French Escapade: Paris to the Riviera - Southbound 2020

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 on one of our most popular river cruises in France!

Overview

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

Highlights

    • If you’re dreaming of a France river cruise
    • come along with us on a French Escapade aboard ms Emerald along the rivers Rhône and Saône… and visit the 'City of Light' Paris
    • cultural Provence and the jet-setting city of Cannes on the Riviera along the way.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-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 on one of our most popular river cruises in France!

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Details

Itinerary focusOperator does not provide
Group sizeStandard Group - 25 + people
Age rangeNo age restrictions
Flights and transportN/A
Start City Paris, France
End CityCannes

Travel Themes

  • Small Ship Cruise

Destinations

  • Europe
  • France

Attractions

  • Avignon
  • Cannes
  • Lyon
  • Paris
  • Vienne

Activities

  • Culture

Trip includes

    • 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 All gratuities to ship staff, drivers, local guides, Tauck Directors and Tauck Cruise Director All private Tauck shore excursions – $3,850 Value 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 Tasting tour of local food shops in Chalon-sur-Saône

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Itinerary

Travel Map
Day 1 Arrive Paris

Tour begins: 6:30 PM,
InterContinental Paris Le Grand Hotel.

Day 2 Paris sightseeing and a choice of museum
Your day begins with an orientation tour to help you get your bearings and consider all the ways that you can enjoy the "City of Light" at your leisure and as you please for the rest of the day. The remainder of the day is free. We’ve included admission to your choice of...
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 Tastings in Chalon-sur-Saône & Rully
Chalon-sur-Sâone on the River Saône 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 Nicéphore Niépc...
Day 5 A day well spent in the south of Burgundy
With your riverboat docked in Tournus this morning, 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 w...
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 or a bike tour along 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. You have a choice today of exploring Arles' medieval streets and ...
Day 12 Disembark in Arles then on to Aix-en-Provence and Cannes
The France river cruise portion of your journey ends as you disembark ms Emerald in Arles, and bid farewell to the Captain and crew. Travel to lovely Aix-en-Provence; it's not hard to imagine great artists like Vincent van Gogh or Paul Cézanne at work amidst the spectrum...
Day 13 A day in the magic of Monte-Carlo
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 setter...
Day 14 Journey home

Tour ends: Cannes.
A transfer from Hotel Martinez to the Nice Côte d’Azur Airport, Nice Ville Train Station and Nice Riquier Train Station is included. Fly home anytime, but be sure to allow 3 hours for flight check-in at the airport. MEALS : B PORTOFCALL : Cannes, France

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Dates & Availability

Price From $6,990
Price per day$499
Last Updated: 2/17/2023

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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Jan 2023

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Skip this cruise - not worth it

My husband and I went on the Treasures of the Mediterranean Isles Trip jn October 2022. This was our third Tauck cruise with Ponnant but our first post covid and the...

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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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Age Requirements
No age restrictions
Additional Information
Trip ID
tauck-RPS2020

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