Paris
Paris 07/12/2025
Tour begins: 4:00 PM, ms Swiss Sapphire. A transfer is included from Charles de Gaulle International Airport, and Gare du Nord and Gare du Lyon train stations to the ship. Tonight, you'll meet your Tauck Director and your fellow family river cruisers at a welcome reception and dinner.,
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07/12/2025 |
07/12/2025 |
Paris
Paris 07/13/2025
The historic city of Paris is at your feet today, literally! Two sightseeing choices today – get an overview of its famous landmark sites on a guided walking tour, viewing the Arc de Triomphe and gargoyled Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris (no inside visits on this walking tour). Or, if you wish, pedal along the Seine on a guided bicycle ride, passing by the Musée d'Orsay, the Tuileries Garden, and the towering Eiffel Tower. Everybody meets up for a visit to the Eiffel Tower and lunch. The rest of the day is free for you and your family to experience "Paree" as you please.,
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07/13/2025 |
07/13/2025 |
Paris
Paris 07/14/2025
Until King Louis XIV moved his household outside of Paris to the Château de Versailles in the 1700s, Louvre was a royal palace. But now it's an amazing treasure-filled museum – one of the largest and most-visited art museums in the world – and the perfect place for today's guided visit and a fun scavenger hunt. Follow clues to works of art renowned the world over, including Leonardo da Vinci's enigmatic Mona Lisa, whose mysterious smile has captivated imaginations for centuries. Following your morning at Musée du Louvre you'll enjoy some free time in Paris, then embark ms Sapphire mid-afternoon and begin your cruise along the River Seine.,
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07/14/2025 |
07/14/2025 |
Vernon (Giverny)
Vernon (Giverny) 07/15/2025
Traveling in France is a feast for the senses. In Paris you've already seen – and "hunted" for – some of the most famous art in the world at the Musée du Louvre. Today you'll hear a lot about the artist Claude Monet when you visit his pink house and painted gardens in Giverny. Dock in Les Andelys this afternoon for a choice of sightseeing – hike up to Château Gaillard and listen to stories about Richard the Lionheart, King of England, who built the fortified castle; or take a guided walking tour of the village of Les Andelys. Dinner is back onboard your riverboat as we head for Caudebec for a full day at Normandy's historic D-Day beaches.,
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07/15/2025 |
07/15/2025 |
Les Andelys
Les Andelys 07/15/2025
Traveling in France is a feast for the senses. In Paris you've already seen – and "hunted" for – some of the most famous art in the world at the Musée du Louvre. Today you'll hear a lot about the artist Claude Monet when you visit his pink house and painted gardens in Giverny. Dock in Les Andelys this afternoon for a choice of sightseeing – hike up to Château Gaillard and listen to stories about Richard the Lionheart, King of England, who built the fortified castle; or take a guided walking tour of the village of Les Andelys. Dinner is back onboard your riverboat as we head for Caudebec for a full day at Normandy's historic D-Day beaches.,
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07/15/2025 |
07/15/2025 |
Caudebec-en-Caux
Caudebec-en-Caux 07/16/2025
You'll feel history all around you today as you learn about the heroes of Normandy's Allied Invasion of June 6, 1944, during up-close exploration of D-Day beaches. Visit D-Day sites including Pointe du Hoc and Omaha Beach plus a poignant stop at the hallowed American Cemetery. Following lunch, the afternoon is spent exploring one of Europe's most unique museums, the D-Day Academy; here you'll have a hands-on opportunity to learn first-hand about World War II. You'll actually touch World War II artifacts, from weapons to wireless radios; put on a workable wireless headset as you climb aboard a Willys Jeep or Dodge Command car for a ride between the apple trees; and sample rations that the troops ate while serving here. Drive to Caudebec late afternoon and return to the riverboat to set sail for Rouen.,
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07/16/2025 |
07/16/2025 |
Pointe du Hoc
Pointe du Hoc 07/16/2025
You'll feel history all around you today as you learn about the heroes of Normandy's Allied Invasion of June 6, 1944, during up-close exploration of D-Day beaches. Visit D-Day sites including Pointe du Hoc and Omaha Beach plus a poignant stop at the hallowed American Cemetery. Following lunch, the afternoon is spent exploring one of Europe's most unique museums, the D-Day Academy; here you'll have a hands-on opportunity to learn first-hand about World War II. You'll actually touch World War II artifacts, from weapons to wireless radios; put on a workable wireless headset as you climb aboard a Willys Jeep or Dodge Command car for a ride between the apple trees; and sample rations that the troops ate while serving here. Drive to Caudebec late afternoon and return to the riverboat to set sail for Rouen.,
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07/16/2025 |
07/16/2025 |
Omaha Beach
Omaha Beach 07/16/2025
You'll feel history all around you today as you learn about the heroes of Normandy's Allied Invasion of June 6, 1944, during up-close exploration of D-Day beaches. Visit D-Day sites including Pointe du Hoc and Omaha Beach plus a poignant stop at the hallowed American Cemetery. Following lunch, the afternoon is spent exploring one of Europe's most unique museums, the D-Day Academy; here you'll have a hands-on opportunity to learn first-hand about World War II. You'll actually touch World War II artifacts, from weapons to wireless radios; put on a workable wireless headset as you climb aboard a Willys Jeep or Dodge Command car for a ride between the apple trees; and sample rations that the troops ate while serving here. Drive to Caudebec late afternoon and return to the riverboat to set sail for Rouen.,
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07/16/2025 |
07/16/2025 |
Colleville Cemetery, Colleville-sur-Mer
Colleville Cemetery, Colleville-sur-Mer 07/16/2025
You'll feel history all around you today as you learn about the heroes of Normandy's Allied Invasion of June 6, 1944, during up-close exploration of D-Day beaches. Visit D-Day sites including Pointe du Hoc and Omaha Beach plus a poignant stop at the hallowed American Cemetery. Following lunch, the afternoon is spent exploring one of Europe's most unique museums, the D-Day Academy; here you'll have a hands-on opportunity to learn first-hand about World War II. You'll actually touch World War II artifacts, from weapons to wireless radios; put on a workable wireless headset as you climb aboard a Willys Jeep or Dodge Command car for a ride between the apple trees; and sample rations that the troops ate while serving here. Drive to Caudebec late afternoon and return to the riverboat to set sail for Rouen.,
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07/16/2025 |
07/16/2025 |
Rouen
Rouen 07/17/2025
Wake up in Rouen, the "museum city of a hundred spires", this morning and walk off your riverboat right into the heart of history. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Rouen grew up along the Seine and was an important city for the Romans, Vikings, and Normans as far back as the 3rd century! It became the capital of Normandy in the 10th century and many buildings remain from its heyday in the Middle Ages. William the Conqueror used to hold court here, Richard the Lionheart left his heart here, and Joan of Arc was burned at the stake here. Explore the sites today on a guided tour that takes you to Rouen's Notre Dame Cathedral painted by Claude Monet more than 30 times, Joan of Arc Square and the church where she died, and you'll also embark on a photo scavenger hunt. After lunch onboard the riverboat, you have an opportunity if you wish to visit Panorama XXL to see a multi-media exhibit about Rouen's rich history.,
Optional Private Excursions
Avoid the crowds and hustle and bustle associated with a group activity. For a memorable trip ashore, we invite you to consider a private shore excursion. Enjoy the undivided attention of your own driver/guide and the flexibility of experiencing the aspects of the local culture that most interest you. Below are just some samples of the private shore excursions we can arrange for you. Let us personalize your experience!
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Le Havre: D-Day Beaches - 9 hours
The numerous monuments and memorials on the Normandy coastal area bear witness to the fierce fighting that took place here during and after the D-Day Landings of World War II. Your driver-guide meets you after you have departed your cruise ship and takes you on a full-day tour of the American Sector to visit some of the most important sites of this pivotal point in the war.
Your day starts on the famous coastline at Pointe du Hoc, which the US Rangers scaled, demonstrating a triumph of planning, training and execution by elite and well-led troops. Further eastwards along the coast is the sector known as Omaha Beach, also captured by invading American forces, and where you can examine several sites from both the German and US perspectives. You also hear about Operation Aquatint, a failed 1942 British Commando raid on the area. Your day ends with a poignant visit to the US Military Cemetery and Interpretation Centre at Colleville-sur-Mer, the final resting place of over 9300 US soldiers located on a bluff overlooking Omaha Beach. You are transferred back to your cruise ship from here.
Highlights:
- Visit Pointe du Hoc and Omaha Beach; two of the most significant D-Day sites
Tour Duration: 9 hours
Tour Can Operate: Morning
Wheelchair Accessible: Please enquire for more information
Physical Activity Level: Moderate
Inclusions:
• Private transport by luxury car or minivan
• An expert local driver-guide for 9 hours
• Entrance fees to all sights and museums
• All taxes
Exclusions:
• All cruise travel, personal items, meals and associated costs
• Gratuities
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07/17/2025 |
07/17/2025 |
Versailles
Versailles 07/18/2025
Travel today to Louis XIV's ornate palace, the Château de Versailles, where you'll have a choice of a guided visit inside the palace or a guided bicycle ride. If you choose the palace visit, be sure to take a walk in the garden – it is just as impressive as the palace, covering 1,976 acres with some 200,000 trees, 50 fountains, and 210,000+ flowers. And if you choose to explore by bicycle, you'll also visit Marie Antoinette's farm, created in the style of a miniature Norman village. Bid a fond au revoir to the River Seine at a farewell reception and dinner onboard ship tonight.,
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07/18/2025 |
07/18/2025 |
Paris
Paris 07/19/2025
Your France family vacation ends in Paris. Disembark this morning in Paris. Transfers are included from the riverboat to Charles de Gaulle International Airport, and Gare du Nord and Gare du Lyon train stations; allow a minimum of three hours for your flight check-in.,
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07/19/2025 |
07/19/2025 |
