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Join Australian of the year and Tauck’s Ambassador, Ita Buttrose on a 10 day Tauck River Cruise along the Rhône from Paris through French vinyard country to Lyon. Departing 11May14, with fares from US$5,875.
- 11985
- Ocean
- 01 Jan 00
- Europe
- 01 Jan 70
- 11Jan70
- 10 nights
- Tauck Cruising
- Cruise Only
-
Important Terms
- * This product is priced in USD (USD), AUD rates can fluctuate depending on exchange rates, final rates in AUD will be confirmed by your consultant at time of booking.
- Prices shown are fully inclusive of taxes unless otherwise stated.
- Advertised price includes any bonus nights, special offers or discounts listed in the inclusions.
- Surcharges may apply due to demand, Christmas & New Year's Eve, school or public holidays, trade shows, special events & other unforeseen circumstances.
- Prices may be based on Dynamic Rates and as such, may fluctuate at anytime without notice, due to matters outside our control, such as adverse currency fluctuations, fuel surcharges, taxes and airfare increases, or at the property's discretion.
Itinerary
Day 1 Bonjour, Paris
Meals : Dinner
Your cruise begins at Hotel du Collectionneur Arc de Triomphe Paris at 6:00 PM. A transfer is included from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport or the Gare de Lyon, Gare du Nord or Charles de Gaulle station to Hotel du Collectionneur Arc de Triomphe Paris, located within walking distance to the Champs Élysées. Join Tauck tonight for a welcome reception and dinner at Fouquet’s, since 1908 a Paris icon; the brasserie has long been known as a favourite of celebrities. After dinner, the pleasures continue with an Illuminations Tour of Paris, providing glittery views of the city’s nighttime lights and a beguiling ending to your first day in Paris.
Lodging: The Hotel du Collectionneur Arc de Triomphe Paris
Day 2 A day of pleasures in Paris… a city filled with stories
Meals: Breakfast
From the grand boulevards and manicured gardens of the Right Bank to the artsy Left Bank, favourite haunt of writers, dreamers and musicians, Parisian neighbourhoods reflect the true essence of the city. Choose between a city orientation tour or a walking tour of Le Marais, with its stately mansions, half-timbered houses, covered passageways, and narrow cobbled streets, including Victor Hugo’s home, the Place des Vosges, Village Saint-Paul and la rue des Roisers, Paris’ medieval Jewish quarter. Then, Paris is yours to experience in whatever way pleases you for the rest of the day and evening. Perhaps you’ll visit one of the city’s lesser-known museums… a little jewel of a church tucked away on a quiet side street… or an agreeable sidewalk café for some Parisian-watching.
Lodging: The Hotel du Collectionneur Arc de Triomphe Paris
Day 3 Take the fast train to Lyon & embark your riverboat
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
After a morning at leisure in Paris, travel first class to Lyon on the high-speed TGV train. With a 2,000-year-old history, Lyon grew up at the confluence of the Rhône and Saône Rivers; today it is France’s third largest city with a heritage of Roman ruins and Renaissance-era architecture. Known historically for its prominent silk industry, the city’s reputation today is as the gastronomic capital of France, a center of youthful design and futuristic architecture. You’ll board your floating hotel ms Swiss Emerald in Lyon, then join the Captain for a welcome reception and dinner to celebrate the start of your cruise in festive fashion.
Lodging: ms Swiss Emerald
Day 4 Lyon, old and new… a tasting lunch and a Beaujolais wine tasting
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Lyon is considered the “culinary capital of France” – quite a compliment in a country famed for its cuisine and fine vintages. Today includes a tasting lunch at the Les Halles de Lyon, the celebrated indoor food market that’s been a fixture in Lyon since 1850 and offers an unbelievable array of breads, cheeses, fresh fruits and vegetables, sausages, wines, chocolates and more. Everything is fresh and delicious, and it’s said that the best chefs in Lyon shop here; you’ll enjoy tastings of various goodies paired with appropriate wines! But Lyon is also a city with a venerable history and considerable charm, as you’ll discover when you visit Vieux Lyon, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the first protected historic district in France. Sightseeing also includes the Basilica of Notre-Dame-de-Fourvière, built atop the ruins of an ancient Roman forum. Then it’s off to the celebrated wine-growing region of Beaujolais for a tasting in the countryside before continuing your cruise to Viviers.
Lodging: ms Swiss Emerald
Day 5 An afternoon in ancient Viviers and an introduction to pétanque
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
The riverboat cruises this morning to Viviers, a walled city with origins in the 5th century on the right bank of the Rhône. Navigate its narrow streets on a walking tour with your local guide, viewing the 12th-century Cathedral of Notre Dame de Rhône and the richly detailed façade of the Maison des Chevaliers, home to an upwardly mobile salt merchant in the 1500s. Then learn to play the popular outdoor game of pétanque; akin to playing a game of horseshoes, it’s a pastime meant to be shared with friends. Spend the rest of the day and evening cruising as ms Swiss Emerald continues on to Arles in Provence.
Lodging: ms Swiss Emerald
Day 6 Provençal “impressions” in Arles and on to Avignon
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
It may seem that the Romans were everywhere along the Rhône, and Arles is no exception, as is witnessed by the triumphal arch, circus and baths they left behind – and an arena in which gladiators fought and is still a venue for performances and bullfights today – as you explore the city on a sightseeing tour and time on your own. Look beyond the city walls at the incredible quality of the light here that so enraptured Vincent van Gogh – and the landscapes of yellow rocks, red soil and lilac mountains that inspired in the Dutch artist a newfound creativity, and led to one of the most productive periods of his short life. This afternoon, ms Swiss Emerald heads for Avignon; upon arrival this evening, you’ll have a chance to take a stroll through this well-preserved medieval city.
Lodging: ms Swiss Emerald
Day 7 The many charms of Avignon & a festive evening at the Pont du Gard
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Although the fortified city of Avignon was undoubtedly a pleasant place before they arrived, the 13th-century popes, who spent less than a century here when Rome became “tedious” for them, really put it on the map, and cultivated the local wine industry (Châteauneuf-du-Pape). Sightseeing today includes the Palais des Papes, the vast, fortress-like palace that they built for themselves during that time. After discovering more of Avignon on your own during leisure time this afternoon, visit the Pont du Gard – a famous Roman aqueduct over the River Gardon. This evening, this engineering marvel becomes the amazing backdrop for a special treat for Tauck guests only…then join Tauck for an outdoor reception and dinner (weather permitting) featuring Provençal wine and entertainment.
Lodging: ms Swiss Emerald
Day 8 Discover the amazing colours of Roussillon plus a wine tasting in Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Meals Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
This most extraordinary of France cruises takes you into the Luberon region of Provence, welcomed by trees sculpted by the mistral wind, ancient vines, narrow winding roads and tidy stone structures. Here, the village of Roussillon, with its lovely central square, seems to have evaded time itself. Surrounded by richly colored cliffs and quarries blazing against the azure sky, the town sits in the middle of one of the world’s largest deposits of ochre… reflected in the façades of its buildings, their subtle colours offset with brightly painted shutters. Follow a walking path to the old quarry for insights on why the town’s livelihood was once intertwined with this colourful natural pigment. After lunch on board, head to the hillside village of Châteauneuf-du-Pape – once encircled by a wall that included the château built by the popes of Avignon as a summer palace, and home to flourishing vineyards as early as the 13th century – known for growing and producing wine of the same appellation; enjoy a tasting before returning to the riverboat.
Lodging: ms Swiss Emerald
Day 9 Savoury delights in Tournon-sur-Rhône & a cooking presentation in Valence
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Tournon-sur-Rhône is a perfect spot to start the final day of your Rhône cruise with a guided walking tour; wind your way up to high ground and admire the views of lush Côtes du Rhône vineyards and dramatic river vistas of this medieval town. Across the river, visit the home of Valhrona Chocolates (subject to Monday closings), respected for quality around the world, for a tasting. Then journey to Valence – a major hub for fresh Rhône Valley produce and home to some of France’s finest culinary artists – for an education in epicurean delights. Attend a presentation and wine and cheese tasting at a cooking school in town associated with an award-winning restaurant; learn how seasonal ingredients, contrasting flavors and time-tested techniques can combine to create mouth-watering local specialties. Celebrate one of Tauck’s most remarkable France cruises with the Captain’s farewell reception and dinner aboard ship.
Lodging: ms Swiss Emerald
Day 10 Your Rhone River cruise comes to a close
Meals: Breakfast
Your Rhone River cruise Ends: Lyon. Disembark ms Swiss Emerald in Lyon by 9:00 AM, then fly home anytime. A transfer from the riverboat to Lyon Airport or Perrache or Part Dieu train station is included; please allow 3 hours for flight check-in at the airport.
Cruise Line
Tauck Cruising
Go beyond the ordinary and experience cruise travel at its best with Tauck. What makes Tauck’s Small Ship Cruising and River Cruising unique is the focus on the destination. Each scenic ports of call connect you with people and places, which will give you a moving, compelling and heart-warming experience both onboard and ashore.
Time ashore is enriched by in-depth cultural exploration and insider access that ensures up-close-and-personal connections with the locals and daily life. Tauck’s cruise travel adventures include guided sightseeing with local experts such as naturalists, historians, and accomplished lecturers. You’ll dine on regional cuisine on land at aboard ship that showcases specialties of the destination. After a day of extraordinary sightseeing, Tauck welcome you back onboard the hand-picked vessels for warm camaraderie and lively conversation that’s inherent on every Tauck cruise travel experience. The stories are endless, the memories are timeless and the connections priceless.
You can expect to see the sights a bit differently than you would with anyone else. Tauck explores Europe’s great waterways from the Rhine and the Danube to the Rhône and the Seine in France. Their luxurious riverboats are spacious and comfortable, welcoming you to an onboard experience characterized by the Tauck. Discover river cruises that go beyond the ordinary!
Tauck Voted World’s Best River Cruise Line
For the second time in three years, Tauck has been named the “World’s Best River Cruise Line" by the readers of Travel + Leisure, one of the world’s most authoritative and respected publications for travellers. The World’s Best Awards from Travel + Leisure are selected by the magazine’s readers. Every year, T+L holds a survey for readers to fill out on their main website. The survey remains open until April.
Winners are announced in the August/September issues of Travel + Leisure. These awards are given in categories such as hotels, resorts, spas, cruises, airlines, travel companies, tour operators, cities, islands, family travel, and more.
River Cruising
The heart of history meets the art of sophisticated river cruise travel aboard Tauck’s river cruises. Experience the Tauck difference on cruise travel days along great European waterways from the Rhine to the Danube, from the canals of the Netherlands to the Rhône, from the Main to the Danube and the Moselle…
You’ll cruise aboard spacious riverboats that have been custom designed to meet American standards with well appointed outside facing cabins and suites, a choice of on-board dining venues, complimentary wine with dinner, fitness centers and attentive personal service from Tauck’s staff and the ship’s crew.
Ancient civilizations beckon on cruise travel days along the River Nile in Egypt and China’s Yangtze River on Tauck’s Exotic journeys, where 3- and 4-night river cruise travel enhances land journeys.
Small Ship Cruising
The difference in Tauck’s small ship cruise travel lies in the choreography of the total cruise travel experience – the combination of personalized cruising with cultural land exploration. How you spend your days ashore – where you go, what you do, who you meet – that’s the Tauck difference. From the moment you step ashore, with 85 years of expertise on land ensures that on every cruise travel day, every moment of your shore excursions (all included in the price) count! Smaller ships hold fewer passengers, which means more personal attention from the captain and the crew – you’ll find the on-board atmosphere to be both club-like and comfortable. The pace is more relaxed, the conversations are richer, and the day-to-day experiences are shared with like-minded travelers.
