Rhone/Saone Rivers

Wine, beautiful wine! This is the perfect river cruise for you if you enjoy the fruit of the vine. These journeys pass through the famous vineyards of  Provence and Burgundy which are two of France’s top wine-making regions..

The Journey: The Rhone flows from  Switzerland into France,and ends in the Mediterranean near Arles on the Cote d’Azur ( the French Riviera). The Saone River begins in France and the rivers merge at Lyon, where the Saone becomes the Rhone.
The main itinerary is a seven-night cruise from either  Lyon or Chalon-sur-Saone, to Arles or nearby Avignon, or the reverse.
Many river boat cruises will add on a land tour option which includes a stay in Paris, the City of Light! A few days in Paris either pre or post river boat cruise is a great opportunity to visit or re-visit one of the world’s great cities. It’ll give you time to have a taste of the highlights, including the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, the Champs Elysees and the Arc de Triomphe.
Cruises usually stop at Beaune, the wine capital of Burgundy, Vienne, where you can visit the remains of a 14,000-seat amphitheatre and a temple built in 25 BC in honour of the Roman Emperor Augustus and his wife Livia.  Avignon , which has the famous bridge of the song “ Sur la Pont D’Avignon “ is another popular stop on this route.
You’ll also call in at Viviers which is a small, walled city with buildings dating back to the Middle Ages. Tournon which is  famous for its wine and chocolate makes a lovely break. There will also be plenty of time to explore Lyon, a big city with a cobbled old town and wonderful Gothic and Renaissance architecture.

Must Do: Dine out in Lyon so you can savour the city known as the gastronomic capital of France., Try a “bouchon” for something different. These restaurants serve traditional Lyonnaise food (sausages, duck pate and chicken) in simple surroundings and are licensed annually to make sure they are authentic..
The Roman amphitheatre in Arles is a special experience. This city is filled with  narrow streets as well as medieval and Gothic architecture. It is no wonder that Van Gogh loved to paint here and  you will  be able to see  some of the scenes from his paintings.