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Grand France with 3 nights in London WWII Remembrance & History Cruise (Northbound)

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Operated by Avalon
Tripcode: WLP3-T8
Overview
Destination:
Start:,
Finish:,
Duration:18 days
Type:Group tour (max 90)
Style:
River/Small ship/Barge,
Travel Period
May 2026 - May 2026
18 Day River Cruise Arles to London
This river cruise vacation showcases France’s charm, breathtaking views, and rich history. Your adventure be-gins on the Rhône River with a visit to Arles, France—famous for inspiring the paintings of Van Gogh—and its 1st-century Roman Amphitheater. On a guided tour of historical Avignon, see the 14th-century Palace of the Popes. The city of Tournon is beautifully nestled among vineyards and you’ll go on a guided walk of this medieval treasure with plenty of Roman ruins. Lyon, France’s gastronomic capital is a showcase of medieval and Re-naissance architecture. The Seine River offers a choice of excursion opportunities, rich of history! You’ll sail from Paris to Vernon with your choice of two included excursions—a guided visit to master impressionist Claude Monet’s home and gardens at Giverny, or a guided tour of the remarkable Bizy Castle, known as “Normandy’s Versailles.” You’ll sail through the picturesque and historic landscapes of Normandy, with the choice to visit the historic sites of the famed WWII landing beaches, and moving monuments to Allied forces, or you may explore the farming region for a “Taste of Normandy.” In Rouen, site of Saint Joan of Arc’s martyrdom, take a guided walk through the medieval quarter and visit the Gothic Rouen Cathedral—once the tallest building in the world. From Conflans, join in an excursion to the quaint and inspiring town of Auvers-Sur-Oise—inspired setting for several famous artists, including Vincent van Gogh—or visit Napoleon and Josephine’s Malmaison. Your Seine River cruise returns to Paris with more time to explore the romantic city. Discover the true heart of Paris on a guided walk through the sites of Paris’ rich history, or take a tour focused on WWII and visit the museum of Les Invalides. Board a high-speed train to London for three exciting nights and a guided sightseeing with a local expert to see London’s must-see—Parliament, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Piccadilly Circus, and more!
Itinerary
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ARLES, FRANCE (EMBARKATION)
Welcome to France. Your Suite Ship® is Ready for Boarding

Flights into Marseille must arrive by 3 pm.

Guests must be on board ship by 5 pm.

OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN ARLES

(D)

ARLES
Inspiring Sights and Avant-Garde Lights

Visit the Adventure Center for today’s activities with your Adventure Host.

ACTIVE Get your daily dose of exercise through a Power Walk in Arles with your Adventure Host, OR:

DISCOVERY Attend a Painting Workshop to learn techniques of Vincent van Gogh. Create your own painting in the style of the legendary artist, OR:

CLASSIC Enjoy a Guided Walking Tour of Arles—the captivating city of the Provence region. You’ll visit the Roman Amphitheater in this visually stunning city.

Take free time to stop in Le Café Van Gogh for a glass of wine, before sailing to Avignon.

OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN AVIGNON

(B,L,D)

AVIGNON
The City of Popes in Picturesque Provence

CLASSIC Take a Guided Sightseeing Tour of the fortress city of Avignon—with its ramparts encircling the city—and a visit to the amazing Palace of the Popes.

Guided Optional Excursions include a visit to the ancient Roman aqueduct of Pont du Gard, or a trip to the famed wine cellars of Châteauneuf-du-Pape for a true taste of the Rhône wine region.

Explore Avignon on your own for the city’s art and culture, theatre, and museums. Be sure to snap photos of the captivating countryside, historic monuments, and the medieval Pont Saint-Bénézet.

Later, enjoy onboard live entertainment.

OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN AVIGNON

(B,L,D)

VIVIERS
World History in a Charming French Country Village

Enjoy a leisurely morning sail to Viviers.

ACTIVE Walk your way up to Vivier's hilltop Cathedral with your Adventure Host, OR:

CLASSIC Explore the pale-stone buildings of Viviers on a late afternoon Guided Walking Tour of this charming village. You’ll see its Romanesque cathedral and Old Town with a mix of historical Christian, Roman, and medieval influences.

EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO TAIN L’HERMITAGE

(B,L,D)

TAIN L'HERMITAGE
A Rendezvous with Castle Views and Vineyards

Join your Adventure Host for today’s special activities.

ACTIVE Explore Tournon by foot as you follow your Adventure Host for a morning hike in this beautiful town along the Rhone, OR:

CLASSIC Take a morning Guided Walking Tour to explore Tournon—one of France’s oldest medieval cities. See its 16th-century castle, and Roman ruins between the Rhône River and the granite slopes of the Hermitage.

In the early afternoon cruise to Lyon.

OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN LYON

(B,L,D)

LYON
La Vie En Rose in Lyon

CLASSIC Join a Guided Sightseeing Tour to survey Lyon from Fourvière Hill with its numerous churches. You’ll also explore the Old Town with its maze of medieval alleyways, and the lively cafés, monuments, and famed fountain of Place des Terreaux.

Spend free time riding a bike through Lyon’s town squares, over bridges, and along the banks where the Rhône and Saône rivers meet.

Enjoy live entertainment while sailing to Tournus.

EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO TOURNUS

(B,L,D)

TOURNUS–CHALON-SUR-SAÔNE
Wine and Cheese on the Stunning Saône

DISCOVERY Travel into the rolling landscapes of the Mâconnais region to learn about its world-famous Chardonnay vineyards, the wines produced here, and to attend a wine-tasting in the cellars of a real medieval castle!

Enjoy a leisurely afternoon cruising along the majestic Saône River.

DISCOVERY Later, enjoy a delicious Cheese Tasting on board your ship.

Enjoy live entertainment on board this evening.

OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN CHALON-SUR-SAÔNE

(B,L,D)

CHALON-SUR-SAÔNE (DISEMBARKATION)–BEAUNE–DIJON–PARIS (EMBARKATION)
Drive to Beaune and take a High-Speed Train from Dijon to Paris.

CLASSIC Visit the Hôtel-Dieu Charity Hospital in Beaune, built in 1443, today home of the Van der Weyden’s painting of the Last Judgment and is one of France’s architectural highlights.

This afternoon, take a high-speed train from Dijon to Paris to board your Suite Ship®.

EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO VERNON

(B,D)

PARIS
Cafés, Cathedrals and Canvases in the city of Light

Join your Adventure Host for today’s special activities.

ACTIVE Experience the Seine river by foot with your Adventure Host, OR:

CLASSIC Discover the ancient heart of Paris on a captivating Guided Walk featuring the Palais-Royal, Louvre pyramid, ancient sites on Île de la Cité, the Left Bank, bustling Latin Quarter, and more, OR:

CLASSIC Join a Guided City Tour, that shows you the iconic sites of Paris, such as the Louvre Museum, the Arc de Triomphe, the Eiffel Tower, Opéra Garnier, and the famous Champs-Élysées, OR

DISCOVERY Take a WWII tour of Paris which will include a visit to the museum of Les Invalides, dedicated to the Ordre de la Libération which was created in 1940 by General Charles de Gaulle, leader of the Free French Forces.

Perhaps, join a Guided Optional Excursion to the Palace of Versailles—home to a succession of French kings.

OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN PARIS

(B,L,D)

CONFLANS
The Footsteps of Van Gogh, Bonaparte, and Louis XIV

DISCOVERY Onboard lecture about WWII hosted by your history expert.

ACTIVE Enjoy a relaxing bike ride along the Seine with your Adventure Host, OR:

CLASSIC Join a Guided Visit to Auvers-sur-Oise, home and resting place of Vincent van Gogh, OR:

CLASSIC Take a Guided tour of the opulent Château de Malmaison—home of Napoléon Bonaparte and his wife Josephine.

DISCOVERY Take part in an onboard Commemoration Ceremony of the D-Day 80th Anniversary

EVENING CRUISE TO LES ANDELYS

(B,L,D)

LES ANDELYS
Serenity on the Seine

ACTIVE Join a Guided Hike up to the castle ruins of Château Gaillard—historic home of King Richard the Lionheart, OR:

CLASSIC Take a Guided Walking Tour of Les Andelys—one of France’s most picturesque spots on the Seine, OR:

DISCOVERY Take a full day excursion in the areas of Vimy Ridge and Beaumont-Hamel, where the Canadian Forces fought and won the German Army during WWI.



The Cathedral of Our Lady and a Heroine for France

CLASSIC If you didn’t take part into the full day excursion to Vimy Ridge, take a Guided Walking Tour of Rouen—site of Saint Joan of Arc’s martyrdom—and see the medieval quarter with its 16th-century Astronomical Clock, and Notre-Dame Cathedral.

Later, enjoy live entertainment on board your ship.

EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO CAUDEBEC

(B,L,D)

CAUDEBEC
Ancient Abbeys Along the Seine

ACTIVE Enjoy a relaxing bike ride along the river with your Adventure Host, OR:

DISCOVERY Join a guided excursion to a V-1 flying bomb launch site, OR:

CLASSIC Take a Guided Trip along the Normandy Abbeys Route—where more than 100 medieval Benedictine and Augustine abbeys and churches were built along the Seine.

This afternoon, you may choose a Guided Optional Excursion to the old seaside town of Honfleur.

DISCOVERY Onboard lecture about WWII hosted by your history expert.

OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN CAUDEBEC

(B,L,D)

CAUDEBEC. EXCURSION TO NORMANDY
Heroic Bravery on Normandy Beaches and French Farming Traditions

CLASSIC Join a Guided Tour of Normandy’s WWII landing beaches, visit significant U.S. sites, including Omaha Beach, the Pointe du Hoc monument, and the American Cemetery, OR:

CLASSIC Take a full-day Guided Tour of the British and Canadian commemorative sites, including the British cemetery, Pegasus Memorial, the seaside town of Arromanches, the Juno Beach Center, and the Bény-sur-Mer Canadian War Cemetery, OR:

CLASSIC Join “A Taste of Normandy” Guided Tour for an in-depth look at this rich agricultural region. See the famous Bayeux Tapestry, visit the beautiful village of Beuvron en Auge and taste Calvados at a local distillery.

EVENING CRUISE TO VERNON

(B,L,D)

VERNON
Monet’s Muses, Castle Courtyards, and Crêpes du Jour

Visit the Adventure Center for today’s activities with your Adventure Host.

ACTIVE Explore Vernon's Chateau des Tourelles by foot with your Adventure Host, OR:

CLASSIC Take a Guided Tour of Giverny, home and inspiration of the master impressionist painter Claude Monet. Walk the grounds and see Monet’s charming residence, and the flower and water gardens captured in his masterpieces, OR:

CLASSIC Join a Guided Visit to Bizy Castle—called “Normandy’s Versailles” for its magnificent courtyard, water garden, and stables.

DISCOVERY While sailing, enjoy a traditional French luncheon of authentic French crêpes, followed by a Pastry Demonstration.

EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO PARIS

(B,L,D)

PARIS (DISEMBARKATION)–LONDON
Say goodbye to your Avalon portion of your vacation after breakfast. An included transfer delivers you to the train station. Travel to London by high-speed Eurostar train (Standard class).

(B)

LONDON
England’s Exciting Capital

CLASSIC Enjoy a morning Guided Sightseeing including all of London’s famous landmarks. Drive past the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben; Westminster Abbey, where Prince William and Catherine, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, were married; Whitehall’s mounted horseguards; the Prime Minister’s Downing Street; Buckingham Palace and Piccadilly Circus. Then, visit St. Paul’s Cathedral (except on Sundays). Sir Christopher Wren’s masterpiece with its world-famous dome is an iconic feature of London’s skyline.

(B)

LONDON
Free Time on the Thames

Enjoy a free day to explore this spectacular city at your own pace. You could take a flight on the London Eye for fantastic views over the city, or visit Windsor Castle for a tour of the magnificent State Apartments. In the evening, see one of the dozens of celebrated West End shows, or enjoy dinner at a traditional London pub, followed by a relaxing night-time cruise on the Thames River. There are so many possibilities to make your stay unforgettable.

(B)

LONDON
Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning.

(B)

Departure dates

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Travellers

Operator
Avalon Waterways

Designed from the bottom up for comfort, space, and room to dream, each Avalon Suite Ship consists of 80% Panorama Suites—offering the widest view in river cruising. Larger suites result in fewer passengers, so you’ll never feel crowded anywhere on board. From reclining on the open-air Sky Deck, relaxing in the spacious Panorama Lounge, or feeling the wind over the bough In the Observation Lounge, there’s never a shortage of comfortable spots to stretch out, day dream, or just watch the world go by. From our inception, Avalon Waterways has cast a light on the world’s most fascinating places and people – inviting wayfarers and wanderers like you to bask in their glory, intrigue and wonder. Along the way, we’ve helped travellers uncover ancient traditions while meeting the locals dedicated to preserving them; to meander historic hallways while giving back to the societies that safeguard them; and to put down the guidebooks and pick up a greater understanding of the world and its people.

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Please note: We are proud to be an independent agent to travel providers of hotels, flights and other related services. We are not a tour operator. Details and information on the offer are provided by 3rd party businesses and although we do our best to verify the information, we cannot guarantee its accuracy on all occasions. These offers are not available in conjunction with any other offer unless otherwise stated. Pricing and availability are subject to change without notice. For more information, please see Terms of Use
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