INDEPENDENTLY OWNED AND OPERATED
CELEBRATING HOTEL BARGE CRUISING SINCE 1975
CELEBRATING HOTEL BARGE CRUISING SINCE 1975
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Tour Accessibility
ACCESSIBILITY OF TOURS FOR LUCIOLE PASSENGERS
We are aware that for passengers with mobility difficulties there can sometimes be concerns regarding accessibility during our tours. We hope here to provide reassurance. Neil your Captain and tour guide will do all he can to assist and enable everyone concerned to join our groups on these visits. On board the Luciole herself there are plenty of handrails and an extremely sturdy staircase, with banisters on each side and shallow steps down to the cabins.
AUXERRE - A WALKING TOUR
The first part of the tour is up via Place St Nicholas to the Cathedral of St Etienne. This is a steep walk initially but flattens out at the cathedral and remains so for the 5 - 10 minutes into the town centre, part of which is over large flat cobbles. For passengers with walking difficulties, we are able to take them up to the cathedral in our bus and can easily bring back down again by bus if necessary.
CHABLIS – VISIT TO A WINERY AND THE VINEYARDS
The winery of Servin, has easy access for passengers, since there is very little walking and it is all on the flat. Chairs are readily available for those who find standing for too long a problem. The visit to the vineyards will be adapted according to mobility, using our bus where required.
NOYERS-SUR-SEREIN – A DELIGHTFUL MARKET TOWN
A lovely easy walking tour on the flat around the medieval town. For those not wanting to walk too far there are cafés where we can drop passengers at the beginning of the tour and meet up with them again 30 minutes later. It’s very much a ‘do as you wish’ visit with free time to wander and absorb the atmosphere - or a sit in a café to watch the world go by – or of course do both!
VEZELAY – VISIT TO THE BASILICA OF ST MARY MAGDALENE
Neil is able to drive up the Eternal Hill where there is an optional short walk to the panoramic view from the ramparts, followed by a tour of the Basilica. After the tour passengers are able to stroll and browse the delightful shops down the hill or call into one of the cafés. Passengers with difficulties, however, can enjoy the café at the top of the hill, near the Basilica, and Neil will pick them up and transport them back down the hill a little later.
BAZOCHES – TOUR OF THE CHATEAU, HOME TO THE MARQUIS DE VAUBAN
It has to be said that this is the trickiest of our tours. Access is through the gardens and via the imposing outside stairway to the ground floor of the chateau. There is a stone spiral staircase, with hand-rail to the first floor and towards the end of the tour a staircase down, followed of course by the descent back into the gardens. Neil will do all he can to enable every passenger to see as much as possible but, should anyone find the ascent to the first floor too challenging, the ground floor armoury room and the chateau courtyard are delightful places to absorb the chateau atmosphere while the group proceeds through the remaining rooms.
We sincerely hope this answers your queries and should you have further concerns, do speak to Neil, our Captain and leader of the tours, when you arrive on the Luciole.
Return to Cruise Itinerary page
ACCESSIBILITY OF TOURS FOR LUCIOLE PASSENGERS
We are aware that for passengers with mobility difficulties there can sometimes be concerns regarding accessibility during our tours. We hope here to provide reassurance. Neil your Captain and tour guide will do all he can to assist and enable everyone concerned to join our groups on these visits. On board the Luciole herself there are plenty of handrails and an extremely sturdy staircase, with banisters on each side and shallow steps down to the cabins.
AUXERRE - A WALKING TOUR
The first part of the tour is up via Place St Nicholas to the Cathedral of St Etienne. This is a steep walk initially but flattens out at the cathedral and remains so for the 5 - 10 minutes into the town centre, part of which is over large flat cobbles. For passengers with walking difficulties, we are able to take them up to the cathedral in our bus and can easily bring back down again by bus if necessary.
CHABLIS – VISIT TO A WINERY AND THE VINEYARDS
The winery of Servin, has easy access for passengers, since there is very little walking and it is all on the flat. Chairs are readily available for those who find standing for too long a problem. The visit to the vineyards will be adapted according to mobility, using our bus where required.
NOYERS-SUR-SEREIN – A DELIGHTFUL MARKET TOWN
A lovely easy walking tour on the flat around the medieval town. For those not wanting to walk too far there are cafés where we can drop passengers at the beginning of the tour and meet up with them again 30 minutes later. It’s very much a ‘do as you wish’ visit with free time to wander and absorb the atmosphere - or a sit in a café to watch the world go by – or of course do both!
VEZELAY – VISIT TO THE BASILICA OF ST MARY MAGDALENE
Neil is able to drive up the Eternal Hill where there is an optional short walk to the panoramic view from the ramparts, followed by a tour of the Basilica. After the tour passengers are able to stroll and browse the delightful shops down the hill or call into one of the cafés. Passengers with difficulties, however, can enjoy the café at the top of the hill, near the Basilica, and Neil will pick them up and transport them back down the hill a little later.
BAZOCHES – TOUR OF THE CHATEAU, HOME TO THE MARQUIS DE VAUBAN
It has to be said that this is the trickiest of our tours. Access is through the gardens and via the imposing outside stairway to the ground floor of the chateau. There is a stone spiral staircase, with hand-rail to the first floor and towards the end of the tour a staircase down, followed of course by the descent back into the gardens. Neil will do all he can to enable every passenger to see as much as possible but, should anyone find the ascent to the first floor too challenging, the ground floor armoury room and the chateau courtyard are delightful places to absorb the chateau atmosphere while the group proceeds through the remaining rooms.
We sincerely hope this answers your queries and should you have further concerns, do speak to Neil, our Captain and leader of the tours, when you arrive on the Luciole.
Return to Cruise Itinerary page