A Taste of France

•   Gratuities to ship staff, drivers, local guides, Tauck Directors and Tauck Cruise Director

Day 1: Arrive Paris
A transfer is included from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport to the Hilton Arc de Triomphe Paris hotel. Join us tonight for cocktails and dinner this evening at Fouquet’s, an iconic landmark for celebrity dining – and the French Oscars – since 1908, followed by an electrifying Illuminations tour of the city’s glittering lights – welcome to Paris!
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Day 2: Paris, Gourmets and Cafés...
Discover the gourmet chef in you at Alain Ducasse’s École de Cuisine, which offers hands-on instruction in haute cuisine at all levels (no experience necessary)... tasting included. After lunch, indulge your passion for chocolate at a private workshop, then depart for the Left Bank district of St.-Germain-des-Pres, famous for its café culture, where you can retrace the steps of Julia Child and visit her favorite haunts, like the Shakespeare & Company bookstore and Les Deux Magots, a legendary hangout for artists and literati such as Hemingway, Sartre and Picasso, and a classic Parisian café experience. This evening, explore the dining possibilities in and around your hotel, only a short walk from the Champs Élysées.
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Day 3: Make Tracks for Lyon / M Cruise Away
After a morning at leisure in Paris, a high-speed TGV train whisks you in first class south to Lyon; this historic city on the River Rhône, one of the largest metropolitan areas in France, has an eclectic reputation internationally for everything from silk weaving to renowned cuisine to the cinema industry. Here you’ll board your “floating hotel” for the next seven nights, ms Swiss Emerald. Join us at the Captain’s welcome reception and dinner this evening to celebrate the start of your cruise.
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Day 4: Sampling the Many Pleasures of Lyon
With France’s highest number of restaurants per capita, folks come to Lyon to eat... and they don’t leave disappointed, as you’ll discover for yourself during a city tour today, including a tasting lunch at the famous Les Halles de Lyon. This celebrated indoor food market offers a staggering array of breads, cheeses, fresh fruits and vegetables, sausages, specialty spices, poultry, seafood, wines, chocolates and other desserts. But food and wine are not the only treasures Lyon has to offer. Today’s sightseeing also includes visits to Vieux Lyon – one of the largest Renaissance quarters in Europe – and 19th-century Notre-Dame de Fourvière, with its fine mosaics and stained glass. Travel to the famed Beaujolais wine-growing region for a wine tasting – magnifique! – before continuing your cruise to Vienne.
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Day 5: The Romans called it "Vienna," but...
Explore a treasure trove of Roman ruins on a walking tour of Vienne (known to the Romans as “Vienna”) including a temple erected by the Emperor Claudius; the remains of roads, ramparts, aqueducts and a theatre; and the pyramid-like Plan de l’Aiguille, which may have served as Pontius Pilate’s tomb! There are also hilltop castle ruins, two Romanesque churches and a Gothic cathedral to see. Sail this afternoon for Avignon.
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Day 6: A Taste of Southern France
In the 1300s, the walled city of Avignon served as headquarters for several popes who cultivated the local appreciation for good food and wine (Châteauneuf-du-Pape); even today, Avignon is dominated by the fortress-like Palais des Papes, which the pontiffs built for their own comfort and protection. Get a taste of regional cuisine today at the city’s covered produce market (Les Halles) where local chefs will join you on a shopping excursion of locally produced food and wine and demonstrate their specialties for your delectation. Visit the Pont du Gard, an astonishing Roman aqueduct 160 feet high with three sets of arches spanning the River Gardon that once carried millions of gallons of water a day to the city of Nîmes. Then join us for a festive Provençal-style dinner featuring regional wines, cuisine and entertainment set against the backdrop of this ancient engineering marvel.
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Day 7: Picture-Perfect in Roussillon & Arles
Travel to Roussillon in the Luberon region of Provence. Sitting in the middle of one of the world’s largest deposits of ochre, Roussillon is surrounded by richly colored cliffs and quarries which blaze against the azure Provençal sky. Nearby is Abbaye de Sénanque, whose austere Romanesque abbey church has stood since the 12th century; today, you’ll have views of the abbey and – depending on the time of year – the lavender fields surrounding it, tended by the monks who still live in this ancient retreat. Enjoy lunch ashore featuring local Provençal specialties before continuing on to Arles; take a guided walking tour of this town that so inspired Vincent van Gogh with lush fields, Roman ruins and extraordinary light. Tonight, sail for medieval Viviers.
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Day 8: Medieval Viviers & More
Dock in Viviers, a perfectly preserved walled city nestled on the banks of the Rhône; its narrow streets and lanes reveal what life might have been like here in the Middle Ages. Have lunch at a 16th-century farm-turned-hotel surrounded by vineyards and olive orchards, where the menu features regional cuisine, and local villagers describe how they prepare traditional dishes. This afternoon, your riverboat winds its way through the sun-dappled landscapes of Provence past medieval châteaux and steep vineyard-draped hills of ancient towns like Tournon-sur-Rhône, with river commentary by your Tauck Director.
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Day 9: Savory Secrets of the Rhône Valley
With its ancient Grand Pont and imposing feudal castle overlooking the river, Tournon-sur-Rhône is a perfect spot for a guided walking tour where the views include rolling vineyards and dramatic river vistas. Journey to Valence, a seat of learning since 1452, for an education in epicurean delights; the town is a major hub for Rhône Valley produce and home to some of the finest culinary artists in the country. You’ll learn more culinary secrets today at an award-winning restaurant and cooking school in town, where you’ll attend a multi-course tasting presentation illustrating how seasonal ingredients, contrasting flavors and time-tested techniques create local specialties – and do a little cheese tasting. Attend the Captain’s farewell reception and dinner this evening during the riverboat’s return trip to Lyon!
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Day 10: Journey Home
Tour ends: Lyon, France. Disembark ms Swiss Emerald in Lyon; fly home anytime. A transfer from the riverboat to Lyon Airport is included; allow a minimum of 3 hours for flight check-in at the airport.
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Touring Date	Land Only	Land + Air	Single (Land Only)	Single (Land + Air)
6/28/2012 - 7/8/2012	$5,990
8/17/2012 - 8/27/2012	$5,390
10/20/2012 - 10/30/2012	$5,390
Note: Departures appearing above in green are guaranteed to operate by the tour operator.
Airfare Disclaimer A NOTE ABOUT AIRFARE: We encourage you to buy your airfare from the tour operator, because if your tour cancels then your airlines tickets will be covered. Purchasing flights separately at a lesser rate and incorporating it with a Non-Guaranteed Departure Date can result in loss of total cost of your flight investment. Depending on the fare rules, flights may be Non-Refundable and/or Non-Transferable. Neither the tour operator and/or Atlas Cruises & Tours will be held responsible for loss if a tour is cancelled for Lack of Participation. If you would like to check for discounted fares on Guaranteed Departures or for competitive pricing on air and hotel packages, we invite you to follow this link. Documents TRAVEL DOCUMENTS: Necessary Travel Documents such as Passports and Visas is the responsibility of the traveler. Passports must be valid six months from your return travel date.

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