Begin your grand journey through France with an overnight in Marseille. You’ll transfer to Port-Saint-Louis to board your Avalon Suite Ship® for your scenic river cruise through France. You’ll sail to beautiful Arles, Lyon and Avignon where you will enjoy guided city sightseeing tours. You’ll continue to Dijon for a high-speed train ride to Paris—“The City of Lights,” from where your river cruise on the Seine begins.

See the home of master artist Claude Monet, and stroll his ...

Begin your grand journey through France with an overnight in Marseille. You’ll transfer to Port-Saint-Louis to board your Avalon Suite Ship® for your scenic river cruise through France. You’ll sail to beautiful Arles, Lyon and Avignon where you will enjoy guided city sightseeing tours. You’ll continue to Dijon for a high-speed train ride to Paris—“The City of Lights,” from where your river cruise on the Seine begins.

See the home of master artist Claude Monet, and stroll his magnificent gardens and charming residence at Giverny. Sail on the Seine to Caudebec, and take an excursion to Normandy. Here, you may select from two guided tours of Normandy’s beaches and WWII monuments, or enjoy a day to discover the beautiful agricultural region of Norman-dy. You’ll continue to Rouen, for a guided walking tour. Next, you’ll sail to Conflans, for an excursion to Au-vers-Sur-Oise— the village where Vincent Van Gogh painted, lived, and died—or to Chteau de Malmaison, the legendary home of Napoléon Bonaparte.

After returning to Paris, fly to Venice to enjoy your Monograms package of 3 nights each in Venice & Rome, including guided sightseeing and helpful onsite support from expert Local Hosts® in both cities. Your French river cruise, Nor-mandy Beaches tour, and tour of Venice and Rome, will be hard to match for the beauty, culture, and new sights to recall for years to follow.


Included Features:

Day 1 Marseille: welcome to France

Day 2 Marseille–Port St. Louis (Embarkation): guided tour; transfer to the ship; onboard welcome reception

Day 3 Arles: guided sightseeing, visit the Roman Amphitheatre

Day 4 Avignon: guided sightseeing, visit the Palace of the Popes

Day 5 Cruising–Viviers: guided walk, visit Old Town and the cathedral

Day 6 Tournon/Tain l’Hermitage–Vienne: guided walk in Tournon; guided walk in Vienne

Day 7 Lyon: guided sightseeing, picture stop on Fourvière Hill

Day 8 Cruising–St. Jean de Losne: day at leisure; cheese tasting on board

Day 9 St. Jean de Losne (Disembarkation)–Beaune–Paris (Embarkation): visit the Hôtel-Dieu in Beaune; TGV train from Dijon to Paris; onboard welcome reception

Day 10 Vernon–Les Andelys: choice of excursions to Giverny or Bizy Castle; choice of guided tour, or guided hike to the castle in Les Andelys

Day 11 Caudebec: choice of excursion along the “Normandy Abbeys Route”, or walk in the Natural Park; lecture on board

Day 12 Caudebec: choice of full day excursions to Normandy landing beaches, or “A Taste of Normandy” excursion

Day 13 Rouen: guided tour, see the Astronomical Clock and visit to the cathedral

Day 14 Conflans: choice of excursion to Auvers-sur-Oise, or excursion to Napoleon and Josephine’s Chteau de Malmaison

Day 15 Paris: choice of guided tour, or “Heart of Paris” tour with an inside view of Notre Dame Cathedral

Day 16 Paris–Venice, Italy: flight to Venice

Day 17 Venice: guided sightseeing, visit St. Mark’s Square and Basilica, Doges’ Palace and the Bridge of Sighs

Day 18 Venice: full day at leisure

Day 19 Venice–Rome: travel by high-speed train (first class) to Rome

Day 20 Rome: guided sightseeing, visit St Peter’s Square and Basilica, Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, Colosseum, Roman Forum

Day 21 Rome: full day at leisure

Day 22 Rome: your vacation ends this morning

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