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While Bordeaux is more famous for its red wines than white, there's plenty of the latter to be found -- and since it's harder to find in the U.S., you might find this is a major discovery of your trip. For wine lovers, La Cite du Vin -- called "the Guggenheim of wine museums" and housed in a Frank Gehry-designed building along the waterfront -- is a must. Opened in 2016, the museum is an interactive wonderland for wine education, and you can easily spend an entire afternoon learning about grapes and vineyards around the world.
The Rivers of the Bordeaux
I was hosted by AmaWaterways for this experience so that I could share my honest thoughts and review with my readers, all opinions are my own. Some Bordeaux to Bordeaux cruises also visit the beautifully sheltered Arcachon Bay, renowned for its oyster farming, where a trip to the surrounding fishing villages to eat just-caught oysters is one that will not be forgotten. Blaye is the nearest port to Cognac, although the vineyards here on the right bank of the Gironde also produce fabulous wine too. Wandering around its 17th century citadel, however, you will quickly find this is a fabulous destination in its own right. Your river cruising enquiry will be sent to Laurie Reitman who has over 20 years of experience, traveled all over the world, and cruised on more than 15 of the top river and ocean lines. This picturesque medieval village is enshrined as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and nestled amongst sprawling vineyards.
Best Time for Bordeaux River Cruises
The next morning, it was time to leave the AmaDolce but we weren’t quite ready to leave France! Glenn and I took the train down the coast to the seaside resort town of Biarritz for a few days. We had a wonderful time aboard the AmaDolce and I would love to try another river cruise one day. Perhaps the Christmas Markets cruise, the Grand Danube, or maybe even a Nile River cruise. After returning to town, we had a guided walking tour of the town of Cadillac and Chateau de Cadillac, which was built in 1599 by the Duke of Epernon, a favorite of Henry III, and contains special rooms for the King and Queen.
Having A Marvellous Time !
On board, our chef and his team showcase New Aquitaine in authentic cuisine based on fresh produce. With a capacity of up to 250 guests, Sicambre is also an exceptional venue in Bordeaux for the organization of private or professional events. At every turn, magnificent chateaus rise up and fall over the landscape, punctuated by vineyards that stretch for nearly as far as the eye can see. This is wine country, to be sure, but historic cities like Blaye and Cadillac make for fascinating destinations in their own right.
Scenic unveils 2025 Europe River Cruising and Land Journeys brochure - Travelweek
Scenic unveils 2025 Europe River Cruising and Land Journeys brochure.
Posted: Thu, 28 Mar 2024 14:56:34 GMT [source]
Recent Reviews What our clients are saying about their cruises through the Bordeaux region
That afternoon, we sailed to the town of Blaye, so Glenn and I took the time to enjoy the ship facilities. First we chilled out in the hot tub and then Glenn hit the gym while I detoxed in the sauna. After a nice rest, we had dinner on board and checked out the evening entertainment of local musicians. On the AmaDolce, there was an elevator that could be used between decks, but the cabins and decks were not really designed for those in wheelchairs.
To learn more about each port of call and our included as well as optional excursions, click on the individual days below. Discover Bordeaux’s many charms today, either on foot with a local expert or on two wheels—the locals’ preferred way to navigate the city’s charming backstreets. You have a wonderful selection of active opportunities to see this magnificent UNESCO World Heritage Site. This little road between Blaye and Bourg-sur-Gironde winds through picturesque hamlets with equally picturesque names—Pain de Sucre, Marmisson and Roque de Thau among them—limestone cliffs on one side, the Gironde on the other. Fishing huts on stilts stand above the waters of the estuary; charming 19th-century stone houses built by sea captains sit tidily along the road. Many of these captains traveled to far-off places and returned with exotic plants, which they planted in their gardens and along the road (hence the route’s name).
The back of the ship is a designated smoking area and just in front of that is a section set aside for corn hole and a small putting green. A walking track also circles the deck and there are designated exercise walking times. The onboard fitness instructor offers various exercise classes and dance classes on the sundeck throughout the cruise. Our stateroom offered all the standard features including a queen bed, sliding doors to a French balcony (really just a railing to look out and get fresh air), and a small bathroom.
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The information published here results from more than ten years personal experience cruising the waterways from north to south and east to west.
Bonjour Bordeaux: Chateaux, Wineries & Charming Villages
In the evening, a special Captain’s Farewell Reception and Dinner will be prepared for you. In the evening, a special Captain’s Welcome Reception and Dinner will be prepared for you. It is not connected with VNF Voies Navigables de France, the national waterways management authority.
At the same time, it was nice to make some new friends to share meals, drinks, or activities with throughout the week. A Bordeaux river cruise offers a classic European escape, where you can soak up the wonders of France at a relaxed pace, while exploring multiple destinations. If you've never experienced a Bordeaux river cruise but have always wanted to, you've come to the right place as we've got an ultimate guide to seeing the city and its surroundings from the water. Capital of the Aquitaine region, Bordeaux is celebrated for its thoughtfully preserved 18th-century architecture. Together, its glorious buildings, many of them built on the wine trade, comprise the world’s largest urban UNESCO World Heritage Site.
And if you're already sold, you'll want to check out Good Housekeeping's exclusive Bordeaux cruise with MasterChef star Monica Galetti. A moment crossed between taste and visual discovery, for the greatest pleasure of the epically curious. Once you’ve been to Bordeaux, it is difficult to reflect on the region without feeling some titillation of the palate along with thoughts of uncorked bottles and the scent of crushed grapes fermented to perfection and basking in world acclaim.
Recommended gratuities are $50 per person for the cruise manager and $ per person for the rest of the crew (combined.) It is also recommended that you tip tour guides 2€ and coach drivers 1€ for each excursion. That evening we enjoyed a fabulous dinner at the Chef’s Table restaurant, paired with lots of terrific wines. We moved the party over to the lounge to enjoy that evening’s fun entertainment, which was a one-man show of classic rock tunes. The AmaWaterways mobile app is a useful tool throughout the cruise because it is also where you can find the cruise itinerary and the Daily Cruiser. This is similar to the paper newsletter that would be left in your cabin each day, but saves on paper. It lists all the activities and events, as well as meal times and excursion times.
There was a mirrored medicine cabinet with two shelves and then two more shelves in the cabinet underneath the sink. Housekeeping refreshed the room twice a day and typically I hate to ask for my towel to be replaced every day but I often needed it because it stayed damp otherwise. The room also offered a flat screen television, which showed you the activities of the day, cameras from the ship, and had complimentary on-demand movies and entertainment. I really enjoyed just hanging out in our room one night and watching a movie.
Also unmissable is the UNESCO-listed medieval village of Saint-Emilion, close to the looping Dordogne River, with breathtaking architecture and sublime wine-tastings – a walking tour of its cobbled lanes is a great way to combine the two. Don’t miss the underground tunnels from which the sandstone for building the ancient town was mined – some are now used as cellars for maturing wine. Embark on a lunch or dinner cruise on the Garonne aboard our Sicambre restaurant boat. Les Bateaux Bordelais offer you a table on the river to share a special moment.
While cruise lines offer a handful of stops at wineries, this is not a great destination for do-it-yourself travelers unless you've planned ahead. CrosiEurope offers four- to six-night cruises, as well as standard seven-night trips. Scenic Tours offers a nine-night option that visits the same ports but allows for more time in each.
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