Grand France with 1 Night in Marseille, 3 Nights in Venice & 3 Nights in Rome (Northbound) 2021

Begin your European vacation with an overnight stay in Marseille on the blue Mediterranean. Transfer to Port-Saint-Louis to board your Avalon Suite Ship® for your French river cruise. You’ll sail to beautiful Arles, Lyon, and Avignon where you will enjoy guided city sightseeing tours. Continue to Dijon for a high-speed train ride to Paris—“The City of Light,” to embark on your Seine River cruise.

See the home of master artist Claude Monet, and stroll his magnificent gardens and charming residence at Giverny. Cruise on the Seine to Caudebec, and take an excursion to Normandy. Here, you may select from two guided tours—Normandy’s historic beaches and WWII monuments, or a “Taste of Normandy” with a day in its beautiful agricultural region. Continue to Rouen for a guided walking tour. Next, you’ll sail to Conflans, for an excursion to Auvers-Sur-Oise— the village where Vincent Van Gogh painted, lived, and died—or to Château de Malmaison, the legendary home of Napoléon Bonaparte.

After returning to Paris, fly to Venice to begin your Monograms® vacation package with three nights each in Venice & Rome. Enjoy included guided sightseeing and ample free time with helpful onsite support from expert Local Hosts® in both cities. Your French river cruise, Normandy Beaches tour, and Italian vacation in Venice and Rome, will be hard to match for the beauty, culture, and new sights to recall for years to follow.

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SIMILAR VACATIONS

Grand France (Southbound)
Grand France (Southbound)
With 3 Nights in LondonWLP4
With 3 Nights in LondonWLP4
With 1 Night in Marseille & 3 Nights in LondonWLP2
With 1 Night in Marseille & 3 Nights in LondonWLP2
Grand France (Northbound)WLPQ
Grand France (Northbound)WLPQ

ITINERARY

Day 1

MARSEILLE, FRANCE Welcome to Marseille. Enjoy free time to explore this vibrant city

Day 2

MARSEILLE–PORT ST. LOUIS (EMBARKATION) Spectacular Seascapes of the French Riviera Join your expert Local Guide for an included sightseeing before joining a motorcoach transfer to board your Avalon Suite Ship. EVENING CRUISE TO ARLES

Day 3

ARLES Inspiring Sights and Avant-Garde Lights Visit the Adventure Center for today’s activities with your Adventure Host. ACTIVE Grab a Nordic walking stick for a hike with your Adventure Host. CLASSIC Enjoy a Guided Walking Tour of Arles—the captivating city of the Provence region. You’ll visit the Roman Amphitheater in this visually stunning city that inspired the works of Vincent van Gogh, OR: DISCOVERY Attend a Painting Workshop to learn techniques of Vincent van Gogh. Create your own painting in the style of the legendary artist. Consider a Guided Optional Excursion to the Carrières de Lumières (Cathedral of Images) a unique experience of art, sound, and light in the old quarries of Val d’Enfer. Take free time to stop in Le Café Van Gogh for a glass of wine before sailing to Avignon. OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN AVIGNON
BreakfastLunch Dinner

Day 4

AVIGNON The City of Popes in Picturesque Provence CLASSIC Take a Guided Sightseeing Tour of the fortress city of Avignon—with its ramparts encircling the city—and a visit to the amazing Palace of the Popes. Guided Optional Excursions include a visit to the ancient Roman aqueduct of Pont du Gard, or a trip to the famed wine cellars of Châteauneuf-du-Pape for a true taste of the Rhône wine region. Explore Avignon on your own for the city’s art and culture, theatre, and museums. Be sure to snap photos of the captivating countryside, historic monuments, and the medieval Pont Saint-Bénézet. Later, enjoy onboard live entertainment. OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN AVIGNON
BreakfastLunch Dinner

Day 5

VIVIERS World History in a Charming French Country Village CLASSIC Explore the pale-stone buildings of Viviers on a late afternoon Guided Walking Tour of this charming village. You’ll see its Romanesque cathedral and Old Town with a mix of historical Christian, Roman, and medieval influences. EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO TOURNON
BreakfastLunch Dinner

Day 6

TOURNON/TAIN L’HERMITAGE A Rendezvous with Castle Views and Vineyards Join your Adventure Host for today’s special activities. CLASSIC Take a morning Guided Walking Tour to explore Tournon—one of France’s oldest medieval cities. See its 16th-century castle, and Roman ruins between the Rhône River and the granite slopes of the Hermitage. In the late morning cruise to Vienne VIENNE Roman and Middle Age History CLASSIC Join a Guided Walking Tour of Vienne and discover this charming little town surrounded by steep hills. OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN LYON
BreakfastLunch Dinner

Day 7

LYON La Vie En Rose in Lyon CLASSIC Join a Guided Sightseeing Tour to survey Lyon from Fourvière Hill with its numerous churches. You’ll also explore the Old Town with its maze of medieval alleyways, and the lively cafés, monuments, and famed fountain of Place des Terreaux. Spend free time riding a bike through Lyon’s town squares, over bridges, and along the banks where the Rhône and Saône rivers meet. Enjoy live entertainment while sailing toTournus. EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO ST. JEAN DE LOSNE
BreakfastLunch Dinner

Day 8

ST. JEAN DE LOSNE Wine and Cheese on the Stunning Saône Enjoy a leisurely cruising day along the majestic Saône River. Consider a Guided Optional Excursion to a Chardonnay wine cellar, or to the Castle of Cormatin. DISCOVERY Later, enjoy a delicious Cheese Tasting on board your ship. Enjoy live entertainment on board this evening. OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN ST. JEAN DE LOSNE
BreakfastLunch Dinner

Day 9

ST. JEAN DE LOSNE (DISEMBARKATION) BEAUNE–DIJON–PARIS (EMBARKATION) Drive to Beaune and take a High-Speed Train from Dijon to Paris. CLASSIC Visit the Hôtel-Dieu Charity Hospital in Beaune, built in 1443, today home of the Van der Weyden’s painting of the Last Judgment and is one of France’s architectural highlights. This afternoon, take a high-speed train from Dijon to Paris to board your Suite Ship®. EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO VERNON

Day 10

VERNON Monet’s Muses, Castle Courtyards, and Crêpes du Jour Visit the Adventure Center for today’s activities with your Adventure Host. CLASSIC Take a Guided Tour of Giverny, home and inspiration of the master impressionist painter Claude Monet. Walk the grounds and see Monet’s charming residence, and the flower and water gardens captured in his masterpieces, OR: CLASSIC Join a Guided Visit to Bizy Castle—called “Normandy’s Versailles” for its magnificent courtyard, water garden, and stables. DISCOVERY While sailing, enjoy a traditional French luncheon of authentic French crêpes, followed by a Pastry Demonstration. This afternoon, enjoy a beautiful cruise to the picturesque town of Les Andelys. LES ANDELYS Serenity on the Seine CLASSIC Take a Guided Walking Tour of Les Andelys—one of France’s most picturesque spots on the Seine, OR: ACTIVE Join a Guided Hike up to the castle ruins of Château Gaillard—historic home of King Richard the Lionheart. EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO CAUDEBEC
BreakfastLunch Dinner

Day 11

CAUDEBEC Ancient Abbeys Along the Seine CLASSIC Take a Guided Trip along the Normandy Abbeys Route—where more than 100 medieval Benedictine and Augustine abbeys and churches were built along the Seine, OR: This afternoon, you may choose a Guided Optional Excursion to the old seaside town of Honfleur. OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN CAUDEBEC
BreakfastLunch Dinner

Day 12

CAUDEBEC. NORMANDY EXCURSIONS Heroic Bravery on Normandy Beaches and French Farming Traditions CLASSIC Join a Guided Tour of Normandy’s WWII landing beaches, visit significant U.S. sites, including Omaha Beach, the Pointe du Hoc monument, and the American Cemetery, OR: CLASSIC Take a full-day Guided Tour of the British and Canadian commemorative sites, including the British cemetery, Pegasus Memorial, the seaside town of Arromanches, the Juno Beach Center, and the Bény-sur-Mer Canadian War Cemetery, OR: CLASSIC Join “A Taste of Normandy” Guided Tour for an in-depth look at this rich agricultural region. See the famous Bayeux Tapestry, visit the beautiful village of Beuvron en Auge and taste Calvados at a local distillery. Later, enjoy live entertainment on board your ship. EVENING CRUISE TO ROUEN
BreakfastLunch Dinner

Day 13

ROUEN The Cathedral of Our Lady and a Heroine for France CLASSIC Take a Guided Walking Tour of Rouen—home of the martyred Joan of Arc—and see the medieval quarter with its 16th-century Astronomical Clock, and Notre-Dame Cathedral, OR: ACTIVE Take a Guided Bike Tour to discover and explore the most famous monuments and the lesser-known hidden gems of Rouen on two wheels. EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO CONFLANS
BreakfastLunch Dinner

Day 14

CONFLANS The Footsteps of Van Gogh, Bonaparte, and Louis XIV CLASSIC Join a Guided Visit to Auvers-sur-Oise, home and resting place of Vincent van Gogh, OR: CLASSIC Take a Guided tour of the opulent Château de Malmaison—home of Napoléon Bonaparte and his wife Josephine. Perhaps, join a Guided Optional Excursion to the Palace of Versailles—home to a succession of French kings. EVENING CRUISE TO PARIS
BreakfastLunch Dinner

Day 15

PARIS Cafés, Cathedrals, and Canvases in the city of Lights Join your Adventure Host for today’s special activities. CLASSIC Discover the ancient heart of Paris on a captivating Guided Walk featuring the Palais-Royal, Louvre pyramid, ancient sites on Île de la Cité, the Left Bank, bustling Latin Quarter, and more, OR: CLASSIC Join a Guided City Tour, that shows you the iconic sites of Paris, such as the Louvre Museum, the Arc de Triomphe, the Eiffel Tower, Opéra Garnier, and the famous Champs-Élysées. Stroll through Paris on your own, or linger over wine in a literary café on the Left Bank. OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN PARIS
BreakfastLunch Dinner

Day 16

PARIS–VENICE, ITALY Say goodbye to the Avalon portion of your vacation after breakfast and fly to Venice. Your Monograms Local Host will be on hand to help you make the most of your time
Breakfast

Day 17

VENICE Your guided sightseeing in Venice includes St. Mark’s Square, inside visits of the Basilica, Doges’ Palace and the Bridge of Sighs
Breakfast

Day 18

VENICE Your Local Host has many suggestions for your day at leisure
Breakfast

Day 19

VENICE–ROME Travel by high-speed train (First Class) to Rome
Breakfast

Day 20

ROME With your included guided sightseeing visit St. Peter’s Square, and go inside the Basilica, Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, the Colosseum and Roman Forum
Breakfast

Day 21

ROME A full day at leisure in Rome. Your Local Host will be on hand to help you make the most of your time
Breakfast

Day 22

ROME Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning
Breakfast

Accommodations