May to Oct 2019 Departures • 14 Day France Tour & Cruise • No Single Supplement*

  • Pricing

    per person twin share – 2019

    Date Cat 1 Cat 2 Cat 3 Cat 4 Cat 5 Cat 6 Cat 7
    May 1 $9,090 $9,430 $9,610 $10,550 $11,300 $11,550 $12,180
    June 9 $9,990 $10,300 $10,490 $11,430 $12,180 $12,430 $13,050
    July 26 $9,090 $9,430 $9,610 $10,550 $11,300 $11,550 $12,180
    August 27 $9,990 $10,300 $10,490 $11,430 $12,180 $12,430 $13,050
    October 5 $9,590 $9,930 $10,110 $11,050 $11,800 $12,050 $12,680
     

    Special Solo Traveller Savings – No Single Supplement in Category 1: On all departures, the single price in Category 1 is the same as the double price – no single supplement, which means savings of up to 50% for solo travellers!

    Solo Travellers also enjoy Savings of AUD $1250 per cabin in Category 4, 5 and 6 on the May 1, July 26, August 4 & October 14 departures. Certain restrictions apply; ask at time of booking.

    What a single traveller had to say about Tauck – absolutely fabulous. The daily touring was outstanding. I have done other river cruises but none can compare to Tauck.

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    Inclusions

    • Gratuities to ship staff, drivers, local guides, Tauck Directors and Tauck Cruise Director
    • All private Tauck shore excursions – AUD $6,650 Value!
    • TAUCK EXCLUSIVE – Private gala evening at the recently restored Chateau of the medieval Duchy d’Uzès
    • TAUCK EXCLUSIVE – La Camargue excursion to meet the family of a working farm for a • Provençal lunch & a cowboy demonstration with prized black bulls
    • Farewell dinner in Paris at the famous Fouquet’s brasserie on the Champs-Élysées
    • Exploration of the Rhône and Saône wine country with vineyard visits and wine tastings
    • Tasting tour of local food shops in Chalon-sur-Saône
    • Visits to historic Cluny Abbey and Avignon’s Palais des Papes
    • Choice of museum visits in Paris
    • Unlimited complimentary beverages aboard ship now include regional wine, beer and premium spirits in addition to specialty coffee, water and soft drinks
    • Airport and train station transfers upon arrival and departure as noted
    • 32 meals (13 breakfasts, 8 lunches, 11 dinners); select meals in local restaurants; service charges, taxes, porterage, and applicable fuel surcharges

  • Itinerary

    Day 1: Bonjour, la belle France!

    Your France river cruise holiday begins at InterContinental Paris Le Grand Hotel at 7:00 PM. A transfer from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, Gare de Lyon Station, Charles de Gaulle Station and Gare du Nord to InterContinental Paris Le Grand Hotel, in the heart of the city, is included. After your arrival just relax or head out to do some exploring on your own before joining us to meet your Tauck Directors and fellow voyagers at a welcome cocktail reception and dinner this evening at the exclusively chic Fouquet’s on the Champs-Élysées. : INTERCONTINENTAL PARIS LE GRAND

    Day 2: Paris sightseeing & a choice of museum

    Your day begins with an orientation tour to help you get your bearings and consider all the ways that you can enjoy the “City of Light” at your leisure and as you please for the rest of the day. The remainder of the day is free. We’ve included admission to your choice of one of two of the city’s finest museums (subject to availability). You may elect to view the priceless art inside the famous Musée du Louvre, home to da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, the Hellenistic Winged Victory, the beautiful Venus de Miloand others. Or perhaps you’re interested in viewing the impressive works exhibited at the Musée Jacquemart-André, a stunning museum in Paris’ 8th arrondissement created from the former private mansion of 19th-century husband-and-wife art collectors Édouard André and Nélie Jacquemart – he, a member of a wealthy banking family and she, a renowned society painter – to display the art masterpieces they acquired during their lives together. The collection includes works by Canaletto, Rembrandt, Hals, Gainsborough, Bernini, Botticelli and many others. Or, set off to discover Paris as you please!  INTERCONTINENTAL PARIS LE GRAND

    Day 3: By TGV train to Lyon & embark cruise

    A free morning in Paris gives you an opportunity to do those last few things that will make your time in Paris memorable. Say au revoir to one of the world’s great cities as you board the high-speed TGV train to Lyon, home to a bounty of wines produced by local vineyards, locally produced cheeses, spicy sausages, warm-from-the-oven baguettes… You’ll return to Lyon in a few days – but today, embark ms Emerald late afternoon for the start of your France river cruise along the Rhône. Join us tonight for the ship’s welcome reception and dinner.

    Day 4: Tastings in Chalon-sur-Saône & Rully or Beaune

    Chalon-sur-Sâone on the River Saône lies in the heart of southern Burgundy. Although its history dates back to the time of Charlemagne, it has another significant claim to fame – this is considered the birthplace of photography. So you have local inventor Nicéphore Niépce, who started it all with several photographic firsts right here in the 1820s, to thank for the great photos of the town’s Romanesque churches and other monuments you’ll take during a walking tour – and you’ll savor local culinary offerings on a guided tasting tour of some of Chalon-Sur-Saône’s noted food shops, from an artisan chocolate boutique to a mustard shop. This afternoon, it’s your choice for sightseeing. Attend a wine tasting at Château de Rully, a private vineyard on a grand family estate in the largest wine-producing area in the Côte Chalonnaise; or travel to the town of Beaune for a walking tour that includes a visit to Hospices de Beaune (Hôtel-Dieu de Beaune). Return to the ship for dinner this evening.

    Day 5: Tournus & a day well spent in Burgundy

    With your riverboat docked in Tournus this morning, head out to explore the beautiful wine producing region of southern Burgundy, where history lies around every corner (this was a major crossroads during Roman times), and vineyards are everywhere. Picture in your mind what a typical French vineyard looks like… and then picture the most amazing landscape that surrounds you for miles and miles. Vineyards, gently rolling hills, orchards, red-tiled farmhouses, medieval cathedrals… and historic country estates like the 17th-century Château de Cormatin, which you’ll explore on a visit today. With its moat, drawbridge, turrets, gilded rooms and parklike grounds – including the mazes and fountains of its completely restored “pleasure garden” that’s now among the finest in France – this classic Burgundy château takes you back through the centuries. Return to the riverboat for lunch, and continue your cruise to Mâcon.

    Day 6: Mâcon & Cluny – Horses, an abbey & more

    Your riverboat arrives in Mâcon on the Saône River this morning, for exploration in Cluny. During the reign of Charlemagne (742 – 814), monastic influences inspired a great revival in art, education and culture; today you’ll visit one of the great monasteries of the period when you tour the great Benedictine Abbey of Cluny. Founded in 910, it was at the center of this major monastic reform movement and was also the largest Christian building in the world until the construction of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. You’ll also visit Haras National de Cluny (France’s national equestrian center), which dates back to the 19th century, to learn about its high-quality thoroughbred stallions. Have lunch off the riverboat today; later, reboard ms Emerald and enjoy onboard entertainment after dinner as you cruise to Lyon.

    Day 7: Lyon, culinary capital of France

    Ahh, Lyon. If you’re a serious foodie, Lyon is the place for you! Regarded as the culinary capital of France, there are more restaurants here per capita than anywhere else in the country. But of course there is more to this 2,000 year-old city, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, than food. Begin your exploration with a panoramic view of Lyon from the district of Fouvière, set high on a hill. Check out the town’s winding passageways and the Cathedrale Saint-Jean-Baptiste, with its 19th-century astronomical clock. Your day also includes the stunning Basilica of Notre-Dame-de-Fourvière – built in the 1870s, it features exquisite marble work, stained glass windows, colourful mosaics and gilt galore; and a tour of medieval Vieux Lyon. Depart Lyon and enjoy dinner onboard while continuing your France river cruise to Vienne this evening.

    Day 8: Roman Vienne or a bike tour along the Rhône

    It seems that the Romans were everywhere along the Rhône, and Vienne (which they called “Vienna” in their day) was no exception. During your time on a walking tour here this morning, look for the theatre and temple they left behind, as well as other sights straight out of history. Alternatively, you may instead choose to join a guided bicycle tour following part of the ViaRhona cycling path system along the River Rhone. Return to the riverboat this afternoon to continue your cruise.

    Day 9: Avignon & a gala dinner in Uzès

    The fortified city of Avignon was probably a much more peaceful place before Rome became “inconvenient” for the popes who moved the papacy here about 700 years ago. Although they stayed for less than a century, they kept busy during those years… as you’ll see on your visit to the impressive Palais des Papes that they built for themselves during this morning’s sightseeing in this key medieval city. After a free afternoon aboard ship, travel to the Duchy d’Uzès – a medieval city dating back to the 11th century, often called the “First Duchy of France,” that forms the heart of the town of Uzès – for a guided visit followed by a cocktail reception and a Tauck Exclusive gala dinner at the recently restored Chateau.

    Day 10: Avignon, Saint-Remy & Châteauneuf-du-Pape

    With your riverboat docked in Avignon for the morning, you can spend more time exploring the medieval city or take a morning excursion to Saint-Remy-de-Provence – home to the ruins of the Roman city of Glanum, as well as the Saint-Paul Asylum where Vincent van Gogh was a patient. After returning to the ship for lunch onboard, head out again for an afternoon wine tasting at one of the select vineyards permitted to produce Châteauneuf-du-Pape – literally “the New Castle of the Pope” – the most famous of the Côtes du Rhône wines; your host reveals secrets of the terroir as you sample estate-crafted red and white wines from a region that’s been producing wine for more than 2,500 years! Catch up with the riverboat in Châteauneuf-du-Pape and spend the evening onboard, bound for Arles.

    Day 11: Arles & country life in the Camargue

    It may seem strange to encounter Roman ruins in Provence but Arles was, after all, once a Roman city; while the gladiators are gone, the arena they left behind – just one of the town’s many Roman remnants – still hosts performances and bullfights today. You have a choice today of exploring Arles’ medieval streets and city walls on a walking tour, or embarking on a challenging, 2-hour bicycling excursion across the countryside surrounding Arles (which van Gogh found so enchanting). After lunch, it’s off to La Camargue, France’s “wild west,” where cowboys tend to herds of bulls destined for bullfighting rings in Spain. Visit a working farm to see an exciting demonstration by these fleet-footed gardians (local cowboys) who dodge the feisty Spanish black bulls they raise here – not something usually experienced on a France river cruise – with lunch and traditional Provençal entertainment. Join us this evening for the ship’s farewell reception followed by dinner.

    Day 12: Disembark Arles, then Nice & Monte-Carlo

    The France river cruise portion of your journey ends as you disembark ms Emerald in Arles, and bid farewell to the Captain and crew. It won’t be hard to understand why Nice is a popular playground for jet setters from around the world as you explore this lovely city on a walking tour, followed by some free time. Travel on to marvellous Monaco and the Fairmont Monte Carlo, your home for the next two nights. Guests who occupied suites in category 7 during the France river cruise will enjoy sea-view accommodations at this world-famous hotel.

    Day 13: Monte-Carlo magic

    Mega-yachts from around the world bobbing in the bay… the rich, the famous, the jet setters… a casino world-renowned for its glamour… a real-life royal fairy-tale romance… it’s all part of Monte-Carlo’s magic spell. Get the lay of the land during an orientation tour this morning and then spend the rest of the day exploring as you please. What a wonderful place it is to conclude your France river cruise holiday with a farewell dinner tonight at your premium hotel in the heart of it all. LODGING : FAIRMONT MONTE CARLO

    Day 14: Homeward bound

    Your France river cruise adventure ends in Monte-Carlo. A transfer from Fairmont Monte Carlo to the Nice Côte d’Azur Airport, Nice Ville Train Station and Nice Riquier Train Station is included. Fly home anytime, but be sure to allow 3 hours for flight check-in at the airport.

     

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