One of the main stops on any cruise on the Rhone River in southern France is Avignon. Here, the riverboats dock right at the foot of history. A flourishing city in Roman times, Avignon is now best known for its high medieval walls, its Palace of the Popes and its broken bridge.

During the 14th century, the seat of the Roman Catholic papacy was moved from Rome to Avignon, and seven popes resided there during a period of almost 70 years. In 1348, Pope Clement VI bought the city from the Duchess of Provence, and Avignon remained a papal property until the French Revolution.

The thick walls built by the popes still encircle the city (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), and the narrow streets, while fine for pedestrians, are best left to local drivers unless you have a very small rental car and a very good navigator!

If you’ve ever studied French, you may have learned the song “Sur le pont d’Avignon” which describes dancing “on the bridge of Avignon.” The Saint Bénézet bridge used to span the Rhône River from Avignon to Villeneuve-lès-Avignon, crossing over the Île de Barthelasse. It is on this island that people probably danced under (not on) the bridge

The bridge was built in the late 12th century at the urging of Saint Bénézet, a local shepherd boy who, according to tradition, was commanded by angels to build a bridge across the river. It originally had 22 arches and was nearly 3000 feet long. However, over the centuries, most of the bridge was destroyed by floods, and today only 4 arches remain

Avignon also has a large indoor market, where you can buy anything from cheese and sausages to regional candy specialties like calissons d’Aix (my personal favorite).

Most cruises in France include a visit to a local market. If you have never been to one of those marvelous collections of fresh produce, fresh flowers, fresh fish, freshly baked bread… Did I mention everything is fresh? Except the cheese and sausages, of course, which are aged to perfection.

There are all sorts of markets all over France, from small outdoor markets to large, permanent indoor installations called “Les Halles.” Don’t be confused by the ”Forum des Halles” in Paris, though. This ugly underground shopping center is on the site of the original wholesale market, but the market was moved in 1971 to Rungis, a suburb of Paris. The market in Rungis is huge, but you don’t have to go that far, as you can still find lots of great street markets in the central part of Paris.

Most towns and villages have markets at least once a week. Whether you want to buy food for a picnic or just a local specialty to take home, you’ll find an amazing assortment of produce and other edibles. (If you’re from the US, make sure you know what you’re allowed to bring back. Those cute little beagles at the airport are very good at what they are trained to do, which is to sniff out contraband food items.)

French markets are primarily for the local people, not tourists, as French people love fresh food and are willing to take the time to shop for it. Take cash (small bills and coins) and preferably a shopping bag for all your purchases. Just remember that prices are in euros and weights are in grams and kilograms. Take a calculator or plan to work on those math skills.

Even if you don’t need or want to buy food, it’s worth going to the market for the sights and smells, from juicy red tomatoes to enormous mushrooms and truffles to fresh spices sold in bulk. Lavender honey in Provence, fish and seafood in Normandy, even used books and paintings in Paris - going to a local market will help you understand and appreciate France like nothing else!

Do you enjoy drinking wine and other alcoholic beverages?

Most cruise packages include water, tea and coffee, but beyond that, policies vary. If you don’t drink wine or other alcoholic beverages, you can usually save money on a cruise that doesn’t include these or only includes wine with dinner, for example.

The usual options, depending on the cruise, are:

1. Wine with dinner only, all other alcoholic drinks extra  (soft drinks may or may not be included with meals)
2. Wine with lunch and dinner, all other alcoholic drinks extra
3. Wine with lunch and dinner, plus open bar between meals

Most cruises include at least one or two wine tastings of local vintages, but if you’re really interested in wine, look for a wine theme cruise. Many of the smaller luxury barges offer these for group charters. We even offer a “Wine and Chocolate Cruise” in the Chablis region of Burgundy. This cruise is open to both individuals and groups in the spring and fall.

Do you want to do a lot of sightseeing or just relax?

Most cruises include at least one sightseeing excursion per day, and these are usually included in the price of the cruise. However, it’s a good idea to find out if any of the excursions are “optional,” i.e., you have to pay extra for them. In addition to wine tastings at local vineyards, excursions can range from visiting a village farmers market to touring nearby chateaus and cathedrals.

If you just want to relax, you can skip the excursions, of course. And with a barge charter, your group can decide to do things like additional wine tastings instead of sightseeing.

Do you have a special interest?

Besides wine cruises, you can take a cruise focused on a special interest, like garden cruises, golf cruises, bicycle cruises, etc. Most of these require putting together a group for a charter, but this can be arranged for groups as small as four people.

As you can see, there are a lot of choices available for cruising in France, from larger boats that cruise the Seine and Rhone Rivers to small luxury barge-hotels that travel the networks of canals and smaller rivers in Burgundy, Provence, Champagne, the Loire Valley and other regions. So, whatever your interests and budget, you’re sure to find the perfect cruise that will provide a lifetime of wonderful memories.

Welcome! This travel blog is about river and canal cruise vacations on luxury barge-hotels and riverboats in France. With its extensive network of rivers and canals, France offers dozens of cruising possibilities from Alsace to Normandy and the Loire valley, down to Burgundy, Provence and the Languedoc. The boats navigating French waterways can be as small as upscale barges for 4 guests on the Canal du Midi or as large as 150-passenger river cruisers on the river Seine through Paris. Cruising around the French countryside is a great way to spend a vacation. Exploring out-of-the-way places, seeing the locals up close and sampling the many regional dishes and wines is a lot of fun. So, we hope you enjoy your trip (or enjoyed, if you’ve already been there) and we look forward to chatting with you.

From our “About” page you will see that we are travel professionals who specialize in tours and cruises in France, Spain and Portugal. You might want to take a look at our website.