On this France river cruise vacation, enjoy wine, cheese, beautiful scenery, and stops in the most charming and historical parts of France. Start your adventure with some time in Paris—one of the world’s most romantic and vibrant cities! The “City of Light” has Notre Dame Cathedral, the Eiffel Tower, and the Louvre Museum with its elegant glass pyramid contrasting its ancient architecture. A guided walk through the historic Île St. Louis with its narrow streets, and Île de la Cité where medieval Paris was founded, will be a de-light.

Set sail on the Seine River and visit Vincent Van Gogh’s Auver-sur-Oise or Napoleon and Jose-phine’s Malmaison. Visit Joan of Arc’s Rouen, and choose between Claude Monet’s Giverny or the Bizy Castle, nicknamed “Normandy’s Versailles”. Go on an excursion to the historic Normandy Landing Beaches, including Omaha Beach, the Point du Hoc monument, and the American Cem-etery.

Lyon, sitting at the confluence of the Saône and Rhône Rivers, is France’s third-largest city and a showcase of medieval and Renaissance architecture. The twin cities of Tournon and Tain l’Hermitage are beautifully nestled among vineyards. You’ll go on a guided walk of Tournon, a medieval treasure with plenty of Roman ruins and a fascinating 16th-century castle. In historical Avignon, see the 14th-century Palace of the Popes—the largest gothic fortress in the world. Situ-ated on the Rhône River, Arles is famous for inspiring the paintings of Van Gogh and its 1st-century Roman Amphitheater, which hosts plays and concerts to this day.

City Highlights

Day 1 Paris (Embarkation): onboard welcome receptionDay 2 Paris: choice of guided sightseeing, or “Heart of Paris” walk, visit Notre Dame CathedralDay 3 Conflans: choice of excursions to Auvers-sur-Oise, or Napoleon and Josephine’s Château de Malmai-sonDay 4 Les Andelys–Rouen: choice of guided walk, or guided hike in Les Andelys; guided sightseeing, see the Astronomical Clock and visit the cathedral Day 5 Caudebec: choice of excursion along the “Normandy Abbeys Route”, or walk in the Natural Park; lec-ture on board Day 6 Caudebec: choice of full day excursions to Normandy landing beaches, or “A Taste of Norman-dy” excursionDay 7 Vernon: choice of excursions to Giverny or Bizy CastleDay 8 Paris (Disembarkation)–Dijon–Beaune–St. Jean de Losne (Embarkation)–Seurre: TGV train from Paris to Dijon. Motorcoach transfer to Beaune, visit the Hôtel-Dieu; onboard welcome receptionDay 9 Seurre–Mâcon: leisurely cruising; free time in Mâcon; onboard cheese tastingDay 10 Lyon: guided sightseeing; picture stop on Fourvière HillDay 11 Lyon: a day to explore this fascinating city at leisureDay 12 Tournon/Tain l’Hermitage–Viviers: guided walk in Tournon; guided walk in Viviers, visit the Old Town and the cathedralDay 13 Avignon: guided sightseeing, visit Palace of the PopesDay 14 Arles: guided sightseeing in Arles, visit the Roman Amphitheatre; cruise into the Camargue region (daylight permitting)Day 15 Arles (Disembarkation): your vacation ends this morning

Notes

In the event of water level problems or any problems of a technical nature, it may be necessary to operate the itinerary by motorcoach or to alter the program.Included visits and special features are subject to change. If a change becomes necessary, a substitute will be offered.Please check visa requirements with your local consulate(s); responsibility for obtaining visas rests with the traveler.Departure April 30 will operate Paris on Day 2 instead of Day 7, thereby advancing by one day the remainder of the itinerary and Versailles will NOT be offered as it is closed on May 1st.

PRODUCT_LINE: AVALON-WPL0 430-2019