As seen on Rick Steves' Europe (PBS) and in The New York Times • Family-owned barging since 1982
On Saturday afternoon your crew collects you in Bordeaux, at Bordeaux airport, or at Agen station at 15:30, and drives you the hour or so to the barge at Castets-en-Dorthe. There are six guests at most, four crew, and champagne waiting on deck. Before dinner there is a short stroll to the double lock where the canal meets the Garonne on the river’s way down to Bordeaux.
For six nights the Saint Louis is your hotel, your restaurant, and your view. You wake where you choose, walk or cycle the towpath when you feel like it, and sit down each evening to a meal cooked aboard and poured from a cellar of about 600 bottles.
The Canal de Garonne runs east through Aquitaine and Gascony, and the week is built around what grows and ages beside it: Saint-Émilion, Sauternes, a fourth generation Armagnac cellar, the Casteljaloux market, and the water lily gardens that supplied Monet. The owners run the boat themselves, and they came to it from catering, which you notice at every meal.
The Saint Louis is 96 feet long, which is 29 metres, and she is rated 5-star Grand Luxe. Her owners operate her from their base on the Montauban embranchement, and they came to barging from a catering background. Six guests at most, three suites, and a crew of four: captain, hostess, deckhand, and chef, all English speaking. The deck is large, with loungers, parasols, and a dining table and chairs. In the salon there is a library of books and games and a music system, with a speaker on deck as well. Central heating and air conditioning run throughout the boat, and each cabin has its own control. Six bicycles with helmets travel with you, and an air-conditioned minivan handles every excursion and transfer.
These comments are from FCBC guests and are not attributed to a particular barge. Source: French Canal Boat Company.
The questions guests actually ask before their first barge trip. If yours is not here, call Kim at 888-229-2315.
The Saint Louis has three suites, each about 127 square feet including its own bathroom, and each takes a queen-size double or two twin beds. Every suite has two windows, so you get daylight and a view rather than a porthole. The bathroom is ensuite and has its own window, with a shower, toilet, and basin with toiletries. Every cabin also has a hairdryer, a full length mirror, a dressing table, heating and air conditioning you control yourself, and a Bluetooth speaker.
No. The Saint Louis books as a whole-boat private charter only: one group of up to six guests takes the entire barge and crew. She does not run shared departures, so there are no individual cabins to buy. If a cabin on a shared departure is what you want, several barges in our fleet offer them and Kim will point you to the right one. What the charter gives you in exchange: no strangers, no shared table, and no schedule but your own.
The Saint Louis is owned and operated by the family who run her, from their base on the Montauban embranchement. They came to barging from a catering background, which shows up at every meal. Four crew look after six guests: captain, hostess, deckhand, and chef, all English speaking. Kim does not own or operate the Saint Louis; she knows the boat and she knows her owners, and she books the barge for her guests.
It is uncommon, but canal levels can occasionally limit how far the barge travels in a given week, usually after a dry spell. When it happens, the crew rebuild the week around the same villages, vineyards, and meals by road, using the minivan that is aboard for excursions anyway. We would rather you hear this from us now than be surprised by it. Travel insurance is a sensible backstop for the things none of us control.
This is wine country with a working coastline behind it. In one week you are in Saint-Émilion for a private tasting, at a Grand Cru Sauternes house, at a fourth generation Armagnac producer, and in the water lily gardens that supplied Monet. The markets carry Atlantic fish and oysters alongside duck and foie gras. Burgundy is quieter and more inland; the Canal du Midi is hotter and more Mediterranean. This route is the one that leads with the glass in your hand.
You are collected from an agreed pick-up point on Saturday: Bordeaux city, Bordeaux airport at Mérignac, or Agen train station at 15:30. The drive to the barge at Castets-en-Dorthe takes about 60 minutes in the air-conditioned minivan. Kim sends the exact meeting details well before departure.
Easier than most trips you have taken. One suitcase, one meeting point, and the crew takes it from there. You need to reach Bordeaux or Agen on Saturday afternoon, and the transfer to the barge is included. Kim sends exact meeting details well before departure, and she will help you plan nights in Bordeaux or Paris on either side if you want them.
You are collected on Saturday afternoon, with the Agen station pick-up at 15:30, and the week ends on Friday morning at Sérignac-sur-Garonne. You leave the barge around 10am with a transfer to the drop-off point you arranged in advance. Six nights, Saturday to Friday.
Yes, it is possible to drive and park at the boarding ports. Get in touch and we will give you the specifics for your departure point.
Six breakfasts, four lunches, and six dinners are cooked aboard, plus one lunch ashore at a Michelin-starred restaurant. The owners came from catering and the kitchen has a clear view: cook it simply, cook it lightly, follow the season, and go easy on sugar, salt, and fat. The produce is south-west France, with Atlantic markets supplying fish and oysters, and duck and foie gras among the basics. Wine is chosen with a distributor in Saint-Émilion who is himself an executive chef, and the cellar aboard carries about 600 bottles. Three new cheeses are chosen each day for the cheese board, sometimes with dried fruits, nuts, and honey, and the table is set differently every evening with linens and candelabra.
A fair question for a boat that moves at walking speed. Here is the honest answer: the slowness is the product. Every day has a guided excursion, a market, a tasting, or a village worth wandering, and the hours in between belong to you: read on deck, cycle the towpath, help the captain steer, or do nothing at all, on purpose. Nobody comes home saying the week felt long.
The crew lives aboard, and by Tuesday they will feel like part of the trip. They have their own quarters and their own rhythm; you will never trip over them, and they will never hover. What you actually get is a captain who knows every bridge by name, a chef cooking for six instead of six hundred, and hosts who already know what you liked yesterday. Privacy when you want it, company when you want that.
Not at all. All four crew speak English. If you want to try your bonjour at the Casteljaloux market, the vendors are patient and it usually earns you a smile.
Every cabin has a Bluetooth speaker and there is a music system in the salon, and cell coverage is generally good along this stretch of south-west France. We have not confirmed the Wi-Fi arrangement aboard, so ask Kim before you rely on it for work.
Six bicycles with helmets, and an air-conditioned minivan that runs every excursion and transfer. On deck there are loungers, parasols, and a dining table and chairs. In the salon there is a library of books and games and a music system, with a speaker on deck as well. Central heating and air conditioning run throughout the barge.
Yes. Tell us at the time of booking. With four guests at most and the chef herself taking the request, dietary requirements and preferences are handled personally rather than passed down a kitchen line.
No. Dinner is a gourmet event, but the dress code is relaxed: think smart casual, the way you would dress for a nice dinner at a friend\’s home. No jackets required, no gowns, no fuss. Comfortable shoes matter more than anything formal.
Every suite has its own ensuite bathroom with a shower, toilet, and basin, and a window of its own. You never share facilities with other guests. The suite and bathroom together run about 127 square feet, so it is smaller than a hotel room ashore and closer to a well-fitted yacht. Toiletries, a hairdryer, and a full length mirror are provided.
Barging is one of the most accessible ways to see rural Europe, with one honest caveat: barges are historic working boats, so expect a boarding ramp or gangway and at least one set of stairs between decks. There are no elevators. We do not have a verified step count for the Saint Louis, so if stairs are a real concern, call Kim before booking. She knows this boat and its owners and will tell you plainly whether it is the right fit.
This is the question people whisper, and the answer is the best news on this page. Canals are not the ocean. The water is flat, sheltered, and often narrower than a country road. There are no waves, no swell, and no rocking at night because the barge always moors for the evening. If you have avoided cruising because of motion sickness, a canal barge is the boat that was built for you.
You are never far from help. The barge travels through inhabited countryside, moors in or near villages every night, and a crew member with local knowledge is always aboard. Pharmacies are common in French towns, and your captain can reach emergency services from anywhere on the route. Bring your medications in your carry-on, plus a copy of your prescriptions. Tell Kim about any condition when you book so the crew is prepared, quietly and without fuss.
July and August are the hot months here, and the inland Gascony end of the route is hotter than the Bordeaux end. Toulouse, the closest inland reference, averages highs near 83 F in both months. The Saint Louis answers that better than many barges: every cabin has its own heating and air conditioning control, and central heating and air conditioning run throughout the boat. On deck there are parasols over the loungers and the dining table. The excursion minivan is air conditioned too. If you feel the heat, ask Kim about May, June, September, and October.
The Saint Louis books as a whole-boat charter, so the barge is your family’s alone and there are no other guests to consider. Tell Kim the ages and she will be straight with you about whether the week will land for your family.
No, and you would be in good company. Most barge guests are in their 50s, 60s, 70s and beyond. The pace is unhurried by design: the barge moves at about four miles per hour, and there is no packing and unpacking between hotels. You settle in once and France comes to you. Guests who want more activity can walk or cycle the towpath beside the boat; guests who want none can watch it all from a deck chair.
Very unlikely. Canals are flat, placid water, and the barge moves at a slow, steady pace. If you are prone to motion sickness on boats, the canal is about as gentle as it gets. There are no waves and no swell, and there is no rocking at night because the barge moors every evening. If motion sickness has kept you off cruise ships, this is the boat that was built for you.
Yes. You are on flat, calm water in settled countryside, never far from a village. Your hosts handle every lock and mooring. On deck, the usual boat rules apply: mind the rails, wear sensible shoes, and take the towpath at your own pace. Children need supervision on deck, the same as at any waterfront.
Whole-boat charter from $34,000 for the six-night week. That is the starting rate; the price for larger groups depends on your numbers and your dates. Call Kim at 888-229-2315 or request the detailed itinerary and she will come back with the rate for your group.
Kim confirms availability directly with the barge owner. A 25% deposit is due when booking, with the balance due 90 days before departure. Bookings made within 90 days require full payment. Your checkout shows the exact amounts and due dates. You can cancel within 24 hours after your initial booking payment and receive a full refund. Contact us within that window. After 24 hours, payments are non-refundable if you cancel, including for illness or inability to travel. You may substitute passengers by contacting us. If the barge owner cancels your cruise for any reason, we will provide a full refund. This differs from a route change where the trip still operates. Read the full Booking Terms and Conditions.
We strongly recommend travel protection for non-refundable trip costs and medical evacuation. Cover and exclusions depend on the policy you buy. Read the policy and check with the insurer; accepting our booking terms does not buy or decline insurance. Read the full Booking Terms and Conditions.
You can cancel within 24 hours after your initial booking payment and receive a full refund. Contact us within that window. After 24 hours, payments are non-refundable if you cancel, including for illness or inability to travel. You may substitute passengers by contacting us. If the barge owner cancels your cruise for any reason, we will provide a full refund. This differs from a route change where the trip still operates. Lock repairs, drought, flooding or unsafe conditions may require an alternative route. A route change does not by itself give you a right to cancel for a refund. If the owner cancels the cruise itself, the full-refund policy applies. Read the full Booking Terms and Conditions.
If the barge owner cancels your cruise for any reason, we will provide a full refund. This differs from a route change where the trip still operates. Read the full Booking Terms and Conditions.
Lock repairs, drought, flooding or unsafe conditions may require an alternative route. A route change does not by itself give you a right to cancel for a refund. If the owner cancels the cruise itself, the full-refund policy applies. Read the full Booking Terms and Conditions.
You may substitute passengers by contacting us. The booking terms do not promise a refund or automatic credit for changing dates. Contact us about a requested change before making other travel arrangements. Read the full Booking Terms and Conditions.
You can cancel within 24 hours after your initial booking payment and receive a full refund. Contact us within that window. After 24 hours, payments are non-refundable if you cancel. Passenger substitutions are permitted. If the barge owner cancels your cruise for any reason, we will provide a full refund.
Other voyages from the French Canal Boat Company fleet. A quick way to compare on the things that matter most: how many guests, which region, and what each week is really about.
Every voyage in the fleet is booked and looked after by Kim directly. See all departures.
Until it is live, call Kim at 888-229-2315, or request the full itinerary to start the conversation.
The WeTravel booking and deposit checkout embeds here at launch. Guests will choose their week and place the deposit without leaving the page.
Until it is live, call Kim at 888-229-2315, or request the full itinerary to start the conversation.
