From Cannes on the Mediterranean, travel to Arles... cruise the Rhone and then the Saone rivers through Provence and into rich wine lands... and on to Lyon... and then overland to the magical city of Paris. Enjoy a true taste of all things Français on one of our most popular river cruises in France!
On one of the most enjoyable river cruises in France, journey from the jet-setting capital of Cannes on the Riviera into Provence to Arles to board ms
Emerald for a cruise along the Rhone River to Lyon and then along the Saone. Travel into the countryside past vineyards where some of the world's best grapes become some of the world's best wines, stopping to taste some of them. Discover river towns with Roman roots and lingering traces of medieval magic in their streets, experience the cowboy traditions and cuisine of La Camargue, and sample the pleasures of regional cuisine and wine throughout your trip. Explore a palace fit for a pope and an abbey that was once one of the most powerful in Europe. You'll find something new, something wonderful every day. And during two nights in Paris, you'll dine at chic Fouquet's on the Champs-Elysees!
On one of the most enjoyable river cruises in France, journey from the jet-setting capital of Cannes on the Riviera into Provence to Arles to board ms
Emerald for a cruise along the Rhone River to Lyon and then along the Saone. Travel into the countryside past vineyards where some of the world's best grapes become some of the world's best wines, stopping to taste some of them. Discover river towns with Roman roots and lingering traces of medieval magic in their streets, experience the cowboy traditions and cuisine of La Camargue, and sample the pleasures of regional cuisine and wine throughout your trip. Explore a palace fit for a pope and an abbey that was once one of the most powerful in Europe. You'll find something new, something wonderful every day. And during two nights in Paris, you'll dine at chic Fouquet's on the Champs-Elysees!
Traveling Well Includes: TAUCK EXCLUSIVE - Private gala evening at the recently restored Chateau of the medieval Duchy d'Uz?s TAUCK EXCLUSIVE - La Camargue excursion to meet the family of a working farm for a Proven?al lunch & a cowboy demonstration with prized black bulls All gratuities to ship staff, drivers, local guides, Tauck Directors and Tauck Cruise Director All private Tauck shore excursions - $6,040 Value Farewell dinner in Paris at the famous Fouquet's brasserie on the Champs-elysees Exploration of the Rhone and Saone wine country with vineyard visits and wine tastings Day 1 - Arrive in Cannes
Tour begins: 6:30 PM, Hotel Martinez. A transfer is included from the Nice Cote d'Azur International Airport, and Cannes Train Stationto Hotel Martinez. Join us for a cocktail reception and dinner in the Mediterranean playground of Cannes.
Lodging: Hotel Martinez
Meals: D
Day 2 - Choice of Nice and Monte-Carlo or Grasse and St. Paul de Vence
Explore the south of France on a choice of sightseeing excursions today. Your first choice is an excursion that includes walking tours of Nice and Monte-Carlo plus a famed drive... mega-yachts from around the world bobbing in the bay… the rich, the famous, the jet setters… a casino world-renowned for its glamour… a real-life royal fairy-tale romance… it's all part of Nice and Monte-Carlo's magic spell... Alternatively, journey to the hills above Cannes for a visit to Grasse, one of the world's premiere centers for the perfume industry, and a visit to the picturesque walled town of Saint Paul de Vence, a Provençal hilltop town that was built in the 13th century, for a walking tour – you'll be taken with its medieval look and easily understand why it became an artists' enclave. Return to Cannes late afternoon for the evening.
Lodging: Hotel Martinez
Meals: B
Day 3 - Aix-en-Provence & embark ship in Arles
Travel to lovely Aix-en-Provence; it's not hard to imagine great artists like Vincent van Gogh or Paul Cezanne at work amidst the spectrum of colors found in Provence as you view Mont Ste-Victoire and join your local guide for a walking tour among the fountains, squares and medieval center. Early afternoon, travel to Arles, where you'll board ms Emerald and begin one of Tauck's most popular river cruises in France along the Rhone and the Saone. The crew welcomes you aboard with a reception followed by dinner this evening.
Lodging: ms Emerald
Meals: B, D
Day 4 - Discover van Gogh's Arles and meet the cowboys in the Camargue
It may seem strange to encounter Roman ruins in Provence but Arles was, after all, once a Roman city; while the gladiators are gone, the arena they left behind – just one of the town's many Roman remnants. You have a choice today of exploring Arles' medieval streets and city walls on a walking tour, or embarking on a challenging, 2-hour bicycling excursion across the countryside surrounding Arles (which van Gogh found so enchanting).Lunch today is a real treat, as you visit a private ranch in La Camargue for a private banquet of farm-grown Provençal specialties, a musical serenade, and a chance to see the region's iconic white horses, fleet-footed
gardians (cowboys) and famous black bulls.
Lodging: ms Emerald
Meals: B, L, D
Day 5 - Avignon & a gala dinner in Uz?s
The fortified city of Avignon was probably a much more peaceful place before Rome became inconvenient for the popes who moved the papacy here about 700 years ago. Although they stayed for less than a century, they kept busy during those years... as you'll see on your visit to the impressive Palais des Papes that they built for themselves during this morning's sightseeing in this key medieval city. After a free afternoon aboard ship, travel to the Duchy d'Uzès – a medieval city dating back to the 11th century, often called the First Duchy of France, that forms the heart of the town of Uzès – for a guided visit followed by a cocktail reception and a Tauck Exclusive gala dinner at the recently restored Chateau.
Lodging: ms Emerald
Meals: B, L, D
Day 6 - St. Remy & Chateauneuf du Pape
With your riverboat docked in Avignon for the morning, you can spend more time exploring the medieval city or take a morning excursion to Saint-Remy-de-Provence – home to the ruins of the Roman city of Glanum, as well as the Saint-Paul Asylum where Vincent van Gogh was a patient. After returning to the ship for lunch onboard, head out again for an afternoon wine tasting at one of the select vineyards permitted to produce Chateauneuf-du-Pape – literally the New Castle of the Pope – the most famous of the Cotes du Rhone wines; your host reveals secrets of the terroir as you sample estate-crafted red and white wines from a region that's been producing wine for more than 2,500 years! Catch up with the riverboat in Chateauneuf-du-Pape and spend the evening onboard.
Lodging: ms Emerald
Meals: B, L, D
Day 7 - Explore the vineyards of Tain L'Hermitage
Arrive this morning in Tain L'Hermitage, deep in the heart of Cote du Rhone wine country, where you'll have a choice of two sightseeing excursions this morning. Visit a local orchard (with tastings), take a mini-train through the Tain L'Hermitage heritage vineyards. Or, go on a fascinating 2.5 mile hike through the heritage vineyards of Tain L'Hermitage where you'll learn about the history of the region's wine. Reboard the riverboat midday and spend the remainder of the day cruising to Macon.
Lodging: ms Emerald
Meals: B, L, D
Day 8 - Macon & Cluny
Your riverboat arrives in Macon on the Saone River this morning, for exploration in Cluny. During the reign of Charlemagne (742 - 814), monastic influences inspired a great revival in art, education and culture; today you'll visit one of the great monasteries of the period when you tour the great Benedictine Abbey of Cluny. Founded in 910, it was at the center of this major monastic reform movement and was also the largest Christian building in the world until the construction of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. After some free time to explore Cluny on your own, reboard your riverboat and cruise to Chalon-sur-Saone.
Lodging: ms Emerald
Meals: B, L, D
Day 9 - Chalon-sur-Saone and beyond
Chalon-sur-Saone on the River Saone lies in the heart of southern Burgundy. Although its history dates back to the time of Charlemagne, it has another significant claim to fame – this is considered the birthplace of photography. So you have local inventor Nicephore Niepce, who started it all with several photographic firsts right here in the 1820s, to thank for the great photos of the town's Romanesque churches and other monuments. Visit the walled city of Beaune – the wine capital of the famous Burgundy wine-producing region, and one of France's most important wine centers. A walking tour includes a visit to Hospices de Beaune or Hotel-Dieu de Beaune, considered one of the best-preserved examples of 15th-century French architecture; you may also see the old market (les Halles), the Beffroi (clock tower), parts of the medieval walls and ramparts, and more. This afternoon you have a choice of wine tasting in Burgundy or a walking tour (and tasting tour) of Chalon-sur-Saone, including a stop at the bakery, the chocolate shop and a mustard shop.
Lodging: ms Emerald
Meals: B, L, D
Day 10 - Tournus & a day in beautiful Burgundy
After cruising the Saone overnight, ms Emerald calls on Tournus this morning, from which you'll head out to explore the beautiful wine producing region of southern Burgundy, where history lies around every corner (this was a major crossroads during Roman times), and vineyards are everywhere. Picture in your mind what a typical French vineyard looks like... and then view the most amazing landscape that surrounds you for miles and miles. Vineyards, gently rolling hills, orchards, red-tiled farmhouses, medieval cathedrals, the occasional village to stop in... and historic country estates like the 17th-century Chateau de Cormatin, which you'll explore on a visit today. With its moat, drawbridge, turrets, gilded rooms and parklike grounds – including the mazes and fountains of its completely restored pleasure garden that's now among the finest in France – this classic Burgundy chateau takes you back through the centuries. Return to the riverboat in Tournus for lunch, and continue your cruise this afternoon and evening to France's culinary capital, Lyon.
Lodging: ms Emerald
Meals: B, L, D
Day 11 - A day in Lyon, where food is king
Ahh, Lyon. If you're a serious foodie, Lyon is the place for you! But of course there is more to this 2,000 year-old city, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, than food. Your day includes getting a panoramic view of Lyon from the hilltop district of Fouvière; a visit tothe stunning Basilica of Notre-Dame-de-Fourvière – built in the 1870s on the hill that prays, it features exquisite marble work, stained glass windows, colorful mosaics and gilt galore; a tour of medieval Vieux Lyon; and a free afternoon to explore more of the city as you please. As your riverboat spends the night docked in Lyon, join us aboard ship for our farewell reception followed by dinner and onboard entertainment.
Lodging: ms Emerald
Meals: B, L, D
Day 12 - Disembark in Lyon & on to Paris via TGV
As all river cruises in France must, the cruise portion of your vacation ends today as you disembark in Lyon and bid a fond farewell to ms Emerald. Board the TGV (a high-speed train) for two nights in the capital city of Paris. Whether you explore on- or off-the-beaten-path, you'll find yourself navigating the city's arrondissements (districts), beginning with the geographical center and spiraling outwards in a clockwise direction. A panoramic city tour upon arrival shows you landmark icons and the grand boulevards. The remainder of the day and evening are free to spend as you please in one of the world's favorite cities; there are boulevards to stroll, pastries to sample, sidewalk cafes to enjoy, wines to savor and French fare to try that tempts every palate.
Lodging: InterContinental Paris Le Grand
Meals: B
Day 13 - A choice of museum visit & dinner at Fouquet's
Ernest Hemingway called Paris a moveable feast – and even if you've been here many times, today might be the day that you discover something about the city that you didn't know before. The day is free to explore and enjoy as you please. We've included admission to your choice of one the city's finest museums (subject to availability). Tonight, join us for a memorable farewell dinner at chic Fouquet's, the quintessential Paris brasserie on the Champs-Elysees; elegance and classic cuisine have made it a celebrity favorite for more than a century.
Lodging: InterContinental Paris Le Grand
Meals: B, D
Day 14 - Journey home
Tour ends: 8:00 AM Paris. Fly home anytime. A transfer from InterContinental Paris Le Grand Hotel to Charles de Gaulle Airport, Gare de Lyon Station, Charles de Gaulle Station and Gare du Nordis included. Please allow a minimum of three hours for flight check-in. We wish you a safe and pleasant journey home.
Lodging:
Meals: B
