Compare Cruising Burgundy & Provence to the Cote d'Azur by Gutsy Women Travel vs Highlights of France and Barcelona (Barcelona) by Trafalgar

Day 1: Depart U.S.

Depart to Dayon your overnight flight to Paris, France.

Day 2: Arrive Paris, France

Accommodation: Novotel Paris Eiffel Tower

Discover the many famed sights of Paris Arrive to Dayin Paris. You are met at the airport by a Grand Circle representative and transferred to your hotel. During the afternoon, you may want to participate in a leisurely orientation walk with your Program Director to get acquainted with the area around your hotel.

Gather in the early evening with your Program Director and traveling companions for a Welcome Drink and briefing. (If you began your discoveries early with our pre-trip extension to Paris, France, you will join the main group today.) You dine on your own this evening; you can choose to relax over dinner at your hotel or ask your Program Director for restaurant suggestions in the area.

DAY 3: Paris • Optional Versailles Tour OPTIONAL TOUR

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Accommodation: Novotel Paris Eiffel Tower

Discover the many famed sights of Paris This morning, join us for a half-Daypanoramic tour of Paris that introduces the city’s classic highlights. You’ll see the metropolis from different perspectives as you travel along the famed Champs Elysees. View the Arc de Triomphe (commissioned by Napoleon in 1806, and completed in 1836) standing at the end of the Champs Elysees at the large central roundabout where twelve elegant tree-lined avenues converge. You’ll also drive by the magnificent Gothic Cathedral of Notre Dame. Afterwards, enjoy time at leisure to explore Paris on your own.

Or, join us on an optional afternoon tour to the Palace of Versailles. Your excursion includes a guided tour through the palace’s Grand Chambers, the Hall of Mirrors (where the Treaty of Versailles, ending World War I, was signed in 1919), and the Royal Chapel. You'll also enjoy time to visit the expansive French gardens at your leisure. Please note: Due to limited space, this optional tour must be reserved at least ten days prior to departure and cannot be booked on-site. Versailles is the most-visited attraction in France. To ensure that all guests are able to view the exhibits, the time you spend in each room is limited by palace staff. Expect lines at the entrance in peak season, even for groups with reservations. Versailles is not wheelchair accessible.

This evening, gather at a local restaurant for a savory Welcome Dinner.

DAY 4: Paris • Optional Giverny Tour OPTIONAL TOUR

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Novotel Paris Eiffel Tower

Discover the many famed sights of Paris ToDayis free for independent exploration. If you like, you can go to the Louvre using public transportation. Stroll around on your own through gallery after gallery of works by the likes of Michelangelo. Linger in front of your favorites as long as you wish.

Or, join us on a half-Dayoptional tour into the countryside to see the lovely landscapes that inspired Monet.

The unique light of the area’s Seine Valley in Normandy kept Monet in residence for 43 years after he “discovered” the village of Giverny while looking out a train window in 1883. He stayed here until his death in 1926, and his grave is in the family vault at the town’s Romanesque church. You'll travel to Monet’s beloved village of Giverny, and explore the artist’s home and gardens, now a museum dedicated to the great painter. The house is furnished as it was when the leader of the Impressionist School lived here, including his precious collection of Japanese engravings. The gardens have been replanted, and as you stroll through them, you’ll see with your own eyes the landscapes that have graced countless Monet paintings. Here are the familiar Japanese bridge and water garden shaded by weeping willows, with its pond still full of the water lilies that so inspired his work. Please note: This optional tour is available on April through October departures only; all other departures feature an optional Louvre tour.

Later this afternoon, enjoy free time on your own.

DAY 5:Paris • Walking Tour Of Beaune • Burgundy's Route Des Vins • Macon • Embark Ship

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Accommodation: M/S Chardonnay, M/S Provence

View Burgundy's Cathedral in Beaune After breakfast, depart Paris for the renowned province of Burgundy, one of France’s eleven major wine-producing regions. Perhaps more than anything else, France is known for its legendary wine, which is part of the country’s heritage and a great source of national pride. Wine has been produced in France for centuries, and in Burgundy there are vineyards nearly everywhere.

Along the way, you'll stop for a visit in Beaune, which is one of the main towns of the Cote d'Or region. The rich soil of Beaune produces many of the world's finest wines. Here you'll enjoy a walking tour through the old town, with its winding cobbled streets dotted with outdoor cafes and open-air markets. The tour includes one of Beaune’s most notable landmarks, the 15th-century charity hospital Hotel Dieu (also called les Hospices de Beaune). This is now a museum housing the original sickbeds and art treasures accumulated over the centuries. Afterwards, you are free to discover more of the treasures of Beaune on your own. Perhaps you'll explore the Musee du Vin, a wine museum that was a former private residence of the Dukes of Burgundy.

From Beaune, enjoy a scenic ride along Burgundy’s Route des Vins ("Wine Road") as you proceed to Macon, arriving in the late afternoon. Here, your France River Cruise Tour begins as you embark your ship.

This evening, you'll gather with your fellow passengers and meet your ship’s crew. After savoring your first dinner aboard the ship, enjoy an onboard activity or a walking tour of Macon with your Program Director.

Day 6: Macon • Lyon • Lyon City Tour And Silk Scarf-Painting Demonstration

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: M/S Chardonnay, M/S Provence

View Macon while cruising the Saone River Your ship will start cruising the Saone River this morning. Perhaps you'll settle into a comfortable deck chair and view the passing riverside scenery. Or, find a favorite spot onboard to sip coffee and unwind with a book before docking in Lyon in the early afternoon after an onboard lunch.

You'll tour historic Lyon by motorcoach, which is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Once the capital of Gaul under the Romans, Lyon flourished as a Renaissance trading center based on its extensive silk industry. In a country known for its fine cuisine, Lyon is also known as a gastronomic capital. Your tour features Old Lyon, once hidden behind medieval ramparts. Among other important landmarks, you'll see the Basilica of Fourviere, which towers above the city.

Then, during an exclusive Discovery Series event, you'll visit a local workshop to learn the secrets of creating delicately painted silk scarves. It was in Lyon that the Jacquard loom (named for its French inventor), the first automatic loom able to weave complex patterns, was invented.

This evening features the Captain’s Welcome Reception and a port talk, followed by the Captain’s Welcome Dinner.

Day 7: Market Visit • French Bread Lesson & Tasting • Beaujolais Tour & Wine Tasting

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: M/S Chardonnay, M/S Provence

Explore local French markets while touring Lyon This morning, explore a local market in Lyon with your Program Director, and discover myriad sweet and savory items for sale. You'll experience the delectable goodness of the many kinds of French breads, from the long, thin baguettes to the plumper loaves of pain (bread) during an exclusive Discovery Series event.

In the afternoon, you'll embark on an included tour to explore the beautiful Beaujolais region north of Lyon, home to 13 French wine appellations. You’ll see historic highlights including the Pierres Dorees—villages built of golden stone—and the 11th-century church of St. Matthews. Then you’ll meet a local vintner at the Domaine des Averlys and taste a sampling of his wines accompanied by local cheeses and sausages for a truly French degustation.

Tonight you'll delight in an onboard theme dinner paying tribute to France. Following dinner, enjoy some scenic night cruising, to reveal the illuminating charms of Lyon from your view upon the water. After your cruise, you'll remain docked in Lyon overnight.

Day 8: Lyon • French Resistance Discussion • Gourmet Tasting • French Language Lesson • Tournon • Home-Hosted Dinner

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: M/S Chardonnay, M/S Provence

Discover the local French culture during a Home Hosted Visit in Vernon After breakfast, join an exclusive Discovery Series discussion about the activities of the French Resistance in the Rhone Valley during World War II.

Mid-morning, you'll come aboard and your France River Cruise continues along the Rhone, passing vineyards, farmhouses, sleepy villages, and emerald-green wooded hillsides. You'll experience two Discovery Series events en route: First, you'll learn about—and sample—some of France's culinary delights during a gourmet tasting; next, enjoy a language lesson and brush up on your conversational French in preparation for your Home-Hosted Dinner this evening.

After docking in Tournon, proceed to the home of a local family. Here, you’ll be treated to a home-cooked meal and learn firsthand about life in this region of France. You’ll then return to the ship, which will begin its overnight cruise to Viviers.

Day 9: Viviers • Walking Tour Of Viviers • Cooking Lesson • Herbs Of Provence Presentation

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: M/S Chardonnay, M/S Provence

Explore the charming town of Viviers during a walking tour This morning you'll arrive in Viviers—the gateway to Provence—where you’ll enjoy a closer look at this charming town on an included walking tour. Then you'll have free time to explore on your own.

Return to the ship later for an onboard lunch before setting off for Avignon. You might want to find a comfortable deck chair and relax as you pass through a lovely stretch of the Ardeche region. It is an area of ancient villages and spa towns set against the backdrop of a rugged, natural landscape.

During your cruise, you'll participate in two exclusive Discovery Series events: First, learn about the herbs of Provence, and their use in the legendary foods associated with this region. Later, your ship's chef will demonstrate some French cooking techniques. You'll also get the chance to sample the resulting fare.

Later this evening you’ll enjoy dinner onboard, and your ship will dock in Avignon, where it will remain docked overnight.

Day 10: Avignon • Optional An Afternoon In Provence Tour Optional Tour

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation:  M/S Chardonnay, M/S Provence

Explore the Papal Palace and the streets of Avignon When you awaken this morning, you'll find yourself in Avignon. Set off on a walking tour to discover the City of Popes. For most of the 14th century, the popes left the turmoil of Rome and installed themselves in this calm possession of the Catholic Church. In Avignon, beginning with Clement V (who was born here), they built residences, chateaux, a number of fortified palaces, and churches. Your tour includes a guided exploration of the impressive Papal Palace.

Then you'll return to the ship for lunch onboard, and you'll have the afternoon to make your own discoveries in Avignon. Perhaps you'll explore the winding streets of some of the city's ancient neighborhoods, or relax at an outdoor cafe.

Or, join an optional tour, An Afternoon in Provence. You'll discover the Provencal village of Les Baux de Provence during a walking tour, then visit the “Cathedrale d’Images,” where artwork is displayed on the walls of carved limestone chambers.

Tonight, celebrate your journey with your travel companions at the Captain's Farewell Dinner.

Day 11: Walking Tour Of Arles • Optional Camargue & Bull Farm Tour Optional Tour

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: M/S Chardonnay, M/S Provence

Your ship cruises through the early morning hours to Arles, where you'll disembark for a tour of the town which was so beloved by Vincent van Gogh. As you explore, you'll encounter signs indicating places rendered in Van Gogh's works. Here you'll find still standing the Cafe l’Alcazar, the establishment where the artist stayed and used the manager, Madame Ginoux, as his model for his painting l’Arlesienne.

View ancient Roman ruins in Arles Visiting Arles, one of the most distinctive towns in enchanting Provence, is like journeying back to ancient Rome. The town is filled with landmarks and ruins dating from its periods of Roman domination that began in 30 BC. Here, you'll view the outside of the colossal hilltop Roman amphitheater, where 21,000 spectators thrilled to gladiator fights in the first century and where bullfights are held today—20 centuries later. You'll also view the 7,000-seat Antique Theater during your tour of this ancient, cobbled city.

After lunch onboard, you have the afternoon free to relax onboard or explore Arles in more depth on your own. The town is home to wonderful churches, museums, and Roman ruins.

Or, embark on an optional half-Dayexcursion into the Camargue. Lined with sandbars and reed-covered marshes, the Camargue is Europe’s largest delta, a dramatic landscape caught between land and sea. The keepers of this land are its gardians, akin to our cowboys. They live here with their families, often several generations together, carving out lifestyles in sync with the land, following the rhythms of nature and the needs of the livestock they tend. You’ll visit a gardian’s bull farm, where you’ll revel in the friendliness of their down-to-earth hospitality, and experience traditional daily life. You’ll witness the local version of bullfighting, in which bulls are considered heroic and never killed. You’ll also climb aboard a farm truck to visit the bulls in their natural environment, and then return to the farmhouse to enjoy traditional Camargue fare and local wine.

Enjoy a Provencal-themed dinner onboard the ship this evening.

Day 12: Arles • Disembark Ship • Visit Rhone American Cemetery

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Grand Hotel Aston

After breakfast, disembark and transfer through a scenic part of Provence to the French Riviera’s Cote d’Azur. En route you’ll stop in Draguignan for a visit to the Rhone American Cemetery. Established just days after Allied troops landed and began an offensive against the German Army in southern France and the Rhone Valley, the cemetery commemorates one of the important battles that followed the D-Daylandings on the beaches of Normandy. Today, 861 American soldiers are buried at the memorial site, comprising twelve acres near the city of Draguignan.

View the Rhone American Cemetery near Draguignan After visiting the cemetery and commemorating the battles that liberated France, continue on and arrive around mid-Dayin Nice. Drop your luggage off at your hotel close to the Old Town and get lunch on your own. Nice is the Cote d’Azur’s premier Riviera resort—a city of art and theater known for its lush gardens and superb setting on the Mediterranean’s Bay of Angels. This afternoon join your Program Director for a relaxing walk around the environs of your hotel.

Enjoy a Farewell Drink with your fellow travelers, after which dinner is on your own and your evening is at leisure.

Day 13: Nice • Return To U.S.

Meals: Breakfast

This morning, transfer to the airport for your flight home. Or take advantage of our extension to Nice, France and explore the French Riviera, or our extension to the Italian Rivieria & the Cinque Terre.

Day 1: Welcome to Paris

Glittering Paris is your launchpad for an epic adventure through the highlights of France and magnificent Barcelona. Spend your first day in the 'City of Light' exploring the art, architecture and culture of this romantic city on your own. Visit a renowned gallery, shop up a storm or relax in manicured gardens watching the world go by. Later, join your fellow travelers and Travel Director for a Welcome Dinner and orientation drive past some of the city's most impressive sights, including the grand Champs-Élysées and Arc de Triomphe.

Pullman La Défense

Dinner

Day 2: Explore the Sights of Paris

Spend the morning in the company of a Local Specialist on a journey through the historic neighborhoods of Paris, to see where the locals live and shop. View the remarkable church of Saint-Sulpice, then enjoy the rest of the day at leisure. Walk along the Seine and admire the talents of street artists and performers, amble through the scenic hilltop village of Montmartre or relax with a café au lait watching the world go by. This evening, consider soaking up the pageantry of Paris with an Optional Experience to a popular Parisian cabaret.

Pullman La Défense

Breakfast

Day 3: Chartres and Châteaux in the Loire Valley Connect with Locals

Visit Chartres, an important place of pilgrimage on the 'Way of Saint James', and see its inspiring French Gothic cathedral, renowned for its stained glass windows and two contrasting spires. We journey through the rolling landscape of the Loire Valley, past beautiful villages and castles. View the impressive Château de Chambord, a marvel of French Renaissance architecture, then visit Château de Chenonceau. Later, Connect With Locals, joining your travel companions and the de Montferrier family on their farm for a traditional three-course Tourangelle Be My Guest dinner experience with local wines.

Mercure Tours Nord

Breakfast, Dinner

Day 4: Onwards to Lyon

Traveling through the heart of France, we arrive in the gastronomic capital of Lyon where we'll join a Local Specialist for a tour of the old city, revealing its rich cultural heritage. Wander through the traboules and marvel at the magnificent skyline from Fourvière hill, followed by free time to explore this city between two rivers.

Crowne Plaza Lyon Cite Internationale

Breakfast

Day 5: Journey to Papal Avignon and on to the French Riviera Dive Into Culture

From Lyon, we drive to Avignon, a Papal Seat in the 14th century. See the Popes' Palace, one of the largest and most important medieval Gothic buildings in Europe, and the remnants of the famous bridge immortalized in the French song – Sur le Pont d'Avignon. Later we continue to the French Riviera, arriving in the seaside retreat of southern France, favored by aristocrats for centuries. With an evening at leisure, perhaps stroll around the Bay of Angels and join the Promenade des Anglais. Or sit and enjoy a glass of wine while the sun sets and listen to the blue Mediterranean waters lap against the shore.

Novotel Aéroport Cap 3000

Breakfast

Day 6: Enjoy Monaco and the Cote d'Azur

A fun-filled day includes a visit to the tiny Principality of Monaco where you’ll view the cathedral where Prince Rainier and Princess Grace were married. See the superyachts in the port and catch a glimpse of the famed grand prix circuit. Enjoy relaxing on the sun-kissed shores of the Côte d'Azur, retreat to the beach with your fellow sun-worshippers, or perhaps embark on an Optional Experience to the medieval hill-top village of Saint-Paul-de-Vence.

Novotel Aéroport Cap 3000

Breakfast

Day 7: Off to Colorful Arles and Carcassonne

We travel west to the Camargue center of Arles, with its honey-colored façades and Roman ruins, enjoying some time at leisure to explore this beautiful city, or perhaps choosing an Optional Experience to gain a deeper understanding of Vincent van Gogh and local history with our resident expert. Later we continue through the landscapes of Provence, immortalized in the works of Cézanne and Van Gogh, to the fortified city of Carcassonne. A guided exploration of this exquisite, ancient town will reveal the Cité, its double ring of ramparts and 52 towers.

Tribe Carcassonne

Breakfast, Dinner

Day 8: Pass the Pyrenees to Barcelona Dive Into Culture

Driving past the foothills of the Pyrenees, we stop in Figueres to visit the Dalí Theater and Museum where we will Dive Into Culture and gain insights into the fascinating world of Salvador Dalí. See his work in this impressive building, before arriving in Barcelona this afternoon for an included sightseeing tour. We’ll see the Columbus Monument and Antoni Gaudí's unfinished La Sagrada Família, with a Local Specialist. The evening is yours to explore this Mediterranean gem. Consider an Optional Experience to enjoy traditional Spanish cuisine and entertainment, or enjoy a delicious tapas feast on your own at one of the city's fine restaurants.

Barcelona Condal Mar Affiliated by Melia

Breakfast

Day 9: Discover Lively Barcelona

Spend the day soaking up the vibrant spirit of Barcelona. Perhaps pay a morning visit to mystical Montserrat to visit its Benedictine monastery and see the mysterious Black Madonna, the patron saint of Catalonia. Ramble up Las Ramblas and people-watch in the Plaça de Catalunya, explore the whimsical architecture of Gaudí dotted across the city or consider an Optional Experience to discover the fascinating Gothic Quarter. This evening, join your Travel Director and travel companions for a memorable Farewell Dinner with wine at a vibrant Spanish restaurant.

Barcelona Condal Mar Affiliated by Melia

Breakfast, Dinner

Day 10: Journey Home

It's time to close the curtain on an unforgettable holiday in France and Barcelona. Say adiós to the bustling streets of Barcelona and your travel companions.

Breakfast