2023 Season

Grand France with 3 Nights in Venice & 3 Nights in Rome for Wine Lovers (Northbound)

cruise: WLP4-T2
21 Day River Cruise Port-Saint-Louis to Rome
What better place to explore the best in French wines than in France itself? Cruise from Provence to Paris, beginning with the lovely town of Arles. Relax in the Van Gogh café for a glass of wine in the setting that inspired the artist. In Avignon, visit the Palace of the Popes and take an excursion to tour Châteauneuf du Pape. Cruise to beautiful Viviers and medieval Tournon, nestled among the vineyards, for a wine-and-chocolate tasting or a walk through the vineyards. Visit Lyon, the gastronomic capital of France. Enjoy an onboard wine-and-cheese tasting, and cruise to Mâcon for an excursion to a Chardonnay wine cellar. Disembark your ship in St. Jean de Losne, transfer to Beaune and catch a high-speed train to Paris. Enjoy a full day in the “City of Light” with guided sightseeing of the iconic landmarks and free time to stroll.

Cruise on the Seine River to Conflans. Choose a guided tour of Vincent Van Gogh’s home or the opulent Château de Malmaison—Napoléon and Josephine’s lavish home. In Rouen, take a guided sightseeing tour in the city of Joan of Arc. From Caudebec, join an excursion to Normandy with your choice of a “Taste of Normandy” excursion in the pastoral landscapes, or a tour of the WWII landing beaches and Allied monuments and cemeteries. A moving experience to be sure. Enjoy crepes and pastry while sailing to Vernon to visit Monet’s home and gardens, so beautifully captured in his impressionist paintings. Your cruise concludes in Paris, where you’ll board a flight to Venice, Italy, to begin Monograms® vacation. Spend three nights in Venice and three nights in Rome, including guided sightseeing, superior accommodations, and plenty of free time to explore as you please. Your Monograms Local Host® is on hand to assist you throughout your stay in Venice and Rome.

cruise

at-a-glance

Day 1 Port St. Louis (Embarkation): Onboard welcome reception

Day 2 Arles: Choice of guided sightseeing, visit the Roman Amphitheatre, or painting workshop, or walk with your Adventure Host; onboard lecture about wine

Day 3 Avignon: Guided sightseeing, visit the Palace of the Popes; guided tour to Châteauneuf du Pape

Day 4 Viviers: Guided walk, visit Old Town and the cathedral or walk with your Adventure Host; onboard food and wine pairing dinner

Day 5 Tournon–Vienne: Choice of guided walk in Tournon or bike with your Adventure Host; onboard chocolate and wine tasting; choice of guided walk in Vienne or hike with your Adventure Host

Day 6 Lyon: Guided sightseeing, picture stop on Fourvière Hill; guided tour to Beaujolais

Day 7 Tournus–St. Jean de Losne: Chardonnay excursion; Onboard cheese and wine tasting

Day 8 St. Jean de Losne (Disembarkation)–Beaune–Dijon–Paris (Embarkation): Visit the Hôtel-Dieu in Beaune; TGV train from Dijon to Paris; onboard welcome reception

Day 9 Vernon–Les Andelys: Choice of excursions to Giverny or Bizy Castle or walk with your Adventure Host; choice of guided walk or guided hike in Les Andelys; onboard crêpes tasting and Pastry Demonstration

Day 10 Caudebec: Choice of excursion along the “Normandy Abbeys Route” or bike with your Adventure Host

Day 11 Caudebec: Full-day excursions to Normandy landing beaches or “A Taste of Normandy” excursion

Day 12 Rouen: Choice of guided walk, see the Astronomical Clock and visit the cathedral or bike tour

Day 13 Conflans: Choice of guided excursions to Auvers-sur-Oise or Napoleon and Josephine’s Château de Malmaison or bike with your Adventure Host

Day 14 Paris: Choice of guided sightseeing or historic sights on “Heart of Paris” walking tour or walk with your Adventure Host

Day 15 Paris–Venice, Italy: Flight to Venice

Day 16 Venice: Guided sightseeing, visit St. Mark's Square and Basilica, Doges' Palace and the Bridge of Sighs

Day 17 Venice: Full day at leisure

Day 18 Venice–Rome: Travel by high-speed train (first Class) to Rome

Day 19 Rome: Guided sightseeing, visit St Peter's Square and Basilica, Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, Colosseum, Roman Forum (if your sightseeing falls on Wednesday or Sunday when the Vatican Museums are closed, your alternate tour will include inside visits of the Pantheon, Colosseum and Roman Forum)

Day 20 Rome: Full day at leisure

Day 21 Rome: Your vacation ends this morning
Avalon Choice

Avalon has designed included activities with a choice of experiences. We invite you to select the tours, activities, and events that interest you most, so you can experience your cruise your way. Plus, we offer independent exploration options and the use of our exclusive AvalonGO APP on most of our cruises. 

Below are 3 types of included shore excursions for you to experience.

notes

  • In the event of technical or water level issues, it may be necessary to operate the itinerary by motorcoach or alter the program, including hotel overnight when necessary.
  • Guided Tours, Optional Excursions, activities, sailing and docking schedules may be contingent on weather conditions or other issues outside of our control and could therefore be subject to change at any time.
  • Please check visa requirements with your local consulate(s); responsibility for obtaining visas rests with the traveler.
The “Starting at” or listed price is based on the lowest price available to book. Price is per person based on twin occupancy and any applicable port charges, non-commissionable taxes and fees, gratuities  and intra-vacation flight are included in the price shown.   International airfare, however, is not included. If price is crossed out, the new price shown includes a limited time promotional offer(s). Please review current promotions or deals for additional information.