Avalon Waterways

Daily Itinerary

1. Day 1

   Arles

   France

   

   Arles, the most important city in Roman Gaul after Lyon, wears its history with casual magnificence: a first-century amphitheatre still hosts bullfights beneath open skies, and the haunting Alyscamps necropolis — once among the most prestigious burial grounds in the Western world — lines a poplar-shaded avenue with ancient sarcophagi. Yet Arles is equally celebrated as the city that intoxicated Vincent van Gogh, who produced over three hundred works here in fifteen fevered months; the Fondation Vincent van Gogh now honors his legacy in beautifully renovated rooms. Spring and autumn are ideal, with the Camargue's flamingo-filled wetlands just minutes south. Lyon is two hours north by TGV.

2. Day 2

   Port-Saint-Louis-du-Rhône

   France

   

   Port-Saint-Louis-du-Rhône marks where France's great river meets the Mediterranean at the edge of the Camargue — Europe's wildest wetland, where white horses, black bulls, and improbable pink flamingos inhabit salt marshes and lagoons. Visit April through June via Avalon Waterways' Rhône itineraries for flamingo breeding season, proximity to Van Gogh's Arles, and the medieval fortress-city of Aigues-Mortes.

3. Day 3

   Arles

   France

   

   Arles, the most important city in Roman Gaul after Lyon, wears its history with casual magnificence: a first-century amphitheatre still hosts bullfights beneath open skies, and the haunting Alyscamps necropolis — once among the most prestigious burial grounds in the Western world — lines a poplar-shaded avenue with ancient sarcophagi. Yet Arles is equally celebrated as the city that intoxicated Vincent van Gogh, who produced over three hundred works here in fifteen fevered months; the Fondation Vincent van Gogh now honors his legacy in beautifully renovated rooms. Spring and autumn are ideal, with the Camargue's flamingo-filled wetlands just minutes south. Lyon is two hours north by TGV.

4. Day 4

   Avignon

   France

   

   Avignon's Palais des Papes — a fortress-palace of staggering medieval ambition where seven successive popes held court for seventy years — still dominates this Provençal city's skyline, its limestone bulk enclosing frescoed chapels and vast ceremonial halls that once shaped the destiny of Christendom. In July, the city transforms for the celebrated Festival d'Avignon, Europe's premier theatre gathering, turning every courtyard and cloister into a stage. Year-round, the beautifully preserved historic centre offers world-class Rhône Valley wines, refined Provençal cuisine, and the beguiling spectacle of the Pont Saint-Bénézet stretching halfway across the river. Lyon and Marseille are each accessible in under ninety minutes by TGV.

5. Day 5

   Viviers

   France

   

   Viviers is one of France's most beautifully preserved medieval secrets — a cathedral town of barely four thousand souls perched on a limestone spur above the Rhône, serving as an episcopal seat since the fifth century when its bishops chose this formidable rock over the declining Roman city below. The Romanesque bell tower, vaulted passageways, and Renaissance townhouses of the haute ville form an ensemble of extraordinary architectural coherence, virtually unaltered since the seventeenth century. River cruise guests arriving from Lyon or Avignon typically spend languid afternoons exploring these narrow, time-suspended streets, best visited in spring or early autumn when Rhône Valley light is at its most golden.

6. Day 6

   Tournon-sur-Rhône

   France

   

   Tournon-sur-Rhône is a captivating port town steeped in history, known for its medieval architecture and vibrant culinary scene. Must-do experiences include savoring local specialties such as caillettes and exploring the bustling Saturday market. The best time to visit is in the late spring or early fall when the weather is mild and the local festivities are in full swing.

7. Day 6

   Tournon-sur-Rhône

   France

   

   Tournon-sur-Rhône is a captivating port town steeped in history, known for its medieval architecture and vibrant culinary scene. Must-do experiences include savoring local specialties such as caillettes and exploring the bustling Saturday market. The best time to visit is in the late spring or early fall when the weather is mild and the local festivities are in full swing.

8. Day 7

   Lyon

   France

   

   Lyon sits at the confluence of the Rhône and the Saône — a geographic destiny that made it the capital of Roman Gaul, a Renaissance silk-trading powerhouse, and, by contemporary consensus, the undisputed gastronomic capital of France. The UNESCO-listed Vieux Lyon preserves Europe's finest concentration of Renaissance architecture, its labyrinthine traboules — secret passageways threading through courtyard after courtyard — offering endless discovery. Paul Bocuse's legacy lives on in the city's constellation of bouchons, where quenelles de brochet and tablier de sapeur are served with the straightforward confidence of a city that has never needed to prove its culinary supremacy. Lyon rewards a visit in any season, with the Festival of Lights in December being particularly magical.

9. Day 8

   Lyon

   France

   

   Lyon sits at the confluence of the Rhône and the Saône — a geographic destiny that made it the capital of Roman Gaul, a Renaissance silk-trading powerhouse, and, by contemporary consensus, the undisputed gastronomic capital of France. The UNESCO-listed Vieux Lyon preserves Europe's finest concentration of Renaissance architecture, its labyrinthine traboules — secret passageways threading through courtyard after courtyard — offering endless discovery. Paul Bocuse's legacy lives on in the city's constellation of bouchons, where quenelles de brochet and tablier de sapeur are served with the straightforward confidence of a city that has never needed to prove its culinary supremacy. Lyon rewards a visit in any season, with the Festival of Lights in December being particularly magical.

Cabin Categories

Deluxe Stateroom

Outside

172 sq ftMax 2E

Stateroom Features: Comfort Collection Beds Luxurious mattress toppers Egyptian super-combed cotton linens European-style duvets Soft & firm pillows Extra blankets Choice of bed configuration Nightly turn-down service Bedside tables with reading lamps Premium Hairdryer L'Occitane bath products Spacious 3-door closets with shelves for ample storage Easy under-bed luggage storage Flatscreen satellite TV with English-speaking channels & over 100 free movie options Alarm clock Make-up mirror Direct-dial telephone Bathrobes & slippers Well-stocked minibar Complimentary filtered water In-room safe Individual climate control Elegant, contemporary design Large mirror in bathroom Marble countertops in bathroom Wall-to-Wall Panoramic Window with Open-Air Balcony 6-person sitting area Full shower with glass door Writing desk and chair Lighted makeup mirror Sofa Coffee table Complimentary Wi-Fi One Queen-Sized Bed or Two Twins USB Ports

Queen or Twin ConfigurationShowerToiletries ProvidedRoom Service AvailableMini Bar (Additional Cost)TV+2

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Deluxe Stateroom

Outside

172 sq ftMax 2D

Stateroom Features: Comfort Collection Beds Luxurious mattress toppers Egyptian super-combed cotton linens European-style duvets Soft & firm pillows Extra blankets Choice of bed configuration Nightly turn-down service Bedside tables with reading lamps Premium Hairdryer L'Occitane bath products Spacious 3-door closets with shelves for ample storage Easy under-bed luggage storage Flatscreen satellite TV with English-speaking channels & over 100 free movie options Alarm clock Make-up mirror Direct-dial telephone Bathrobes & slippers Well-stocked minibar Complimentary filtered water In-room safe Individual climate control Elegant, contemporary design Large mirror in bathroom Marble countertops in bathroom Wall-to-Wall Panoramic Window with Open-Air Balcony 6-person sitting area Full shower with glass door Writing desk and chair Lighted makeup mirror Sofa Coffee table Complimentary Wi-Fi One Queen-Sized Bed or Two Twins USB Ports

Queen or Twin ConfigurationShowerToiletries ProvidedRoom Service AvailableMini Bar (Additional Cost)TV+2

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Panorama Suite

Suite

200 sq ftMax 2P

Stateroom Features: Comfort Collection Beds Luxurious mattress toppers Egyptian super-combed cotton linens European-style duvets Soft & firm pillows Extra blankets Choice of bed configuration Nightly turn-down service Bedside tables with reading lamps Premium Hairdryer L'Occitane bath products Spacious 3-door closets with shelves for ample storage Easy under-bed luggage storage Flatscreen satellite TV with English-speaking channels & over 100 free movie options Alarm clock Make-up mirror Direct-dial telephone Bathrobes & slippers Well-stocked minibar Complimentary filtered water In-room safe Individual climate control Elegant, contemporary design Large mirror in bathroom Marble countertops in bathroom Wall-to-Wall Panoramic Window with Open-Air Balcony 6-person sitting area Full shower with glass door Writing desk and chair Lighted makeup mirror Sofa Coffee table Complimentary Wi-Fi One Queen-Sized Bed or Two Twins USB Ports

Queen or Twin ConfigurationShowerToiletries ProvidedRoom Service AvailableTVFree Wi-Fi+4

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Panorama Suite

Suite

200 sq ftMax 2A

Stateroom Features: Comfort Collection Beds Luxurious mattress toppers Egyptian super-combed cotton linens European-style duvets Soft & firm pillows Extra blankets Choice of bed configuration Nightly turn-down service Bedside tables with reading lamps Premium Hairdryer L'Occitane bath products Spacious 3-door closets with shelves for ample storage Easy under-bed luggage storage Flatscreen satellite TV with English-speaking channels & over 100 free movie options Alarm clock Make-up mirror Direct-dial telephone Bathrobes & slippers Well-stocked minibar Complimentary filtered water In-room safe Individual climate control Elegant, contemporary design Large mirror in bathroom Marble countertops in bathroom Wall-to-Wall Panoramic Window with Open-Air Balcony 6-person sitting area Full shower with glass door Writing desk and chair Lighted makeup mirror Sofa Coffee table Complimentary Wi-Fi One Queen-Sized Bed or Two Twins USB Ports

Queen or Twin ConfigurationShowerToiletries ProvidedRoom Service AvailableTVFree Wi-Fi+4

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Panorama Suite

Suite

200 sq ftMax 2B

Stateroom Features: Comfort Collection Beds Luxurious mattress toppers Egyptian super-combed cotton linens European-style duvets Soft & firm pillows Extra blankets Choice of bed configuration Nightly turn-down service Bedside tables with reading lamps Premium Hairdryer L'Occitane bath products Spacious 3-door closets with shelves for ample storage Easy under-bed luggage storage Flatscreen satellite TV with English-speaking channels & over 100 free movie options Alarm clock Make-up mirror Direct-dial telephone Bathrobes & slippers Well-stocked minibar Complimentary filtered water In-room safe Individual climate control Elegant, contemporary design Large mirror in bathroom Marble countertops in bathroom Wall-to-Wall Panoramic Window with Open-Air Balcony 6-person sitting area Full shower with glass door Writing desk and chair Lighted makeup mirror Sofa Coffee table Complimentary Wi-Fi One Queen-Sized Bed or Two Twins USB Ports

Queen or Twin ConfigurationShowerToiletries ProvidedRoom Service AvailableTVFree Wi-Fi+4

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Royal Suite

Suite

300 sq ftMax 2S

Stateroom Features: Comfort Collection Beds Luxurious mattress toppers Egyptian super-combed cotton linens European-style duvets Soft & firm pillows Extra blankets Choice of bed configuration Nightly turn-down service Bedside tables with reading lamps Premium Hairdryer L'Occitane bath products Spacious 3-door closets with shelves for ample storage Easy under-bed luggage storage Flatscreen satellite TV with English-speaking channels & over 100 free movie options Alarm clock Make-up mirror Direct-dial telephone Bathrobes & slippers Well-stocked minibar Complimentary filtered water In-room safe Individual climate control Elegant, contemporary design Large mirror in bathroom Marble countertops in bathroom Wall-to-Wall Panoramic Window with Open-Air Balcony 6-person sitting area Full shower with glass door Writing desk and chair Lighted makeup mirror Sofa Coffee table Complimentary Wi-Fi One Queen-Sized Bed or Two Twins USB Ports

King or Twin ConfigurationShowerToiletries ProvidedRoom Service AvailableTVFree Wi-Fi+3

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