Cruise itinerary
21-Night Europe Cruise from Arles
21 nights · Europe · 20 ports of call
21-night Europe cruise aboard Avalon Poetry II, departing Arles and calling at Avignon, Viviers, Tain-l'Hermitage, Lyon, Tournus and Chalon-sur-Saône and 13 more.
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- No booking fees
- 10,000+ sailings
At a glance
- Ship
- Avalon Poetry II
- Cruise line
- Avalon Waterways
- Duration
- 21 nights
- Region
- Europe · Western Europe · Rhone · Seine
- Departs
- Arles
- Returns
- Bordeaux
How NestCruise works:we're advisor-led, not a booking engine. No fares are listed and there are no booking fees — tell an advisor your dates and party and they price your exact Avalon Poetry II sailing, typically within 24 hours.
Where this voyage takes you
- History & Culture
Day-by-day itinerary
- Day1
Arles
A Provençal town on the Rhône River in southern France, ringed by Roman monuments. Its great amphitheatre still hosts events, and the surrounding light and streets inspired the painter Van Gogh during his year in the town.
- Roman amphitheatre
- Van Gogh sites
- Place du Forum
- Day2
Arles
A Provençal town on the Rhône River in southern France, ringed by Roman monuments. Its great amphitheatre still hosts events, and the surrounding light and streets inspired the painter Van Gogh during his year in the town.
- Roman amphitheatre
- Van Gogh sites
- Place du Forum
- Day3
Avignon
A walled city on the Rhône in Provence, southern France, once the seat of medieval popes. The vast Palais des Papes dominates the centre, and the broken Pont d'Avignon reaches partway across the river below the ramparts.
- Palais des Papes
- Pont d'Avignon
- City ramparts
- Day4
Viviers
A small town on the Rhône in southern France, set below a rocky bluff in the Ardèche. River ships moor here within reach of the lavender fields, vineyards and stone villages of Provence, with the cathedral town of Viviers itself just ashore.
- Rhône river
- Provence villages
- Ardèche country
- Day5
Tain-l'Hermitage
- Day6
Lyon
A French city at the meeting of the Rhône and Saône rivers, long regarded as the country's gastronomic capital. Its Renaissance old town hides covered passages called traboules, while the Fourvière basilica crowns the hill above the two rivers.
- Vieux Lyon traboules
- Fourvière Basilica
- Bouchon dining
- Day7
Tournus
A medieval town on the Saône river in southern Burgundy, built around the great Romanesque abbey of St. Philibert. Its honey-stone streets and riverside setting sit at the edge of the Mâconnais vineyards, an easy reach from Cluny.
- St. Philibert Abbey
- Saône riverfront
- Mâconnais wines
Chalon-sur-Saône
A town on the Saône in the Burgundy region of eastern France, birthplace of the photographic pioneer Nicéphore Niépce. Its riverside quays and old town sit at the southern gateway to the Côte Chalonnaise vineyards and the wider Burgundy wine country.
- Niépce Museum
- Saône quays
- Burgundy vineyards
- Day8
Chalon-sur-Saône
A town on the Saône in the Burgundy region of eastern France, birthplace of the photographic pioneer Nicéphore Niépce. Its riverside quays and old town sit at the southern gateway to the Côte Chalonnaise vineyards and the wider Burgundy wine country.
- Niépce Museum
- Saône quays
- Burgundy vineyards
Dijon
Paris
The French capital on the Seine, the start or finish of many river cruises through northern France. Ships moor near the centre, putting the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre and Notre-Dame within easy reach across a city built for walking.
- Eiffel Tower
- The Louvre
- Notre-Dame
- Day9
Vernon
A town on the Seine in Normandy, France, best known as the home of the painter Claude Monet. His house and the famous water-lily gardens at nearby Giverny draw most visitors, set in the gentle river country between Paris and Rouen.
- Monet's Giverny garden
- Monet's house
- Seine valley
Les Andelys
A small town on a loop of the Seine in Normandy, France, overlooked by the ruined Château Gaillard. Richard the Lionheart's clifftop fortress dominates the river bend, and the surrounding valley of chalk cliffs and orchards is classic Norman countryside.
- Château Gaillard
- Seine valley
- Norman countryside
- Day10
Caudebec-en-Caux
A riverside town on the Seine in Normandy, set on a wide bend of the valley between Rouen and the coast. River ships moor here for the orchards, abbeys and white-cliffed meanders of the surrounding countryside in northern France.
- Seine valley
- Normandy orchards
- Riverside abbeys
- Day11
Caudebec-en-Caux
A riverside town on the Seine in Normandy, set on a wide bend of the valley between Rouen and the coast. River ships moor here for the orchards, abbeys and white-cliffed meanders of the surrounding countryside in northern France.
- Seine valley
- Normandy orchards
- Riverside abbeys
- Day12
Rouen
A historic city on the Seine in Normandy, where river ships moor within walking distance of the centre. Its medieval old town keeps half-timbered houses and a soaring Gothic cathedral, and it is the place where Joan of Arc was put to death in 1431.
- Rouen Cathedral
- Old town
- Joan of Arc
- Day13
Conflans-Sainte-Honorine
A riverside town where the Oise joins the Seine northwest of Paris, in France's Île-de-France region. A historic bargemen's town and centre of French river navigation, it sits among the wooded loops of the Seine valley within reach of the capital.
- Seine-Oise confluence
- river navigation heritage
- Île-de-France
- Day14
Paris
The French capital on the Seine, the start or finish of many river cruises through northern France. Ships moor near the centre, putting the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre and Notre-Dame within easy reach across a city built for walking.
- Eiffel Tower
- The Louvre
- Notre-Dame
- Day15
Paris
The French capital on the Seine, the start or finish of many river cruises through northern France. Ships moor near the centre, putting the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre and Notre-Dame within easy reach across a city built for walking.
- Eiffel Tower
- The Louvre
- Notre-Dame
Bordeaux
A port city in southwest France set on the Garonne, ringed by the vineyards of its world-famous wine region. River ships moor near the centre, where the grand Place de la Bourse mirrors in a vast reflecting pool beside neoclassical quays.
- Place de la Bourse
- Wine country
- Garonne quays
- Day16
Cadillac
A historic small town on the Garonne in the Bordeaux wine region of southwest France. It is known for sweet white wines from the surrounding vineyards and for the 17th-century Château de Cadillac that overlooks the river.
- Château de Cadillac
- Bordeaux vineyards
- Garonne river
- Day17
Cussac-Fort-Médoc
A village on the Gironde estuary in France's Médoc, guarded by a star-shaped fortress built by the engineer Vauban. It lies among the gravel vineyards of the great red-wine châteaux, with Bordeaux a short drive upriver.
- Fort Médoc
- Médoc châteaux
- Gironde estuary
- Day18
Blaye
Bourg
A small riverside town in France's Gironde estuary, surrounded by the Côtes de Bourg vineyards. Its limestone old quarter overlooks the water, and the wine villages and cellars of the right bank spread across the slopes inland.
- Côtes de Bourg wine
- Riverside old town
- Estuary views
- Day19
Libourne
A riverside town in France's Bordeaux wine country, set where the Isle meets the Dordogne. It serves the prestigious Saint-Émilion vineyards nearby, with their medieval village, underground monolithic church and limestone wine cellars.
- Saint-Émilion
- Bordeaux vineyards
- Monolithic church
- Day20
Bordeaux
A port city in southwest France set on the Garonne, ringed by the vineyards of its world-famous wine region. River ships moor near the centre, where the grand Place de la Bourse mirrors in a vast reflecting pool beside neoclassical quays.
- Place de la Bourse
- Wine country
- Garonne quays
- Day21
Bordeaux
A port city in southwest France set on the Garonne, ringed by the vineyards of its world-famous wine region. River ships moor near the centre, where the grand Place de la Bourse mirrors in a vast reflecting pool beside neoclassical quays.
- Place de la Bourse
- Wine country
- Garonne quays
- Day22
Bordeaux
A port city in southwest France set on the Garonne, ringed by the vineyards of its world-famous wine region. River ships moor near the centre, where the grand Place de la Bourse mirrors in a vast reflecting pool beside neoclassical quays.
- Place de la Bourse
- Wine country
- Garonne quays
Upcoming departures
- 23 Jun 2026
- 21 Jul 2026
- 4 Aug 2026
- 18 Aug 2026
- 1 Sep 2026
- 29 Sep 2026
Upcoming sailings of this itinerary — a NestCruise advisor confirms current availability and your fare.
21-Night Europe Cruise from Arles FAQ
Which ports does this cruise visit?
This 21-night Europe cruise calls at Arles, Avignon, Viviers, Tain-l'Hermitage, Lyon, Tournus, Chalon-sur-Saône, Dijon, Paris, Vernon, Les Andelys, Caudebec-en-Caux, Rouen, Conflans-Sainte-Honorine, Bordeaux, Cadillac, Cussac-Fort-Médoc, Blaye, Bourg and Libourne.
How many days are spent at sea?
This is a port-intensive itinerary with no full days at sea.
Where does this cruise depart from?
It departs from Arles and ends in Bordeaux.
How long is this cruise?
21 nights aboard Avalon Poetry II.
When does this itinerary sail?
Upcoming departures include 23 Jun 2026, 21 Jul 2026, 4 Aug 2026 and 18 Aug 2026. A NestCruise advisor can confirm current availability.