For our third river cruise, we had family and friends join us and so we decided sailing somewhere in France would be great for new cruisers. There are many river cruises to choose from within France, but we decided on the Rhône River from Lyon to Avignon, France. It was promised that we would see some of the most beautiful countryside, some of the most expensive vines in the world and towns that were established thousands of years ago by the ancient Romans. Throw in wine tasting, Roman architecture and art history, this was the making of an amazing week.

The Ship

This river cruise is on the Viking Hermod. A beautiful long ship that has a max capacity of 190 guests. One of the reasons we love river cruises is that no one under the age of 18 can be a part of the 190 guests. After seeing only 190 guests you might have guessed that even though it is considered a long ship, it is only a fraction of a large ocean cruise liner. Viking Cruises and other river cruise companies are very aware with this and market their cruises are cultural and educational experiences. There are no full sailing days. Because of this, the ship has a restaurant, lounge and aquavit for drinks and food but the only other lounging area is the outside upper deck, the library or your room. But I can tell you, there has never been a moment, on any of our three river cruises where we felt bored or wished there was something more. This ship did high tea a few times, a cooking class, cultural classes and music at night. Local music.

A quick tip about the drinks package. We have not bought it for any of the cruises. For lunch and dinner you get free soft drinks and the house beer and wine. There is always coffee and tea available. You are also allowed to bring alcohol and drinks onto the ship and it isn’t monitored. We bought wine at every port and some fun beers. You are not charged a corkage fee for doing this. If you are someone that likes afternoon cocktails, dinner cocktails and after dinner drinks, then the package is for you. But I will say that the price of the drinks has never been what you might expect. You can still enjoy a cocktail here and there without getting a surcharge for being on a river cruise.

A few other things of note. There is dry cleaning on the ship but it is quite expensive. There are computers that you can use on board and some wifi, but the wifi isn’t that strong in rooms. Mostly in the center of the ship.

Viking River Cruise Lyon to Avignon Itinerary

This was one of our shorter river cruises but still had great destinations!

Lyon (Overnight)

Vienne

Tournon

Viviers

Arles

Avignon (Overnight)

Experience the free excursions that Viking provides at each port along the Rhone River

Another great thing about river cruises is that each destination comes with a free excursion. There are ones that you can purchase, but we have been happy with the free ones. From walking tours, bus tours, wine tastings, food tastings, historical tours and more, it really gives you the ability to explore the city and experience it. Walk amongst locals and their daily life, not just tourist traps and ports set up for the cruise. Even when we did dock in town, there are no vendors outside your ship the moment you walk out. [However, this does not include the Egypt river cruise]

You will read that there are a lot of walking excursions. When you sign up for them they will let you know how long and how strenuous they might be. The night before at the port talk before dinner, they will let you know if the excursions has a leisurely group or an advanced group. The leisurely group will go at a slower pace, however, they might not be able to do as much at the attraction and they sometimes get to stop for a drink at a cafe. A few excursions had more advanced walking options. You might walk up a hill to get to a panoramic view. We really appreciated that they had these options. Especially since my mom is 81 and couldn’t keep up with the normal walking tours. She was happy with the guides and the options to stop and rest.

On to the river cruise! Each city was beautiful and rich with history.

Lyon (Overnight)

The first excursion was in Lyon. Located right at the convergence of the Rhône and the Saône. Founded in 43 BC during the rule of Julius Caesar. Now it is known for being one of the top gastronomic cities in France using the Lyonnaise cooking tradition. The first part of the excursion is a driving tour, then you walk around a beautiful church, then more driving through districts within the city and then finally you get to walk around the historic shopping district.

Our second excursion was a Wine tasting in Beaujolais wine country! Located south of Burgundy and north of Lyon, it is divided into 12 appellations. You spend the morning walking through the vineyard, getting a tour of the winery and then tasting a handful of wines (and don’t worry, it is okay to use a spit bucket!)

Vienne

One of my favorite things about river cruises, could be my favorite, are all the towns you get to explore that you didn’t even know existed. Seeing how people just live amongst all the history. While I marvel at old buildings, this is their daily commute. Vienne, pronounced vee-en, was one of those cities. One of France’s oldest cities, your walking tour will have you walking by a building from the 1st century. They still use the old outdoor theaters and on certain days you will get to walk through one of the largest markets I have been to. Also, don’t forget to look across the river when you disembark, some of the most expensive vines in the world are there!

Tournon

Another city that we had never heard of also brought another thought of why river cruises are so amazing. We arrived in the evening after an afternoon of sailing. We wanted to stretch our legs and since nothing was scheduled we ventured out on our own. As you can see from the first picture, no vendors or people trying to get you to do something when you exit the ship. The most amazing thing about this stop was that we were lucky enough to be there on World Music Day. From hip hop, orchestra and cover bands it had it all. It was such an incredible night! We were not rushed because the boat was docked for the night here.

The next day’s free excursion was an open air steam train ride through the country side. Yet another awesome thing about river cruises we just thought of. Normally Kevin and I wouldn’t do something like this and because it was the free excursion, we did and we loved it! At the middle of the ride, you get to watch them turn the train around. I am happy that our focus has become about learning about new places and the history. What entertains us has changed throughout the years. I keep thinking that I might not have appreciated this as much in my 20s. Maybe, maybe not as we loved this in our 30s. Another great thought about river cruises, especially for night owls, is you never start too early because you have so much time at each port. This excursion started at 9:30am!

Viviers

This excursion was a walking tour at night. We even saw a small campground here, which gave us some ideas! Right from the ship starts a beautiful walk through town and to a high spot to look over the town at sunset. We were just enamored by the architecture. In the bottom picture, you can see the difference between the wealthy and middle class.

The day we were here was also our anniversary! The staff were awesome as always. Because it is a small ship, you get to know the staff, especially if you sit in the same section each night at dinner. And whatever that dessert was, it was phenomenal!

Arles

I am going to start of saying that I loved Arles! If you are a fan of Hemingway or especially Vincent van Gogh, you will love this city. Or even old Roman architecture. You can walk to the hospital where Vincent van Gogh went after cutting off his ear, the yellow house in his famous picture and walk where he walked and looked at areas he stayed in. Hemingway loved vacationing here and would stay in the center of town each time. Going even further back in time you can walk to ancient Roman sites. Fun Fact: The cardinal in town did not like the theater because people stopped going to church and went to plays instead.

The colosseum here was built just 10 years after the one in Rome. However, this one does not host the barbaric bull fights, but instead a bull game. They tie ribbons to the horns and the athletes have to try and get the ribbons off and depending on the ribbon, depends on their prize. Advertisements for the games actually feature the bull and not the athlete/fighter. The bulls are retired at about the age of 11 and are retired to fields they are born. When they pass, they are buried standing and looking towards the Mediterranean.

This town really holds a special place in my heart.

Avignon (Overnight)

Our last stop! It went so fast. The free excursion was walking through the Pope’s palace and then a short tour through town. I would say this wasn’t my favorite excursion, but I understand the significance. This palace was built on the backs of slave labor. On the promise of the afterlife. The palace was built for 10 people to live in 160,000 sq ft. It was beautiful but at what cost and why the show of power?

Tip: If you didn’t book flights through Viking, they will still assist you with getting an uber or taxi to the airport or train station. Never been afraid to ask for assistance. If they can’t accommodate, they will let you know. A funny one is they won’t let you reserve a spot in the dining room. It is always first come first serve. But they will make sure that the taxi comes straight to the dock to pick you up.

Locks

If you have never been through a lock, you will go through many. It is entertaining while you sit outside in the evening.

Must Pack Items for Your River Cruise

Always check the weather for the most comfortable clothes, but other than that, I would highly suggest the following:

Good walking shoes, walking/hiking poles, hat, daypack, small bills in your local currency but better for their currency, a ziplock bag with toilet paper, and preferred medication.

Traveling from the US to Europe, I would always make sure to have a full change of clothes, including socks and underwear and all medications in your carry on bag.

Review of Viking River Cruise along the Rhone from Lyon to Avignon

This is one of Viking’s more affordable river cruises. They are all worth every cent, but can be quite expensive. Rest assured that it doesn’t matter how much one of their river cruises are, you get the same impeccable service, tasty food and beautiful ship. You don’t feel like you will miss out if you can’t afford an extra excursion. The free ones are always worth it. I would highly suggest this one as an introduction to river cruises and wine in France! I am happy that we did this and it was well worth it, but it has competition with our first on the Danube and our second on the Nile. We were cruising with first timers and they absolutely loved it!

Let us know if you have any questions at all about river cruises.

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