Alouette

Just four privileged passengers travel in Orient-Express style aboard what is one of the most luxurious barges in France, the Alouette.

Built in 1908 in the Netherlands, she brings with her two luxuriously-appointed cabins located well above the water line.

Each come with  ensuite bathrooms with stone tiles and large rain fall shower heads with elegant Provencal decor throughout.

The craft is yours as you float along the tree-shaded Canal du Midi between Carcassonne and Béziers.

For accommodations, she includes spacious, well-appointed staterooms each with its own private bathroom with shower, satellite TV and large windows.

The light and airy salon/dining room has impressively-wide windows with a writing desk and stereo, games, satellite TV and internet access. On deck, stretch out on a sun lounger, beneath a sheltering parasol, to view the passing villages and fields. Or step inside, where the spacious lounge—with its huge picture windows—has a library, writing desk and soft armchairs.

Delicious meals are created by a cordon bleu chef using ingredients brought on board from the markets that you pass. Come the end of the day, two delightful cabins, with en-suite showers, provide a wonderful retreat.

One has a plethora of options throughout the week of cruising like bicycling through the countryside to visit Roman ruins; traveling in an air-conditioned mini-bus to an out of the way vineyard; or visiting a local market or historic towns of the region. 

Be ready to experience the countryside of France exactly the way you like it.