• Six-night privately chartered barge cruise
• Lyon sightseeing
• Tour of Saline-Royale saltworks UNESCO site
• Informal atmosphere of barge cruising
• Wine and all bar drinks on board
• Opportunities to walk or bicycle along canals and through villages
• Rural French scenery
• Visit to charming town of Dole
• Remote village of Petit-Ouges
• Grand Crus wine route excursion and wine tasting
• Paris city tour including the Louvre
• Free time to explore Paris

Day 1: Depart U.S. for Lyon, France

Day 2: Arrive Lyon After arriving in Lyon today, we meet our Odysseys Unlimited Tour Director and fellow travelers at a briefing about the journey ahead, followed by a welcome dinner at a local restaurant. D

Day 3: Lyon Today’s tour of France’s second largest city features the beloved Fourvière Basilica and the ruins of the Gallo-Roman theater. We also see Lyon’s mind-boggling tromp d’oeil murals and Renaissance-era Vieux Lyon. Then we’re free for independent exploration in this city rich in history, culture, and gastronomy. With lunch and dinner on our own, we can indulge in some noted local fare – perhaps at a bouchon, a traditional tavern serving Lyonnais specialties. B

Day 4: Lyon/Beaune/Besançon/Board MS Jeanine This morning we set out by coach for Beaune, gateway to the Burgundy wine region. On our walking tour of this walled town, we visit the renowned Hótel Dieu Museum, with its colorful tiled roof, vineyard, and paintings of “The Last Judgment” by Flemish master Van der Weyden. Then we continue on to Besançon, where we board the privately chartered barge MS Jeanine and enjoy a welcome reception and the first of our meals on board. B,D

Day 5: Barging – Besançon/Ranchot We depart by coach this morning for Arc-et-Senans, where we tour the Saline-Royale, the former royal saltworks built in 1775. A UNESCO site, the decommissioned saltworks are known especially as a rare example of industrial architecture. Following our tour of the museum and grounds, we return to MS Jeanine and get our first taste of barging as we ply the waters of the Rhone-Rhine Canal, passing through rolling countryside dotted with ancient villages, farms, and vineyards. We’re bound for Ranchot, where we spend the night. B,L,D

Day 6: Barging – Ranchot/Dole This morning we continue on our leisurely course towards the small town of Dole in France’s Jura region. Our barge carries bicycles on board, so we have the opportunity to ride along the towpath that follows our route on the canal. Early this afternoon we reach Dole, a charming and refreshingly untouristed town with a well-preserved historic center lined with 17^th-century stone buildings. Here we set out on a unique tour visiting Dole’s highlights following the cobblestoned “Trail of the Perched Cat,” a reference to the popular French tales of the “Perched Cat,” whose author lived here as a young boy. We also visit the home of scientist Louis Pasteur. Then we return to our barge for dinner and an overnight on board. B,L,D

Day 7: Barging – Dole/Saint-Jean-de-Losne We spend the morning cruising towards Saint-Jean-de-Losne, the region’s traditional barging hub at the confluence of the Saône River and the Burgundy Canal. After lunch on board, we explore the town and tour the Musée de la Batellerie, where we learn about the history of boating on the canals of France. B,L,D

Day 8: Barging – Saint-Jean-de-Losne/Petit-Ouges Built between 1775 and 1832 to allow cargo to move between the Atlantic and Mediterranean, the Burgundy Canal is one of historic import – and contemporary allure. We travel a portion of this celebrated water-way today as we barge to Petit-Ouges. Again, we may choose to bicycle along the canalside path, or simply relax on deck sipping French wine as we watch the gentle rural scenery unfold. This afternoon we dock in tiny Petit-Ouges, where we embark on an excursion along the Grand Crus wine route that comprises some of the area’s finest and most prestigious wineries. And naturally, we stop along the way for a wine-tasting session. B,L,D

Day 9: Barging – Petit-Ouges/Dijon We spend our last morning on the canal en route to Dijon, traveling through the lush green landscapes of the Saône Valley. This afternoon we embark on a guided tour of Dijon, capital of the Burgundy region know for its restored medieval center, its rich architecture ranging from Gothic to art deco, the beautiful covered market of Les Halles, and of course, its mustard. Back on board MS Jeanine, tonight we raise our glasses to our barge adventure at a gala dinner. B,L,D

Day 10: Disembark/Dijon/Paris We bid adieu to Burgundy today as we board the TGV high-speed train for the 1½-hour journey to Paris. After arriving in the French capital this afternoon, we embark on a panoramic tour that passes all the highlights: Notre Dame Cathedral, Arc de Triomphe, Eiffel Tower, Champs-Elysées, the Seine. Then we’re free for dinner on our own in this city celebrated for its cuisine. B

Day 11: Paris The City of Light, a moveable feast, all things artful and cultural – and that’s just a taste of this most celebrated of all capital cities. This morning we visit the Opéra Garnier, the opulent opera house now used for ballet performances and setting for Gaston Leroux’s The Phantom of the Opera. If the Opéra Garnier is unavailable, we will visit the Musée Rodin, set in the sculptor’s former workshop and gardens. This afternoon is free for independent exploration – perhaps to remain at the museum; explore the historic Marais district or relax in elegant Place des Vosges; enjoy a bateau mouche ride on the Seine; see the dazzling stained glass at medieval Ste-Chapelle; or get a bird’s-eye view of the city from atop the Eiffel Tower … the options are truly endless. Tonight, we celebrate our Gallic sojourn over a farewell dinner at a local restaurant. B,D

Day 12: Depart for U.S. We transfer to the airport this morning for our return flight to the U.S. B

B = Breakfast included L = Lunch included D = Dinner included

• Round-trip air transportation from listed cities
• 10 nights’ accommodations: 4 nights in Superior First Class hotels; 6 nights aboard First Class MS Jeanine
• 23 meals: 10 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 8 dinners
• Extensive sightseeing as described, including all entrance fees
• Private 6-night barge cruise on the Rhone-Rhine and Burgundy canals
• Unlimited beer, wine, and soft drinks at meals and at bar aboard barge
• Services of an Odysseys Unlimited Tour Director
• Private motorcoach transportation
• Luggage handling for one bag per person
• Gratuities for local guides, dining room servers, airport and hotel porters, and all drivers
• $100 frequent traveler credit towards your next Odysseys Unlimited tour ($200 after 3 tours; $300 after 10 tours)

2023 Tour Dates & Prices
including international airfare and all taxes, surcharges, and fees

Please call if your city is not listed or for land only prices. Prices are per person based on double occupancy in an outside cabin and include airline taxes, surcharges, and fees of $602, which are subject to change until final payment has been made.

Single travelers please add $2,995. Your $475 deposit is fully refundable up to 155 days prior to departure. All 2023 tour prices above (excluding airline taxes, surcharges, and fees) are guaranteed.

*Reverse barge itinerary: Dijon to Besançon

Airline upgrades (subject to availability) on round-trip Trans-Atlantic flight: Business Class – $3,595 per person; Premium Economy – $1,595 per person

2024 Tour Dates & Prices
including international airfare and all taxes, surcharges, and fees

Please call if your city is not listed or for land only prices. Prices are per person based on double occupancy in an outside cabin and include airline taxes, surcharges, and fees of $602, which are subject to change until final payment has been made.

Single travelers please add $2,995. Your $475 deposit is fully refundable up to 155 days prior to departure. All tour prices above (excluding airline taxes, surcharges, and fees) are guaranteed.

*Reverse barge itinerary: Dijon to Besançon

Airline upgrades (subject to availability) on round-trip Trans-Atlantic flight: Business Class – $3,795 per person; Premium Economy – $1,595 per person

A visa is not required for this tour.

Paris – On Your Own

3 days/2 nights for $435 total price
Single Supplement: $395

See more of this wondrous city on your own, at your own pace.

Your Tour Price Includes

• 2 nights’ accommodations at Hotel Edouard VII (Superior First Class)
• 2 meals: 2 breakfasts
• Transfer to Paris airport

Please see the Accommodations tab for hotel information.

Ina Caro
The Road from the Past, Traveling through History in France
Time travel through France by way of its finest castles, chateaux, cathedrals and monasteries. This unusual travelogue is an invaluable companion for traveling in Paris, southern France, the Dordogne and the Loire Valley, combining personal observation with large doses of well-presented history.

Mary Gordon
Joan of Arc
In elegant, insightful prose, novelist Gordon meditates on the courageous and complex young girl and the iconic status she has acquired.

William Rodarmor (Editor)
France, A Traveler’s Literary Companion
This collection contains literary gems from all corners of France by a select group of 20th-century French writers from Colette to Simenon.

Eyewitness Guides
Eyewitness Guide France
This superb guide to all of France features color photography, dozens of excellent local maps and a region-by-region synopsis of the country’s attractions. Handsome, convenient and up-to date, this is the guide to carry.

Michelin
France Map
A colorful, accurate and up-to-date map of France at a scale of 1:1,000,000.

Mike Gerrard
DK Eyewitness Top Ten Paris
A compact, illustrated guide in the popular series, featuring favorite attractions. With handy pullout map.

Marie-Helene Girard, Anny Monet
Lonely Planet French Phrasebook
This handy phrasebook focuses on pronunciation, basic grammar and essential vocabulary for the traveler.

Waverly Root
The Food of France
An evocative and beautifully written survey of French food. First published in 1958 and revised in the mid-1970s, the book covers the important regions of French cuisine by dividing them into domains of Butter (northern France), Fat (Alsace) and Oil (the south).

Joan Dejean
How Paris Became Paris, The Invention of the Modern City
A vibrant chronicle of how Parisian rulers transformed the city into a cosmopolitan metropolis.

Jean-Benoit Nadeau, Julie Barlow
Sixty Million Frenchmen Can’t Be Wrong
Two Canadian journalists tackle the contradictions and complexities of the French character, paying particular attention to the question of why the French resist globalization.

 Adam Gopnik
Paris to the Moon
Gopnik writes with candor and humor about Paris and Parisian ways in these charming reflections on adapting to life in glorious exile.

Ernest Hemingway
A Moveable Feast
A treasure for anyone interested in Parisian cafe society and its luminaries circa 1925. Hemingway includes sharp portraits of Gertrude Stein, Ezra Pound, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ford Maddox Ford and others who idled on their way to greatness.

Shaun Whiteside (Editor)
Paris Stories
Flaubert meditates on humanity, Fitzgerald revels in “la vie belle” and many other great writers explore Paris in these classic stories. Part of the Everyman’s Pocket Classics series.

Bill Hezlep
Betty’s Barge; Adventures Afloat on the Canals of France
An author with over thirty years’ experience living on, restoring, and sailing boats all around the world tells the tale of life aboard an authentic Burgundy canal barge.

Nina George
The Little Paris Bookshop
Bookseller Monsieur Perdu believes that books can cure all of life’s afflictions, but when he is left heartbroken, he sets out from his shop in Paris to make peace with his past, dispensing wisdom (and more books) along the way. A love letter to the written word, this internationally renowned novel has been translated into over 28 languages.

Bill Nanson
The Finest Wines of Burgundy: A Guide to the Best Producers of the C’ote D’Or and Their Wines
Despite its modest size, Burgundy is well known as one of the world’s finest wine-producing regions. In this highly visual volume containing maps, illustrations, and over 150 photographs, readers take a journey into Burgundy’s vineyards and wine cellars.

Ray Walker
The Road to Burgundy: The Unlikely Story of an American Making Wine and a New Life in France
American Ray Walker had a successful career in finance when he took a wine-tasting vacation in France’s Burgundy region. This vacation ignited a passion, and Walker quit his job and moved to France to open a vineyard despite having no winemaking experience and only a limited grasp of French. His story highlights the inherent joy in following one’s true passion, no matter what the perceived challenges.