CHAMPAGNE ON THE MARNE 6 nights FULL BOARD from £1729
aboard Liliana – see pages 144-149 for details
Includes insurance and cancellation cover§ Price reduction available if not required.
FRENCH WATERWAYS
Combine a six-night hotel stay in France with scenic cruises on the River Marne and excursions and visits every day…
The River Marne
Day 1: UK to Château-Thierry, France. Travel by coach from Folkestone to ChâteauThierry via Eurotunnel or ferry. Pause en route in the town of Noyon, home to a fine Gothic cathedral, then continue to the locally rated 3-star Best Western Île de France in Château-Thierry where you’ll stay for the next six nights. The hotel is set on a hillside overlooking the Marne Valley. Enjoy a welcome drink and dinner at the hotel tonight. Day 2: Château-Thierry to Dormans. Transfer by coach to the port of ChâteauThierry to board your Backwaters Cruiser for the journey upstream to the town of Dormans. A light lunch is served on board and you will pause at Mont St Père to visit the 3-storey Church of our Lady in nearby Mézy-Moulins. Then, continue cruising past the town of Jaulgonne, before arriving in Dormans. Your cruise covers a 16mile stretch of the river and there will be champagne tasting on board. Later, you may like to take the shuttle service into ChâteauThierry, returning to the hotel for dinner this evening. Day 3: Dormans to Ay (Epernay). Return by coach to Dormans, pausing outside the town to visit the Memorial Chapel, built to commemorate the two Battles of Marne fought in World War Two, the first of which 130
saw a strategic victory saving Paris from German capture. Board your barge to sail upstream, passing the villages of Port-åBinson and Reuil, before continuing along sections of canal and river to the village of Ay, which claims to be the original home of Champagne. Ay is connected to the town of Epernay, on the opposite bank of the River Marne, where the Champagne houses of Moët & Chandon and Perrier-Jouet as well as many smaller producers, are based. Today’s cruise covers 19 miles and your barge will pass through five locks. Day 4: Reims. After breakfast at the hotel you’ll be joined by a military historian who will give a talk about the Battle of Belleau Wood before you set off on a visit to the nearby American Aisne-Marne Cemetry and Memorial and the Belleau Wood Monument. Continue by coach to Reims, the unofficial ‘capital’ of Champagne, for an afternoon of exploration at your leisure. Highlights include the Place Royal and the Notre-Dame Cathedral, one of the finest examples of the 'French Gothic' style. Enjoy lunch with your fellow travellers at a brasseries in the city centre. Return to the hotel for dinner. Day 5: Ay (Epernay) to Vaudemanges. Travel by coach to Ay where you’ll board your barge to spend the day on the water.
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Cruise through Mareuil-sur-Ay and Tourssur-Marne before making a lunchtime stop at Condé-sur-Marne. Enjoy a champagne tasting at a local family-run Champagne House before continuing your cruise, ascending through eight locks with the opportunity to stroll the towpaths between some of them, before arriving at the summit pound at Vaudemanges. Return to your hotel for dinner, having cruised 12 miles. Day 6: Vaudemanges to Reims. Return by coach to Vaudemanges where you’ll re-board your ship and sail through the 1.4-mile canal tunnel of the Mont-de-Billy, a journey of around 30 minutes. This is one of the great constructional wonders of the French canal network, having taken 15 years to dig before starting service in 1866. In the afternoon your cruise continues through Sillery and into Reims. Perhaps enjoy a stroll along the towpath as your barge passes through three locks within parklands. Return to your hotel for the final dinner of your holiday. Today’s cruise covers 17 miles. Day 7: Château-Thierry to UK. Check out after breakfast and board your coach for your return journey. There will be a short stop en route so you can buy yourself lunch, before continuing to the UK via Eurotunnel or ferry.
