Boating on the Saône and the Seille
Burgundy Boat Holiday Excursions: Wine Tastings with a Driver
Cruising on a self-drive boat? We collect you from the mooring or marina, take you to the winemakers and bring you back on board, so nobody has to steer after the tasting.
- Duration
- Half day, about 4 hours, around your mooring of the day
- Departure
- Moorings and marinas on the Saône and the Seille: Mâcon, Tournus, Chalon-sur-Saône, Louhans, Branges, Saint-Jean-de-Losne
- Ideal for
- Crews of hire boats and canal cruisers, families and friends, from 2 to 8 guests with our partner van
- Price
- From €120 per person
Burgundy boat holiday excursions answer the question every crew asks on the Saône and the Seille: how do you visit the wine estates when you are the one at the helm? Life on the water is gentle, but a hire boat cannot moor at the cellar door, and after a tasting nobody should be steering. We collect you from the mooring or the marina, take you into the vineyards, then bring you back to the boat.
We meet you wherever you tie up between the Bresse, the Chalonnais and the Mâconnais: Mâcon, Tournus, Chalon-sur-Saône, Louhans and Branges on the Seille, and as far as Saint-Jean-de-Losne, often described as the largest inland pleasure port in France. From Mâcon or Tournus we head for Pouilly-Fuissé and the villages of the Mâconnais; from Chalon, for the cellars of the Côte Chalonnaise; from Saint-Jean-de-Losne, the Côte de Beaune is within easy reach. Just give us your mooring for the day, and if your route changes on the way, we follow.
Before your cruise, we ask about your tastes and the pace you enjoy. Our team books the tastings in your name with winemakers who love to welcome visitors, and keeps one or two stops as a surprise: a view over the valley, an unexpected cellar, a local treat to take back on board. Mathis, your bilingual chauffeur-host with a passion for local history, tells the story of each village, translates at the winemaker's table and takes instant photos of the crew, handed over on the spot for your logbook.
A canal boat holiday also comes with a little logistics. We can run you to the shops for supplies, take a crew member to the station, collect a friend who is joining you halfway, or drive the crew back to the car left at the hire base when your trip ends one way. Your days stay free for the river, its locks and its villages.
The price per person is confirmed before any booking; paid tastings, meals and purchases are settled directly on site. You receive a private page with your programme and secure online payment. In the evening you are back aboard with a few chosen bottles, a local gift and a handful of photos, without having opened a single road map.
Your exact route is composed for you. Some stops may remain a surprise until the day itself.
- Collected from and returned to the mooring or marina where you are tied up
- Nobody drives or steers after the tasting
- Tastings booked in your name around your tastes
- Bilingual chauffeur-host in English and French, passionate about local history
- Surprise stops, a local gift and instant photos for the logbook
- Shuttles on request: supplies, station runs, crew changes, back to the base
- 100% electric car, or partner van for up to 8 guests
Price for this experience
- 2 guests
- €180
- 3 to 4 guests
- €120
- 5 to 8 guests
- €110
Half day, about 4 hours. Price per person, taxes included. Minimum 2 guests. Firm quote within 24 hours.
- The design of your programme and every reservation, made in your name
- Your bilingual chauffeur-host, passionate about local history, from the first moment to the last
- 100% electric sedan (van for up to 8 guests), chilled water and soft drinks on board
- The surprises of the day: small local gifts and instant photos taken by your chauffeur
- Your private page with the programme, and a firm price confirmed before any booking
- Paid tastings, meals and site entrance fees, settled directly on site at public prices
Can you collect us where our boat is moored?
Yes, from the mooring, marina or quay where you spent the night, on the Saône or the Seille. If your route has changed, just tell us the evening before and we will move the meeting point.
What can we visit from the Saône in half a day?
It depends on where you are. From Mâcon or Tournus, the Mâconnais and Pouilly-Fuissé are close by; from Chalon-sur-Saône, the Côte Chalonnaise; from Saint-Jean-de-Losne, the Côte de Beaune. We always choose the wine area that best suits your mooring.
How much does an excursion from our boat cost?
The price is per person, starting from the rate shown on this page, and comes down as the crew grows. A firm quote reaches you within 24 hours. Paid tastings, meals and purchases are settled directly on site.
Can we bring bottles back on board?
Of course. Your purchases travel in the boot and are dropped off at the boat with you. Your chauffeur-host can also help you choose and translate the winemaker's advice.
Can children come along?
Yes, the outing can be shaped for families, with stops that suit younger guests between cellars. Let us know the children's ages when you book so we can provide the right seats.
Can you also take us back to the hire base or a station?
Yes, these journeys are part of what we arrange for boating crews: back to your car at the base after a one-way hire, a station run for a crew member, or collecting a friend. The price is confirmed in advance.
Tell us the occasion. We imagine the rest.