‘Vive la France!’ is the name of a wonderful new holiday in France from Worldwide Cruise Centres (worldwidecruisecentres.com.au) – built around three cruises through superb French countryside and ending with two nights in Nice, full of the joie de vivre of the French Riviera.
The fly-triple-cruise-and-stay holiday lasts 28 days and costs from A$8999 twin share per person, including return flights from Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide or Perth to Paris and back from Nice with award-winning carrier, Emirates. The holiday departs Australia on 7 October 2014 and is valid for sale till 31 July 2014.
The three cruises included are:
- A six-night CroisiEurope Gironde Estuary and Dordogne River Cruise aboard Princess d’Aquitaine (round trip from Bordeaux);
- A four-night Paris to the Normandy Coast cruise along the Seine River (round-trip from Paris) aboard CroisiEurope’s Botticelli;
- A four-night night Provencal Rhone cruise (round trip from Lyon) aboard CroisiEurope’s Mistral.
‘Vive la France!’ also includes six nights accommodation at a centrally located three-star hotel in Paris (with daily breakfast); a night’s stay at the Citadines Part-Dieu apartment hotel in Lyon; a night at the Ibis Style Bordeaux Gare St Jean Hotel in Bordeaux; and two nights at the four-star, art-deco-style Mercure Nice Grimaldi hotel in Nice. Daily breakfast is included in all. Plus four great French train trips, travelling in First Class all the way.
The train journeys are:
- A one-way train journey from Paris to Bordeaux (a scenic trip taking about three and a half hours);
- Bordeaux to Paris (the same trip in the opposite direction);
- A one-way train journey from Paris to Lyon;
- A one-way train trip from Lyon to Nice.
CroisiEurope, the Strasbourg-based French river cruise line, is known for its exceptional value. Cruises are on a full-board basis, so all meals are included – three meals a day.
Even better, unlimited wine, beer, fruit juice and mineral water are covered in the cruise price, as are tea or coffee after each meal. Whether the drinks are served by CroisiEurope during on-board meals in the restaurant, or consumed in the lounge bar (excluding Champagne and wines on the exclusive wine list), they are included in the price.
Welcome cocktails and Gala Dinner are included on each of the three cruises. Cuisine aboard is superb – as you’d expect on a cruise line staffed by French chefs. Paul Bocuse, the celebrated three-star Michelin chef, sets the menus. Passengers enjoy a range of classic French wines, bought direct from the wineries, accompanying meals.
France is CroisiEurope’s mother country and the great rivers on this holiday flow through some of France’s most enchanting regions. Verdant countryside, medieval villages and ancient castles – all are waiting to be explored.
Just a few highlights of ‘Vive la France!’: Saint-Emilion, with a guided visit to the underground monuments of this historic village; Pauillac, where houses belonging to old nobility line the quaysides; view the châteaux Lafite-Rothschild, Latour and Mouton Rothschild; take in panoramic views over the Gironde Estuary from the citadel and fortress in Blaye; explore beautiful Bordeaux, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site; and enjoy two nights in stylish Nice in a central location close to the Promenade des Anglais and the old town.
CroisiEurope, Europe’s longest-established river-cruise company, is a family-owned and operated business that attracts an educated, middle-income, chic clientele. Staff aboard work for a family who know them by name. They are delighted to help and to go that little bit further.
To find your local Worldwide Cruise Centres agent go to: www.worldwidecruisecentres.com.au