Jump to content

Rhone, Rhone, Rhone Your Boat; Lyon & Provence on the Viking Heimdal and Paris Too!


Rosethorn40
 Share

Recommended Posts

I always appreciate trip reports more when they include photos, and yours are stunning! The Paris portion brought back many happy memories, even though Paris is the only place I've ever been pick-pocketed (and I thought I was being so careful with my backpack). Hope there's more to come.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I always appreciate trip reports more when they include photos, and yours are stunning! The Paris portion brought back many happy memories, even though Paris is the only place I've ever been pick-pocketed (and I thought I was being so careful with my backpack). Hope there's more to come.

 

Sorry to hear about your bad experience with a pick-pocketor. They must be really bad in Paris for our guide at Versailles told us that even she fell victim to one. Its such a shame one has to be so wary of thieves. You are trying to pick your jaw up from the ground (Looking at all the magnificence), take photos, navigate crowds, pay attention to the guide AND keep your valuables safe. My husband lost his new coat at Versailles. He was carrying it and put it down for just a minute to pay for a soda at the café and poof! It was gone, that fast.

 

There is more to come :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Day Seven-Vienne

 

Our day in Vienne happened to be a Saturday, and the farmers market was opened that day. Our tour director mentioned that its the second largest open-market in France. When we heard that we decided to ditch the included walking tour and go off on our own.

 

We got a map at the desk, and armed with that and a poor sense of direction we set out. Vienne has some impressive Roman ruins, and some fine medieval buildings. I was really glad we DIY as we didn't get lost and had plenty of time to wander in the market.

 

23231554_1855792371101545_1937485549380054524_n.jpg?oh=6293e5318d41abc082ca2db207c08ed6&oe=5A91267C

 

23032802_1855792464434869_7320215951580963471_n.jpg?oh=feae6c1bb34c1a4322b34deed9abfc27&oe=5A8D5824

 

23847196_1796666617292646_439386556431544288_o.jpg?oh=4a310ee158bc725b59f337e5e0bf3637&oe=5A97A9F9

 

One of my favorite photos!

 

23783768_1796666720625969_8370807151663872822_o.jpg?oh=cd82cf46447dd87f28c9b983baa3234f&oe=5A924AC6

 

 

23800104_1796666593959315_9059074603566585552_o.jpg?oh=6bc24517243d8fb698715c35dd94f477&oe=5A88FD86

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Cats of France

 

Need to pull some notes together to finish my write up, but I thought I would share an observation regarding cats. I think the French really like cats. I myself am quite partial having four myself, but I noticed a lot of cats. Every cat I saw appeared well fed, and so many were down right friendly. I am more likely to take a photo of a cat then food, so these are my "food" photos.

 

Vive le Chats!

Saw this statue of a cat on a building in Lyon

 

23406077_1792151144410860_4417439053164003105_o.jpg?oh=0583fc2abb437791ebb9e66bb817b41c&oe=5AA4F2F9

 

 

Friendly cat of Lyon

23415453_1792148184411156_3625371658235324238_o.jpg?oh=27caa956e29a06562585ece67e836d56&oe=5A977DAC

 

Cat on a roof in Perouges

 

23550085_1792148264411148_486153004955539339_o.jpg?oh=20fc7ea0effea194cd98940ae68caced&oe=5A92E26F

 

The Chateau de Flecheres had a number of cats, some were sunning themselves on window sills, and this sweet, super affectionate feline follow us all around the garden.

23032831_1855122001168582_5363750411453726336_n.jpg?oh=870d34d88b47108540f999bedfbf8ba8&oe=5A954416

 

Café Cat in Arles

23926562_1797224830570158_1144957389575005826_o.jpg?oh=107a4c2f773b612f0530f211630cb8a9&oe=5A94F843

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Day Seven-Scenic Cruising in the afternoon

 

After leaving Vienne we had scenic cruising. However, we soon came to a lock, and had to wait awhile for our turn. Got sleepy, so I took a nap. Every time I looked out the window of our cabin we appeared to be in a lock, so for me, the scenic cruising was a bit of a bust.

 

Day Eight-Tournon

 

My husband is a huge rail fan, so I knew today's excursion would be of particular interest to him, a ride on the Train de l'Ardeche. I kind of wish my husband hadn't been so keen to ride the rails because there was an optional excursion to Ardeche region that sounded pretty wonderful, but it was an all day trip, and would not have been fair for me to ask DH to skip a ride behind a steam engine. Before leaving by bus we tool a quick walk around Tournon on our own. I believe they did have a guided walk, which we skipped.

 

This castle was very close to where the boat docked. The large white marble monument was to French Soldiers that fought in WWI

 

23845685_1797746363851338_6473791087426395723_o.jpg?oh=a8db78710330ecd5ac8d8b9e4c71a5d2&oe=5AD75CD8

 

I loved how the castle and the rock upon which it was built were as one

 

23795559_1797746357184672_3417878314975615526_n.jpg?oh=c15868c0ced26eb5047d2c4c17629db6&oe=5AA3CB58

 

I didn't realize it when I took this photo, but this man had something to do with the railroad being built.

 

24067900_1797746360518005_6019247281378533067_n.jpg?oh=b7c512cd51c7a545114e44f685689554&oe=5A918E9F

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Tournon Steam Train

 

I had read some reviews before our trip that didn't have much good to say about the train excursion. Granted, I get dragged to a number of excursion trains and I like trains, and while some are definitely better than others. I thought this one wasn't too bad. It was just the right length, not too long or too short of a trip, pretty views, and historic, if a tad uncomfortable carriages to ride in.

 

24130389_1797749180517723_4331555137777123590_o.jpg?oh=da690fa59c95e3a98967f4791e36f6b5&oe=5A8BAF76

 

23845733_1797749310517710_8726153232162317486_o.jpg?oh=24ae829e101fc7bb138019aa77376a1b&oe=5A962B1D

23847166_1797749587184349_5622771498909455484_o.jpg?oh=19cf91c1f3758491482463e8fb0bd79d&oe=5AD2E179

 

23915704_1797749620517679_3326343359477888313_n.jpg?oh=9fb25c128bffa4c614813947deb1ae19&oe=5AD068B4

 

23844645_1797749220517719_4635748039799701855_n.jpg?oh=2a4a365d607ad5d4c435fdc0bb951bf9&oe=5AD2C9B7

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Day Eight-Viviers

 

After the train trip the boat took off for scenic cruising, stopping around 5 to pick up the passengers that had gone on the Charming Ardeche excursion. During dinner the boat docked at Viviers, and after dinner a walking tour of the town was offered. It was really dark, but what I could see it appeared to be a charming village. Its famous for having the smallest cathedral in France.

 

To get to the village one had to walk along this avenue, lined with sycamore trees

 

23244461_1857401804273935_8942272774631313523_n.jpg?oh=8cede9821e9727b91f02d760232af28f&oe=5A8941C4

23316807_1859778907369558_4705375836530288432_n.jpg?oh=4ab6fbae74da74b11ee1d77d16f06132&oe=5AD6A913

 

23132000_1857400500940732_1692507933083006619_n.jpg?oh=f98b4e4e432fed890cb29c97b30397ca&oe=5A9D4CEE

 

23316838_1857400110940771_970126180104148381_n.jpg?oh=7ea353a05fb1097bf13d10df48ba7f6f&oe=5A90D00B

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Viviers! As charming as I remember from our Rhône cruise. We also docked here after dinner, but no guided tours were offered until the next day. So we went around on our own that night. Definitely a highlight. Rhône-Allée (the cool street lined with trees) is so picturesque at night.

 

Sent from my SM-G930T using Forums mobile app

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Day Nine-Avignon

 

Although the sky was a bright blue, and the sun was shinning, a cold wind, the Mistral, was blowing fiercely when we woke up, docked in Avignon. The included walking tour sounded like it might be too daunting for my husband, the program director Christine said there were 500 steps alone in the Pope's Palace. We had decided to forgo the walk, and instead head down to the famous remains of a bridge, and then decide from there if we wanted to go into town. We hadn't gone very far when I noticed a man with a golf cart, offering tours for 25 euro's per cart. That seem like a fair price to us and off we went. He took us first to the bridge, and then into the walled city of Avignon, pointing out various sites, stopping at a few places so I could take photos. The city seemed very quiet for a Monday, and our guide told us that many stores are closed on Monday. The tour lasted about an hour and he dropped us off right at the boat.

 

There were three optional excursions offered; Flavors of Provence, a trip to the Pont du Gard Aqueduct and a wine tasting at the Chateauneuf-du-Pape, but we didn't sign up for any of them.

 

 

Pope's Palace

23213225_1857988620881920_931719155059901589_o.jpg?oh=23dc29d8ff121236fef29c91d7a937a7&oe=5AD7BB21

 

Famous Bridge

24068381_1798010407158267_4079352594897530080_o.jpg?oh=935d1d0b06a5f444125ad08ca594e179&oe=5A9143AA

 

 

24130288_1798010283824946_1103121990420611042_o.jpg?oh=adf57919edc774278b9870738e278a5e&oe=5A898002

 

Our guide only spoke French, and my French is rather limited, but he told me quite a lot about the trees in this courtyard, I thought the trees were lovely, but not sure what made them special.

24130120_1798010440491597_6459896995288046143_o.jpg?oh=20b726732aa2fdd882803cdd238c0f15&oe=5A8B973B

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Day 10-Arles

 

Our final full day found us in the town of Arles (Pronounced "Arl"). We were actually docked a good half hour or more drive from there and had to take a bus. I was therefore surprised that Viking doesn't dock there because Arles is on the river, and I saw at least two other river cruise ships docked where the bus let us off. This was my favorite day because the town was charming, we had plenty of free time to wander, and I finally got some real shopping in.

 

There were a number of options; take the bus in, go on the included waking tour with gave about 45-50 minutes of free time and take the bus back at around 11:30, or take a shuttle back at 3:00 or 5:00, or go back to the boat and come back to town on a 2:00 shuttle coming back on the 5:00 shuttle, which is what we ended up doing.

 

Arles has a strong connection to Vincent van Gogh, it was here that he became completely insane, but prolific. Many of the buildings he painted still stand. There are a few Roman ruins (I saw more Roman ruins in the south of France then I saw in Rome), including an impressive amphitheater. Overall a charming, walkable town.

 

Tiny Sidewalk Café

23926512_1798014817157826_5749992986060776432_o.jpg?oh=e360c13ee731db77c6e046db38a7338e&oe=5AD5173F

 

The amphitheater

 

23846006_1798014900491151_2322967779293070284_o.jpg?oh=12ed02ad3f7ac37871755c68b540d4f1&oe=5A9AF201

 

The café with the friendly cat

24059581_1798014677157840_2109179046636314098_o.jpg?oh=b9f28c70d9f90dbcaec61c354f6cda1b&oe=5AD15686

 

23847388_1798015080491133_2856792667288057473_o.jpg?oh=6113c7a9d2a9147eb6fd370b883bfc03&oe=5A9685D1

 

Never seen a doorway quite like this before

 

23844944_1798014587157849_7815605277212887265_n.jpg?oh=dff2bb664c601bd79c33af4e2280065a&oe=5A9D24FE

 

23926667_1798014563824518_2757089543295455735_o.jpg?oh=44dc10be71867de140d7fa2c06594dc1&oe=5A89F9F5

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This courtyard looks very much today as in did when van Gogh painted it.

 

23926663_1798015203824454_2423471624408956758_o.jpg?oh=3608ae5599d8c80bc4763fe6998e010d&oe=5A8E0D98

 

van Gogh's interpretation of the courtyard

23926627_1798015230491118_6339050902749327107_o.jpg?oh=330e576525a121e29b5d7646cccb1dea&oe=5AA7058F

 

I was completely enchanted by this little house; the blue shutters, faded blue & white stripe awnings, flower boxes, and the way the afternoon sun bathed it in sunlight.

 

24068140_1798014723824502_7526787815332860894_n.jpg?oh=544591a65358a940a70b86ba9ab8fbb3&oe=5A8BCFE5

 

 

Liked this building too

 

 

23376578_1859253134088802_3120701539367758278_n.jpg?oh=3356574b8540696e896e534958c3f0fc&oe=5AD61BC1

 

 

This was inside City Hall

 

 

23244384_1859036274110488_7626728619233003064_n.jpg?oh=e26b10f0489c14c62584ec895dbcb788&oe=5AD3CB15

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The next morning found us back in Avignon where Viking would transfer us by bus to the Marseilles airport. We were told the ride was about an hour by car or 1.5 hours by bus. At 6:15 am (For a 10 am flight) we left the Heimdal. At the airport the bus dropped us off quite a distance to the main terminal. I am thinking for security reasons they don't allow large vehicles near the terminal??? Anyway, a Viking representative went with us to make sure we all got our boarding passes and were on our way. We had a 2 hour flight on Air France to Amsterdam (Very pleasant) and an 8 hour flight on KLM back to Dulles. It was my first time on KLM and I really liked it. Granted, we had upgraded to premium economy, and the flight wasn't full so we were able to spread out a more which was nice. It was one of our better trans-Atlantic flights.

 

This was taken when docked outside of Arles. The Rhone was a very pretty river, very blue

 

23926518_1798070537152254_5229564890022008250_o.jpg?oh=84e5d8bed3eb506ad1c62a382535a428&oe=5A94809D

 

A castle, high on a hill, across the river we were docked.

 

24068564_1798070567152251_8726630892343825144_o.jpg?oh=514a9817612067e14afdb3e9504a8266&oe=5A8EECDF

 

Lastly, I will write about the Heimdal and my overall impression of the trip.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for taking the time to write all this up and include pictures.

 

I'm very interested in this route, and your reporting has only added to that. :)

 

Thank you for taking the time to read what I wrote. I am now inspired to finish :) (Very rough week at work)

 

The Heimdal and Thoughts on Viking Service

Our sailing was very close to the end of the season. We sailed the first week of November, and there were only two sailings after ours. Not sure how many boats Viking runs on the Rhone, but at least one other Viking ship was on the Rhone, but out of service for the season. I think Viking sails a little later then the other major players on the Rhone as it seemed we had the river to ourselves. I did see a couple other boats, but they appeared to be devoid of passengers.

 

 

We had a full sailing. Every cabin was occupied (One solo traveler). The majority of travelers were from the USA, with the rest from United Kingdom and Canada. I was a little surprised there were no Australians on board. I think its my first cruise in Europe (River or big ship) that didn't include a few travelers from Down Under. We had a really great group overall, everyone we met were friendly and outgoing. We even met several couples that we have stayed in touch with.

 

 

The Heimdal was very clean and ship shape. No signs of wear. The staff overall was friendly and helpful.

 

 

We had a standard cabin on the lowest level (i.e. cheap). It was comfortable and our room stewardess kept it very clean and neat. The only downside to these cabins is the elevator does not go to the lowest floor, so if stairs are difficult one should consider upgrading to at least a French Balcony (We are doing that on our next cruise).

 

 

Which brings me to the bad news. This cruise is probably not a good idea for those with mobility issues. We did have some fellow travelers that walked with the assistance of canes, and they appeared to struggle. Where we were docked in Lyon (For three days), one, after leaving the boat had to walk the length of a city block, to a set of stone stairs just to get to the area where the buses were. Many areas we toured had cobblestone streets that were very rough underfoot. Even with thick rubber soled shoes my feet ached after a couple of excursions. The Pope's Palace in Avignon has over 500 steps. I write this not to discourage anyone, but just to make people aware that there could be challenges.

 

 

One area that I think Viking really excels at are their transfers; picking you up at airports, hotels to trains, trains to ships, and ships to airport. They make is so easy that even the most nervous of traveler can rest assured they will make it to their destination.

 

 

There was one area that at times seemed off, and that was the dining room. Breakfast was always fine, no issues with service, but lunch and dinner were hit or miss.

 

 

At lunch the dining room opened at 12:30, and that may have been part of the issue. The doors opened and just about everyone rushed in, and I think they struggled having everyone come at once. If you ordered off the menu the food usually came quickly, but not always, and if you had an afternoon excursion there just wasn't always enough time. Twice we had to leave without getting everything we ordered because we had a bus to catch. I think they need to rethink opening the dining room at 12:30.

 

 

Dinner was sometimes slow. I didn't mind most of the time, because it wasn't like I had anywhere to go, and we always had interesting dinning companions. However, the last night was a bit of a farce. I realize that one table will have to be last, and I guess we were it, but our waits between courses was agonizing. We still had our dirty dished from our main course on the table (Where they had been sitting for at least 20-30 minutes) while others were done and leaving the dining room. Our waiter ran back and forth, always avoiding eye contact with anyone at our table (I waitressed through high school & college-I know that trick). When we finally did get his attention and said something he got a little snippy. The whole wait staff seemed so stressed I wonder if they were short-staffed the week we were on?

 

 

Food was usually good, but the Farwell Dinner was a little disappointing. They had three starters, two entrees and one dessert to choose from.

 

 

Every other night they had three entrée choices; a fish, vegetarian and meat (Poultry, beef or pork) option. The always available was salmon, chicken breast or strip steak (? I think, I know it was beef).

 

 

One change from our Danube cruise in 2014 that I did not care for was the Aquavit Terrace menu. Back in 2014 you could get a cheeseburger, Caesar salad, or some other light fare if you wanted a smaller meal then being served in the dining room, or you just wanted a cheeseburger. Our ship offered a light fare, but it was only one item, no choice, and it was salmon. Salmon was available in the dining room, why even bother to have the Aquavit opened if you are only going to offer the one item?

 

 

There was a piano player on board that was very nice, that played before and after dinner. I think they must have the Viking Piano Play Book because I heard most of the same songs I've heard on other ships. One night some singers came on board and they sang songs from French opera and cabaret standards. Another night there was a musical trivia game that was fun.

 

 

We were really lucky with the weather. Except for the day we arrived in Paris we had sunny or partly cloudy skies the entire time. If it did rain, it rained at night.

 

 

Overall an excellent trip, very happy we did it. Have already booked our next Viking cruise; Rhine Getaway (Amsterdam to Basel w/Lucerne extension) for March 2019.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you for taking the time and effort to do this review. We almost did this cruise last year, but found great deal on Viking, Empires of Mediterranean (Athens to Venice.) Interesting to see what we missed.

Now onto the Douro in just over a week.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you for taking the time and effort to do this review. We almost did this cruise last year, but found great deal on Viking, Empires of Mediterranean (Athens to Venice.) Interesting to see what we missed.

Now onto the Douro in just over a week.

 

We did the Douro in December 2015 and really enjoyed it. If interested, below is my review of our Douro cruise. I believe they have tweak the itinerary a bit since we sailed.

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2291857

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you, Rosethorn. Job well done. When I began reading your report I posted that this cruise was No 1 on my wish list. Because of your astute observations this may no longer be so. I also walk with a cane due to arthritis and balance issues; very rough pavement (cobblestones) and lots of stairs are my bete noir. For me, 500 steps to see the palace? Not gonna' happen. Forewarned is forearmed.

There was a very heavy woman with walking problems on my Danube cruise. She was in aquarium class as we were but did not realize that the elevator didn't go to our floor. She found the excursion into Passau extremely difficult and had to take a cab back. I felt terrible for her as she hadn't known about the obstacles.

That's why CC and posts like yours are so important. Again, thank you.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

For me, 500 steps to see the palace? Not gonna' happen. Forewarned is forearmed.

 

We were on the Viking Heimdal Rhone cruise in April 2017. Our "leisurely" group walking tour did not go into the palace in Avignon specifically because of the number of steps. We have found the slow or gentle walking groups on the Viking cruises are very accommodating for those of us with some mobility issues. We usually sign up at the reception desk on the first day and they put us in the slower group for the entire cruise.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We were on the Viking Heimdal Rhone cruise in April 2017. Our "leisurely" group walking tour did not go into the palace in Avignon specifically because of the number of steps. We have found the slow or gentle walking groups on the Viking cruises are very accommodating for those of us with some mobility issues. We usually sign up at the reception desk on the first day and they put us in the slower group for the entire cruise.

 

That is a good point, Viking does offer a leisurely tour on most of their walking tours. It was just my observation that those with noticeable mobility issues struggled at times. My husband doesn't use a cane, but walks slow and stairs can be troublesome. We probably would have skipped Avignon altogether if we hadn't stumbled across the tour guide with the golf cart, if anyone wants his information to pre-book him I can give it. At 25 euro for the two of us I thought it a fair price. Also, you can always check with the program director, they may have tour guides in the various towns that can, for a fee, give you a tour that minimizes walking.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

We are booked on this Rhone trip as the second leg of Viking's France's Finest cruise in November this year. Loved looking at your pictures and reading your reviews. Thanks for taking the time to share all your impressions of your trip. We have been on three other Viking river cruises and one Viking ocean cruise so we are familiar with the Viking way. Really looking forward to our trip!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Great review. We did a similar trip with Grand Circle, April of last year, starting in Paris and ending up in Nice. Having been down the Danube (with Viking), and to Italy and Spain, we thought Paris, and our cruise down the Rhone was our best trip ever. I really enjoyed seeing your pictures - Viviers was a very special place and really seemed to typify Provence, but Avignon and Arles were something too. I would recommend this trip to anyone.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share

  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...