where workers dressed in the garb of the 12th cent, are building a medieval fortress with materials and tools of the times
*Le Jardin du Parfumeur, a private mansion with a beautiful flower garden. Private visit of the estate with the owner, a perfume creator.
Thursday: Cruise to Ouzouer sur Trezee
Possible excursions:
*Wine tasting at the majestic Estate & Chateau owned by Baron Ladoucette, of the famous Pouilly Fume, cuvee "Baron L.".
*In Pouilly sur Loire, visit of a local winery in a more rustic atmosphere, of course with a wine tasting from the grapes "Blanc Fume" called Sauvignon Blanc
*Chateau La Bussiere, privately owned by a Countess, fully furnished and dedicated to the fishermen, surrounded by a lake, a moat, a park, a farm and a romantic 18th cent. vegetable garden
*Briare, a picturesque town along the Loire River, its Romano-Byzantine mosaics church and its enamel porcelain buttons Museum which made the town famous
Friday: Cruise to Chatillon sur Loire, crossing the Loire River over the majestic Pont-Canal de Briare, aquaduct built by Eiffel. This is one of the highlights of your cruise.
Possible excursions:
*Shopping with the Chef at the local open Market of Briare
*At Estate Bourgeois in Chavignol, private visit of the cellars, the traditional & the modern wine press, the cuverie followed by a wine tasting of the famous Sancerre, Sauvignon blanc and Pinot noir
*Later we stroll through the medieval streets of the village of Sancerre, maybe a visit to its antics shops and admire the panoramic view over the vineyards and the Loire
*Visit a goat cheese farm, the famous Crotin de Chavignol, and choose your own cheeses
Saturday: After breakfast, transfer to your hotel in Paris
Itinerary is subject to change and may be run in reverse.
Rev 10/06
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* Note: Cruise routes, cruise directions, and sample itineraries shown above are based on the barge's cruise plan for the current cruise season. Cruise directions are subject to change and may depend on bookings and local navigation conditions. Alternate excursions of equal appeal are substituted when needed. For charter cruises special itineraries can be arranged.
| LE BON VIVANT 2007 SEASON PRICES in US DOLLARS | ||
|---|---|---|
| ACCOMMODATION | VALUE Apr 1 thru Apr 15 Jul 29 thru Aug 19 Oct 14 thru Oct 21 |
REGULAR Apr 22 thru Jul 22 Aug 26 thru Oct 7 |
| Cabin (per person, double occupancy) |
$3,750 |
$4,250 |
| Charter for 8 |
$25,900 |
$29,900 |
What's Included
- 7 days and 6 nights on the barge in cabins with private baths
- transfers from Paris to the barge and return
- all meals beginning with dinner on Sunday, through breakfast on Saturday
- all wines with lunches and dinners
- open bar stocked to your specification
- all escorted side-excursions (hot air ballooning, golf, etc. at additional cost)
- use of bicycles on board
What's Not Included
- suggested minimum 5% gratuity for the crew, to be paid to the captain in equivalent euros
- overseas air transportation to Paris and return
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