About Ourselves

The 'Luciole' is owned by John and Penny Liley who, between them have fifty years experience of hotel barging!  Previously, John was editor of a leading British yachting magazine, while books he has written include France-the Quiet Way, an exploration of the entire canal and river system of France. These early journeys inspired him to select the Nivernais cruising area and establish the present hotel-barge business in 1976. This was with another barge, 'Secunda', fore-runner to 'Luciole'. Continually updating the fittings and furnishings on board, Penny and John, with Captain Stephane Pignard, ensure the smooth-running of each cruise.

Penny first worked on the 'Luciole' as a chef in 1986, and has since played a major role in creating a warm, welcoming atmosphere on 'Luciole', where a feeling of calm and attention to detail is apparent as soon as one steps aboard.

Stephane has many years experience as a Captain of hotel barges throughout France, his native country.  His immense knowledge and fluency in English continues to bring great enjoyment to all cruising on the Luicole.

Under her previous name of Palinurus – the Luciole was the first hotel barge to cruise the waterways of France.  Built and captained by her owner, Richard Parsons, Palinurus entered service in 1966 going on to feature in ‘Floating Island’, Emily Kimbrough’s affectionate account of a voyage into Burgundy.  Now completely rebuilt and refurbished, Luciole is still visited from time to time by Richard Parsons, a highly respected friend.

Hotel barge owners John and Penny Liley	Captain Stephane Pignard

"It was one of the best trips my husband and I have ever been on ... The crew of the barge could not have been more accommodating ... We felt we were dining at a 5-star restaurant"

"This was a beautiful, peaceful stretch of canal ... Our tours were outstanding, with a perfect mix of history and human interest."

"The crew made the whole experienc the best! The food was superb. I'm running out of superlatives, but guess you get the picture - we loved the barge trip!"

"Probably the most relaxing, fun-filled week we've ever had. We loved the meals and the superlative crew members."

"The blend of relaxation, history, gastronomy, exercise (walking the towpath between locks) and camaraderie was perfectly proportioned."

A hotel barge cruise vacation offers plenty of opportunities to relax - or exercise!