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.
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
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
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
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
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.
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)
