It’s a Family Affair in France this Summer

Is France Family Friendly?

France is a very family-friendly country. Great importance is placed on families, family gatherings and time together. This spills over into their culture and lifestyle, with many places for families to visit and enjoy together, picnic spots, playgrounds and more.

As you discover France with your family, you will find smiles, helpfulness and accommodating attitudes, especially from your barge crew! Wherever possible we try to provide whatever your family needs, from baby and child car seats, travel cots, high chairs, training wheels and helmets for bicycles and safety gates, to separate child-friendly meals and mealtimes for younger guests to ensure you time aboard is stress-free!

How do Family Cruises Work?

Family Cruises are completely private whole-barge charter cruises, which means that your party can enjoy the entire barge and all its facilities at your leisure. Our Family Cruises follow much of your chosen barge’s Classic Cruise itinerary but can be customized to fit your family’s preferences. In place of traditional excursions, we can substitute four of the Classic Cruise itinerary’s activities for a wide range of excursions and activities, such as zoo visits, canoeing excursions, waterparks, and other local attractions. Substituting more than four activities is possible but comes at additional cost.

Meanwhile, grown-ups won’t be left out, with private wine tastings, tours of family-owned châteaux, and explorations of eclectic local markets offering something for everyone.

Back on board, families can enjoy a range of activities, from helping the Captain steer the barge along scenic canals, to relaxing in the spa pool or exploring the towpath on foot or on the barge’s bicycles. And, at the end of a fun day exploring the French countryside, why not enjoy the traditional French game of pétanque, whilst the chef prepares a barbecue feast for the evening’s dinner!

Multi-generational Cruises

We understand that busy lives provide little time for families to spend valuable free time together. And organising a trip that includes multiple generations can be rather difficult. Our tailored Family Cruises offer an experience that will create lasting talked about memories.

A Family Cruise truly offers a chance for generations to be together. Plenty of activities for the energetic, whilst also quiet spots about the barge give chances to simply rest and relax. Family Cruises in France can be tailored to a variety of ages, whether toddling, a teenager, or leaning toward twilight years. In addition to tours of historic cities, fairytale castles, and palaces, you could enjoy activities like horseback riding, canoeing, and aquaparks that are geared towards teenagers or younger kids.

A Taste of our Family Cruises in France

While the eight-passenger L’Art de Vivre’s Family Cruises pass through the scenic Burgundy countryside, the vessel’s itinerary includes a visit to Cardo Land prehistoric World of Dinosaurs, kayaking, and a tour of the Caves of Arcy-sur-Cure, a major site for Palaeolithic cave paintings.

The Nymphea, a six passenger barge that travels in the Valley of the Kings of France, provides the opportunity to visit troglodyte caves, go canoeing and enjoy the Zoo Parc de Beauval, named one of the world’s Top 5 Zoos and includes a behind the scenes zookeeper tour.

The 8-passenger Anjodi, based on the Canal du Midi, could include a family visit to Aqualand Park Cap D’Agde, a popular family water park. The itinerary also includes a tour of the Oppidum d’Enserune Roman settlement and the prehistoric Grotte de Limousis prehistoric caves.

The 12-passenger Panache, which cruises the Alsace-Lorraine region of France, can include a visit to the Centre Aquatique Sarrebourg water park as well as the Luge Alpine du Plan Inclineat Lutzelbourg – a 1,640-foot high-speed rail ride down a mountainside. There is also a visit to the Saint Croix Zoological Park and the Chocolate Museum in Strasbourg.

Browse our full range of Family Cruises here >

Book your Family Cruise in France with the Experts

Time together is precious, especially in this technological world. Time spent on a private hotel barge means an entire week of quality time together as you enjoy relaxation and recreation, and simply enjoying conversation as the boat meanders along rural France’s pretty canals.

If you’d like to learn more about our Family Cruises click here. If you’d like to find out about our current availability, please contact a member of our Cruise Team for a no-obligation chat. If you are unsure of where to start, why not order a brochure to be delivered straight to your door!