THE RHONE, SAONE & SEINE

We associate savoir vivre with café au lait, croissants and baguettes, but also with excellent red wines, fresh oysters and coq au vin. Yet there is far more to French lifestyle than culinary delights. It also embraces time-honoured cities, sun-kissed natural landscapes, wild horses and flamingos – to mention just a few things. Our river cruise routes give you the opportunity to experience as many of the interesting facets of France as possible. The Rhône and Saône lead straight into the beautiful countryside of southern France, past historically significant towns such as Lyon, Arles and Avignon and spectacular scenery.

Time To Discover

Through colourful southern France on the Rhône and Saône

If France is the European centre of luxury, Lyon is one of its strongholds. In the oldest part of the city, “Vieux Lyon” you will find traboules – secret covered passageways between the alleys. They were used in the olden days by workers to transport silk and fabric bales through the city. Today, they are used by the numerous cafés and bars to transport delicious food and beverages on trays. One such delicious beverage is fruity Beaujolais, the wine produced at the vineyards to the north of the city. Proud Lyon has UNESCO World Cultural Heritage status.

It is also a Catholic Church diocese with Lyon Cathedral – seat of the archbishop – and the Basilica Notre-Dame de Fourvière, both impressive buildings in their own right. The Burgundy region has a long history, too. But it was the secular rather than the spiritual gentlemen who settled here. Influential medieval dukes selected Beaune as the location of their palace.

Prices from £1,855 PER PERSON