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France: Burgundy and Provence - European River Cruise Routes
Here is a typical itinerary for a river cruise on the Saône and Rhône emphasising Burgundy and Provence, i.e. southern France, in this case on the Princesse de Provence with Uniworld in 2005 (note: in 2006, Uniworld appear to be offering the same cruise as Trafalgar on the River Royale). Most of these cruises last around 7-9 days, and can be combined with a northern France cruise of a similar length. Viking also do southern France cruises, using the Viking Burgundy, Trafalgar use the River Royale.
When you check out the different tour aggregators' or agents' websites, you'll notice that many of them use the same copy, this is usually because they're taking it direct from the riverboat operator's brochure. In fact, I've noticed that even the different operators have very much the same information, so to some extent it's a case of read one, read 'em all:
Day 1 Sat Lyon
Arrive and transfer to the luxurious Princesse de Provence, conveniently docked near the center of the city. Time permitting, explore Lyon on your own before setting sail late afternoon. This evening, meet your fellow travelers at a welcome onboard dinner.
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Day 2 Sun Tournus – Beaune – Mâcon
This morning, relax as you cruise up the Saône River, past the vine-clad hills of the Beaujolais District. This afternoon’s excursion takes you through the sun-drenched vineyards, ancient cities, and tranquil villages of France’s romantic southern Burgundy wine region to Beaune, the former capital of Burgundy, and commercial center of the region’s wine trade. Visit the 15th century Hospices de Beaune, famous for its multicolored pattern-tiled roof and Great Hall, and enjoy lunch with wine tasting at a local winery before rejoining the ship in Chalon-sur- Saône for the cruise to Mâcon, a town renowned for its great wines.
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Day 3 Mon Mâcon - Trevoux
This morning, join a walking tour of Mâcon along the old paved streets of the “Heritage Trail,” highlighting Mâcon’s architectural wealth, witness of a long and rich history as one of France’s major commercial wine centers. This afternoon, consider our optional excursion to Perouges. This authentic Medieval city is considered a historical monument as it has been kept remarkably preserved since the 14th century. Rejoin the ship in Trevoux in time for dinner.
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Day 4 Tue Tournon - Ardèche
This morning, disembark in Tournon for an exciting excursion to the Ardèche Region onboard “The Mastrou,” a nostalgic steam train, built in 1900. This area is renown for its diverse and extraordinarily beautiful scenery, some of which is only accessible by this historical train - picturesque hill villages, the beautiful Doux Valley, spectacular river gorges, and the tempestuous Ardèche River itself. Rejoin the ship in time for lunch. The rest of the afternoon is spent cruising south on the beautiful Rhône River.
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Day 5 Wed Arles - Avignon
This morning we sail into Arles, the quintessence of Provence, and a treasure trove of Roman monuments. See the same sun-drenched vistas and ancient monuments that inspired Van Gogh and Cézanne. Local guides will lead you through the town where you will see the bustling market square and ancient Roman ruins. After lunch, travel through the Provencal countryside, visiting the sleepy town of St-Rémy-de-Provence, birthplace of the 16th century seer Nostradamus. Tunnels of shady plane trees, channels of cool running water, and beautiful old houses line the narrow streets of the old city center. Next, drive through the Alpilles and the “Heart of Provence,” to the fortress village of Les-Baux-de-Provence, perched high on a ridge that towers above the scenic Les Baux Valley with superb views of Arles, the Camargues and the Alpilles. There is time to admire the wellpreserved Renaissance facades before heading back to the ship. Leaving Arles, cruise through the famous vineyards and famous landscapes of Provence to Avignon.
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Day 6 Thu Avignon
Nestled in the lush hills of the Rhône Valley lies the Medieval walled city of Avignon. This morning city tour includes a visit to the impressive 14th century Gothic Palace of the Popes, which housed a succession of nine popes, from 1309 to 1417, the Cathedral and the famous Pont St. Benezet. The rest of the day is at leisure for you to further explore this beautiful city on your own.
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Day 7 Fri Vienne – Lyon
Relax on deck this morning as you cruise through the Côtes-du-Rhône wine region to Vienne. Disembark the ship and drive to the city of Lyon. Stop at Fourviere Hill to see Roman Lyon, and a splendid panorama of the Rhône and Saône rivers. We then visit Old Lyon lined with over 300 Medieval and Renaissance buildings. Later, rejoin the ship docked in Lyon for a farewell dinner onboard.
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Day 9 Sat Lyon
Transfer to Lyon airport for your flight home.
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As you can see, the descriptions are a bit florid, but they give a pretty fair idea of the kind of experiences you can expect.
OUR ADVICE: concentrate on the ship you want to travel on and the route you want to travel, rather than the tour aggregator (of course, there's also price!). Be sure to check out our "Things to watch for" page too!
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