History and Art of the Rhône River Cruise

History and Art of the Rhône River Cruise - MS Lord Byron

7 nights - 06 May 2025

MS Lord Byron | Rhone , Saone

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FREE Superior drinks package - Available on all 2025 and 2026 European river cruises!

Award-winning European river cruises include everything you need for an exceptional experience.

Delicious full board dining, plus Chef's Dinner

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2 PEOPLE

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Emerald Deck (Lower)

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Diamond Deck (Upper)

~~WAS £3249pp~~ From £3119PP

Diamond Deck - Deluxe Suite (Upper)

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Emerald Deck (Lower)

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Ruby Deck (Middle)

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Diamond Deck (Upper)

~~WAS £3249pp~~ From £3119PP

Diamond Deck - Deluxe Suite (Upper)

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Prices based on 2 people sharing. Cruise only price does not include flights. Fly-cruise price may vary by chosen UK airport.

(Prices correct as of today’s date, are updated daily, are subject to change and represent genuine availability at time of update).

Cruise only holidays are financially protected by ABTA. Fly cruise holidays are financially protected by Riviera Travel under ATOL number 3230

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Itinerary

List Timeline

Lyon

Arrival in Avignon - On arrival in Avignon, we’ll transfer by coach to our ship moored in the city’s historic centre. The dedicated English-speaking crew will welcome you on board and help you to your cabin. After settling in to your spacious and tastefully furnished accommodation, th...

Day 1

06 May 2025

Lyon

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Day 2

07 May 2025

Mâcon

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Day 3

08 May 2025

Chalon-sur-Saône

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Day 4

09 May 2025

Vienne

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Day 5

10 May 2025

Arles

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Day 6

11 May 2025

Pont du Gard, France

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Day 7

12 May 2025

Avignon

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Day 8

13 May 2025

Avignon

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Mâcon

Avignon - The light catching the red roofs of Avignon’s majestic skyline is a sight to behold over breakfast. This morning, we'll embark on a guided tour of one of the most extraordinary and intriguing cities in France. Avignon’s destiny changed during the 14th century when the Pope’s court moved here to avoid strife in Rome. Igniting a century of prosperity, the pontiff commissioned a host of ambitious building projects, and today the city is immaculately preserved, nestling behind its almost-intact 14th-century walls and boasting more remarkable monuments, superbly decorated buildings, churches, chapels and convents than you can possibly count. Most important is the stunning Popes' Palace, made up of two buildings that together form the largest Gothic palace in the world. With turrets, towers, parapets and other fortifications, its exterior resembles a mighty fortress. But the interior is even more impressive - it's a tour de force of medieval architecture and ornamentation, adorned with priceless art, frescoes, Gobelin tapestries and graceful sculptures. The ceremonial hall, chapels, cloisters and private apartments are all unmissable. But to truly embrace the feel of papal Avignon, imagine yourself here during the Middle Ages amid the Palace’s rich furnishings and extravagant decoration, with cardinals, princes and ambassadors milling about its candlelit halls and corridors while in the streets below countless pilgrims eagerly anticipate benediction. This was Avignon’s brief golden age when it was truly the centre of Christendom. After lunch, you’ll be free to explore as you wish. You could do some shopping or enjoy an idle afternoon in a quiet café in a shady Provencal square to watch the world go by - there's no judgment here. Take a stroll on the iconic Pont d’Avignon, which, dramatically, ends halfway across the river, made famous by the melody we all recall from our first French lessons. Alternatively, join us on an optional included visit to the former home of the archbishops of Avignon, Le Petit Palais, to cast a critical eye over the remarkable collection of over 300 paintings and sculptures from the Middle Ages and Renaissance, including works by Botticelli and Carpaccio. Dinner on board is followed by a musical performance by a local pianist in the ship’s lounge as the ship sets sail towards our next destination, Arles, arriving later that evening.

Chalon-sur-Saône

Arles & Ponts Du Gard - You'll awake under the azure skies of deepest Provence amid the warm stone colours of Arles, many of whose historic monuments are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Although small in size, it was the key stronghold on the Roman road to Spain, one of the empire’s richest possessions. Seagoing ships could reach here, and the city became a regional capital, briefly ruling over Gaul, Spain and Britain. Our guided tour will follow in the footsteps of the great genius and artist, Van Gogh, who spent over 14 months in Arles, from February 1888. It was his most prolific period and, inspired by Arles and the light and beauty of the Provençal countryside, he produced around 300 works, including The Night Café, The Yellow House and, of course, Starry Night. As we explore, you’ll get to admire some of his masterpieces at the Vincent Van Gogh Arles Foundation - as well as works by other artists – and visit the sights that inspired his work – The Yellow House, L'Espace Van Gogh and Place du Forum, to name a just a few. After lunch we visit the amazing Pont du Gard Roman aqueduct, one of the wonders of the ancient world. No amount of fame can diminish the first sight of this 2,000-year-old structure, which was the highest bridge built in the Empire –the Romans themselves considered it the most important testimony to their greatness. Its statistics are staggering - over 900 feet long and almost 160 feet high, with its stones each weighing up to six tons. To put this in perspective, the span of the Pont du Gard is greater than the width of the River Thames at London Bridge – and no mortar was used in its construction! The situation is lovely too, with pine- and cypress-covered hills adding to the harmonious setting.After re-joining the ship, we’ll cruise along the Rhône and, during dinner, pass the imposing 15th-century castle at Tarascon which stands guard on the riverbank.

Vienne

Ardèche Gorges & Chauvet Caves - This morning we’ll disembark the ship, now moored in Viviers, after breakfast. Whilst our ship effortlessly cruises upstream towards Le Pouzin, we will explore one of France’s most outstanding landscapes – the Ardèche Gorges, whose scale is a fitting reminder of Mother Nature’s awesome power. Sheer limestone cliffs plunge almost 1,000 feet to the river’s blue waters, which elegantly snake their way through stupendous rock formations, culminating in a huge natural arch, the Pont d’Arc. We enjoy marvellous views at every turn of caves, grottoes and natural sculptures before returning to the ship moored in Le Pouzin.We'll stop at the UNESCO-listed Chauvet Caves to explore a spectacular replica of the pre-historic caves – home to the best-preserved and oldest-known paintings in France. Discovered in 1994, by three cave explorers, the walls are covered in well-preserved paintings – said to be the oldest painting ever found. They're 36,000 years old - that's 18,000 years older than the decorated walls of the Lascaux cave in Dordogne – so you really are looking at the oldest art ever seen. We return to the ship for a late lunch.Enjoy a relaxing afternoon on board – perhaps catching up on some reading or just lazing in the sun as the temperature rises, before we arrive in Tain l'Hermitage, surrounded by steep vine-covered hillsides, where another of the world’s most revered wines is produced. After dinner, perhaps take a stroll along the river and wander across the oldest suspension bridge in France to the pretty provincial town of Tournon on the opposite bank of the river, with its imposing castle and tree-lined avenues.After dinner this evening, you can delight in a ballroom dancing performance in the lounge with the opportunity to learn some basic steps of a French madison line dance – a lively way to end an exciting day onshore!

Arles

Pont du Gard, France

Avignon

06 May 2025

Lyon

07 May 2025

Mâcon

08 May 2025

Chalon-sur-Saône

09 May 2025

Vienne

10 May 2025

Arles

Vienne - During breakfast this morning, we’ll slip our moorings and cruise north through one of the most spectacular sections of the Rhône Valley, as the river squeezes and twists passed Condrieu, Saint-Rambert-d’Albon and Saint-Vallier, with wooded cliffs rising high on both sides.After lunch, we’ll arrive in the ancient Roman stronghold of Vienne, first a Celtic settlement, then a Roman stronghold under Julius Caesar. Here you'll be taken for a captivating tour, hosted by a local expert. Strikingly located in a narrow section of the Rhône, where the river meanders dramatically around a steep bluff, Vienne is a treasure trove of historic re...

11 May 2025

Pont du Gard, France

Beaune - Overnight we’ll have made steady progress north and mid-morning we’ll arrive in and berth in Chalon, gateway to Burgundy and the home of Nicéphore Niépce, the inventor of photography.After lunch on board, we’ll travel to Beaune, via France’s famous Wine Road, passing an array of quintessential French villages and fortified towns. We’ll see some of the pretty yet surprisingly small villages that produce some of the world’s most sublime wines – Meursault, Volnay, Pommard, Gevrey-Chambertin and many more. Beaune, Burgundy’s historic wine capital is wonderful to wander around.Here we will visit, Hospices de Beaune, also known as the...

12 May 2025

Avignon

Lyon - One of river cruising’s great pleasures is the fascination of waking in a completely different location and, on waking this morning, the ship will arrive in Lyon. After breakfast, we’ll enjoy a guided tour of Lyon, one of France’s most fascinating cities. The Rhône Valley had been the route of choice for marauding armies and peaceful traders for centuries, so Lyon’s current site, at the confluence of the Rhône and Saône Rivers, cried out to be fortified. In 43 BC the Romans founded the city, which subsequently grew in importance; Emperor Claudius, conqueror of Britain, was born here. There are many Roman remains to see, but it wa...

13 May 2025

Avignon

Return home

*This holiday is generally suitable for persons with reduced mobility. For customers with reduced mobility or any medical condition that may require special assistance or arrangements to be made, please notify your Cruise Concierge at the time of your enquiry, so that we can provide specific information as to the suitability of the holiday, as well as make suitable arrangements with the Holiday Provider on your behalf.

What's Included with
Riviera Travel

Whats Included Intro

Tea and coffee

All airport taxes and port charges

Direct flights from up to 17 UK airports with no regional supplements & transfers

Five-star ships with impeccable on-board service

Spacious cabins with windows

Insightful excursions & visits every day with local guides

Expert Riviera Cruise Director looking after you throughout

Evening entertainment from quizzes to impressive performers

Delicious full board dining, plus Captain's Dinner

Free Wi-Fi

Explore MS Lord Byron

Diamond Deck (Upper Deck)

Bar
Panorama Lounge & Bar
Deluxe Suites
Superior Suites
Superior Stern Suites
Diamond Deck Cabins

Ruby Deck (Middle Deck)

Restaurant
Kitchen
Suites
Ruby Deck Cabins

Emerald Deck (Lower Deck)

Wellness Centre
Superior Suites
Emerald Deck Cabins

Standard Cabin

At 15 square metres (161 square feet), your luxuriously appointed cabin is amongst the largest, most comfortable and best appointed on any European river cruise vessel - with all the high quality facilities you would expect from a top hotel, and more.

Features

Individual climate control
Fixed window
Twin beds which can be configured as double
Tea and coffee making facilities
Ensuite bathroom with walk-in shower
Shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, body lotion, soap
Towels, bathrobes, slippers and hairdryer
EU plug sockets
Table and chairs
Telephone, radio and flat-screen TV
Safe & mini fridge
Turn down service

Deluxe Suite

For the ultimate in space and river cruise luxury, on the Diamond (top) deck there are four deluxe suites, at 22.5 square metres (242 square feet) a full 50% larger than a standard cabin, beautifully appointed and incredibly comfortable, plus for a final homely touch, soft cotton bathrobes and slippers. You will love them.

Features

Individual climate control
Floor to ceiling windows with French style balcony
Twin beds which can be configured as double
Tea and coffee making facilities
Ensuite bathroom with walk-in shower
Luxury toiletries: shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, body lotion, soap
Towels, bathrobes, slippers and hairdryer
EU plug sockets
Table and chairs
Telephone, radio and flat-screen TV
Safe & mini fridge
Turn down service

Facilities

Queen or Twin Configuration
Shower
Toiletries Provided
Room Service Available
Free Wi-Fi
Safe
Hair Dryer
Desk
Lounge Area
TV
Telephone
Suite Benefits
Air Conditioning

08001970854