French Escapade: Paris to Monte-Carlo - Southbound 2018

14 days
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USTOA

River Cruise
Spend two glorious nights in Paris... then cruise from Lyon, along the Saône and Rhône rivers, through some of Europe's most beautiful wine lands and into Provence to Arles... explore Nice and glamorous Monte-Carlo on the Mediterranean... and enjoy a true taste of all things Français!

Overview

Trip type
River Cruise
Lodging level
Premium - 4 star
Physical level
Easy
Trip pace
Flexible schedule

Highlights

    • 9-night cruise of the Rhône and Saône wine country with vineyard visits and wine tastings; Provençal lunch & cowboy demonstration on a family-owned ranch in La Camargue; exclusive gala evening at the Duchy d'Uzès; tasting tour of local food shops in Chalon-sur-Saône; visits to Cluny Abbey
    • Palais des Papes
    • and Haras National de Cluny equestrian center; 2-night stays in Paris and Monaco
    • with choice of art museum visits in Paris and a farewell dinner at Fouquet's brasserie on the Champs-Élysées.

What's this trip about?

    Spend two glorious nights in Paris... then cruise from Lyon, along the Saône and Rhône rivers, through some of Europe's most beautiful wine lands and into Provence to Arles... explore Nice and glamorous Monte-Carlo on the Mediterranean... and enjoy a true taste of all things Français!

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Details

Itinerary focusClassic Highlights
Group sizeStandard Group - 25 + people
Age rangeNo age restrictions
Flights and transportN/A
Start CityParis, France
End CityMonte Carlo, Monaco

Travel Themes

  • 50 plus
  • Small Ship Cruise

Destinations

  • Europe
  • France
  • Monaco

Attractions

  • Avignon
  • Lyon
  • Paris
  • Vienne

Activities

  • Culture

Trip includes

    • Gratuities to ship staff, drivers, local guides, Tauck Directors and Tauck Cruise Director All private Tauck shore excursions - $4,236 Value! TAUCK EXCLUSIVE - Private gala evening at the recently restored Chateau of the medieval Duchy d'Uzès TAUCK EXCLUSIVE - La Camargue excursion to meet the family of a working farm for a Provençal lunch & a cowboy demonstration with prized black bulls Farewell dinner in Paris at the famous Fouquet's brasserie on the Champs-Élysées Exploration of the Rhône and Saône wine country with vineyard visits and wine tastings in Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Mercurey Tasting tour of local food shops in Chalon-sur-Saône Visits to historic Cluny Abbey, Avignon's Palais des Papes, and France's renowned Haras National de Cluny equestrian center Choice of art museum visits in Paris, including the Musée d'Orsay and the Musée Rodin Unlimited complimentary beverages aboard ship include regional wine, beer and premium spirits in addition to specialty coffee, water and soft drinks. Airport and train station transfers upon arrival and departure as noted 32 meals (13 breakfasts, 8 lunches, 11 dinners); select meals in local restaurants; service charges, taxes, porterage, and applicable fuel surcharges

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Itinerary

Day 1 Arrive Paris
Tour begins: 7:00 PM, InterContinental Paris Le Grand Hotel. A transfer is included from Charles de Gaulle Airport or the Gare de Lyon, Charles de Gaulle or Gare du Nord train stations to InterContinental Paris Le Grand Hotel. Join us tonight for a welcome cocktail recep...
Day 2 Paris sightseeing and a choice of museum
Ernest Hemingway called Paris a "moveable feast," and that's how you'll see it this morning as we drive you past its iconic landmark sights. You will have a choice of museum visits as well, choosing to visit the Musée du Louvre, Musée National de l'Orangerie in the Tuile...
Day 3 A high-speed TGV train to Lyon... and your river cruise begins!
A free morning in Paris gives you an opportunity to do those last few things that will make your time in Paris memorable. Say au revoir to one of the world's great cities as you board the high-speed TGV train to Lyon, home to a bounty of wines produced by local vineyards...
Day 4 Food and wine in Chalon-sur-Saône and Mercurey
Get ready to see picture-perfect sights today not just because this Burgundy town is known as the birthplace of photography, thanks to native son Nicéphore Niépce, but because Chalon-sur-Saône is also home to striking Romanesque churches, quaint half-timbered houses and ...
Day 5 A day well spent in the south of Burgundy
Huddled below one of the most beautiful Romanesque churches in all of Europe on the banks of the river Saône, Tournus is also the perfect place to anchor our riverboat for a drive through the landscapes of southern Burgundy to the 17th-century Château de Cormatin. A nobl...
Day 6 Mâcon & Cluny - Horses, an abbey & more
Your riverboat arrives in Mâcon on the Saône 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 peri...
Day 7 Spend the day in Lyon, culinary capital of France
Ahh, Lyon. If you're a serious foodie, Lyon is the place for you! Regarded as the culinary capital of France, there are more restaurants here per capita than anywhere else in the country. But of course there is more to this 2,000 year-old city, a UNESCO World Heritage Si...
Day 8 Roman Vienne and cruising the Rhône
It seems that the Romans were everywhere along the Rhône, and Vienne (which they called "Vienna" in their day) was no exception. During your time on a walking tour here this morning, look for the theatre and temple they left behind, as well as other sights straight out o...
Day 9 Avignon & a gala dinner in Uzès
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 v...
Day 10 Avignon, Saint-Remy & Châteauneuf-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...
Day 11 Arles and a trip to a working farm 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 - still hosts performances and bullfights today. Explore Arles' me...
Day 12 Disembark in Arles and travel to Nice and Monte-Carlo
Upon disembarking ms Emerald in Arles, travel to Nice; explore the city on a walking tour followed by some free time to spend as you wish. Continue to Monte-Carlo for two nights at the Fairmont Monte Carlo, where guests in Category 7 suites on the riverboat will enjoy Sea View rooms; have lunch and dinner on your own today. MEALS : B LODGING : Fairmont Monte Carlo PORTOFCALL : Nice, France

Day 13 A day in the magic of Monte-Carlo and a roof-top farewell dinner
Few places are as sophisticated as Monte-Carlo, a favorite playground for jet setters and celebrities from around the world. Here mega-yachts anchor in the harbor, an amazing fleet of cars... think Porsches, Lamborghinis and Ferraris à la James Bond... park in front of t...
Day 14 Journey home
Tour ends: Monte-Carlo. Fly home anytime. A transfer from the Fairmont Monte Carlo to Nice Côte d'Azur Airport, the Nice Ville Train Station (TGV) or the Nice Riquier Train Station is included; allow a minimum of 3 hours for flight check-in. MEALS : B PORTOFCALL : Monte Carlo, Monaco

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Dates & Availability

Price From $6,590
Price per day$471
Last Updated: 8/16/2018

Check Current Availability, prices, specials with Tauck.

The total tour cost includes the tour price (regular or promotional) and the compulsory local payment. The promotional price is subject to change. Check directly with the operator for the latest price offer. The tour operator requires you to pay only the tour price to purchase your travel. The compulsory local payment will be paid when you join the trip. All prices are based on double, twin or triple share occupancy. Solo passengers will be accommodated in a double, twin or triple room according to availability with a passenger(s) of the same gender. Single supplement only needs to be paid if the passenger does not want to share and requests their own room. Discounts can only be applied at the time of booking and cannot be added at a later date, regardless of any changes made to the original booking.

Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.

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It's easy to see the world's sights. To stand in long lines, push through the crowds, and generally have the same standard-issue vacation as everyone else. But that's not good enough for us, and it's not good enough for you. We believe that travel should be easy. It should be fun. It should be worth your time and the price you paid. It should re-energize and transform. And above all else, it should be beyond the ordinary. Because how you see the world matters.

In 1882, Herman Tauck arrived in New York City from Germany in search of the American dream. His determination and values were passed on to his son, Arthur Tauck, who would realize that dream. With ingenuity and an innovative spirit, Arthur started Tauck Motor Tours, a travel company that would give birth to a new industry. The first tour, through the back roads of New England, was created by this 27-year-old in 1925. It embodied the same successful formula used by Tauck today: do the right thing. Craft a life-enriching travel experience; provide it at a single all-inclusive price; ensure there is great value for money; and rely on recommendations of satisfied customers to build a following and grow the business.

Two elements that did change over the next 90+ years – and three generations of Taucks – were the scope of destinations served and the variety of modes of travel used. Today Tauck delivers life-enriching travel experiences to every corner of the globe, incorporating small cruise ships, premium riverboats, trains, helicopters and more. What started as a New England motor coach tour company has truly evolved into an extraordinary global travel company. The fourth generation of Taucks is now involved in the company. While remarkable in any business, this seamless continuity across generations speaks to shared vision and values.

Throughout its history, the concept of “family” at Tauck has gone far beyond those sharing the surname to include hundreds of valued employees, and hundreds of thousands of loyal guests. The story of Tauck is the story of a unique American family company celebrating a passion for travel – a story that will continue to inspire generations to come.

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Logistics

Accommodation

Ship & cabin information
MS EMERALD
MS EMERALD Of the five 361-foot (110-meter) riverboats in Tauck's Destination Fleet, this newly redesigned riverboat debuts in 2017 with a new deck plan optimized for the utmost in spaciousness – with 70% of her cabins measuring 225 square feet or larger – and accommodating no more than 98 guests, while similar-sized riverboats average about 160. Guest amenities inside her 14 lush 300-square-foot Tauck Suites include brocade upholstery, roomy walk-in closets with built-in drawers, spacious marble baths with full-size tubs, and two French balconies with floor-to-ceiling windows that open to idyllic riverscapes. She also sports twenty roomy 225-square-foot cabins, four 183-square-foot cabins and one 182 square-foot cabin, similarly furnished. Eight 150-square-foot cabins are cozy and comfortable, and are similar in décor and style to our larger suites. 85% have floor-to-ceiling windows with real French balconies that open on to a balcony in the fresh air; all have in-room movies, minibar, adjustable heating and cooling, private bathroom and shower with pampering toiletries. In addition to our main dining room, The Compass Rose, the ship also features Arthur's, a second dining venue offering casual fare
MS EMERALD
Travel Insurance
We strongly recommend purchasing travel insurance alongside your travel package to safeguard against unforeseen circumstances such as medical expenses, trip cancellations, and other contingencies. It offers you peace of mind and ensures you are prepared for unexpected events that may occur before or during your journey
Visa requirements
Visa requirements vary depending on your country of origin and your country of destination. It is your responsibility to familiarize yourself with the relevant requirements. For a handy tool that can help you quickly find the requirements, please visit this link .
Age Requirements
No age restrictions
Additional Information
Trip ID
tauck-RPS2018

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