Sete To Arles, All-Inclusive 7 Days From $7,936 Per Cabin

Welcome Aboard!

When I polled those who have barged with me about our favorite canal trip ever, Provence on Anne-Marie always tops the list.

Indeed, the trip was so good that I’ve hosted it twice, in 2015 and 2018. You can read more about my first trip below.

It’s time to cruise the Camargue once again. Beginning on October 9, 2025, CroisiEurope’s Anne-Marie, a 22-person luxury hotel barge, will take us from Sete to Arles.

This all-inclusive voyage spans seven days, ending on October 15 in Arles. Note that this trip ends a day before my Dream Cruise begins in Arles. You could combine the two.

Our group will have the whole barge. We have 11 cabins.  Prices for this seven-day, all-inclusive cruise trip are just US$7,936 per cabin, and with all that this trip offers, that’s quite a value.

What’s Included

  • Unlimited complimentary onboard beverages, including beer, fine wine, spirits, mineral bottled water, soft drinks specialty coffees and tea.
  • All meals onboard. Superb French Cuisine, with to-die-for French cheeses served during each dinner on board
  • Bicycles available on board
  • Free WiFi
  • All port fees

Our Barge Itinerary, In Detail

October 9, DAY 1: SETE

Passengers are welcome to board our ship at 6:00 p.m. After comfortably settling into your cabins, we’ll introduce our crew at a welcome cocktail before dinner.

October 10, DAY 2: SETE

We’ll leave on an excursion of the Etang De Thau, famous for its shellfish. We’ll visit the Etang de Thau Museum, where you’ll discover the shellfish farmers and fishermen, and you’ll be able to taste some of the shellfish while taking in the beauty of the basin from a terrace. The afternoon will be dedicated to a tour of Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert, one of the most beautiful villages in France. After our visits, we’ll return to our ship. Our program will differ somewhat, but see Barging In The South Of France: CroisiEurope’s Anne-Marie, Day 8, Exploring Sete

October 12, DAY 4: PALAVAS-LES-FLOTS – AIGUES-MORTES

We’ll spend the morning cruising on the Rhône à Sète Canal to Aigues-Mortes, arriving at the end of the morning. This afternoon, join us for a tour of Aigues-Mortes. This old, fortified city with a rich heritage is located in the middle of the marshes and is one of the most beautiful sites in Provence. We’ll board a tourist train and tour the salt marches and visit the salt museum. After our visits, we’ll return to our ship. See Barging In The South Of France: CroisiEurope’s Anne-Marie, Day 6, Aigues Mortes & Palavas-les-Flots

flamingos
Flamingoes in the Camargue.

October 11, DAY 3: SETE – PALAVAS-LES-FLOTS

We’ll spend the morning cruising towards Palavas-Les-Flots. We’ll cross the Etang De Thau, before joining the Rhône à Sète Canal. We’ll arrive by late morning. This afternoon, we’ll set out on a tour to discover a manade and the life of its herders. We’ll travel by wagon and take part in a bull sorting. Before returning to the boat, we’ll have a delicious snack with products coming from the farm. Tonight, take advantage of some free time and discover the spa resort of Palavas-Les-Flots, whose rich identity reaches back for more than three centuries. Again, our program will differ but see Barging In The South Of France: CroisiEurope’s Anne-Marie, Day 7, Palavas-les-Flotes & Sete

Farm tour by tractor.
Docked in Aigues-Morte.

October 13, DAY 5: AIGUES-MORTES – GALLICIAN

We’ll spend the morning cruising towards Gallician. We’ll set out on an excursion this afternoon to the Camargue. Then you can enjoy some free time in the splendid city of Saint-Marie-la-Mer, where we recommend a visit to its fortified church. After our visit, we’ll return to the ship by coach. See Barging In The South Of France: CroisiEurope’s Anne-Marie, Day 5, Gallician & Aigues-Mortes

This part of France has cowboys. © 2015 Ralph Grizzle

October 14, DAY 6: GALLICIAN – ARLES

We’ll spend the morning cruising towards Arles and travel on both the Rhône à Sète and Rhône canals. This afternoon, enjoy a tour of Arles. We’ll discover this cultural center and its Roman ruins, and then travel inland to find out about olive oil production in Provence. We’ll finish up our tour by tasting some local products. After our visits, we’ll return to our ship. Tonight is our gala evening and dinner. See Barging In The South Of France: CroisiEurope’s Anne-Marie, Day 4, Arles & Gallician

Anne-Marie docked alongside the canal, with our bikes parked for the rest of the day. © 2015 Ralph Grizzle

October 15, DAY 7: ARLES

Enjoy one last buffet breakfast on board before disembarking at 9:00 a.m. End of our services and beginning of post-tour activities.

In Arles, we dined al fresco near Les Arènes d’Arles, the Roman arena, built between the first and second century B.C. and featured in the 1998 Robert De Niro film Ronin. © 2015 Ralph Grizzle
Staterooms remaining
11

Ready To Reserve Your Space?

Note that all payments are non-refundable. Please purchase travel insurance from a reputable provider in case your travel plans change due to illness or other matters.

Getting There

How do you get to Sete? That’s a question I’ve been asked multiple times since announcing that I’ll be repeating my favorite barge trip next year.

Known as the Venice of Languedoc, Sete is a beautiful seaside resort that will serve as the start of our seven-day journey to Arles. One reader suggested getting to Sete by flying into Marseille. Indeed, from Marseille, there are direct trains that will get you to Sete in less than three hours.

There are better options, however. One is to fly into Paris and travel by direct train in less than four hours from Paris Gare De Lyon. Getting to Paris from North America typically requires fewer plane changes, if any, than flying into Marseille, so there’s no navigating and waiting around in airports like Charles de Gaulle for the continued journey to Marseille, where you arrive, sleepy-eyed, to board a train to Sete.

I would prefer to overnight in Paris, enjoy an afternoon stroll and dinner, then take an afternoon train to Sete the next day. You could then overnight in Sete before boarding our barge or you could arrive the day of embarkation, which starts at 6 p.m. Sete’s train station is a 5-minute taxi ride from the Quai d’Alger, where Anne-Marie is docked in the photo above.

An equally appealing option is to fly into Barcelona and take the direct train from Barcelona Sants to Sete in less than three hours. As with Paris, you could also overnight in Barcelona before departing for Sete.

Trains are often faster (and cheaper) than flights for travel within Europe. The key is to travel direct if you have more luggage than you can easily handle. Changing trains on often tight timelines can be challenging with large suitcases in tow.

Then after arriving in Arles either join my Dream Cruise or travel by train from Arles to Paris on one of many direct departures  (4 hours). If joining my Dream Cruise, return home from Paris, via train from Lyon (or flight)

Photos & Posts From My 2015 Trip

In 2015, I hosted a similar Arles-to-Sete trip on the Anne-Marie. These photos will give you a taste of what to expect, along with posts below that detail each day of our trip.
© 2015 Ralph Grizzle
From Hungary, Cruise Director Zoltan welcoming us aboard and explaining some of what we would see in the coming days. © 2015 Ralph Grizzle
CroisiEurope’s barges are custom-built for hotel barging, as opposed to being modified from cargo barges. Anne-Marie features bicycles, included excursions,  jacuzzis, and complimentary WiFi that actually worked well — and the all-important open bar.
© 2015 Ralph Grizzle
Relaxing in the living room with a glass of complimentary rose wine. © 2015 Ralph Grizzle
© 2015 Ralph Grizzle
Our living room, with access to the outdoor decks. © 2015 Ralph Grizzle

Our Stateroom on Anne-Marie

© 2015 Ralph Grizzle
Two beds that could be placed together. © 2015 Ralph Grizzle
Staterooms are down one deck from the living room and bar, cozy, measuring 110-square-feet, and exceptionally well-configured, with plenty of space for storage. Knowing that the staterooms were small before boarding Anne-Marie, I found that the cabin exceeded my expectations. The staterooms featured smartly designed storage in the headboards of the twin-bed configured staterooms, as well as a small closet for hanging clothes and storage of suitcases underneath the beds. I was pleased to see the bathroom had plenty of storage, in a smartly configured drawer beneath the sink, and that the shower was large enough to accommodate all of my 6’5″ body, even with the glass doors closed and elbows extended when washing my hair.
© 2015 Ralph Grizzle
Smart storage at the head of the bed. © 2015 Ralph Grizzle
© 2015 Ralph Grizzle
The shower was large enough for me at 6’5″.  © 2015 Ralph Grizzle

Dinner On Anne-Marie

© 2015 Ralph Grizzle
The dining room. © 2015 Ralph Grizzle
Dinner is served course-by-course, beginning with an amuse-bouche, followed by a starter, then the main course, then cheese, then dessert — all complemented by complimentary wines from the region, which just so happens to be the largest wine-producing region in France. We enjoyed Côte du Rhône, Provençal Rosé as well as Chablis and Chardonnay, along with other wines on our voyage.
© 2015 Ralph Grizzle
Ready for dinner. © 2015 Ralph Grizzle
For those with food allergies or food preferences, the galley can be flexible, serving alternative dishes. Bottled water was at our table, both sparkling and still. Specialty coffees and soft drinks, as well as spirits and beer, were all available at no extra charge.
© 2015 Ralph Grizzle
The dining room on Anne-Marie. © 2015 Ralph Grizzle
© 2015 Ralph Grizzle
Rabbit, tasted like chicken, on Anne-Marie. © 2015 Ralph Grizzle

The Cheese Plates

© 2015 Ralph Grizzle
We had two cheeses for lunch and two for dinner. © 2015 Ralph Grizzle
© 2015 Ralph Grizzle
More cheese. © 2015 Ralph Grizzle
© 2015 Ralph Grizzle
Cheese and wine. © 2015 Ralph Grizzle
July 2015, 2015, France’s Camargue, Arles to Sete on the Canal du Rhone