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France

The Art & History of France: A Barge Voyage on the Yonne & Seine

Program No. 24422RJ
Bonjour! Join us for a riverboat voyage along the Seine to explore Paris, enjoy field trips to the homes of famous artists, walk in the gardens of the Palace of Fontainbleau and more.
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Adventures Afloat Study CruiseBargeSmall Group
Length
11 days
Rating (4.75)
Activity Level
Starts at
6,199
Flights start at
1,050

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Itinerary
While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of our published materials, programs are typically advertised more than a year prior to their start date. Read More.
All itineraries and excursions are subject to change. Weather and water conditions may affect the progress of the ship, and we may miss ports if it is not safe to dock. The operators reserve the right to change the content and duration of excursions without prior notice and so the cruise itinerary should always be regarded as provisional. Whenever possible, Road Scholar’s published daily schedule will indicate port arrival and departure times. Prior to departure, if there is a major change, we will make every effort to alert you. For less significant changes, we will update you during orientation. Thank you for your understanding.
Duration
11 days
10 nights
What's Included
25 meals ( 9B, 8L, 8D )
8 expert-led lectures
11 expert-led field trips
1 hands-on experience
An experienced Group Leader
9 nights of accommodations
Taxes and customary gratuity
Road Scholar Assurance Plan
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Activity Note
IMPORTANT: Due to increased tourism, the French government has introduced stricter quotas to preserve key sites. While we secure group reservations in advance, access may occasionally be limited. In such cases, we will offer alternative enriching experiences. Thank you for your understanding and for supporting the preservation of these remarkable destinations.
Activity Note
Check-in from 2:00 p.m.
Afternoon:
After checking in to the hotel and getting your room, take some time to freshen up and relax before our Orientation session. Orientation: The Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer questions. This is a Road Scholar Adventures Afloat program. In addition to Road Scholar exclusive lectures, field trips, and activities, you are invited to take advantage of activities and events offered by the cruise line that are separate from Road Scholar. Routes, field trips, and excursions are subject to change as weather and river conditions including water levels could require altering the itinerary and/or the progress of the riverboat, making it run late and sometimes miss ports if it cannot dock. The cruise itinerary should therefore be regarded as provisional. The operators reserve the right to change the content of field trips and excursions without prior notice. The time available in each port is set by the cruise line. Whenever possible, the Road Scholar daily schedule indicates port arrival and departure times (subject to change by the cruise line). This may mean that free time in port is limited. Regardless of the time in port, Road Scholar delivers a robust educational program. On 'Chartered Exclusively for Road Scholar' programs there will be other Road Scholar program(s) on board the vessel. If another group's Group Leader is giving a lecture during the cruise when your group does not have planned activities, please feel free to attend the lecture. When a program is not ‘Chartered Exclusively’, you are invited to take advantage of activities and events on board the ship that are separate from the Road Scholar program.
Dinner:
At a local restaurant, we'll have a plated meal with water and a glass of wine; other beverages available for purchase. French restaurants take pride in creating a relaxed atmosphere where patrons expect to take their time, savor every bite, and set the pace of the meal, requesting “l’addition” — the check — only when they are ready. Meals are accompanied by complimentary “pain” (bread) and “eau” or “l’eau” (water), so you need not ask for them. When wine is offered, it is customary to fill your glass only half way so the wine can breathe and to be sure everyone has a share. Servers wait until everyone at the table has finished their dish before clearing and bringing the next course. To indicate that you have finished your meal, place your utensils together on the right hand side of your plate.
Evening:
At leisure. Periods in the schedule designated as “Free time” and “At leisure” offer opportunities to do what you like and make your experience even more meaningful and memorable according to your personal preferences. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. There are long motorcoach transfers during this program. Due to ecological regulations in France, new motorcoaches do not have restrooms on board. Older models have restrooms, but they are not available for use. A rest stop will be made along the way for rides longer than 90 minutes. The Group Leader will announce when rest stops will be made; speak with the Group Leader if additional stops are needed. Continue getting to know your fellow participants, relax, and get a good night’s sleep for the full day ahead.
Activity Note
Getting on/off motorcoach; walking up to 3 miles on cobblestone and paved streets; standing for up to 1 hour during field trips.
Breakfast:
At the hotel, we’ll have a buffet with a variety of foods and beverage choices of coffee, tea, water; other beverages available for purchase.
Morning:
We will meet our motorcoach and travel to Essoyes, in the Champagne region. Upon arrival in Essoyes, we will join local experts for a walking tour that will explore the intimate life of the painter Pierre Auguste Renoir and his family. Discover the sites that presided over the paintings of his most famous works.
Lunch:
At a local restaurant
Afternoon:
We will visit Renoir's studio and house with a local expert. Afterwards, enjoy a champagne tasting at a local cellar. In the late afternoon we will board our motorcoach and transfer to Sens to embark the MS Deborah.
Dinner:
On board our barge, we’ll have a plated meal with beverage choices of wine, water, beer, juice, tea, coffee; other beverages available for purchase.
Evening:
At leisure.
Activity Note
Walking up to 2 miles; cobblestone, paved streets. Standing for up to 1 hour during field trips.
Breakfast:
On board our boat, we’ll have a buffet with a variety of foods and beverage choices of coffee, tea, water.
Morning:
This morning we will set out on foot to explore the city of Sens, home to a variety of historical buildings with impressive architecture. The cathedral in Sens was the first of the great Gothic cathedrals in France and was the inspiration in layout and design for many others, including Canterbury Cathedral in Great Britain. Strolling through the street and along the promenades, you’ll take in the remarkable homes, buildings and wall fronts that are testimony to the town’s rich past. Take some time to browse in the market and taste the local products.
Lunch:
On board our ship, we’ll have a plated meal with beverage choices of wine, water, beer, juice, tea, coffee; other beverages available for purchase.
Afternoon:
Cruising on the Yonne River, a tributary of the Seine, we'll pass by several lakes and ponds. As we sail, enjoy a special presentation on the region of Burgundy by your Study Leader. We’ll arrive in Montereau-Fault-Yonne in the late afternoon.
Dinner:
On board
Evening:
At leisure.
Activity Note
Getting on/off motorcoach; walking up to 2 miles; cobblestone, paved streets. Standing for up to 1 hour during field trips.
Breakfast:
On board
Morning:
As we sail towards Moret sur Loing, learn about Rodin and Camille Claudel during a lecture from our study leader.
Lunch:
On board
Afternoon:
In the afternoon, enjoy an expert-led field trip to the Musée Camille Claudel in Nogent sur Seine. It has been awarded the "Musée de France" quality label and offers the largest collection of Camille Claudel's works.
Dinner:
On board
Evening:
At leisure.
Activity Note
Getting on/off motorcoach; walking up to 2 miles; cobblestone, paved streets. Standing for up to 1 hour during field trips; even and uneven ground.
Breakfast:
On board.
Morning:
We will board our motorcoach for a visit to the Palace of Fontainebleau and its magnificent gardens. All the kings and queens of France passed through Fontainebleau at one time or another. The château is a unique example of a residence that was inhabited regularly for more than eight centuries. The French gardens, fountains and flowerbeds will transport you back to the palace’s days of glory.
Lunch:
On board.
Afternoon:
This afternoon as we sail towards Melun, learn about Napoleon and why he left his mark so deeply in the French history during a lecture from our study leader.
Dinner:
On board.
Evening:
At leisure.
Activity Note
Getting on/off motorcoach; walking up to 2 miles; cobblestone, paved streets. Standing for up to 1 hour during field trips; even and uneven ground.
Breakfast:
On board.
Morning:
As we cruise towards Evry, enjoy a lecture about the Barbizon School and their search for light and plein air painting that paved the way to the Impressionists.
Lunch:
On board.
Afternoon:
In the afternoon, we'll travel by motorcoach to the village of Barbizon. Around the year 1820, Edmée and François Ganne set up a grocer’s shop in the hamlet of Barbizon. In 1827, Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot discovered the village, paving the way for other painters to come here, including Théodore Rousseau and Jean-François Millet. A whole generation of young artists decided to paint “from nature”, leaving their studios to work in situ, like their two great English precursors, John Constable and Turner. Stroll through the cobbled streets and explore the small shops and art galleries.
Dinner:
On board.
Evening:
Enjoy an evening of French and regional trivia.
Activity Note
Getting on/off motorcoach; walking up to 2 miles; cobblestone, paved streets. Standing for up to 1 hour at a time during field trips.
Breakfast:
On board.
Morning:
We will board a motorcoach with our Group Leader and Instructor and travel to the Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte, possibly the most magnificent private residence in France. It was built by Nicolas Fouquet (1615-80). The ambitious Fouquet ascended politically and became a patron of the arts. Rising from a member of the Parisian Parlement to Louis XIV’s Superintendent of Finances in 1653, he commissioned the grand baroque estate and set a precedent for French architecture and design. Combining architecture, interior design, and landscape into a unified masterpiece, magnificent Vaux-le-Vicomte was the inspiration for the even more elaborate palace of Versailles.
Lunch:
On board.
Afternoon:
As we cruise towards Paris, enjoy a lecture on the history of Paris.
Dinner:
On board.
Evening:
This evening we'll cruise through Paris to take in the romantic City of Light at night (depending on water level of the river).
Activity Note
Getting on/off motorcoach; Walking up to 2 miles; cobblestone, paved streets. Standing up to 2 hours. Expect large crowds.
Breakfast:
On board.
Morning:
NOTE: Due to overtourism and strict government-imposed quotas on entry tickets, access to the Orsay Museum can sometimes no longer be guaranteed. These quotas are designed to manage crowds and protect the site, but they can result in visits being rescheduled or substituted with little notice. We appreciate your understanding and flexibility as we work to provide the best possible experience under these constraints. Disembark ship. We will then travel by motorcoach to the Musée d'Orsay, where we will have an expert-led visit, followed by time to see what interests you most. The first work of art is the building itself, the former Gare d’Orsay railway station, built for the Universal Exhibition of 1900. The collections of painting, sculpture, and decorative objects show the tremendous diversity of artistic creation in the western world from 1848 – 1914, showcasing many of the most remarkable works of the early modern era including the Impressionist, post-Impressionist, and Art Nouveau movements.
Lunch:
At a local restaurant.
Afternoon:
We will ride to Montmartre, gain insights into the lives of artists in Paris, and learn about the importance of Impressionism and Post-Impressionism to this community. We will see Place du Tertre — place of the hill — the popular center of Montmartre’s artists; Sacré-Cœur Basilica, built as an expression of national penance for France’s 1870 defeat in the Franco-Prussian War and consecrated in 1919; and many little side streets that inspired artists of the past and continue to inspire those of today. We will then go on a field trip with our instructor to explore the collections of the Musée de Montmartre. Created in 1960 in one of the oldest buildings on the Butte built in the 17th century, the Montmartre museum was a place of meeting and residence. It attracted many artists such as Renoir who had his studio there as well as Suzanne Valadon, Emile Bernard or Raoul Dufy.
Dinner:
On your own to explore local fare.
Evening:
At leisure.
Activity Note
Getting on/off motorcoach; traveling about 100 miles, 3 hours total. Walking up to 2 miles; cobblestone, paved streets. Standing for up to 1 hour during field trips; even and uneven ground.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
We will board our motorcoach for a field trip to Giverny. En route, learn about Monet, his life, his work, and why he settled in Giverny. Once we arrive we will visit the beautiful gardens and Monet's house.
Lunch:
At a local restaurant.
Afternoon:
We will travel by motorcoach to the village of Auvers-sur-Oise. En route, learn about Van Gogh, his life, his work, and his short stay in Auvers-sur-Oise before he died. In Auvers-sur-Oise we will discover some of the sites that inspired Vincent Van Gogh's genius. Led by our Group Leader, we'll stroll up to the cemetery where Van Gogh and his brother are buried. We will also have the opportunity to see Van Gogh's bedroom at the Auberge Ravoux where he spent the last days of his life. In the late afternoon we will return to Paris by motorcoach.
Dinner:
Share favorite experiences with new Road Scholar friends during our farewell dinner.
Evening:
At leisure.
Activity Note
Departure. Refer to your personal air itinerary for specific flight information.
Breakfast:
At the hotel. This concludes our program.
Morning:
If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Don’t forget to join our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!
Please Note: This program has itinerary variations on certain dates.
Oct 05, 2026 - Oct 15, 2026
May 20, 2025 - May 30, 2025
Sep 09, 2025 - Sep 19, 2025
Oct 07, 2025 - Oct 17, 2025
Apr 20, 2026 - Apr 30, 2026
May 18, 2026 - May 28, 2026
Sep 07, 2026 - Sep 17, 2026
Oct 05, 2026 - Oct 15, 2026





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