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La Rochelle to Bordeaux

6 days voyage

Next voyage: Jul 3 - Jul 8, 2027

Starting from €1.140,- pp

Route from La Rochelle to Bordeaux

Coastal voyage

A coastal voyage between two maritime cities

Early bird

Dates & prices

This voyage will bring us from the historic port of La Rochelle to the beautiful metropole Bordeaux in France. As we set sail on the Bay of Biscay, the ship will settle into the rhythm on board, navigating through the famous waters. This journey provides you the opportunity to experience the ever-changing conditions of European waters, combined with the visit of two amazing destinations in France.

Sailing from Peru to the Galapagos by Joshua Vela-Fonseca
Sailing from Peru to the Galapagos - Joshua Vela-Fonseca

Departing from La Rochelle, we will navigate the sometimes rough waters of the Bay of Biscay, where strong tides and shifting winds provide an exciting mix for our adventure.

Sailing from Peru to the Galapagos - Joshua Vela-Fonseca

Destination

Embarkation in La Rochelle

At the edge of the region Charente-Maritime, where Bicay meets the French coast, Bark EUROPA lies moored in the harbor of La Rochelle, her masts rising above the fishing boats and merged in the historical city. The coastline is shaped by both natural elements and heavy maritime activity.

The crew inspects the rigging, checks the sails and makes sure that all provisions are on board for the voyage ahead. On the day of embarkation, we hoist the yards, pull the sheets and set the sails with some extra sailing days on open water toward Bordeaux.

Disembarkation in Bordeaux

After a couple of days of sailing along the French coast, we sail up the Garonne river, where our voyage will end in Bordeaux, a city renowned for its rich wine heritage and historical city centre. Situated on the Garonne river, Bordeaux is a UNESCO world heritage site known for its beautiful architecture and vibrant wine culture. Disembarkation is always a bittersweet moment, marking the conclusion of a great adventure at sea. After spending some days together, sharing experiences its time to say goodbye to the ship and your fellow crew mates. It doesn't need to be the end of your travels, we recommend to take some time to explore this welcoming city or visit the wine regions surrounding Bordeaux. 

 

Route

The voyage begins in La Rochelle, France. The winds and currents around this area can be a real challenge and will be the perfect opportunity to test our sailing skills. The Bay of Biscay is known for its unpredictable weather and can be both calm, offering another excellent opportunity to test your sea legs.

Route La Rochelle to Bordeaux

Itinerary

Itinerary

Day 1: Welcome on board

From nearly all corners of the world, our guests will arrive in La Rochelle. Your coastal voyage will finally start. Embarking via our gangway, you will be welcomed by our crew members. You will be asked to sign in on board and take the luggage to your assigned cabin, followed by a first meeting to introduce the captain and crew to the voyage crew before enjoying your first meal on board. These will be the first exciting moments of your time on board. A first glance of who you will be sharing your experience with. They will be solo travellers, friends or couples, young and old, from various countries and with different backgrounds, all united in their dream of sailing the ocean on a tallship.

Being on watch

Itinerary

Life on board

For some people on board it will be their first time on a tall ship, while others will have done similar journeys. This mix of beginners and more experienced tall ship lovers creates a learning atmosphere on board, where each person can contribute in their own way to keep the ship sailing. Soon after we have cast of our mooring lines, the watch schedule will begin. You will be placed in the Red - White or Blue watch. Each watch will take turns in being 4 hours on watch, to stand on lookout, steer the ship and help with sail handling.

Bark Europa is setting sail

Itinerary

Sail training

This coastal voyage offers you a chance to get a first glance of the theory and practice of tall ship sailing and all that it entails - sail handling, rigging, maintenance, navigation, routing, weather and much more. From day one, our experience permanent crew will start to teach you all there is to know about square rig sailing. 

Weather and route planning

Itinerary

Research

We believe in expanding knowledge of our sailors, and to do so we invite scientists on board. Oceanographers, astronomers, marine biologists have joined us in the past and their presence and expertise have been highly valued by both our crew and trainees. By working together with universities and other institutions we hope to connect the scientific world with our world at sea and bring scientific knowledge to a wide audience. Our hope is to broaden the awareness of oceanic and polar issues and make scientific knowledge accessible to a wide audience. During your voyage, you will have the opportunity to assist the researchers with their work, such as helping to collect data using a manta trawl or plankton net.

Research during the sailing voyage

Itinerary

Day 5-6: Arrival in Bordeaux

After a couple of days at sea, we are getting closer to the river Garonne, marking our approach to our destination. The last night of the voyage we will spend in port of Bordeaux. This will be the last evening together as a new Bark EUROPA Family, having created memories for a lifetime and making new friends along the way. The morning after, it will be time to say goodbye to the ship, her crew and your newfound friends. On to new adventures!

Bordeaux.jpg

Reviews

Willow Ryan - OceanOcean Crossing

It was a amazing voyage!!! The crew were wonderful in helping us with everything and dear Rensje was absolutely amazing! I think that for a training ship she is handled very well and the organization was great. Capt. Janke is a wonderful captain and also did a superb job of wrangling the 40 plus landlubbers and keeping a ship shape ship! Thank you to everyone for all the love and effort that goes into these beautiful vessels.

Kathi Blömer - OceanTenerife - Puerto Madryn

This voyage was the experience of a life time for me, it was absolutely amazing. I learnt a lot about sailing, other people and myself. The camaraderie between voyage crew and permanent crew was outstanding in all circumstances. The food was great, healthy tasty and every day different, there were very few dishes which were repeated in 46 days on board! We lived together in close quarters but because of the different watches and different sleeping time it never felt crowded.

Adrian Chan - OceanOcean Crossing

Everything about being on the Europa is just pure bliss to me; the crew were very nice and welcoming, the deckhands were very patient with us newbies, I haven't been this happy for a very long time. There are a couple of things that can be done better though: 1) Better communications between the permanent and voyage crew (e.g. room change arrangements) 2) Get more and/or better fishing gear with lectures on how to fish 3) Get better squeegees for deck wash! Other than that, coming on the Europa for 2.5 months was the best decision I've ever made.

Setting the sails

Why choose us

  • All kinds of weather

    From strong currents to shifting winds and open ocean swells: Bay of Biscay brings its own challenges, making this voyage a valuable experience to develop new skills.

    Steering the ship in all weather

  • Improve your sailing skills

    As we will sail a couple of days in the Bay of Biscay, this voyage offers a hands-on  voyage, perfect for those looking to gain experience in sailing a Tall ship. 

    A good way to improve your sailing skills

  • The heart of Bordeaux

    Unlike many other voyages, this voyage allows us to sail directly into the heart of a UNESCO listed city. Arriving in Bordeaux via the Garonne river will be a unique experience! 

    Bordeaux.jpg

Dates & prices

Sailing north in 2027: Namibia - Azores - France - The Netherlands

Embark on an adventure of a lifetime as Bark EUROPA sails across the Atlantic in 2027! Starting from the wild coast of Namibia, these voyages will take you to the Azores and can be extended with a 2-weeks voyage to the picturesque French harbor La Rochelle, a short voyage to the city of Bordeaux and the voyage back home to Scheveningen.

Choose your own adventure: join us for a single leg or embrace the full experience of life at sea by combining multiple legs. Each voyage offers its own charm, whether it's learning new sailing skills on an ocean crossing, or visiting La Rochelle and Bordeaux. Step on board and become part of our sailing family! Reserve your spot today.

What's included

 

  • Small and personal sailing experience with a maximum of 46 voyage crew members
  • Sail training and interesting lectures from our permanent crew
  • Delicious meals from our experienced cook, unlimited coffee & tea
  • Spend your “off-watch” time in the ships library, lounge, poker corner, deckhouse or ships bar
From To Days Nautical miles Price pp 4/6p cabin Price pp 2p cabin
From
La Rochelle, France
To
Bordeaux, France
Days
6
Nautical miles
400
€1.140,-
Early bird until 15/09: € 1025
€1.320,-
Early bird until 15/09: € 1190
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FAQ

To all FAQ
Are there age restrictions aboard Bark EUROPA?

At Bark EUROPA, we warmly welcome sailors between the ages of 15 and 72 to join our voyages, including ocean crossings and Antarctica expeditions. All those under the age of 15 must be accompanied by an adult. Please contact the shipping office to discuss the possibilities. 

Are you 65 years old or over? We kindly ask you to fill in the additional health statement that needs to be signed by your physician. This statement will be discussed with our team of ships doctors before we can make a final decision. To ensure the safety and comfort of all on board, the upper age limit for new guests is 72 at the time of embarkation. Guests who turn 73 during the voyage are welcome to join.

Sailors aged 73 to 75 who have recently sailed with us may be considered for shorter coastal voyages, when healthy and fit, based on individual assessment.

Is sailing experience required?

When you decide to join us one of our voyages, you will be doing so as part of the voyage crew. This means that EUROPA’s permanent crew will train you to be a sailor. No experience is needed, our crew will learn you everything along the way. Everyone is welcome to take the helm, set sails, assist with maneuvers, navigation, weather observations, furling the sails on the yards and much more. The permanent crew will give lectures and instruct you during the voyage in steering, navigation and sail handling. This will be done in a ‘Dutch’ style, so without yelling, blowing whistles or uniforms.

In what sort of cabin will I sleep?

Bark EUROPA has 4/6 persons cabins and 2 persons cabins for the voyage crew. If you join us with a travel partner, you can choose for a 2 persons cabin or to be placed in a 4/6 persons shared cabin. As a solo traveler you will be placed in a 4/6 persons male or female cabin.
Every cabin has his own bathroom with shower and toilet.
To get a nice impression of the cabins, you can find our Virtual Tour here.