Route Paris

A real French Boat - Bike  and Rivercruise  adventure
With the luxury Hotel Yacht Miro to Paris

Places we Visit:    Maastricht - Luik - Huy -  Namen - Charleroi
                             Streppy - Mons - Valenciennes - Denain -
                             Noyon -  Compiègne -  Creil - Pontoise -
                             Sainte Honorine de Conflans - Bougival - Parijs
Tourdetails:          15 day tour (ca. 12 days Boat & Bike and ca . 3 Day's Stay in Paris)
Bike paths:            Even bike paths
Departure Dates:  Maastricht - Paris: 24 September - 8 October 2011
                             Paris - Maastricht: 14 October - 28 october 2011

The Hotel yacht Miro sets sail for the world-renowned City of Lights every year from the end of September, ensuring you a gorgeous Autumn trip to Paris and back.

This delightful river cruise and Boat and Bike Holliday is the ideal way to discover the gorgeous landscapes between Maastricht and Paris, whether it's by ship, bike or walking. It's all entirely up to you! There is ample time to relax and wonder at delightful old cities we will dock at along our route. Resign yourself to the care of the crew, enjoy the luxury and fun on board and take pleasure in an unforgettable sailing adventure through three countries.

In PARIS we'll dock in the middle of town so that you will have more than enough time to discover this enchanting city. Your skipper knows Paris like the back of his hand, and the cook on board is a real chef who uses his experience and knowledge of the region to ensure a fabulous gastronomic experience, together with a delicious French wine and some renowned French cheese to accompany.

Life on board is just like that of the old Dutch saying: Comparable to that of God in France.

• The tours are 7 or 15 days and are based on full pension.
• We offer a warm and welcoming ambience where you're free to do as much or as little as you wish 
• We have a maximum of ten hotel guests at one time.
• Your travel agent can help you with arrangements in getting to and from our point of departure: per car, train or airplane. 

We're also happy to plan out shorter routes if you have less time to spend.
The trip Paris - Maastricht will be the same as the first leg, naturally in the opposite order.

Our motto is Vacation with Friends, and as such:
Captain Mart and Miss Elly Heartily welcome you on board!

Day 1, Saturday - Maastricht - Liege
12.00 will see you embarking the boat and enjoying a chilled glass of Champagne, meeting the cast and crew and having your bike adjusted to meet your own personal preferences. There will also be time for a short test 'drive', so that you can get used to the feel of your bike. the Miro sails to Liege. On the way, you'll pass the Maas's highest Locks whereby the boat will ascend 18 metres – an impressive experience. We're delighted to serve you a delicious welcome dinner on board, before you embark upon a lovely city excursion through Liege In the footsteps of legendary writer George Simenon and his equally famous Commissary Maigret, that evening. During the walk a guide will show you all the hidden delights of this wondrous city:The guide will be please to tell you all about the city , including the rich history of this important southern town. And he'll also be more than happy to join you the very famous Cafe Chantant Les Jardin des Ollivette.

Day 2, - Liege - Namur
At 8.00 you'll be enjoying a sumptuous breakfast and we visit the renowned Sunday market La Batte. This is the largest market in all of Belgium, We Cruise to Namur and you enjoy the vistas of all that we pass as we make our way. The Boat tour will bring you to the Locks off ampsin- neuville , Neuville is also the starting point of the bike route to Namur (34 km.), which will take you along gorgeous country panoramas with a number of unforgettable spots. The tour will end in the impressive city of Namur, which is also the capital of the Wallonia State. From where we'll be docked you'll have a beautiful view of the fairytale castle high above the city and the city ramparts, built centuries ago to protect against marauders. Namur has an enchanting city centre and after dinner you can visit the Citadel , and to enjoy a wonderful view over the city, the Rivers Maas and the Sambre.

Day 3, and 4 Namur - Pont de Loup - Charleroi - Strepy
As you enjoy another sumptuous breakfast, the Miro will already be progressing on to the Famous Abby and Brewery ,,Floreffe , and you'll see in the landscape the vestiges of the once-booming mining and steel industry for which the region was famous for centuries. Today's bike tour will take us to Pont de Loup and charleroi 35 Km

To day Biking tour to Strépy Thieu (30 km.) to the new ship elevator in the Canal du Centre. This gigantic ship lift is as big as a football field and bridges a span of 73 meter. The fantastic engine room and adjoining museum are open to visitors so that you can learn more about this marvellous feat of engineering. Dinner will be served on board and afterwards you can enjoy the beautiful nature and the wonderful panoramic views.

Day 5, Strepy - Mons
Today we'll breakfast at 8.00 to fortify you for the bike tour planned. This one is 37 kilometres long and takes you from the Canal Historique du Centre, where you can visit three smaller ship elevators, one of which has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage site. From there, the route will take you to Mons . After dinner you're welcome to take a break, and recover from your active day of biking or walking.

Day 6, Mons- Antoing
A beautifull Boat and bike tour 35 km allong the canals and old Villages

Day 7, Friday Antoing - Valenciennes
A new bike tour awaits you after a delicious breakfast, and you'll cross the French border To the Beautifull City of Valenciennes. we visit the Historical City and the farmers market with lokal Food and wines

Day 8 , Valenciennes - Denain - Arleux
This tour takes you to Denain en Arleux (35km). The ship will follow on it's course along the Boven Schelde and will dock at Souterrain du Ruyaulcourt. Here you'll come back on board to continue through the dark shipping tunnels . These tunnels are 4.354 meters long and cross right through the hilly countryside. You'll sail through the Canal du Nord that ends in the Souterrain du Pannetrie, a total of 1.601 meters of tunnels! From here, we'll sail in a convoy, in typical French fashion: with wine and delicious food. Because what we don't finish today, we can always do tomorrow or the day after, right? At any rate, there's more than enough time to catch up on relaxing and taking walks, and simply enjoying the delights of the unique countryside.

Day 9 Arleux - Noyon
the bike tour scheduled for today takes you all the way to Noyon. It's not a short one - 34 kilometres – but since you'll be tracking the boat anyway you can jump on at every sluice to take a break. The trip takes you through storybook French countryside and past picturesque villages that are primarily rural in nature. Noyon is an old city, dating to the period 600 BC. The town offers many worthy sight-seeing highlights and monuments that have survived the impact that both WWI and WWII had on the region. In the evening you'll once more enjoy a sumptuous dinner and with a crisp wine on the aft deck, you'll realise that life just doesn't get any better.

Day 10, Noyon -Compiegne
Following breakfast you'll proceed to Compiëgne (31 km), while the ship keeps it's lazy river pace alongside you. You can jump on again at any of the delightful riverbanks that you'll pass. Compiëgne is known as a regal village because every French king of old had a summer dwelling here, and once you see it you'll know why. It's also the city where Jeanne 'd Arc was captured. In short, a delightful city of rich history that you'll love discovering for yourself, dotted with many museums to while away your day in. We're happy to let you wander around to your heart's content for the rest of the afternoon.

Day 11 Compiegne - Creil
After breakfast, a Biking Tour to Creil ( ca 35 km )  the Miro will cruise on the Beatifull river Oise to the old city of Creil.
We more at the city park of Creil

Day 12 Creil - Pontoise - Conflans - Saint Honorine
Breakfast Cruise  and Biking  to Pontoise  (ca 37 km ) The tour will take you along tiny villages to 'l Isle -Adam. This is where Parisian's come to play, and the influence of such a big city is obvious. You'll spend the night in Pontoise or, if you choose, we can cruise on to Conflans -Sainte-Honorine. This is the main city of French inland barging , and you'll wonder at all the beautiful boats, big and small, docked here peacefully. The town has a lovely ambience and you won't be surprised to learn that many skippers retire here to enjoy their twilight years.

Day 13 Saint Honorine - Bougival - PARIS
Today you'll make your entree into Paris! Biking and walking are a little difficult today but the Seine offers the perfect foreground for the wondrous city of Paris. You'll love seeing the approaching skyline of Paris while you slowly make your way into the City of Lights. In Paris we'll look to dock at Grenelle and after dinner a  evening Bike tour with captain Mart.
you can take allso a walk to the romantic Eiffel Tower. You'll fall sleep in it's incredible shadow. 
 
Day 14, Paris
If you'd like to know more about this world-renowned city, our guide will be happy to accompany you on your Bike travels. He'll take you to see all the highlights by bike or by public transport, if you so wish.

And a boat ride on the Seine is yours for the asking. What an unforgettable way to end your holiday.

Day 15 , Saturday Paris - Home
You'll enjoy one last breakfast on board before saying goodbye to your newfound friends. We'll be sad to see you go and hope that you'll leave with only the fondest memories!

Return trip by TGV or Airplane

You're free to bike or walk during your vacation but nothing is obligatory, and shorter or longer bike or walking tours are also very much a possibility. We're here to tailor-make your vacation in accordance with your wishes!

Included:

Not included are:

The trips are either 7 or 15 days based on full pension, with a maximum of 10 guests.
Your travel agent can advise you on the best way to get to and from your point of embarkation.

It's also possible to cut the trips down somewhat if you have less time at your disposal. Please feel free to enquire about the possibilities. The return trip Paris - Maastricht covers the same ground as outlined above, except naturally in reverse order.

Departure dates and the 2010 price list:

Jubilee price  . € 1595,- p.p. 15 days .
€ 875,- p.p. 7 days Tour
+ 98 € pp Bike insurance Tourist tax Harbor and Energie  taxes -

Embark in Maastricht 24 Sept. 2011
Disembark in Paris 8 Oct 2011

Embark in Paris 14 Oct 2011
Disembark in Maastricht 28 Oct. 2011

CWO Motorboat Licence / Course French canals practical Motorboat  course. During our trip it is also possible to complete recognised practical training according to the standards set by the Dutch regulatory bodies, the CWO-ANWB-KNWV Motorboat diploma 1+2+3. We're also able to offer the course for smaller sailing vessels, the sailing licence I + II. Mart and Miss Elly are accredited and experienced CWO teachers with 35 years of practical sailing experience. The Miro is an outstanding and well-equipped training ship. Training with us means training with real professionals.