Enchanté: Luxury hotel barge · Canal du Midi
The Canal du Midi by double-decker barge
European Waterways · 8 guests · 4 cabins · charter or by the cabin
Enchanté is a double-decker hotel barge for up to eight guests in four suites, run by European Waterways, which rates her Ultra Deluxe. She is 100 feet long and carries a crew of five. The style is contemporary, with what the operator calls a bright, Art Deco atmosphere in the large saloon, and an open-plan demonstration galley where guests can see the chef at work.
The four suites are twin or double, each air-conditioned with an en suite shower room, and the operator says they are the largest of any hotel barge on the Canal du Midi. On deck there is a spacious sun deck with an alfresco dining area, a spa pool and loungers, from which the countryside drifts slowly by. Meals are cooked on board by the chef and served with regional wines, and a guide and a minibus travel with the barge for the daily excursions.
She cruises the Canal du Midi between Sallèles-d'Aude, near Narbonne, and Trèbes, near Carcassonne, calling at Le Somail, Roubia, Homps, Puichéric and Marseillette. Ashore are a winery tour and lunch at the 17th-century Château de Paraza, Narbonne's Archbishop's Palace and market, the Abbaye de Fontfroide, the hilltop village of Minerve and the medieval city of Carcassonne. Bicycles come aboard for the towpath, and on the climb towards Carcassonne the operator suggests walking or cycling from one lock to the next.
Booking through Via Privata: USD 1,500 charter credit
Credited by Via Privata on bookings of USD 40,000 or more — on top of the barge's own inclusions, at the rate you would pay booking direct. We confirm what your dates include, in writing, before you book.
- Boat-selection guidance across the barges we book
- Every benefit confirmed in writing before you commit
- Hotels joined either side of the cruise, as one trip
The route
Drawn to show the order of the moorings, not the exact course of the river or canal.
The cruises
Canal du Midi
6 nights
The classic cruise. Sallèles-d'Aude, Le Somail, Roubia, Homps, Puichéric, Marseillette and Trèbes, in reverse on alternate weeks. The Abbaye de Fontfroide, the lock-free Grand Bief, Narbonne, a private lunch at Château de Paraza, Minerve and the triple locks, then Carcassonne.
Culinary cruise
6 nights
A theme cruise built around food: truffle hunting at Mas d'Antonin, the Oulibo olive oil press, the Combebelle goat farm, Narbonne's indoor market with the chef helping to choose the evening menu, a hands-on cooking class by the canal and a truffle demonstration by the chef. Sallèles-d'Aude, Roubia, Homps, Puichéric, Marseillette and Trèbes.
Golf cruise
6 nights
A theme cruise with four rounds: Golf de Carcassonne, Golf de Saint-Thomas, Lamalou-les-Bains (nine holes) and Cap d'Agde. Trèbes to Sallèles-d'Aude in the sample itinerary, with a Minervois château tasting on the fifth day.
Wine appreciation cruise
6 nights
A theme cruise with a wine guide on board, sailing Trèbes to Sallèles-d'Aude in the sample itinerary. Tastings at Château La Grave in Badens, a Minervois château, Château Lalis in the Corbières after the abbey at Lagrasse, Château de Combebelle in Saint-Chinian and Domaine de l'Herbe Sainte, with Minerve and Narbonne.
Family cruise
6 nights
The classic route with up to four excursions swapped for family activities arranged by the operator, among them the caves at Limousis, kayaking, rafting and climbing at the Eaurizon base on the River Aude, the goat farm at Combebelle, a working paper mill near Carcassonne and swimming at lakes and beaches.
On board: the cabins
Twin or double suite
165 sq ft including en suite
Four suites, each fitted as a twin or a double, air-conditioned, with an en suite shower room. The operator says they are the largest of any hotel barge on the Canal du Midi, and its deck plan names them Oranger, Figuier, Olivier and Armandier.
On board
The saloon
Large, in a contemporary style the operator describes as bright and Art Deco, with a dining area and a bar.
The demonstration galley
Open-plan, so guests can see the chef at work; the deck plan calls it an open galley.
The sun deck
Spacious, with an alfresco dining area, a spa pool and loungers.
Bicycles
Bicycles for guests' use, as on all the operator's barges; the operator lists a Biking Plus option for her.
Booking this boat
Enchanté is sold by the cabin or as a whole-boat charter for six, seven or eight guests. Children under 12 are not permitted on per-cabin bookings; a charter welcomes children and infants of any age. Departures are on Sundays, from 28 March to 31 October in 2027, six nights from Sunday afternoon to Saturday morning, with guests met in Narbonne and taken to the barge by private minibus. The fare includes all meals with regional wines, the open bar, guided excursions with admissions, the bicycles and local transfers. The operator describes every itinerary as a sample, subject to change.
Questions, answered
Which agency offers the most perks for booking Enchanté?
Compare totals, not headline perks: the barge's own inclusions and any agency credit on top. Via Privata books Enchanté at European Waterways' own fare and adds a USD 1,500 charter credit of its own on bookings of USD 40,000 or more. Every benefit is confirmed in writing before you commit.
How many guests does Enchanté take?
Up to eight guests, in four suites that can each be fitted as a twin or a double, looked after by a crew of five. European Waterways rates her Ultra Deluxe and gives her length as 100 feet. A whole-boat charter can also be taken by six or seven guests.
Where does she cruise?
On the Canal du Midi in southwest France, between Sallèles-d'Aude, near Narbonne, and Trèbes, near Carcassonne, calling at Le Somail, Roubia, Homps, Puichéric and Marseillette. Alternate weeks run in the reverse direction. Carcassonne, Minerve, Narbonne and the Abbaye de Fontfroide are visited by road on the excursions.
Is Enchanté charter only, or by the cabin?
Both. European Waterways sells her by the suite, to guests who share the barge with others, or as a whole-boat charter. Children under 12 are not permitted on per-cabin bookings; a charter welcomes children and infants of any age, and charter parties can ask for changes to the regular schedule, confirmed in writing.
Can I choose a theme for Enchanté?
Yes. Besides the classic cruise, European Waterways lists culinary, family, golf and wine appreciation cruises on the Canal du Midi for her. They follow the same canal with different excursions. The operator describes all its itineraries as samples, subject to change.
Hold a week aboard Enchanté
Tell us the party and roughly when, and we will confirm the current itinerary and hold the week with European Waterways.
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