Rhone River Cruise Biking
Member Savings
Sign in to see which companies give additional
savings to Travelstride Members (it’s free)
Overview
Highlights
- Experience ride through farmland crossing the vast Plaine de la Crau.
- Bike the agricultural valley roads that lay below the Alpilles, Provence's iconic mini-Alps, until you descend into St-Rémy
- Discover Lyon, the third-largest city in France
- Ride through many authentic villages and famous wine appellations
What's this trip about?
Details
Travel Themes
Destinations
Attractions
Activities
Trip includes
- Shipboard accommodation for 7 nights
- All meals except 2 lunches, including wine and cocktails
- Services of B&R guides and support van(s)
- Services of the ship's 50+ member crew for on-board needs
- Gratuities for ship staff
- All special events, private tours, guest experts and entrance fees
- Use of a customized hybrid or a racing bike with drop bars, equipped with handlebar bag and helmet
- A handlebar-mounted 7” Samsung Galaxy tablet with preloaded GPS bike routes
- B&R biodegradable water bottle
- All transportation from rendezvous to drop-off
Itinerary
Rendezvous in Avignon and explore the town's papal palace with a local guide. This evening, enjoy a beautiful welcome dinner on board the S.S. Catherine.
Today, ride through farmland crossing the vast Plaine de la Crau. The next leg of your ride is into the pastoral countryside around Fontvieille. This evening you'll regroup aboard for a B&R exclusive tasting of Rhône wines with a former sommelier for Alain Ducasse.
Bike the agricultural valley roads that lay below the Alpilles, Provence's iconic mini-Alps, until you descend into St-Rémy. Tonight enjoy an early evening walk through the historic centre of Avignon before returning to the ship for dinner.
Wake up at the foot of Viviers, a pleasant riverside town. Ride on the river flats, towards the Ardèche region to the south, all the way to Bourg Saint Andéol, a medieval enclave. Stop for a coffee and contemplate whether you want to take the short, flat route along t...
Wake up to the dramatic, terraced vineyards about Tain-L'Hermitage, the capital of Côtes du Rhône wine production. Ride through world-renowned vineyards of the appellations such as Chantemerle and Crozes-Hermitage, and then enjoy a delicious lunch back on board.
Today you can discover Lyon, the third-largest city in France, often overshadowed by its neighbours. Begin our discovery with a pleasant urban ride that defines the layout of the city, before delving into its storied past with guided stops along the way. Tonight you'll enjoy a special cooking class at the renowned Paul Bocuse Institute!
Awake to find yourself approaching the southern Burgundian city of Mâcon. Ride through many authentic villages and famous wine appellations before enjoying lunch at Bistrot L'Ancienne Auberge, owned by the illustrious 3 Michelin starred Chef George Blanc.
After a final breakfast on the water, we say our farewells!
Want a tailor-made trip instead?
Your trip, your way, planned by an expert:
- You choose budget, destinations, activities, transport & lodging type
- Expert designs the itinerary for you, and once approved, takes care of logistics
Dates & Availability
Check Current Availability, prices, specials with Butterfield & Robinson.
The total tour cost includes the tour price (regular or promotional) and the compulsory local payment. The promotional price is subject to change. Check directly with the operator for the latest price offer. The tour operator requires you to pay only the tour price to purchase your travel. The compulsory local payment will be paid when you join the trip. All prices are based on double, twin or triple share occupancy. Solo passengers will be accommodated in a double, twin or triple room according to availability with a passenger(s) of the same gender. Single supplement only needs to be paid if the passenger does not want to share and requests their own room. Discounts can only be applied at the time of booking and cannot be added at a later date, regardless of any changes made to the original booking.
Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.
Butterfield & Robinson Reviews & Ratings
Other Butterfield & Robinson Reviews
Great Trip
Butterfield and Robinson just planned and executed a great, great trip for us to the Amalfi coast. All the services and hotels were wonderful and the guides were gre...
The trip was a perfect
We just returned from our first family trip with B&R though Normandy. Our guides, Thilo & Sigrid, were incredible. The trip was a perfect balance of cycling,...
Incredible this trip
Just got back from an amazing trip with B&R from Vienna to Prague. This was my first trip with B&R and I was so impressed by every detail!!! Our guide was so...
Tour Operator
It's been almost 50 years since we made a conscious decision, on the back of a cocktail napkin, to encourage people to "slow down to see the world." Ever since, Butterfield & Robinson has been leading trips that amble where others stride, linger where others inhale, bike where others motor and sip where others quaff. In the words of Gypsy Rose Lee, a woman who, if nothing else, knew the value of doing things very, very slowly: "Anything worth doing well is worth doing slowly."
There’s so much more to B&R than the high thread count of your sheets. Our kind of luxury takes you to a place you never knew existed. It’s a feeling of freedom. A feeling of exuberance. A feeling like you don’t need a watch or a wallet and you haven’t a care in the world. Wherever we travel, we delve deep into the heart of the local culture, your meals are some of the best in your life, and your sleeps every bit as delicious. But this merely sets the stage for the magical, ineffable part of B&R—the moments of discovery—and self-discovery—that you’ll never, ever forget.
The B&R difference is the best biking and walking routes in the world’s most incredible places. It’s the most capable and genuinely friendly guides you’ll find anywhere. It’s the most interesting hotels the region has to offer. It’s amazing culinary experiences. It’s state-of-the-art equipment, great wines at dinner, a water bottle that’s always filled, route suggestions you won’t find in any guidebook, et cetera! Are you starting to get the picture?
Our Expertise
Incomparable Service
From the first phone call to the final nostalgic photo swap, we pride ourselves on anticipating and answering each and every question you might have before, during and after your trip – plus a hundred more we thought you might like to know. That way, the only surprises on your trip are good ones.
50 Years of Experience
BB&R’s been slowing down to see the world since 1966, and while a steady diet of good food, great wine and miles of biking and walking has kept us feeling sprightly, we can’t deny the truth: we’re about to turn 50. Fortunately, “mid-life crisis” isn’t in our vocabulary—in fact, we’re actually pretty excited about it.
Amazing Routes
We meticulously map out easy-to-follow route notes for our trips. By no means do you have to follow them, but if you do, we promise nothing short of spectacular (think quiet country lanes, glorious vistas and, often, being the only ones in sight). Our guides always have additional scenic routes up their sleeves, too. Up for more of a challenge? Ask and you shall receive.
Impeccable Guides
B&R guides are an exceptional group: consummate hosts, mind readers and raconteurs, among many other things. Think teachers, painters, travel writers, architects, botanists and biologists. The only documents thicker than their CVs are their passports. They’ve lived all over the world. They speak a gazillion languages. And they’re ridiculously fun.
Expert Trip Designers
Our talented team of Trip Designers are the best in the world at what they do—and what they do is turn fantasies into reality. (We thought about changing their title to “Dream Weavers,” but we didn’t want to re-print all those business cards.)
Exceptional Hotels
Winning hotels are a hallmark of B&R; we go to great lengths to find properties that are unique expressions of the region. Often that means they’ve had a previous life as a monastery or a castle. Think of them as the charming and intimate garnish atop your trip. Best of all? We’re friends with our hoteliers, which means preferential treatment for you.
About Travelstride
Find your perfect trip
Save time
Save money
Travel confidently
Logistics
What's excluded
- International Flights
- Passport and Visa Charges
- Personal Expenses
The 80-stateroom S.S. Catherine features everything from an indoor splash pool to a self-service laundry, as well as an impressive collection of original works of art. Suites are individually decorated; all B&R cabins boast French balconies affording wide views of the riverscapes. The vessel is fully air-conditioned and features high-quality beds and linens, marble bathrooms with Hermes and L’Occitane accessories, and a knowledgeable, professional crew of 50-plus. The restaurant (often resupplied with fresh regional ingredients en route) offers an array of beautifully prepared starters and entrees, as well as a sumptuous buffet breakfast.
If you have to cancel your B&R trip, you are entitled to the return of these amounts:
Number of days prior to your trip:
270+: 100% Refund of deposit
96-269: 50% Refund of deposit
61-95: 75% Refund of trip cost
31-60: 50% Refund of trip cost
0-30% : 100% Cancellation fee
Should you cancel your reservation more than 95 days in advance of the departure date, the entire US$1,000 per person deposit is transferable as a future trip credit to be used by the same traveller towards a B&R trip departing within 24 months of the original trip cancellation date. This credit cannot be extended beyond 24 months but may be transferred to another trip only once. Between 61-95 days prior to your original departure date, you may transfer to a different trip in the same calendar year upon payment of a fee of US$250 per person (this fee will be waived for Premier Cru & Grand Cru travellers). If you cancel this subsequent reservation, then the cancellation fees applicable shall be the higher of the cancellation fee on your original reservation or the cancellation fee on the trip to which you transferred. Within 60 days of departure, the regular cancellation fees will apply.
Recreational
Most of the riding on this trip is flat to gentle on quiet roads and dedicated bicycle paths. There are a few hills to be biked, especially on days 4 and 5. There are numerous long options for eager riders. Road surfaces are either paved or consist of hard-packed dirt and gravel. B&R therefore strongly recommends the use of hybrid bicycles for this trip. Daily elevation gains range between 25 m (82 feet) and 300m (1000 feet).
Become a member
- Save up to $700 per person
- Access members-only specials
- Personalize trip recommendations