Wild France with the Camargue Barge Cruise

Titan Travel VIP door-to-door travel service collects you from home for your flight to Montpellier. On arrival, our coach will transfer us to Séte port in Briare to embark MS Anne-Marie (4T). Take time to settle in before a welcome cocktail party and dinner. We remain in port overnight.

This morning we explore Étang de Thau, the vast and attractive lagoon that has been a great source of salt since the Greek era, and is now also famous for its oysters and mussels. We visit the Étang de Thau Museum, which offers an insight into the work of the local shellfish farmers and fishermen, and taste some shellfish. The afternoon is dedicated to Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert, one of the most beautiful villages in France. An abbey was built in this remote location in the 9th century, and the charming stone village quickly developed around it. We return to Sète, where we dock overnight.

We follow the Rhône à Sète Canal to Palavas-les-Flots, from where, this afternoon, we set out on a tour to find a manade, a semi-wild group of horses or cattle, and learn about the life of their herders. We travel by wagon and take part in a bull sorting, and snack on delicious farm produce. Tonight, take advantage of some free time and discover the spa resort of Palavas-les-Flots, spread along the coastline with 7km of beach, with a rich identity that reaches back for more than three centuries. We remain in port overnight.

Spend the morning cruising on the Rhône à Sète Canal towards Aigues-Mortes, a 13th century, fortified city with a rich heritage, located in the middle of the marshes. We board a tourist train to take a tour of one of the most incredible sites in Provence – the red salt marshes – and visit the salt museum. We remain in port overnight for the chance for you to discover the quirky bars, cafés and eateries within the little side streets of Aigues-Mortes

Cruise towards Gallician, from where we set out on an afternoon excursion to the Camargue. This largely UNESCO-protected natural park is a biosphere of dramatic mountains and wetlands that support hundreds of thousands of migratory birds as well as native flamingos, egrets and herons – a popular destination for bird watchers. Then you can enjoy some free time in splendid Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer – considered a holy place by several cultures, it was named after the Three Marys who are said to have stood by the cross of Christ and then fled here and built an oratory. The town’s unusual, fortified church is an important gypsy pilgrimage site. After our visit, we return to the ship by coach and remain in port overnight.

Spend the morning cruising towards Arles, along both the Rhône à Sète and Rhône canals. This afternoon we discover the cultural centre and important Roman ruins of Arles, immortalised on canvas many times by Vincent Van Gogh, before travelling inland to find out about olive oil production in Provence. We finish up our tour by tasting some local products, and return to our ship for our gala evening. We remain in port overnight.

We disembark in Arles this morning. If time allows, there may be the opportunity to visit the city of Montpellier, before transferring to Montpellier Airport for your return flight to the UK. Upon arrival your Titan vehicle will be waiting for the journey home.