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France

French Canal Voyage by Barge: Discover Alsace-Lorraine

Program No. 21158RJ

Immerse yourself in culture as you sail the Marne-Rhine Canal on a modern river barge, discovering grand châteaux, picturesque vineyards, cathedrals and world-class cuisine.

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Itinerary

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Duration

11 days

10 nights

What's Included

23 meals ( 9B, 7L, 7D )

3 expert-led lectures

14 expert-led field trips

An experienced Group Leader

9 nights of accommodations

Taxes and customary gratuity

Road Scholar Assurance Plan

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Day

In Transit to Program

Location: In Flight

Day

Arrive Strasbourg, Check-in, Orientation, Welcome Dinner

Location: Strasbourg

Meals: D

Stay: Hotel de l’Europe

Activity Note

Hotel check-in from 3:00 p.m.

Afternoon:

After you check in to the hotel and get your room, take some time to freshen up and relax before our Orientation session. Orientation: The Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer questions. This is a Chartered Exclusively for Road Scholar Adventures Afloat program. There will only be Road Scholar participants aboard the vessel. All port stops and field trips are subject to change as weather and river conditions may affect the itinerary. River conditions could affect the progress of the ship, making it run late and sometimes miss ports because it is not safe to dock. Therefore, the cruise itinerary should always be regarded as provisional. Additionally, the time available in each port is set by the cruise line and the cruise line reserves the right to change the itinerary without prior notice. Road Scholar delivers a robust educational program in each port, and this may mean that free time in port is limited. Our knowledgeable Group Leader will give lectures and provide expert commentary throughout the program. Periods in the schedule designated as “Free time” and “At leisure” offer opportunities to do what you like and make your experience even more meaningful and memorable according to your personal preferences. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local circumstances/conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding.

Dinner:

We will walk to a local restaurant and order plated meals from a select menu with beverage choices of a glass of wine and water; other beverages available for purchase. In France, restaurants take pride in creating a relaxed atmosphere where patrons can take their time and enjoy every bite. It is customary for servers to wait until everyone has finished their dish before clearing the table and bringing out the next course. Meals are accompanied by complimentary bread (“pain”) and water (“eau” or “l’eau”) so you need not ask for them. It is customary to fill wine glasses no more than half full to allow the wine room to breathe. When you have finished your meal, you may indicate to the server by placing your utensils together on the right hand side of your plate.

Evening:

Returning to the hotel, the remainder of the evening is at leisure. Continue getting to know your fellow Road Scholars, settle in, and get a good night’s rest for the day ahead.

Day

Boat ride, Strasbourg Walking Field Trip

Location: Strasbourg

Meals: B,L

Stay: Hotel de l’Europe

Activity Note

Walking up to 3 miles, standing up to 2 hours; cobbled stone streets, inclined terrain, even and uneven ground.

Breakfast:

At the hotel, the breakfast buffet offers choices eggs, breakfast meats, cereals, yogurt, fruit, breads, jam and butter, juices, coffee, tea, water.

Morning:

This morning, we’ll enjoy a cruise to learn more about the city of Strasbourg.

Lunch:

At a local restaurant, we’ll have a plated meal with beverage choices of a glass of wine or soft drink and water; other beverages available for purchase.

Afternoon:

In the afternoon, we will head out with a local expert on a walking field trip to explore this place where people have lived for thousands of years. We will focus on the section of Strasbourg called “La Petite France” and visit the cathedral famed for its beauty.

Dinner:

This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to enjoy what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.

Evening:

Returning to the hotel, the remainder of the evening is at leisure.

Day

The Alsace Wine route, Haut Koenigsbourg & Colmar

Location: Strasbourg

Meals: B,L

Stay: Hotel de l’Europe

Activity Note

Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 90 miles, approximately 1.5 hours. Walking up to 3 to 4 miles during scheduled activities; cobblestone streets.

Breakfast:

Hotel buffet.

Morning:

Our morning field trip will take us through the Alsace wine route. We will travel through picturesque villages and vineyards. Next we will enjoy a field trip to the imposing chateau of Haut Koenigsbourg with a local expert. Take in the impressive views over the Rhine Valley. We will then have a wine tasting in one of the most famous wine cellars of the area.

Lunch:

At a local restaurant, we’ll have a plated meal with beverage choices of a glass of wine or soft drink and water; other beverages available for purchase.

Afternoon:

After arrival in Colmar, enjoy a walking field trip in the historic Old Town of Colmar including an optional entrance to the Bartholdi Museum to explore the history and works of the French sculptor who designed the Statue of Liberty. We will then have some time for independent exploration before returning to the hotel.

Dinner:

This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to enjoy what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.

Evening:

At leisure.

Day

Palais RohanMuseums,Struthof Concentration camp,Embark Barge

Location: Lagarde

Meals: B,D

Stay: CroisiEurope’s Madeleine

Activity Note

Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 70 miles, approximately 1.5 hours. Walking up to 3 miles during scheduled activities; cobblestone streets.

Breakfast:

Hotel buffet.

Morning:

We will check out and store our luggage at the hotel in a safe room (porterage service will be provided by the hotel). We’ll then walk to the Palais Rohan, former residence of the Prince-Bishops of Strasbourg. It was designed by the principal architect to the king of France and is regarded as one of the finest structures of the 18th century, virtually unchanged since its completion in 1742. Today, it houses the Archaeological Museum, Decorative Arts Museum, and Fine Arts Museum. After an introduction by our Group Leader, we will have time for a self-directed study to see what interests each of us most. .

Lunch:

This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to enjoy what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.

Afternoon:

We will drive to the Struthof Concentration Camp.Opened in 1941, Struthof is the only structure of its type on French soil. 52,000 prisoners were forced to work in the quarry near the camp. 22,000 people died there, often of hunger and exhaustion. But some also died in an "experimental" gas chamber which makes this camp an essential place of remembrance. We will regroup at a designated time and place, board our motorcoach, and ride to Lagarde where the barge is docked. After boarding and getting your cabin, take some time to freshen up and relax. We will gather when announced for the crew’s orientation on safety and ship regulations

Dinner:

Aboard the barge, we will have a 3-course meal with beverage choices of select wines and beer, fruit juice, coffee, tea, water; other beverages available for purchase.

Evening:

At leisure. The barge will remain docked in Largarde overnight.

Day

Lagarde to Xouaxange, Sarrebourg

Location: Xouaxange

Meals: B,L,D

Stay: CroisiEurope’s Madeleine

Activity Note

Stepping on/off the barge. Walking up to 2 miles throughout the day, standing up to 2 hours; cobblestone streets, uneven terrain.

Breakfast:

Aboard the barge, the self-serve breakfast buffet offers a rotating variety of choices

Morning:

We will gather aboard the barge for a lecture by Group Leader on navigation and the history of the Alsace-Lorraine canal. As we continue our journey towards Xouaxange, we will pass through the Réchicourt lock, one of the deepest in France, and along the lakes.

Lunch:

Aboard the barge, we will have a 3-course meal with beverage choices of select wines and beer, fruit juice, coffee, tea, water; other beverages available for purchase.

Afternoon:

We will go on a walking field trip with our Group Leader in Sarrebourg, at the foot of the Vosges Mountains. It was once an imperial city of the Holy Roman Empire and has rich historical diversity. We will visit its church that features unique stained glass windows by Marc Chagall.

Dinner:

Aboard the barge.

Evening:

At leisure.

Day

Xouaxange to Lutzelbourg, Inclined Plane

Location: Lutzelbourg

Meals: B,L,D

Stay: CroisiEurope’s Madeleine

Activity Note

Walking up to 2 miles throughout the day; cobblestone streets, uneven terrain. Standing for up to 2 hours; even and uneven terrain.

Breakfast:

Aboard the barge.

Morning:

As we glide towards Lutzelbourg, the Group Leader will give us a lecture on the people and history of Alsace-Lorraine that was settled thousands of years ago by Celts. It was later taken by the Romans who prized its agriculture. After the Roman Empire, the area was controlled by Germanic and Frankish tribes, then the Holy Roman Empire, then the Habsburgs, then France. After the Franco-Prussian war of 1871, the German empire annexed the region. After World War I, it reverted to France but Germany took control again during World War II before returning to the French fold. While such tumult was at times calamitous for the people who lived here, it resulted in a richly distinctive cultural heritage that lives on today.

Lunch:

Aboard the barge.

Afternoon:

We will encounter the Saint-Louis-Arzviller “inclined plane” — a lift built in 1969 that moves boating traffic nearly 150 feet (45 meters) up or down the hill, thereby avoiding a series of 17 locks. This remarkable feat of engineering is the only transverse boat lift of its kind in Europe. There will be an opportunity to step off the barge in Arzviller for an independent exploration of the area.

Dinner:

Aboard the barge.

Evening:

At leisure. The barge will remain docked in Lutzelbourg overnight.

Day

Lutzelbourg to Saverne, Haut Barr

Location: Saverne

Meals: B,L,D

Stay: CroisiEurope’s Madeleine

Activity Note

Walking up to 3 miles throughout the day, standing up to 2 hours; cobblestone streets, uneven and slightly inclined terrain, unavoidable steps at castle.

Breakfast:

Aboard the barge.

Morning:

Free time on board the barge.

Lunch:

Aboard the barge.

Afternoon:

For our next field trip, we will visit the Château de Haut Barr (Hohbarr in German), situated at an altitude of more than 1,500 feet (460 meters). For this reason, it has often been called “the eye of Alsace.” The original structure dates from c. 1000 CE, but was abandoned in 1770. Later, enjoy a walking field trip of Saverne with a local expert to explore this relatively unknown but charming town. Among its highlights are the Grand Rue and Place de la Licorne (Place of the Unicorn) — the town’s emblem — Taverne Katz dating from 1605 with its façade of sculpted timbers, the 12th-century Notre Dame Church, and the Récollets Monastery founded in the 14th century.

Dinner:

Tonight, enjoy a tarte flambée or flammenkuche at one of the Saverne's local restaurants.

Evening:

At leisure. The barge will remain docked in Saverne overnight.

Day

Saverne to Waltenheim, Kochersberg, Alsatian wines & beers

Location: Waltenheim

Meals: B,L,D

Stay: CroisiEurope’s Madeleine

Activity Note

Walking up to 2.5 miles, standing up to 2 hours; cobblestone streets, uneven and slightly inclined terrain.

Breakfast:

Aboard the barge.

Morning:

As we sail to Waltenheim, enjoy the beautiful Alsace countryside.

Lunch:

Aboard the barge.

Afternoon:

We will depart by motorcoach and make our way through the beautiful Kochersberg region with its rolling hills, lush fields, and quaint villages with half-timbered homes. With an expert, we will explore the Maison du Kocherberg museum, where we will learn about local history and traditions, and have the chance to see antique and modern objects from the area. Continuing on by motorcoach, and accompanied by our expert guide, we will visit the Sentier des Houblons. This scenic hop trail offers a unique opportunity to explore the world of local beer production in the region. The Sentier des Houblons is a beautiful walking path that takes you through hop fields, where you can learn about the cultivation of hops, a key ingredient in brewing. Along the trail, you will also discover information about the region’s brewing heritage and the role hops play in crafting high-quality beers.

Dinner:

Aboard the barge.

Evening:

At leisure. The barge will remain docked in Waltenheim overnight.

Day

Waltenheim to Strasbourg, Free Time

Location: Strasbourg

Meals: B,L,D

Stay: CroisiEurope’s Madeleine

Activity Note

Walking up to 1 mile, standing up to 1 hour; uneven and inclined paths.

Breakfast:

Aboard the barge. .

Morning:

As we sail along, we will gather for a lecture by our Group Leader to learn more about Alsace culture and traditions.

Lunch:

Aboard the barge.

Afternoon:

Free time in Strasbourg.

Dinner:

Aboard the barge, share favorite experiences with new Road Scholar friends during our farewell dinner.

Evening:

At leisure. Prepare for disembarkation and departure in the morning.

Day

Program Concludes

Location: In Flight

Meals: B

Activity Note

Disembarkation by 9:00 a.m.

Breakfast:

Aboard the barge. This concludes our program.

Morning:

If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Don’t forget to join our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!

Please Note: This program has itinerary variations on certain dates.

Oct 11 - Oct 21, 2026 Itinerary Differences: This departure sails on the MS Madeleine.

French Canal Voyage by Barge: Discover Alsace-Lorraine

Enroll with Confidence

Protecting the Environment

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