Papillon

Le Papillon is a historic luxury French canal boat, skillfully and imaginatively converted to a floating hotel, cruising the tranquil canals and rivers of France.

Built in 1902 to ply the waters of the rivers Rhine and Meuse across France, she sets sail for a private charter with just six passengers and four crew.

Like a fine wine or a good meal, this is a vacation to be savoured slowly.

Leave behind the hurried humdrum and sit back and share the pleasure of anticipation.

Thats the one thing we don’t do - rush.
 

Of course that means there’s plenty of time for a chilled glass of champagne before the next lock or French village. And time to remember what you did yesterday and the day before without the whirlwind itineraries so typical of modern tourism.

And if you’d like to take the wheel and pilot your floating home from home between this lock and the next then why not? You’re more than welcome, under the watchful eye of the skipper. Equally so to jump ashore at a lock and practice your French whilst helping the lock-keeper pass us into the next stretch.

She sleeps only six, in three cabins, one double, two twin, all forward of the main saloon. Each cabin has full en suite facilities with air-conditioning and central heating. Her living quarters are spacious and well appointed, the comfortable saloon complete with library, music and well furnished bar (with plenty of ice!).

The dining room is traditional and slightly more formal in style, a perfect background for the chef’s extravagance.

A crew of four - skipper, chef, housekeeper and matelot - live in the aft quarters, and ensure you lack for nothing. Le Papillon was designed with serious pampering firmly on the agenda, and that’s exactly how we’d like to treat you.

There is only one thing we need to warn you about - you should be prepared to relax. We go nowhere fast. We like it that way. Don’t worry, you’ll soon get used to it!