Sail on The Thomas Hardy All Solos Cruise with No Single Sup

We start in France’s gastronomic capital and explore the beautiful Saône and Rhône rivers, the preferred route of traders and invaders alike since the dawn of recorded history. There are reminders of the Romans and the ancient world's greatest empire everywhere.

You will be amazed by the engineering genius of the amphitheater at Arles and the massive aqueduct at the Pont du Gard. Avignon was the seat of the Papacy during medieval times, heralding a century of greatness crowned by the absorbing Papal Palace and its stunning Renaissance art collection. Van Gogh created arguably his most significant works in Provence and all this is set in some of France’s most breathtaking natural beauty, all waiting to be discovered on this wonderful cruise.

The price you see is the price you pay.  Also included in your River Cruise: Sample delicious local wines with a wine tasting in Burgundy's wine capital, Beaune . Visit the Palace of the Popes in the 14th-century City of Avignon, adorned with priceless frescoes, Gobelin tapestries, and graceful sculptures. Explore the magnificent Ardèche Gorges, one of France's most outstanding natural landscapes. Take a guided tour of Lyon's highlights, including Renaissance buildings, imposing churches, and Europe's largest pedestrian square, Place Bellecour, featuring a statue of Louis XIV. Marvel at the impressive Pont du Gard aqueduct and the Roman amphitheater in Arles.

Emerald Deck $3499.00 single occupancy 

Ruby Deck $4399.00 single occupancy 

Diamond Deck $4699.00 single occupancy

Included for all cabins is a superior drink package. 

Call Libby at 678 325 8351 to confirm your reservation.

DAY 1 - EMBARK IN AVIGNON Arrive in Avignon, where your five-star floating hotel is moored. The dedicated English-speaking crew will welcome you on board and help you to your cabin. After settling into your spacious and tastefully furnished accommodation, there’s time to familiarize yourself with this five-star floating hotel. 

DAY 2 - AVIGNON Avignon The light catching the red roofs of Avignon’s majestic skyline is a sight to behold over breakfast, after which we embark on a guided tour of one of France's most extraordinary and intriguing cities. Avignon’s destiny changed during the 14th century, when the Pope’s court moved here to avoid strife in Rome. Igniting a century of prosperity, the pontiff commissioned a host of ambitious building projects, and today the city is immaculately preserved, nestling behind its almost-intact 14th-century walls and boasting more remarkable monuments, superbly decorated buildings, churches, chapels, and convents than you can count. Most important is the stunning Pope’s Palace, made up of two buildings that together form the largest Gothic palace in the world. With turrets, towers, parapets and other fortifications, its exterior resembles a mighty fortress, while the interior is a tour de force of medieval architecture and ornamentation, adorned with priceless frescoes, Gobelin tapestries and graceful sculptures. The ceremonial hall, chapels, cloisters and private apartments are all unmissable. But to truly embrace the feel of papal Avignon, imagine yourself here during the Middle Ages amid the Palace’s rich furnishings and extravagant decoration, with cardinals, princes, and ambassadors milling about its candlelit halls and corridors, while in the streets below, countless pilgrims eagerly anticipate benediction. This was Avignon’s brief golden age, when it was truly the centre of Christendom. 

After lunch, you’re free to explore as you wish, perhaps visiting the nearby Petit Palais, the former home of the archbishops of Avignon, to cast a critical eye over the remarkable collection of over 300 paintings and sculptures from the Middle Ages and Renaissance, including works by Botticelli and Carpaccio. Or take a stroll on the iconic Pont d’Avignon, which, dramatically, ends halfway across the river, made famous by the melody we all recall from our first French lessons. You may wish to shop, or just find a quiet Call Riviera River Cruises on 888-838-8820 café in a shady Provençal square to watch the world go by. 

After returning on board for dinner, the ship set sail for our next destination, Arles, arriving later that evening. 

After a welcome dinner, sit back and relax to the sounds of a talented local pianist who'll entertain us with French songs on board. 

Included experience: Guided tour of Avignon & on-board piano performance.

DAY 3 - ARLES & PONT DU GARD Arles You awake under the azure skies of deepest Provence, amid the warm stone colours of Arles, many of whose historic monuments are UNESCO World Heritage sites. Although small in size, it was the key stronghold on the Roman road to Spain, one of the empire’s richest possessions. Seagoing ships could reach here and the city became a regional capital, briefly ruling over Gaul, Spain and Britain. 
Our guided tour will help you appreciate the finer points of Arles’ magnificent Roman remains, including the splendid amphitheatre, one of the best preserved in the world, the earlier theatre built during the reign of Augustus and the Alyscamps, the ancient necropolis with its extraordinary atmosphere. 

The disturbed but great genius of an artist, Van Gogh, lived in Arles for just over a year, from February 1888. It was his most prolific period and, inspired by Arles and the light and beauty of the Provençal countryside, he produced around 300 works, including The Night Café, The Sower and, of course, Sunflowers. 

Arles After lunch we visit the amazing Pont du Gard Roman aqueduct, one of the wonders of the ancient world. No amount of fame can diminish the first sight of this 2,000-year-old structure, which was the highest bridge built in the Empire – the Romans themselves considered it the most important testimony to their greatness. Its statistics are staggering: over 900 feet long and almost 160 feet high, with its stones each weighing up to six tons. To put this in perspective, the span of the Pont du Gard is greater than the width of the River Thames at London Bridge – and no mortar was used in its construction! The situation is lovely too, with pine- and cypress-covered hills adding to the harmonious setting. 

After rejoining the ship in Avignon, we cruise towards Viviers during dinner.

Included experiences: a guided tour of Arles and a visit to the Pont du Gard.

DAY 4 - ARDÈCHE GORGES & TAIN I'HERMITAGE Ardèche Gorges This morning we disembark after breakfast and whilst our ship effortlessly cruises upstream towards Le Pouzin, we will explore one of France’s most outstanding landscapes – the Ardèche Gorges, whose scale is a fitting reminder of Mother Nature’s awesome power. Sheer limestone cliffs plunge almost 1,000 feet to the river’s blue waters, which elegantly snake their way through stupendous rock formations, culminating in a huge natural arch, the Pont d’Arc. We enjoy marvelous views at every turn of caves, grottoes, and natural sculptures before returning to the ship
Tain l'Hermitage Enjoy a relaxing afternoon on board – perhaps catching up on some reading or just lazing in the sun as the temperature rises, before we arrive in Tain l'Hermitage, surrounded by steep vine-covered hillsides, where another of the world’s most revered wines is produced. 
After dinner, perhaps stroll along the river and wander across the oldest suspension bridge in France to the pretty provincial town of Tournon on the opposite bank of the river, with its imposing castle and tree-lined avenues. Across the river, you’ll see the vine covered hillsides producing Hermitage, yet another of the world’s most revered wines – a fitting view as we enjoy another exquisite dinner in the ship’s excellent restaurant. 

After dinner, delight in a ballroom dancing performance in the lounge with the opportunity to learn some basic steps of a French Madison line dance! 

Included experiences: Guided tour of the Ardèche Gorges, visit to Tain l'Hermitage & live ballroom dancing performance. 

DAY 5 - VIENNE Cruise through the Rhône Valley During breakfast this morning, we’ll slip our moorings and cruise north through one of the most spectacular sections of the Rhône Valley, as the river squeezes and twists past Condrieu, Saint-Rambert-d’Albon, and Saint-Vallier, with wooded cliffs rising high on both sides. Traditionally, these stretches were the most dangerous due to fierce currents and varying water levels. Still, with the waters now tamed by a series of locks whose complex mechanisms never cease to fascinate, you can relax on the Sun Deck, taking in the exceptional views.

Vienne After lunch we arrive in the ancient Roman stronghold of Vienne, first a Celtic settlement, then a Roman stronghold under Julius Caesar. You'll be taken by train for a captivating tour, hosted by a local expert. Strikingly located in a narrow section of the Rhône, where the river meanders dramatically around a steep bluff, Vienne is a treasure trove of historic remains, including the stunning Roman Temple of Augustus and Livia, and a walk around its streets brings its heritage to life. 

You will also have some free time to explore at your leisure before returning to the ship for dinner, during which we commence our cruise towards Chalonsur-Saône.

Included experiences: Guided tour of Vienne & visit to Tournon.

DAY 6 - CHALON & BEAUNE Beaune Overnight, we have made steady progress north, and mid-morning, we arrive in Chalon, gateway to Burgundy and the home of Nicéphore Niépce, the inventor of photography. On today’s tour, we see some of the pretty yet surprisingly small villages that produce some of the world’s most sublime wines – Meursault, Volnay, Pommard, Gevrey-Chambertin, and many more.

Nearby is medieval Beaune, Burgundy’s wine capital, which is wonderful to wander around. At its centre is the Hospices de Beaune, also known as the Hôtel-Dieu. Initially built in the 15th century as a hospital for the disadvantaged, it’s a jewel of High Gothic architecture, instantly recognizable for its colorful glazed roof tiles arranged in dazzling geometric patterns. A prestigious annual wine auction takes place here each November, with proceeds going to benefit the Hospices and its charity work. Of course, you can’t visit Burgundy without sampling its excellent wines, so we see the cellars of a leading traditional winemaker for a tour and tasting. 

Later, we return to the ship and as we slip our moorings once again, enjoy an aperitif with newly made friends in the convivial bar before tonight’s dinner as we retrace our steps on the Saône back towards Lyon. 

Included experience: Tour of Beaune with wine tasting.

DAY 7 - LYON Lyon After another splendid breakfast, we’ll leisurely start enjoying a guided tour of Lyon, one of France’s most fascinating cities. The Rhône Valley had been the route of choice for marauding armies and peaceful traders for centuries, and Lyon’s current site, at the confluence of the Rhône and Saône Rivers, cried out to be fortified. In 43 BC the Romans founded the city, which subsequently grew in importance; Emperor Claudius, conqueror of Britain, was born here. 

There are many Roman remains to see, but it was the production of silk that brought Lyon to prominence during the Middle Ages. Throughout the city, you can see signs of the wealth that poured in – Renaissance buildings , imposing churches, and Europe’s largest pedestrian square, Place Bellecour, with a statue of Louis XIV as its focus. The Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is crammed with antique shops and intriguing traboules – narrow covered passageways enabling silk merchants to transport their wares to the river without getting wet – that today are a joy to amble through. 

As well as its glorious architecture, Lyon is generally acknowledged as France’s (and to locals, the world’s) gastronomic capital. In fairness it has much to commend it: nouvelle cuisine was invented near here and the city boasts a huge array of speciality food shops and eateries, including 20 restaurants with one or more Michelin stars and countless little places to eat.

It’s our final afternoon in which you are free to explore Lyon further or perhaps though, return to the sumptuous surroundings of your ship, head up on to the Sun Deck and just contemplate the wondrous places you have seen and experienced over a quiet cup of tea, 

This evening we enjoy the sumptuous Chef’s Dinner, featuring some of their signature dishes - a truly memorable experience.

Included experience: Guided tour of Lyon.

DAY 8 - DISEMBARK IN LYON 
Disembark in Lyon. After breakfast, you bid farewell to the ship and her dedicated crew, then begin your return journey.