9 Reasons to Try River Cruising
12/04/2017 · By Persephone Hallow
River cruising is becoming ever more popular, and here are 9 reasons to try it for yourself with one of our tours.
Read moreSave £200pp on River Cruise 2024 holidays, when you book by 21st May 2024.
2024 Tour code: LRR24
About the tour
Discover the timeless elegance of France's beautiful Rhône on board the MS Amadeus Provence. Experience a relaxing cruise, enchanting cities, and many natural wonders. Visit dynamic Lyon, Avignon and charming Beaune, and admire the wonderful Ardèche Gorge as you drift down this peaceful river.
Unforgettable experiences
What’s included
Itinerary
We meet at London St Pancras* where we join the Eurostar to the French capital of Paris, before connecting with the regional service to the dynamic city of Lyon. Here we board our luxurious ship, the MS Amadeus Provence. We have time to settle into our cabins before we enjoy a welcome cocktail, which you may like to take on the sun deck as we admire Lyon's colourful townhouses and lively streets. Later, we enjoy dinner together before setting sail for Chalon-sur-Saône.
*If you would like to travel by air, view our Fly & Cruise option here.
Additional information
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Reviews
4.5 / 5 · 58 reviews
Colin Fry
Submitted 12 Sep 2023
A very pleasant trip with excellent organisation and a friendly and helpful crew. Great Rail managers
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Geoffrey Carrington
Submitted 12 Sep 2023
Well organised tour with friendly and helpful guides. The onshore tours were very interesting. On ship there was a friendly atmosphere and once again all the staff were extremely helpful. The food was excellent.
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Mandy Block
Submitted 12 Sep 2023
Beautiful trip, lovely ship and staff andmade some new friends. We are so sad it finished!
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M Familton
Submitted 12 Sep 2023
A lot of time was spent on board the boat. The ratio of time spent aboard to the time spent ashore was heavily weighted to the former. It didn't help that the weather was largely against us, meaning that time spent on the sun deck was limited. The sun deck was also quite often closed to allow the boat to pass under low bridges. Not enough free time to explore at our leisure. Once the arranged excursions were done (largely good, some excellent), we were expected back on board for lunch and to sail to our next destination. The mobility of some guests meant that excursions ashore could be slow going. This also limited any free time subsequent to the visit. Often, we would arrive at a new destination too late in the evening for a stroll ashore after dinner. Cruising itself was mostly relaxing and enjoyable, but there were too many times where only our cabin beckoned. The boat was clean, comfortable and in immaculate condition. Cabins were roomy and comfortable with plenty of storage space. The staff and crew aboard were excellent. Food too was mostly excellent, together with the wine served with our evening meals. The best of times aboard were when cruising during the early stages of our evening meal. Would have preferred the lunch time meal to have been fully buffet style, though.
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Beewood
Submitted 09 Sep 2023
Organisation, ship and personnel all excellent. The only negative comment is that with a busy 7 day cruise there is little time to relax on the top deck and admire the scenery.
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S Keen
Submitted 08 Sep 2023
The Amadeus Provence ship and crew were excellent. I would have liked more time in Lyon and Arles and a shorter time in Avignon. The Pont Du Gard optional trip was spectacular. Unfortunately I did catch COVID onboard which marred the last few days. I enjoyed the river Saone, very pretty with the Charolais cattle in the river, egrets and cormorants. The tour manager was great, very solicitous and caring.
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