share

France is one of my favourite countries in the world to visit. There’s an endless number of experiences for literally every area of interest; from its diverse nature to vibrant cities, rich cultural heritage, historic monuments and fabulous cuisine, to name a few. I recently joined a France river cruise and I must say, it was a wonderful experience exploring a part of France from the comforts of a floating hotel! I sailed with Avalon Waterways on their Active & Discovery Rhône River cruise from Lyon to Marseille. The wide variety of excursions and relaxed pace allowed me to truly appreciate the great diversity of France.

An immersive France river cruise

I sailed with Avalon on a Danube river cruise several years ago and I was very impressed by the variety of excursions. There was quite literally something for everyone. This time around was no different. The cruise definitely lived up to its ‘Active & Discovery’ billing!

avalon-poetry-ii-rhone
The ship I sailed on: Avalon Poetry II.

There were hiking, kayaking and cycling excursions as well as immersive food and culture experiences. In addition, guests were free to use the ship’s bicycles at any stop. There was sufficient time to go out and explore on my own, one of the aspects of this France river cruise I appreciated most. These were some of my favourite excursions:

The food and hidden passageways of Lyon

This lovely walking tour of Lyon highlighted its amazing food products as well as the traboules, secret passageways in the historic city centre.

lyon-walking-tour-rhone-river-cruise
The ‘Bites and Highlights of Lyon’ walking tour.
A street in Lyon.
One of the oldest traboule in Lyon.

Our guide, a local lady, took us through a maze of covered passageways which were created as far back as the 4th century. Along the way, she entertained us with a delightful mix of historical facts, anecdotes and hilarious stories. In addition, we visited several deli’s to taste some of the city’s famous cheeses, patés and sausages.

One of the deli’s we visited during the tour.
We got to taste a variety of cold cuts and patés.

A taste of Beaujolais

This excursion to the Beaujolais region north of Lyon was another highlight of the cruise. Along the way, we got to enjoy the beautiful hilly landscapes and medieval villages. We stopped at a family winery, where we were welcomed by the (16th generation!) owner.

He proceeded to tell us the history of Beaujolais wines before guiding us through a step-by-step tasting of his delicious wines.

domaine-paire-beaujolais-wine-tasting
Beaujolais wine-tasting at the family-owned Domaine Paire.
Beaujolais wine-tasting

After the visit, we continued to Oingt, a gorgeous hilltop medieval town. I loved the quaint streets and stunning panoramic views during our walk around the town.

A street in Oingt
oingt panoramic view beaujolais
Panoramic views from Oingt

Read more about my experiences on this Avalon Rhône River cruise.

Ardeche Gorge

Our hike in the Ardeche Gorge was another highlight. Often called the ‘European Grand Canyon’, this 30 kilometer long canyon is famous for its Pont d’Arc (natural arch) as well as the Chauvet Cave, where some of the best-preserved prehistoric cave paintings in the world were discovered.

Guests could choose between the easy- or advanced-level hike, or a kayaking trip, all of which offered amazing views of Pont d’Arc and the cliffs.

We hiked to the river for great views of Pont D’Arc.
The rocky cliffs where the Chauvet Cave was discovered.

Walking tour of Avignon

I’d been to Avignon before but this walking tour provided new insights to the city and its rich history. The former seat of the Popes, Avignon is a beautiful town with formidable medieval walls, impressive palaces and charming streets. The highlight of the tour was our visit to the Popes’ Palace, the residence of the Popes in the 14th century. Read more about things to see in Avignon.

The imposing medieval walls of Avignon
pope-palace-avignon-photo
The Pope’s Palace in Avignon.

The tour ended at Avignon’s Les Halles food market, which was an absolutely mouthwatering experience!

The walking tour of Avignon also included a visit to the Les Halles food market.

I left the group and spent some free time people-watching at a café. I then continued by exploring the maze of lively, colourful streets and found a restaurant in a little square, where I enjoyed a sublime lunch.

A street in Avignon
I stumbled upon this restaurant tucked away in a little square.
l'epicerie avignon
And enjoyed a superb lunch!

Châteauneuf-du-Pape

This little town near Avignon is home to one of the most famous wines in the world. The excursion included an informative and entertaining wine-tasting at the Bouachon winery, followed by sufficient free time to explore the town, with its picturesque streets, countless wine stores and imposing castle ruins. I ended my walk with another glass of local wine at a café. Read more about things to do in Châteauneuf-du-Pape.

chateauneuf-du-pape-winery
The Bouachon winery
bouachon-wine-tasting-chateauneuf-du-pape
Wine-tasting in Chateauneuf-du-Pape
The charming town of Chateauneuf-du-Pape
chateauneuf-du-pape-france-photo
The famous Châteauneuf-du-Pape wine region with the Rhône River in the distance.
The castle ruins atop the hill

Hike in the Alpilles and Carrières de Lumières

This excursion from Arles, a combination of nature and culture experiences, was absolutely unforgettable! As we hiked up the hilly Alpilles, with their thick pine forests and towering limestone outcrops, the gorgeous views slowly unfolded. Along the way, I continuously caught the scents of rosemary, thyme, oregano and lavender.

alpilles
View from the hike in the Alpilles.

The highlight of the hike was a lookout point with panoramic views of Les Baux-de-Provence, one of the most beautiful villages in France. This medieval village is perched precariously on a hillside and is topped by the ruins of a castle.

les baux de provence view
The spectacular view of Les Baux.

The 1.5 hour hike ended at the entrance to the Carrières de Lumières, a multimedia show inside an old stone quarry. This spectacular show featured the works of Kandinsky and Cezanne. Read more about my experience at Carrières de Lumières.

The quarry
Carrières de Lumières kandinsky
The quarry was transformed into an enchanting place filled with the works of Kandinsky.
carrieres-de-lumieres les baux photo
Cezanne portraits

Exploring Arles

On the way back from Les Baux-de-Provence, I asked the bus driver to drop me off in Arles. I spent the whole afternoon wandering around Arles, stopping for lunch at a lovely café and soaking up the ambiance of the town’s quaint streets. Famous for its Roman amphitheatre, Van Gogh heritage and charming lanes, Arles was a joy to explore!

My first stop in Arles was the new LUMA centre, designed by Frank Gehry.
avalon-van-gogh-art-class-photo
The Roman amphitheatre in Arles.
The Vincent van Gogh Foundation in Arles.
A lady in Arles
A street in Arles
Another beautiful street in Arles!

Oyster tasting in the Camargue

This was another highlight of my France river cruise! From our final docking place, Port St. Louis, we went on a drive around the lagoons of the Camargue where we spotted many flamingos. We stopped at a family-owned oyster farm where the son guided us through the process of oyster farming.

camargue coquillages tour
Our visit to a family-run oyster farm in Camargue.
Mum and Dad gave us a warm welcome, and served us oysters and wine!

Their passion for oysters was infectious and I appreciated their focus on quality and sustainable oyster farming. At the end of the tour, we were invited to taste their oysters along with a glass of local wine. That turned out to be an unforgettable experience as these were some of the best oysters I’ve ever had!

best oysters i ever had camargue france
I had some of the best oysters ever!
And I got to hold certainly the biggest oyster I’ve ever seen!

Why I loved the Avalon itinerary

This Avalon Active & Discovery river cruise in France was absolutely wonderful! Aside from the staterooms with panoramic windows and great service onboard, the thing that I found most impressive was the sheer number, variety and quality of the excursions.

When I received my itinerary, I had a hard time choosing. Excursions such as learning to paint like Van Gogh in Provence, making chocolate at the world-famous Valrhona chocolatier, bike-and-wine tours and a ‘ghost walk’ in the medieval village of Viviers sounded so enticing! Alas, I had to choose and I enjoyed each and every one of them!

avalon-rhone-cruise-van-gogh-art-class
The works created by guests who joined the Van Gogh art class in St. Remy de Provence.

During the excursions, the groups were always small (±15 people), the guides were excellent and there was ample time to go out and explore on my own.

I also appreciate the fact that Avalon Waterways often chooses to work with smaller, local operators or family-owned establishments which provide an authentic experience. I had a terrific time and I can wholeheartedly recommend this Avalon Rhône River cruise!

Note: this post is a result of the #AvalonAD project, a collaboration between iambassador and Avalon Waterways. However, all views expressed above are mine, and mine only.

4 Responses

  • Hi Christine,
    I went in October, a month I can absolutely recommend! I’ve visited some of these places in summer and it’s very hot and crowded. October is a very pleasant month, with cooler temperatures (though with a chance of rain) and fewer tourists.

    Kind regards,
    Keith

  • What month of the year did you take this cruise? The weather looks good, and the streets don’t look crowded from the pictures. Is there a season I should avoid? Enjoy reading your posts.

  • I love that you have put so many photos in the post. I loved looking at the photos.

Leave a reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Appeared In