Our AmaWaterways guide, Andrea, is leading us through the narrow streets of Arles, France, to a perfectly preserved Roman amphitheater — a relic of the ancient world as magnificent as anything you’ll find in Rome. But as we soon learn, the 2,000-year-old UNESCO World Heritage Site isn’t just an icon of the Roman era.
As the longtime local explains to our small group of passengers from the AmaWaterways ship AmaKristina, this also is the spot where Arles’ most famous resident, Vincent van Gogh, painted one of his most recognizable paintings: “Les Arenes d’Arles.”
As Andrea is showing us on this specialized van Gogh-focused walking tour, Arles is as famous for the productive if troubled year that the Dutch artist called it home as its legacy as Little Rome, as the Romans referred to it.
The many allures of the ancient city along the Rhone and its environs are even more diverse than van Gogh sites and Roman monuments, moreover. After a lovely lunch made with locally sourced ingredients back on board AmaKristina, which is docked along the river, we are off on another excursion to the nearby medieval village of Les Baux-de-Provence, followed by a visit to one of the surrounding countryside’s many olive farms.
It’s all part of a carefully choreographed day of exploring southeastern France designed by AmaWaterways, the well-known river cruise company.
The California-based brand is known for perfectly crafted ship-based tours through France and beyond — and the one that we have just begun, a seven-night “Colors of Provence” journey from Arles to Lyon, France, is no exception.
As we will experience over the coming days, the northbound sailing up the Rhone through France’s picturesque Provence region will bring a diverse array of experiences from tours of historic sites to local wine and food tastings, all included in the fare.
For now, though, that all is in the future. Back on the ship, as the sun begins to set, we celebrate our first day on board with (included) Sip & Sail cocktails in the lounge followed by a beautiful dinner and live entertainment — all the while watching through floor-to-ceiling windows as our vessel begins the voyage up the river to our next magical stop, the medieval walled city of Avignon, France.
A broad mix of experiences
As dreamy and diverse as our initial day of touring during the “Colors of Provence” itinerary was, it was nothing unusual for an AmaWaterways river cruise.
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As I would see during the coming days sailing up the Rhone on AmaKristina, every day of an AmaWaterways sailing brings enticing new adventures off the ship, as well as an ever-changing array of activities on board.
On my sailing, this included visits to a broad range of historic sites spanning 2,000 years of history from the Roman era to modern times, as well as cultural and culinary experiences.
Upon arriving in Avignon, about 30 miles upriver from Arles, for instance, local guides led us through the city’s imposing medieval walls to the nearly 800-year-old Palais des Papes — the largest Gothic building of the Middle Ages. It was here — not Rome — where more than half a dozen Roman Catholic popes reigned in the 14th century, making the city the center of Western Christianity for a time.
Later the same day, we time-shifted by more than 1,000 years as we traveled nearly 20 miles west by motorcoach to Pont du Gard — a stunning, three-tiered Roman aqueduct bridge that once carried 11 million gallons of water a day across France’s Gardon River to the city of Nimes.
Back on board, we got a different sort of taste of southeastern France with an onboard sampling of pastis, an anise-flavored aperitif that is a specialty of the region, and a French cuisine-focused dinner brought to guests in partnership with the Paris-founded gastronomic society Chaine des Rotisseurs.
Capping the night was a performance by the flamenco guitarist group Guitares de Camargue, which is based in the nearby Camargue region.
It was a lineup of activities designed to appeal to a broad range of tourgoers, including travelers of all ages — in part because each day of the journey brought multiple options for exploring.
For many of the tours, as is typical for AmaWaterways sailings, guests could choose to undertake the outing at one of three different activity levels: gentle, regular or active. Separate guides were on hand to lead the tour at each of the different paces, with more or less walking and stopping depending on the activity level.
Additionally, guests often could choose from as many as four completely different tours, with some more active than others.
During the stop in Avignon, for instance, the walking tour through the city’s walls to the Palais des Papes was offered at three speeds (gentle, regular and active). But guests also had the option to sign up for a separate “Tastes of Avignon” tour that focused on the city’s culinary side instead of its papal history. Yet another more active tour had guests exploring the city by bike.
The next day, during a stop at the charming little cathedral town of Viviers, France, the options included a walking tour through its winding medieval streets, a hike to an overlook above it, a biking outing along the Rhone and a visit to a nearby truffle farm.
In short, there was something for everyone, including me. Looking for something active for our day in Viviers, I chose the hike to the overlook that also included a walk through the historic town. It offered just the right amount of exertion to warm me up on a chilly fall morning.
A couple of days later, during a stop at the Roman-founded river town of Vienne, France, I signed up for an even more active, 10-mile bike tour along the river that took me into the vineyards around the town. On other days, I opted for less active outings focused more on local foods and wine, such as a Beaujolais wine-tasting tour in the vineyards along the Saone River near Lyon.
In short, the voyage offered a chance for a diverse exploration of one of France’s most significant regions, with stops in such iconic French destinations as Arles, Avignon and Lyon that would be hard to experience in a single trip any other way — all while only unpacking once and with somebody else figuring out all the logistics.
A highly inclusive experience
There’s another major allure to visiting France on an AmaWaterways ship: You’ll barely spend anything out of pocket during the journey.
As I saw during my sailing, nearly everything is included in the fare on an AmaWaterways cruise, from tours during port stops to most drinks on board. This isn’t always the case with other river lines or when cruising on ocean ships.
The list of things for which you won’t pay extra when traveling with AmaWaterways includes:
- All excursions, including guided walking tours, guided hikes and bike trips, and wine and culinary tastings
- All onboard dining, including a signature Chef’s Table fine dining experience
- Most drinks, including unlimited wine, beer and soft drinks during lunch and dinner, plus wine, beer, mocktails and spirits during a daily Sip & Sail cocktail hour; sparkling wine and fresh-squeezed juices are available during breakfast
- Entertainment-on-demand in rooms
- High-quality Wi-Fi
- Daily exercise classes, including morning stretching and afternoon circuit training led by a trained Wellness Host
- Access to a well-equipped fitness facility, as well as bicycles with helmets and Nordic walking sticks
The latter offerings are part of AmaWaterways’ signature Wellness Program, a differentiator from other river cruise brands.
An elegant onboard experience
Some of your most memorable moments on an AmaWaterways cruise in France will take place off the ship while touring the country’s history-rich towns, visiting its vineyards and experiencing its world-famous cuisine. But the onboard experience on AmaWaterways’ ships is equally alluring.
With just 76 cabins, AmaKristina and its sister vessels in France are like floating boutique hotels — small and intimate lodgings on the move where you never feel like you’re part of a crowd.
Even with every room full, the ships sail with an average of just 156 passengers, fewer than many river ships in Europe, and that allows for an unusually personal and elegant type of service.
As I saw when sailing on AmaKristina, the waitstaff in the ship’s restaurant is always on hand to refill your wine glass or bring you a second appetizer. On my sailing, a locally sourced plate of snails cooked in their shells with a rich French herb sauce was so scrumptious that I asked for another, and — poof! — it appeared.
AmaWaterways guests also benefit from the presence of a seasoned Cruise Manager on board to take care of your every need, whether it be arranging a last-minute tour in one of the ship’s port stops or booking a private car to take you to the airport at the end of the sailing.
Moreover, the Cruise Manager will stay with your group if you sign up for the optional pre- and post-cruise land packages.
As I saw during my sailing, the onboard experience on AmaWaterways ships is elegant and refined. While river cruise ships in Europe are small by nature so as to fit into the many locks on the continent’s rivers, AmaWaterways vessels offer a spacious, glass-lined lounge and bar on every ship, plus an inviting main dining room.
There’s also a secondary, smaller dining space at the back of AmaWaterways vessels that is home to The Chef’s Table, a multicourse fine dining experience that every guest gets to enjoy at least once per cruise.
At both the Main Restaurant and The Chef’s Table, the cuisine revolves around fresh, locally sourced ingredients from the region where the ships are traveling. Wines from the regions where AmaWaterways ships sail also are de rigueur.
As for the ship’s accommodations, they are warm and inviting, with comfortable beds, desk areas and modern bathrooms. Many of the rooms feature AmaWaterways’ signature twin balcony concept, which offers both a traditional outdoor balcony with a seating area and a French balcony.
Unique French itineraries
The “Colors of Provence” itinerary is just one of half a dozen seven-night river cruise routings that AmaWaterways offers in France. The range of options spans three major river areas: the Rhone and the Saone, the Seine, and the waterways of the Bordeaux region.
Longer journeys that combine sailings on two of these river areas are available, too.
The options include:
- Grand Seine & Rhone: Starting in Paris and ending in Provence in southern France, this 14-night itinerary spans the country from top to bottom with stops as far north as the D-Day landing beaches in Normandy and as far south as Roman-founded Arles, near the Mediterranean coast. Focusing on French history, art, food and wine, it includes travel on three iconic French rivers — the Seine, the Saone and the Rhone — with highlights including stops at medieval Rouen (home to one of France’s most spectacular cathedrals) and the vineyards of the Cotes du Rhone wine region.
- Grand Seine & Bordeaux: Like the “Grand Seine & Rhone” itinerary, this 14-night route starts in Paris, followed by a sailing up the Seine to the coast. But instead of following that with a trip to the Rhone region, it adds a week in the famed wine region of Bordeaux via an AmaWaterways ship traveling the interconnected Garonne and Dordogne rivers and the Gironde Estuary. In addition to touring Paris, highlights include a visit to the D-Day beaches of Normandy, Claude Monet’s gardens in Giverny, wine tastings in Bordeaux and a visit to such iconic Bordeaux region sites as the UNESCO-listed Blaye Citadel and Roquetaillade Castle.
- Essence of Burgundy & Provence: Starting in Dijon, on the Saone, this seven-night itinerary combines several days of exploring the Burgundy wine region above Lyon with several days farther south on the Rhone in Provence. Sailing along the two rivers, which are connected, brings the chance to bask in Roman and medieval history (in places such as Chalon-sur-Saone and Tournus — the latter known for its towering Romanesque abbey). You also can visit vineyards for wine tastings and follow in the footsteps of van Gogh during a walking tour of Arles.
- Taste of Bordeaux: This seven-night cruise to one of the world’s most renowned wine regions will bring you to such legendary wine estates as Chateau Latour, Chateau Mouton Rothschild and Chateau Leoville Poyferre for indulgent wine and gastronomic experiences, including grand cru wine tastings. And that’s just a part of the allure. Hiking and biking through Bordeaux’s picturesque countryside (think vineyards and historic towns) and visits to historic sites also are on the schedule.
