Browse By Location
Featured Cruises
Check-in Time / Location 3:00 PM in Paris
Travel from Chateau Thierry to Reims
In the afternoon, you will be met by a crew member of the C'est la Vie at the designated meeting point. From here, relax as you are chauffeured to the barge, moored in Chateau Thierry. A traditional champagne welcome and introduction to the crew awaits you, before your first of many gourmet dinners onboard.
This morning's lazy cruise drifts through a gorgeous landscape of villages, vineyards, pastures, and forests. Enjoy a cup of coffee on deck and watch the scenery slip by. This afternoon's excursion is to the nearby Belleau Wood, the scene of the second battle of the Marne in spring 1918, which ended the last German offensive of WWI. Overlooking Chateau Thierry is the massive French-American Friendship Monument and the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery. Return to the C'est la Vie where Chef is crafting this evening's gourmet dinner.
A morning cruise begins the day's many epicurean adventures. Bottoms up this afternoon! Your Tour Guide escorts you to the family-owned champagne producer House of Boizel in Epernay. Enjoy a tour and tasting at this boutique champagne house. Next, visit Hautvillers, a charming village perched high over the expansive vineyards. Explore the unassuming church of monk Dom Perignon, who is credited for having "discovered" champagne. Cheers to Dom Perignon! Back onboard, cocktails and canapes are served before Chef presents tonight's delicious dinner.
Would you like a little sweet with your Champagne? Visit an artisan chocolate boutique this morning to both make and taste the cocoa confectioneries for which France is celebrated. This afternoon, the C'est la Vie floats off the Marne River to continue her journey on the Canal Lateral a la Marne, offering the perfect time to relax on deck with a glass of wine, or explore the towpath's flora and fauna with a gentle pedal or leisurely stroll. Tonight's gourmet dinner is enjoyed ashore at the 2-star Michelin restaurant Les Crayeres. Bon Appetit!
It’s another great morning for cruising, walking and bicycling! After lunch, your Tour Guide drives through vineyards as far as the eye can see to the small village of Ludes. There experience your second champagne visit of the cruise at the family-run vineyard of Ployez Jacquemart. Tour the cellars, the production areas, and complete your visit with a tasting of their champagnes. Return to C’est la Vie to share memories of the day over drinks and another luscious dinner.
There is time to walk or bicycle as C’est la Vie winds it way along the canal. This afternoon unfolds in nearby Reims, one of the cruise highlights. The Reims Cathedral is renowned for its stained- glass windows and as the site of royal coronations for French kings. The nearby Archbishop’s Palace, now a museum, housed the kings and hosted a coronation banquet after the ceremony. There is time to explore this delightful town – perhaps enjoying a café in one of the squares or browsing the shops. Back onboard, elegant aperitifs and appetizers precede the Captain’s Dinner – which ends your cruise in style.
After breakfast, you will be chauffeured back to the designated drop off point.
Please note: this is a sample itinerary which may be subject to change depending on local conditions.
“We had an exceptionally good time on the C’est la Vie! We were delighted with the quality of the service provided on the barge. What an amazing crew! The cuisine was very, very good and we were pleased to see how accommodating Chef was with our specific dietary needs and requests. The daily excursions were well planned and overall just excellent, especially the visits to the wineries. Cabins were excellent — vast and spacious. We will definitely recommend the C’est la Vie to anyone and everyone interested in a canal cruise!”
Marie Anne C, C’est la Vie
