9 Reasons to Try River Cruising
12/04/2017 · By Persephone Hallow
River cruising is becoming ever more popular, and here are 9 reasons to try it for yourself with one of our tours.
Read moreSave £200pp on Cruise 2024 last-minute holidays, when you book by 1st July 2024.
No Single Supplement subject to availability on selected departures.
2024 Tour code: LRR24
About the tour
Discover the timeless elegance of France's beautiful Rhône on board the MS Amadeus Provence. Experience a relaxing cruise, enchanting cities, and many natural wonders. Visit dynamic Lyon, Avignon and charming Beaune, and admire the wonderful Ardèche Gorge as you drift down this peaceful river.
Unforgettable experiences
What’s included
Itinerary
We meet at London St Pancras* where we join the Eurostar to the French capital of Paris, before connecting with the regional service to the dynamic city of Lyon. Here we board our luxurious ship, the MS Amadeus Provence. We have time to settle into our cabins before we enjoy a welcome cocktail, which you may like to take on the sun deck as we admire Lyon's colourful townhouses and lively streets. Later, we enjoy dinner together before setting sail for Chalon-sur-Saône.
*If you would like to travel by air, view our Fly & Cruise option here.
Additional information
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Reviews
4.5 / 5 · 69 reviews
John Wheeler
Submitted 29/Jun
Fascinating, historical and warm!
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Leslie Dixon
Submitted 25/Jun
In general, our experiences of this holiday lived up to expectations although it was unfortunate the high water levels prevented the planned sailing up the Saone river to Chalons. However the replacement coach-trip to the Beaujolais region and a small local wine producer did introduce us to some beautiful wines (sadly not exported to the UK). A major disappointment was the standard of service in the Amadeus Provence's main restaurant at lunchtimes. Many passengers chose to have a lighter lunch in the main lounge/bar rather than the 3-4 course offerings in the restaurant which meant lower numbers of diners there. Since they arrived at various times (unlike at dinner in the evenings), there was no uniformity in timing of each course. Indeed, most of the wait staff seemed entirely incapable of coping with diners being at different stages of the meal. We frequently experienced waiters forgetting what choices we had made (despite noting them down on paper beforehand), delivering the wrong items on several occasions and having to be reminded that we had waited for long periods while other diners "caught up" with their course choices. Having previously experienced far better performance on other river cruise holidays with Viking and Riviera, we can only conclude that GRJ/Amadeus need to up their game in this respect.
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M Brown
Submitted 25/Jun
Quality of food was inferior to that on previous GRJ cruise. Unwelcome very early 7am departure from St Pancras - later departure would have been more convenient. Arduous crossing of Paris with long walks between coaches & train stations - hard for the elderly & the more frail passengers with luggage. Disappointing cancellation of a whole days cruise up the Saone & visit to Beaune. No seating provided for cabin balcony. Otherwise, cruise itinerary & guided tours excellent. Staff/crew also excellent
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Paul Carriban
Submitted 21/Jun
Boat comfortable. Very good crew. Some issues in bar which were resolved. Meals ok to excellent. GRJ organisation excellent!
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Jean Birch
Submitted 21/Jun
Poor quality food. Entertainment on the ship was practically non existent. The scenery on the Rhine was flat and boring. Not the best cruise we have ever taken. Would not recommend this vacation
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Graham
Submitted 20/Jun
we had high expectations of an exciting, beautiful and well organised adventure, the first time for us. Unfortunately, these expectations were not fulfilled. Food and trips were not as hoped. All trips were organised around the insistence that the coach had to return by 12.15pm for lunch. This always meant an early wake up, breakfast and reporting in. I have sent a full report to Great Rail
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River Cruise Holidays 2025
Experience the magic of cruising along some of Europe’s most picturesque waterways. Glide serenely along the romantic Rhine, explore the blue Danube or meander through the enchanting Douro Valley. With our river cruises, you’ll drift through beautiful landscapes and historic towns.