Lone Star
Barging in Champagne

Passengers: 8
Size: 126 feet long
Last Visited: 2008
Rating: Ultra Deluxe, A/C, Families

2009 rates

Whole-Boat Charter- $45,000
Lone Star will book on charter-only basis in 2009

LONE STAR will offer six-night cruises between Lagny-sur-Marne and Sillery in Champagne. This itinerary is available in 2009 every Sunday from April 19 to August 15. Enjoy dinner on shore at Michelin 2* restaurant Les Creyeres - as well as champagne and cheese tasting on this gorgeous route!

Created by dedicated Texan owners, Lone Star was originally conceived as a barge for their family. It combines the best of U.S. style space and amenities with the charm of European-trained crew. The result is a very welcoming vessel which feels and "lives" like a home - and now can be YOUR floating home-away-from-home in France.

The window-lined salon and dining area is a place to really relax and watch the world go by. Decor is in warm shades of blue and cream, acented by comfortable couches and a beautiful wood bar. The owners upgraded the space in 2008 with new furniture, curtains and dining room chairs - among many major improvements to this already classic and spacious vessel. Colorful table settings both in the dining room and on deck reflect the warmth and fun of Lone Star.

Guests in 2009 will have access to a computer in the salon and will enjoy movies on the flat screen television.

The four spacious suites are panelled in ash and cherry wood and offer such amenities as individually-controlled heating and air conditioning, choice of Queen or Twin beds, 110 and 220 volt electricity in the bedroom and bath, and ample storage as well as a writing desk. Most unusually, there are three windows on each exterior wall.

Crew is a great strength. Multi-talented Captain Olivier Megret is a 20-year industry veteran (and hails from a prominant "barging family" which has crewed all over France for generations). He has cruises on most of the French canals and rivers. He is also a liscensed balloon pilot and has had culinary training. He is joined by a top gourmet chef and additional experienced crew.

In April 2008, we boarded Lone Star moored in Vermenton. We were delighted to be with Captain Olivier and his wife Debbie, who is Lone Star's guide. 2008 Chef Tadek served some of the best food we have EVER enjoyed on the canals. In the Menu section, find some of these meals as well as a picture of Tadek at work. We plan to revisit Lone Star in 2009!

Lone Star

Champagne Barge Cruise Itinerary

Champagne Cruise-Lagny-sur-Marne to Sillery on the River Marne, the Canal Lateral a la Marne and the Canal Aisne a la Marne

Six night cruises between August 19 and August 15

Sunday: Paris to Lagny-Sur-Marne. . . Welcome Aboard!
You’ll be met at 3:00pm in the lobby of your Paris hotel and chauffeured to Lone Star at anchor in the village of Lagny-Sur-Marne. After the traditional Champagne Welcome from Captain Oliver Megret and crew, there is time to unpack and take a stroll around town before enjoying the first of many gourmet dinners on board.

Monday: Lagny-Sur-Marne to St. Jean-les-Doux-Jumeaux . . .Grand Chateau and Gardens
Begin the day with our breakfast buffet featuring village-baked pastries just warm from the oven! Then relax on deck while cruising on the River Marne to St. Jean-les-Doux-Jumeaux. Lone Star floats through heavily-wooded countryside. Adorable villages hug the shore and patient fisherman wave as we pass. After lunch (served on deck weather permitting), we’ll present Chateau Vaux-le-Vicomte, an enormous privately-owned property with grand gardens and an intriguing history. Built by Nicholas Fouquet, Finance Minister to Louis XIV, the chateau became a lightening rod for the jealous king. Fouquet landed in jail for the rest of his life and the king built Versailles in retaliation! Return to Lone Star for dinner aboard.

Tuesday: St. Jean-les-Doux-Jumeau to Chateau Thierry. . .Cheesetasting, Local Market
After another delicious breakfast, it’s off to the Fromagerie de la Brie to learn about the making of Brie and other regional cheeses. Purchase cheese right at the factory and also browse the outdoor market in nearby La Ferte-Sous-Jouarre. Then cruise to Chateau Theirry through a gorgeous landscape of villages, vineyards, pastures and forests. Nestled into the champagne-producing slopes, this ancient town is associated with Frankish King Charles Martel whose castle here was built in the 8th century and Joan of Arc who entered through the town gates in 1421. Make a bit of history yourself by strolling the streets after your gourmet dinner on board!

Wednesday: Chateau Thierry to Damery . . . World War I Sites
A somber excursion to nearby World War I sites begins the day. Belleau Wood was the scene of the Second Battle of the Marne in Spring, 1918, which ended the last German offensive of World War I. The cost was 8,000 American troops killed, missing or wounded. Overlooking Chateau Thierry is the massive French-American Friendship Monument and the Aisne-Marne American Cemetary. Back on board, the mood lightens with another fabulous buffet lunch and an afternoon cruise on the River Marne through scenery that could have been painted by the Impressionists. Vineyards, fields and farmhouses cling to distant hills, while villages and gardens line the river. Our mooring is the attractive stone village of Damry. A gastronomic high point is tonight’s dinner ashore at the Michelin 2* Restaurant Les Creyeres in nearby Reims.

Thursday: Damery to Tours-Sur-Marne . . . Champagne, Champagne, Champagne!
We’re off this morning to visit famed champagne producer Moet et Chandon in Epernay. This elite company was founded in 1793 and was characterized from the beginning by international markets and such high-level contacts as Madame Pompadour and Napoleon. Now it dominates Epernay with a complex of historic buildings and a billion bottles of bubbly stored in eighteen miles of tunnels! We’ll tour and then taste! Return to Lone Star for an afternoon cruise leaving the River Marne for the Canal Lateral a la Marne. Just relax – or you can visit Hautviller, a pretty champagne village perched high over the vineyards. Tour the unassuming church of Monk Dom Perignon, credited with inventing the champagne-producing process. Return to Lone Star moored in Tour-sur-Marne for another delicious dinner.

Friday: Tours-sur-Marne to Silery . . . Sightseeing in Reims
Cruise this morning onto the Canal Aisne a la Marne. There is time to walk or bicycle on the towpath as Lone Star climbs up a flight of locks. After lunch, drive to Reims, an important city from Roman times on. Tour the Musee de la Reddition which in World War II housed General Eisenhower’s Supreme Headquarters and the War Room (the original maps and charts still up on the walls) where the first unconditional surrender of the Third Reich took place on May 8, 1945. Then visit the great Reims Cathedral, which is even larger than Notre Dame in Paris and where the French kings were crowned. Head back to Lone Star – The Captain’s Dinner ends your cruise in style!

Saturday: Silery to Paris . . . A Sad Farewell!
You’ll depart at 9:00am for you chauffeured transfer, which will take your entire party to either Charles de Gaulle Airport or central Paris. Estimated arrival time is between 11:00am to noon. We hope to see you on Lone Star again!

Please note: this is a sample itinerary which may be subject to change depending on local conditions. The route will run in reverse on alternate weeks. Contact The Barge Lady for reservations and more information about Barging in Burgundy on the canals and waterways of France Or call us toll free at (800) 880-0071.

Lone Star
Guest Book

"Our stay on the Lone Star was perfect!  It was beyond our expectations.  Of course this was largely due to our wonderful crew who did everything possible to ensure a perfect trip.  I think the high light was dinner at a three star Michelin restaurant with our Captain, Olivier...what a magical night."
-Durrell and Gwen Hillis, 2008

Lone Star Floor Plan

126 Feet long
Cabin 1 = 226 sq feet
Cabin 2 = 226 sq feet
Cabin 3 = 220 sq feet
Cabin 4 = 236 sq feet
-Three windows on each exterior side
-Choice of Twin or Queen Beds
-Beautiful cherry wood wardrobe with lots of storage
-110 and 220 volt electrical outlets in both cabin and bathroom
-Large and window-lined salon and dining area
-Flat screen television
-Teak deck with awning if needed
-Large wheelhouse with guest seating