France
French Art Voyage: Paris, the Rhône and the French Riviera
Program No. 22040RJ
Discover French artistry from the Mediterranean to Paris, reveling in museums, sculpture gardens, vineyards and the timeless landscapes that inspired many of Europe’s masters.
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14 days
13 nights
30 meals
12B 8L 10D
1
In Transit to Program
In Flight
7
Avignon, Palais des Papes
La Voulte
9
Vienne, Historic Lyon
Macon
At a Glance
Van Gogh. Renoir. Monet. Picasso. Matisse. Cézanne. Chagall. On this voyage through France, learn about these masters — and many more — who were inspired by this beautiful country. Begin with three nights in the sun-splashed city of Nice, then navigate through regions including Provence and Burgundy by riverboat. Complete your artistic adventure with three nights in Paris.
Activity Level
Keep the Pace
Walking up to three miles per day on city streets, cobblestones and gravel paths. Some stairs without railings. The Paris metro will be used on some field trips.
Best of all, you’ll…
- Learn about the artists who were inspired by the south of France: Matisse, Chagall, Renoir and more.
- Walk in the footsteps of Vincent van Gogh in Arles and those of Paul Cézanne in Aix-en-Provence.
- Experience Paris’ renowned museums including the Musée de l'Orangerie, home for Monet’s magnificent “Les Nymphéas” (Water Lilies).
General Notes
Current Events in Paris: Due to the fire at Notre Dame, the cathedral is closed to visitors. Road Scholar programs that visit île de la Cité will be able to see the outside of the cathedral, but we will not be able to go inside.
Featured Expert
All trip experts
Jerome Hugron
Jerome grew up in Lyon, in southeastern France. When he was 17, he spent one year in the U.S. as an exchange student attending high school while living with an American family in Michigan. He forged special ties with the U.S. thanks to that experience, returning to America every year since then, especially to the west. He then earned a degree in history from the University of Lyon. Since then, he has been enjoying his passion as a leader and has traveled throughout the world.
Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.
Jerome Hugron
View biography
Jerome grew up in Lyon, in southeastern France. When he was 17, he spent one year in the U.S. as an exchange student attending high school while living with an American family in Michigan. He forged special ties with the U.S. thanks to that experience, returning to America every year since then, especially to the west. He then earned a degree in history from the University of Lyon. Since then, he has been enjoying his passion as a leader and has traveled throughout the world.
Caroline Buizza
View biography
Caroline Buizza was born and raised in Lyon, the capital of French gastronomy. After completing her master’s degree, she became a teacher in Europe. Through her teaching experiences, she decided that her purpose was travel education. Therefore, she went back to school to become a certified group leader. She loves French history, art and culture and she takes pride in sharing her country's wonderful heritage with adventurous groups.
Suggested Reading List
(26 books)
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
French Art Voyage: Paris, the Rhône and the French Riviera
Program Number: 22040
French Wine: A History
French Wine is the first synthetic history of wine in France: from Etruscan, Greek, and Roman imports and the adoption of wine by beer-drinking Gauls to its present status within the global marketplace. Rod Phillips places the history of grape growing and winemaking in each of the country’s major regions within broad historical and cultural contexts.
Two Towns in Provence
Celebrated food writer M.F.K. Fisher contrasts village life in Aix-en-Provence with bustling Marseilles, evoking both with anecdote and loving description.
Paris Noir: African Americans in the City of Light
A history of black Americans who settled in Paris, France, from 1900 to the present.
The Food & Wine of France: Eating & Drinking from Champagne to Provence
Behr seeks out the best of French food, in encounters from Champagne to Provence, to tell the stories of French artisans and chefs who work at the highest level. He shares what he learns from these experts on French traditions and how to best enjoy this food.
The Flaneur: A Stroll through the Paradoxes of Paris
A 'flaneur' is a stroller, a loiterer, someone who ambles through city streets in search of adventure and fulfillment. Edmund White, who lived in Paris for sixteen years, wanders through the streets and avenues and along the quays, into parts of Paris virtually unknown to visitors and indeed to many Parisians.
The Most Beautiful Walk in the World: A Pedestrian in Paris
Australian critic and writer Baxter draws on his second career as a literary tour guide in his adopted city for this witty memoir, laced with terrific tales.
A Traveller's History of Paris
A fast-moving, short survey of French history with a focus on Paris from its foundation, through the heady days of revolution and up to modern times.
Murder in the Marais
Literate and thrilling, with a strong sense of the geography and flavor of Paris, the first in a series of mysteries starring Aimee Ledoc shows off the French-American detective's wit and wile. The series continues with Murder in Belleville (FRN562), Murder in the Sentier (FRN563) and many more.
The Hotel Majestic
The most famous fictional detective in France, Maigret, tackles a case in the heart of Paris.
The Secret Life of the Seine
After losing his Paris apartment, Rosenblum, a born storyteller, takes to a houseboat moored on the Seine. The result is this entertaining tour of the places and people he encounters during his explorations along the river.
The Yellow House
Gayford chronicles the turbulent three months and texture of the daily lives of Van Gogh and Gauguin in Arles, where they worked side by side in 1888. With 60 B&W reproductions.
Four Queens, the Provencal Sisters who Ruled Europe
Transporting you back to back to the apogee of independent Provençal power in the Middle Ages, Goldstone captures the drama of 13th-century Europe in this history of the four daughters of the count of Provence -- future queens of France, England, Germany and Sicily.
The Markets of Provence: Food, Antiques, Crafts, and More
An in-depth pocket guide to 30 of the best markets in Provence. Dive into the heart of Provencal culture and navigate the markets like a local with maps, tips, and handy phrases.
My Life
A memoir of Chagall's early life and influences, with whimsical illustrations by the artist
Van Gogh in Arles
A study of Van Gogh in the stunning setting of Arles in Provence.
Cezanne and Provence: The Painter in His Culture
Cezanne departed from Paris in 1886 to permanently resettle in his native Aix-en-Provence. This book explores the importance of this place for the artist as well as the regionalist politics of his day.
Lonely Planet French Phrasebook
This handy phrasebook focuses on pronunciation, basic grammar and essential vocabulary for the traveler.
Matisse and Picasso, The Story of their Rivalry and Friendship
Jack Flam explores the compelling, competitive, parallel lives of these two artists and their very different attitudes toward the idea of artistic greatness, toward the women they loved and ultimately toward their confrontations with death.
My Life in France
The touching and famous story of Julia Child in France, where she learned to cook and fell in love with French cuisine, all in her own words.
How Paris Became Paris: The Invention of the Modern City
A captivating history of the growth, design, and planning of Paris, telling the story of how the modern city came to be.
F is for France: A Curious Cabinet of French Wonders
An alphabetized catalogue of quirky French culture and history tidbits.
Markets of Paris
An in-depth guide to the best markets in Paris. Dive into the heart of French culture and navigate the markets like a local with maps, tips, and handy phrases.
A Moveable Feast
A treasure for anyone interested in Parisian cafe society and its luminaries circa 1925. Hemingway includes sharp portraits of Gertrude Stein, Ezra Pound, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ford Maddox Ford and others who idled on their way to greatness.
The New Paris
Move past the clichés and learn about what makes up Paris today. Explore the open-minded sensibility, diverse populations, and hidden corners of The New Paris.
Paris Pratique Par Arrondissement
This pocket atlas contains detailed maps of every neighborhood in Paris, as well as details about bus and metro stops.
The Popes of Avignon: A Century in Exile
Grounded in the architecture and papal legacy in Avignon and the surrounding area, this engaging history sets the 70-year period of papal exile in the south of France against the context of Europe's turbulent transition from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance.