Avalon Waterways

Daily Itinerary

1. Day 1

   Paris

   France

   

   Paris rewards every arrival as though it were the first — the sweep of the Seine, the Gothic tracery of Notre-Dame rising again from its 2019 ashes, the Eiffel Tower somehow managing to astonish at each encounter, the Louvre's glass pyramid reflecting clouds in the courtyard of a palace that served French kings for four centuries. Beyond the monuments, Paris is a city of neighbourhoods: the Belle Époque brasseries of Montparnasse, the covered passages of the 2nd arrondissement, the rooftop terraces of Le Marais. The Luxembourg Gardens in April, or a late-September evening on the Canal Saint-Martin, are among the most civilised experiences in the world.

2. Day 2

   Vernon

   France

   

   Vernon is a quietly beguiling Norman town on the Seine whose greatest treasure lies just four kilometers beyond its medieval bridge: the garden and water lily ponds at Giverny, where Claude Monet lived and painted for forty-three years, creating the luminous imagery that changed the course of modern art. The town itself retains considerable charm — a romanticly ruined twelfth-century bridge tower draped in ivy, half-timbered houses along the riverbank, and a fine museum housing several original Monet canvases. Monet's garden is open from April through October, reaching its peak splendor in May and June when his beloved water lilies are in full, painterly bloom.

3. Day 2

   Les Andelys

   France

   

   Les Andelys occupies one of the Seine's most dramatic bends, dominated by the spectral ruins of Château Gaillard — Richard the Lionheart's 'Saucy Castle,' built with medieval speed in a single year and considered a masterpiece of twelfth-century military engineering. The view from the castle's white chalk promontory across the river's great loop is among the most beautiful in Normandy, a landscape that captivated Monet and Pissarro. Below, the twin villages of Grand and Petit Andely offer excellent Normandy cuisine, notably duck dishes prepared with local cider. Les Andelys is best visited April through October as part of a Seine river cruise; golden autumn light renders the chalk cliffs particularly luminous.

4. Day 3

   Caudebec-en-Caux

   France

   

   Caudebec-en-Caux nestles in a Seine meander between Rouen and the sea, famous for its Flamboyant Gothic Eglise Notre-Dame — a masterwork of late medieval stone lacework so exquisite that Henri IV called it 'the most beautiful chapel in my kingdom.' The town serves as an ideal quiet base for exploring the Seine Valley's quieter pleasures: the remarkable Abbaye de Jumiéges, its roofless nave open to the Norman sky, and the Manoir d'Ango, a Renaissance manor of extraordinary ambition, are both within easy reach. The tidal atmosphere of the Seine at this point rewards early morning walks along the embankment. Rouen, with its Gothic cathedral and Impressionist legacy, lies forty minutes east.

5. Day 4

   Caudebec-en-Caux

   France

   

   Caudebec-en-Caux nestles in a Seine meander between Rouen and the sea, famous for its Flamboyant Gothic Eglise Notre-Dame — a masterwork of late medieval stone lacework so exquisite that Henri IV called it 'the most beautiful chapel in my kingdom.' The town serves as an ideal quiet base for exploring the Seine Valley's quieter pleasures: the remarkable Abbaye de Jumiéges, its roofless nave open to the Norman sky, and the Manoir d'Ango, a Renaissance manor of extraordinary ambition, are both within easy reach. The tidal atmosphere of the Seine at this point rewards early morning walks along the embankment. Rouen, with its Gothic cathedral and Impressionist legacy, lies forty minutes east.

6. Day 5

   Rouen

   France

   

   Rouen, the medieval capital of Normandy set in a wooded meander of the Seine, rewards slow exploration with one of France's richest concentrations of Gothic architecture. The vast cathedral — immortalised by Monet in his celebrated series of canvases — dominates a city where half-timbered lanes wind between Renaissance mansions and the square where Joan of Arc was burned in 1431. The covered market overflows with Normandy's great dairy bounty: camembert, livarot, and pont-l'évêque alongside cider and calvados. Paris lies just ninety minutes south by train. Spring and early autumn offer the most atmospheric conditions.

7. Day 6

   Conflans

   France

   

   Poised at the confluence of the Oise and the Seine, Conflans-Sainte-Honorine has been France's inland waterway capital for over a century, its quays mooring more than a thousand traditional péniches whose painted hulls form a floating village of singular charm. The hilltop medieval town commands sweeping views over the meeting of rivers, while the National Inland Waterways Museum aboard a converted barge chronicles France's extraordinary network of canals and waterways. Just thirty kilometres from Paris, Conflans is best visited in summer, when barge festivals fill the riverbank with music, local produce, and the unhurried pleasures of la vie fluviale.

8. Day 7

   Paris

   France

   

   Paris rewards every arrival as though it were the first — the sweep of the Seine, the Gothic tracery of Notre-Dame rising again from its 2019 ashes, the Eiffel Tower somehow managing to astonish at each encounter, the Louvre's glass pyramid reflecting clouds in the courtyard of a palace that served French kings for four centuries. Beyond the monuments, Paris is a city of neighbourhoods: the Belle Époque brasseries of Montparnasse, the covered passages of the 2nd arrondissement, the rooftop terraces of Le Marais. The Luxembourg Gardens in April, or a late-September evening on the Canal Saint-Martin, are among the most civilised experiences in the world.

9. Day 8

   Paris

   France

   

   Paris rewards every arrival as though it were the first — the sweep of the Seine, the Gothic tracery of Notre-Dame rising again from its 2019 ashes, the Eiffel Tower somehow managing to astonish at each encounter, the Louvre's glass pyramid reflecting clouds in the courtyard of a palace that served French kings for four centuries. Beyond the monuments, Paris is a city of neighbourhoods: the Belle Époque brasseries of Montparnasse, the covered passages of the 2nd arrondissement, the rooftop terraces of Le Marais. The Luxembourg Gardens in April, or a late-September evening on the Canal Saint-Martin, are among the most civilised experiences in the world.

10. Day 8

    London (England)

    United Kingdom

    

    The Port of London is a historic maritime hub, blending ancient traditions with modern vibrancy. Must-do experiences include sampling classic fish and chips at local pubs and exploring the culinary treasures of Borough Market. The best season to visit is spring, when the city comes alive with blooming flowers and outdoor events.

11. Day 9

    London (England)

    United Kingdom

    

    The Port of London is a historic maritime hub, blending ancient traditions with modern vibrancy. Must-do experiences include sampling classic fish and chips at local pubs and exploring the culinary treasures of Borough Market. The best season to visit is spring, when the city comes alive with blooming flowers and outdoor events.

12. Day 10

    London (England)

    United Kingdom

    

    The Port of London is a historic maritime hub, blending ancient traditions with modern vibrancy. Must-do experiences include sampling classic fish and chips at local pubs and exploring the culinary treasures of Borough Market. The best season to visit is spring, when the city comes alive with blooming flowers and outdoor events.

13. Day 11

    London (England)

    United Kingdom

    

    The Port of London is a historic maritime hub, blending ancient traditions with modern vibrancy. Must-do experiences include sampling classic fish and chips at local pubs and exploring the culinary treasures of Borough Market. The best season to visit is spring, when the city comes alive with blooming flowers and outdoor events.

Cabin Categories

Deluxe Stateroom

Outside

172 sq ftMax 2E

Comfort Collection Beds Luxurious mattress toppers Bedside tables with reading lamps Hairdryer L'Occitane bath products Spacious 3-door closets with shelves for ample storage Easy under-bed luggage storage Direct-dial telephone Bathrobes & slippers Well-stocked minibar Complimentary water In-room safe Individual climate control Elegant, contemporary design Large mirror in bathroom Full shower with glass door Writing desk and chair Complimentary Wi-Fi

Queen or Twin ConfigurationShowerToiletries ProvidedRoom Service AvailableTVFree Wi-Fi+6

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Deluxe Stateroom

Outside

172 sq ftMax 2D

Comfort Collection Beds Luxurious mattress toppers Bedside tables with reading lamps Hairdryer L'Occitane bath products Spacious 3-door closets with shelves for ample storage Easy under-bed luggage storage Direct-dial telephone Bathrobes & slippers Well-stocked minibar Complimentary water In-room safe Individual climate control Elegant, contemporary design Large mirror in bathroom Full shower with glass door Writing desk and chair Complimentary Wi-Fi

Queen or Twin ConfigurationShowerToiletries ProvidedRoom Service AvailableTVFree Wi-Fi+6

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Panorama Suite

Suite

200 sq ftMax 2P

Comfort Collection Beds Luxurious mattress toppers Bedside tables with reading lamps Hairdryer L'Occitane bath products Spacious 3-door closets with shelves for ample storage Easy under-bed luggage storage Make-up mirror Direct-dial telephone Bathrobes & slippers Well-stocked minibar Complimentary water In-room safe Individual climate control Elegant, contemporary design Large mirror in bathroom Full shower with glass door Writing desk and chair Sofa Complimentary Wi-Fi

Queen or Twin ConfigurationShowerToiletries ProvidedRoom Service AvailableTVFree Wi-Fi+6

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Panorama Suite

Suite

200 sq ftMax 2A

Comfort Collection Beds Luxurious mattress toppers Bedside tables with reading lamps Hairdryer L'Occitane bath products Spacious 3-door closets with shelves for ample storage Easy under-bed luggage storage Make-up mirror Direct-dial telephone Bathrobes & slippers Well-stocked minibar Complimentary water In-room safe Individual climate control Elegant, contemporary design Large mirror in bathroom Full shower with glass door Writing desk and chair Sofa Complimentary Wi-Fi

Queen or Twin ConfigurationShowerToiletries ProvidedRoom Service AvailableTVFree Wi-Fi+6

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Panorama Suite

Suite

200 sq ftMax 2B

Comfort Collection Beds Luxurious mattress toppers Bedside tables with reading lamps Hairdryer L'Occitane bath products Spacious 3-door closets with shelves for ample storage Easy under-bed luggage storage Make-up mirror Direct-dial telephone Bathrobes & slippers Well-stocked minibar Complimentary water In-room safe Individual climate control Elegant, contemporary design Large mirror in bathroom Full shower with glass door Writing desk and chair Sofa Complimentary Wi-Fi

Queen or Twin ConfigurationShowerToiletries ProvidedRoom Service AvailableTVFree Wi-Fi+6

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Royal Suite

Suite

300 sq ftMax 2S

Comfort Collection Beds Luxurious mattress toppers Bedside tables with reading lamps Hairdryer L'Occitane bath products Spacious 3-door closets with shelves for ample storage Easy under-bed luggage storage Make-up mirror Direct-dial telephone Bathrobes & slippers Well-stocked minibar Complimentary water In-room safe Individual climate control Elegant, contemporary design Large mirror in bathroom Full shower with glass door Writing desk and chair Sofa Complimentary Wi-Fi One King-Sized Bed or Two Twins

King or Twin ConfigurationLounge AreaShowerToiletries ProvidedRoom Service AvailableMini Bar (Additional Cost)+7

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