Roots Rails & Rambles

In the spring of 2025, we discovered the joys of canal barging in Europe --  the ultimate in “Slow Travel”, cruising along bucolic canals at about 4 mph -- past vineyards, castles, villages, farmland, making stops each day for exploring the local surroundings, tasting the bounty of the region, and delving into the rich history and culture of some of the  less-traveled corners of France. We loved it so much, we're hankering to do it again, this time a little farther south.

Join us on a cruise through the Camargue, one of Europe's largest river deltas -- home to over 400 species of birds, free-running herds of semi-feral cattle and horses, salt marshes and some of the most beautiful villages in the Languedoc region:  We'll visit Aigues-Mortes, a medieval fortified town with a prestigious heritage in the heart of one of the most beautiful natural sites of Provence, participate in a bull-sorting with local herders of the semi-feral cattle and horses of the region, observe the production of local olive oil and sea salt, and explore 2,500 years of history in the roman ruins of Arles.


We’ll be traveling aboard a swanky 22 passenger canal barge featuring:
- Comfortable cabins, all with windows, en-suite bathroom and shower facilities
- Delicious meals (including wine) on board are included, prepared by our own chef and featuring local specialties
- A well-stocked bar onboard featuring wines and beers of the region and specialty cocktails
- Bicycles – for those who wish to ride along the tow paths or nip into surrounding villages and catch up with the boat down the line
- Hot tub 
- Daily guided excursions to explore the natural, cultural, and historic highlights of the region.

The pace of this trip is relaxed and unhurried and offers a chance to more deeply appreciate our beautiful surroundings. We’re starting and ending this trip in Paris, and will be arranging rail transfer for everyone to get to and from the embarkation and debarkation points.

ACTIVITY LEVEL
This trip is best described as having a MODERATE level of physical activity. Participants should be able to:
- handle your own luggage. If you brung it, you're totin' it.
- walk a few city blocks while keeping pace with the group
- safely climb a few flights of stairs with or without handrails

For those looking for a more energetic level of activity this trip offers the opportunity to hike/bike/jog the footpaths along the canal, so you can get in a daily workout if you choose.

THE ITINERARY

August 12: Arrival in Paris, overnight in Paris. Hotel provided

August 13: High Speed train through central France to Sete, board our ship. After comfortably settling into your cabins, we'll be  introduced to our crew at a welcome cocktail before dinner. Evening music

August 14 : SETE/ETANG DE THAU/SAINT GUILHEM LE DESERT. We'l start the day with an exploration of the Etang De Thau, famous for its shellfish. We'll visit the Etang de Thau Museum, to learn about the lives of local shellfish farmers and fishermen, and taste some of the famed local shellfish,  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. Dinner and music onboard

August 15 : SETE - VILLENEUVE-LES-MAGUELONE. We'll spend the morning cruising towards Villeneuve-lès-Maguelone. 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 (semi-feral herd of cattle and horses) 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 from the farm. Tonight, take advantage of some free time and discover the spa resort of Palavas-Les-Flots, whose rich identity reaches back more than three centuries. Diner and music on board.

August 16 : VILLENEUVE-LES-MAGUELONE - AIGUES-MORTES. We'll spend the morning cruising on the Rhône à Sète Canal to Aigues-Mortes. 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 marshes and visit the salt museum. After our visits, we'll return to our ship. Dinner and music on board.

August 17: AIGUES-MORTES - GALLICIAN. We'll spend the morning cruising towards Gallician. Following lunch, we'll  set out on an excursion into the Camargue, and a visit to the city of Saint-Marie-la-Mer, and its fortified church. Returning to the ship, we'll have Dinner and music on board.

August 18: GALLICIAN - ARLES We'll spend the morning cruising towards Arles, traveling on both the Rhône à Sète and Rhône canals. This afternoon we'll enjoy a tour of the cultural center of Arles and its Roman ruins, then travel inland to learn 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. Dinner and music on board.

August 19: ARLES Enjoy one last buffet breakfast on board before disembarking at 9:00 a.m. Train back to Paris, overnight in Paris

Accommodations on board: Cabins on board are all doubles – 2 single beds, so no climbing into upper bunks. Each cabin has its own toilet and shower facilities.  Solo travelers will be paired with a similarly-gendered roommate (you’re welcome to recruit a travel buddy to be your roommate).

Accommodations in Paris: All hotel rooms will be either double occupancy for couples, single occupancy for solo traveler, or double occupancy/2 beds for those traveling with a friend.

What’s included:
- 2 hotel overnights in Paris
- Rail fare Paris to Arles and Arles to Paris
- Accommodation on boat. Solo travelers will be paired with a similarly-gendered roommate
- All meals on board the boat
- Access to all boat facilities – hot tub, bicycles, sun chairs etc.
- All shore excursions organized by crew
What’s not included:
- Airfare to and from Paris
- Meals off the boat
- Airport transfers
- Gratuities for hotel and boat crew (we’ll provide suggested guidelines)

Pricing:
$5389: Per person, double occupancy on boat, solo occupancy in Paris hotels
$7889: Per person, solo occupancy on boat and in hotels SOLD OUT

TO PURCHASE:

Pay in full for maximum savings! 2% discount! It makes our life much easier if trips are paid in full, and we pass the savings in time and bookkeeping on to you. Per person Pay In Full: $5281.22

OR

If you'd rather pay a deposit to hold your space(s): $500.00 per person deposit

THEN, Within 30 days of deposit, settle your remaining balance or set up a convenient interest-free monthly credit card draw by contacting Sarah at sarah@rootsontherails.com or 802-258-1397.

Credit cards (Visa, MC, Amex, Discover) and checks accepted. Payment plans at no additional charge are happily accommodated. Payment plan must be agreed upon and set up within 30 days of sign-up. Deposits, whether paid separately or as part of a full payment up front, are non-refundable. Liability release signature required.

TRAVEL INSURANCE
Since the advent of Covid-19, and its impact upon travel, we feel purchasing travel insurance has gone from wise precaution to fiscal necessity. Going forward, we are strongly suggesting that all patrons carry trip insurance that provides, at a minimum, coverage for the following:
- Cancellation for Covid-19 illness
- Trip Cancellation
- Trip Interruption
- Cancel for Medical Reasons
- Medical Coverage for Covid-19 (often included under Emergency Medical Care)
- Emergency medical care
- Medical Evacuation

You may purchase travel insurance through any company you choose, and we advise checking the coverage on the credit card you used to secure your booking with us -- often there are travel protections built in to your user agreement.
If you're unclear on where to begin your travel insurance search and because travel insurance is such a highly personalized product, we can suggest comparing plans through our affiliate, Squaremouth. When you click on the link and are directed to the Squaremouth landing page use the "Compare and Buy Travel Insurance" calculator. You’ll have to enter your own demographic information – age, state of residence etc. -- after which you'll be presented with a number of options to consider. If you purchase the policy through that link to Squaremouth it does not cost you anything more than purchasing the product directly from the vendor, but we do receive a small commission.

EXPECTATIONS
Roots, Rails, and Rambles LLC is committed to fostering an inclusive and welcoming  travel community free from violence, harassment and discrimination. All participants are expected to treat each other with respect and dignity, and to create a safe and respectful environment for everyone.

We will not tolerate verbal or physical conduct toward others that is non-consensual, intimidating, hostile, or offensive including offenses based on an individual's race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, or other protected characteristic. Such behavior may result in immediate removal from the trip.

If you experience or witness harassment or discrimination, please report it immediately to your Trip Leader. Your report will be kept confidential to the extent possible.

THE FINE PRINT
Our customers are extremely important to us, and when travel disruptions occur, we are committed to working with you to minimize the financial impact. In the event that you need to cancel a trip for whatever reason, we will work with you to try and find a buyer for the space you are needing to give up. Often this works out well for all: the person needing to cancel recovers most, if not all, of their investment, and a person who might have been on a waiting list gets to go on the trip - however, there are no guarantees.

We understand that the new realities of travel are such that we need to be more flexible than ever before. We are also an extremely small business with many fixed costs that can't always be recovered if a trip needs to be postponed or cancelled due to health and safety concerns. We will be completely transparent if a scheduled trip looks like it needs to be adjusted in any way that might impact your enjoyment of the experience.

Please read through our cancellation policy carefully and feel free to reach out to us with any questions or concerns.

Cancellation policy: Deposits, whether paid separately or as part of a full payment up front, are non-refundable. Outside of deposit and credit card fees, full refund will be given up until 90 days prior to start of trip. 50% refund 60-89 days. No refund less than 60 days prior to start of trip.

Reservations are fully transferable to another person.The payment of a deposit or any part or full payment for a reservation shall constitute consent to all the provisions contained herein.Roots, Rails, and Rambles shall not be held responsible for property loss or damage and/or any damages resulting from illness, personal injuries or death which may be sustained by reason of, or while engaged on, any trip or tour whether due to the ownership, maintenance, use, operation or control of any vehicle, hotel, common carrier or any other conveyance used in carrying out these tours. We can assume no liability due to any cause whatsoever whether caused by failure or delay or other irregularity, acts or omissions occurring during a tour under which the means of transportation or other service thereby is offered or supplied by owners, operators or public carriers for whom Roots, Rails, and Rambles acts only as agent. Roots, Rails, and Rambles reserves the right (at its discretion) to alter or omit any part of the itinerary, or change any reservation, feature and/or means of conveyance without notice or for any reason whatsoever and without allowance or refund and with extra costs, if any, resulting therefrom paid by the passengers. We reserve the right to cancel any tour prior to departure, in which case payment will be refunded without further obligation on our part. Roots, Rails, and Rambles shall not be responsible for any injury to person (whether or not resulting in death) or damage to property.Baggage is at the owner's risk entirely. The transportation companies concerned are not to be held responsible for any act, omission or event during the time passengers are not aboard their carriers or conveyances. The passenger contract in use by the carriers concerned (when issued) shall constitute the sole contract between the transportation companies and the purchaser of these tours and/or passage. By accepting the ticket the passenger also agrees to its terms and conditions. By forwarding of deposit, the passenger certifies that he/she does not have any mental, physical or other condition or disability that would create a hazard for him/herself or other passengers. Roots, Rails, and Rambles reserves the right to cancel or withdraw any person as a member of the tour at any time. Roots, Rails, and Rambles reserves the right to refuse service to anyone whom it considers incompatible with the best interests of its services or its guests.