As the ride-share pulled into the parking lot near where the Viking Delling was docked, I took in the warm spring air and the view of the ancient protective wall around Avignon, France. My mom and I were setting off on a weeklong river cruise along the Rhône River with Viking River Cruises. Over seven nights, we would explore historic villages, ride on classic steam trains, eat the local cuisine, visit wineries, and learn an abundance about the South of France.
I always suggest arriving at your embarkation city at least a day early for any cruise, but since my mom and I were flying all the way to France, we spent two nights in Aix-en-Provence on our own. After flying into Marseille, we hopped into an Uber to our accommodations, Hotel Escaletto. Over two days in Aix-en-Provence, we did everything from a train tour through the old town, walking through produce and flower markets that pop up in historic squares, and enjoying some incredible dining.
If your travels ever take you to Aix-en-Provence, you must try Le Ramus. The small brasserie is in a secluded corner of the city. Here, my mom and I tried panisses (a local street food made from chickpeas) and a perfectly cooked steak with local mushrooms. This is also where I had one of the best creme brûlées of my life. The custard was thick and creamy, and the sugar on top was golden brown and cracked like shattered glass.
Our Viking Longship
From Aix-en-Provence, we made our way to Avignon, the first port of our Viking adventure. As we walked onto Viking Delling, we were warmly greeted by the ship’s hotel director. She explained where everything was and made sure we settled into our cabin without issue. The cabin, while small, was perfectly adequate for my mom and me, especially since we would be spending most of our time off the ship anyway. Our veranda cabin on the upper deck clocked in at 205 square feet, including the balcony. It featured a queen-sized bed, a flat-screen TV, plenty of storage, and bottled water. The bathroom was suitable with a single sink, stand-up shower, and heated floors (a welcome amenity on colder days).
Pro-tip: Viking’s beds are high enough off the ground to roll your suitcases underneath, which is a great space-saver. Also consider bringing a pop-up laundry hamper to put in the closet for dirty clothes.
Nearly all Viking longships have the same basic layout, with the lounge and indoor-outdoor terrace on the upper deck, the main restaurant on the middle deck, and chairs and a walking path on the open-air sun deck. Even though guests are out exploring most of the day, there are still some activities on board, especially in the evening. Think things like pick-up card games, trivia, live music, and cultural lectures.
The itinerary
While our cruise started in Avignon, my mom and I didn’t actually go into the city until day three. We spent embarkation day enjoying the warm spring air and sipping wine on the sun deck of Viking Delling. This was a nice little reset day after being up early and out late in Aix-en-Provence. In the evening, our ship set sail for Arles, France.
The wind was bitterly cold on day two in Arles. But we bundled up and headed into town with our local guide. The tour took us to Les Arènes, an ancient Gallo-Roman amphitheater built in 90 AD. It holds 20,000 people and is still the hot spot in town for bullfights and concerts. Arles was also home to Van Gogh for a short period. Throughout the town, you can see inspiration for some of his most iconic works, including “Cafe Terrace at Night.” The yellow cafe still stands for photos today.
Day three took us back to Avignon, where the morning started earlier than I would have liked, but it was worth it. The early tour took us through the medieval town to the Palace of the Popes. This was the papal seat for seven decades in the 14th century. While this was a highlight for many guests, my highlight of Avignon came later in the day, when we split off from the tour group to explore the local food hall.
Les Halles d’Avignon was bustling with locals picking up groceries and specialty items, plus cafes with people sipping coffee, and even small restaurants dishing out lunch. I came here for two things: cheese and oysters. There were plenty of cheese counters, but the one I ventured to had hundreds of options. I got a nutty, buttery Comte and a tangy soft goat cheese called figuette. We were visiting at the end of oyster season in March, so I enjoyed raw oysters on the half shell with a side of Champagne.
Then, before setting sail for our next destination, my mom and I, along with a busload of other guests, ventured to Châteauneuf-du-Pape. This renowned wine region was originally the summer home of the Popes who lived in Avignon. We visited two wineries and tasted a handful of wines.
Day four was spent in Viviers, but because of the cold, rainy weather, we spent the majority of the day on the ship sipping coffee, playing games with other guests, and relaxing. That’s really the joy of a river cruise: you can do whatever you want. If you want to do the walking tours or explore a city on your own, you can. If you want to enjoy the ship and a slower day, no problem.
My favorite days are ahead
The back half of the cruise was the most exciting for me. Day five was spent in Tournon. Here, we were able to ride a vintage steam train along the Doux Valley. At the top of the tracks, we got off the train and watched the engineer take the engine off the front of the train, turn it by hand on a turntable, and reattach the engine to the back of the train to take us back to the station. My nephew is obsessed with trains, and I spend a lot of time playing with trains with him. After watching the engineer turn the engine around by hand, I get the obsession now.
The final stop on the itinerary was Lyon. The city is considered the gastronomic capital of France, and it showed. The first morning began with an overview tour of the city, where the highlight was the Basilica of Notre Dame. The stunning church has jaw-dropping mosaics, stained glass, and carvings. The tour ended in Old Lyon, where my mom and I, along with another set of friends, split off from the group to enjoy lunch out. We ended up in a small restaurant, Chez Grand-Mère, which looked more like an underground wine cellar than a traditional brasserie. The menu featured Lyonnaise specialties like chitterling sausages, eggs poached in red wine sauce, and coq au vin.
And since we were in the food capital of France, we went out for dinner too. I found a cheese and wine bar near the ship’s docking position, called L’Amour de Nuit. Here, we indulged in local cheeses, charcuterie, and fondue. This was easily my favorite meal of the trip.
The foodie adventure ended on the final day of the cruise with an excursion to the Beaujolais wine region for a tasting and tour. We also made a point to visit Les Halles de Lyon Paul Bocuse. The food hall wasn’t as lively as the one in Avignon, but that actually made it nicer to walk around and see everything. This was also likely due to the day and time we visited both food halls.
Viking makes everything easy
Throughout the week, I kept coming back to one thing: how easy it is to travel with Viking. Our ship docked right next to each city, making everything super accessible. I loved that the tours were varied, so it didn’t feel like the same historic walking tour every day.
I was also pleasantly surprised by the variety of guests on board. While river cruising is often seen as a vacation for older people who are well past retirement age, my cruise had a mix of older people, parents and their adult children traveling together, multi-generational groups, friends in their 40s and 50s, and even grandparents traveling with their grandkids. It made for a fun atmosphere with so many ages on board.
But what I loved most was unpacking once, and the hotel traveled with us through the South of France. We visited places we likely wouldn’t have picked on our own, learned things we likely wouldn’t have discovered, and tasted hyper-local food and wine. The level of access Viking gave us was truly exceptional, and I can’t wait to sail down another river in Europe, Asia, or Africa with Viking.
