Grand France

Paris to Arles - 16 days

CRUISE HIGHLISTS INCLUDE:

• 14-night cruise in a riverview stateroom on the elegant River Baroness and the breathtaking
• All meals onboard
• Complimentary fine wine during dinner, bottled water in your stateroom, and 24-hour specialty coffee
• 12 shore excursions fully hosted by English-speaking guides
• State-of-the-art Quietvox portable audio headset system on all shore excursions
• Complimentary use of bicycles
• Exciting onboard entertainment and insightful lectures
• Exclusive Epicurean Adventurer Program
• 2 Captain’s Welcome & 2 Farewell Dinners
• An experienced Cruise Manager and attentive, all English-speaking staff
• All transfers on arrival and departure days

ITINERARY

• DAY 1: Depart home gateway city to Paris Departing Flight
• DAY 2: Paris
  Arrive at Paris’ Charles de Gaulle Airport where you’ll be transferred to the ship.
• DAY 3: Les Andelys
  Featured Excursion: Walk to Château Gaillard
  Les Andelys was of considerable strategic importance during the Middle Ages, prompting King Richard the Lionheart to build a fortified castle to protect the Duchy of Normandy from the French King Philip II in the 12th century. Walk to the English king’s stronghold and admire the remains of the impressive Château Gaillard.
• DAY 4: Rouen
  Featured Excursion: Walking tour of Rouen
  Our visit to Rouen will take you to the stunning gothic cathedral of Rouen, the haunting medieval quarter with its half-timbered, glazed tile houses; and the Gros Horloge, a Renaissance clock tower that arches overhead. The walk ends at Vieux Marche, where Joan of Arc was punished for her defiance.
• DAY 5: Rouen (Normandy Beaches)
  Featured Excursion: Full-day Normandy beach tour
  Spend the day where one of the most famous events in recent world history took place—the beaches of Normandy, site of the D-Day Invasion by the Allied forces during WW II. Visit the American Cemetery at Colleville sur Mer, the Allied landing sites at Omaha Beach, Mulberry Harbor at Arromanches, and the battlefield of Pointe du Hoc, which are all haunting reminders of the Allies’ hard fight for freedom.
• DAY 6: Caudebec (Honfleur)
  Featured Excursion: Visit to Honfleur
  After crossing the majestic Normandy Bridge spanning the river delta, travel overland to Honfleur, a charming French harbor town recreated in numerous paintings by such artists as Gustave Courbet and Claude Monet. You’ll be taken on a guided walking tour from the former smuggler’s harbor of Vieux Bassin—the most frequently painted scene in Honfleur, where the fishing village backdrop is seemingly unchanged from over 500 years ago—through the pedestrian streets to St. Catherine’s Church.
• DAY 7: Vernon (Giverny)
  Featured Excursion: Monet’s Giverny
  Visit Monet’s home in his beloved village of Giverny, where he lived for 43 years, until his death in 1926. You’ll explore Monet’s house, furnished as it was when the leader of the Impressionist school lived here, including his precious collection of Japanese engravings. Strolling the gardens, you’ll see the familiar Japanese bridge and water garden shaded by the weeping willows that so inspired this master’s work. Watch the light play on the pond which is covered with the water lilies reproduced in Monet’s numerous enchanting versions of The Nympheas (The Water Lilies).
• DAY 8: Paris
  Featured Excursion: Paris city tour
  We begin our city tour with a drive up the grand boulevard Champs Elysées and past the Arc de Triomphe. We’ll stop for a photo opportunity at the Eiffel Tower before continuing to Place Vendôme, Hôtel de Ville, Notre Dame Cathedral, and the Latin Quarter. Then it’s on to Les Invalides, the Louvre courtyard and the Luxembourg Gardens, where we will see a slice of daily Parisian life—gentleman playing boules and children sailing boats on the glassy pond—as well as view Bartholdi’s model for the Statue of Liberty.
• DAY 9: Paris (disembark), transfer to Chalon-sur-Saône (embark)
• DAY 10: Chalon-sur-Saône (Beaune)
  Featured Excursion: Beaune and Hospices de Beaune, open-air food market visit
  Centered in the heart of Burgundy, Chalon is an important center for France’s wine trade. From here, we will journey to nearby Beaune to visit the famous Hospices de Beaune, a charitable hospital founded by the Chancellor of Beaune in 1443. Marvel at the multicolored roofs of this architectural jewel that has become one of the symbols of Burgundy. The Hospice monks were given some vineyards in the 15th century so they could make wine to auction in order to help support charities, and today this tradition still continues.
• DAY 11: Lyon
  Featured Excursion: Lyon city tour
  Our tour in this lively and creative capital of gastronomy starts with a drive to the Basilique Notre Dame de Fourvière, Lyon’s hallmark church, for a dramatic view of the town built at the confluence of the Rhône and the Saône rivers. From the bus, we’ll view Terreaux Square, the Musée des Beaux-Arts, and the Opera House. During the afternoon, you’ll have time to explore on your own.
• DAY 12: Tournon/Tain l’Hermitage, Lyon
  Featured Excursion: Wine tasting and Tournon walking tour
  Nestled among the famous vineyards, the twin cities of Tournon/Tain l’Hermitage provide the perfect setting for those who are true connoisseurs of chocolate and wine. Celebrate the region by indulging in some Côte du Rhône wines. Cross the Marc Seguin suspension bridge and visit Tournon and its historic castle. Discover the secrets of world-famous Valrhona chocolate during an informative onboard lecture and tasting arranged by the Valrhona School of Chocolate.
• DAY 13: Viviers, Avignon
  Featured Excursion: Viviers walking tour
  Charming Viviers, developed around its Romanesque cathedral, has retained much of its historic charm. Our tour in Viviers starts in Old Town with an introduction to the city. We’ll take the Rue Chèvrerie to Porte Riquot, then climb Rue du Château to reach the St. Vincent Cathedral and enjoy spectacular views. Finally, we’ll walk through the medieval streets of this delightful town on our way back to the ship.
• DAY 14: Avignon
  Featured Excursion: Avignon walking tour, Palace of the Popes
  Your walking tour of Avignon, the “City of the Popes,” starts at the fortification walls, then continues to Clocktower Square, with its many cafes, shops, and namesake clock tower dating back to the 1300s and now part of the Hôtel de Ville (City Hall). Next, it’s
• DAY 15: Arles
  Featured Excursion: Arles walking tour
  The name of Arles is closely connected with that of Vincent Van Gogh. Inspired by the unique Provençal light, he spent a period of intense and impassioned work under the bright sunny sky of Provence. During your walking tour, discover Van Gogh’s Arles as well as a fascinating wealth of Romanesque monuments, such as the Roman Amphitheater and Constantine’s Roman baths.
• DAY 16: Arles (disembark), transfer to Marseille Airport Return Flight