Provence and the Rhône Valley by Boat and Bike

Day 1: Lyon
You will board the MS Provence in Lyon, France's capital of gastronomy and the starting point of your Rhône Valley journey. After settling into your cabin there is a welcome drink on board, and the crew and tour leaders will introduce the ship, the cycling programme and the week ahead. Depending on when you arrive, you may join a short practice ride to get comfortable with your e-bike. Over the first dinner on board the week takes shape: wine regions, historic cities, Rhône landscapes and Provençal light.

Day 2: Lyon – Chavanay – Tournon-sur-Rhône (45 km)
While the ship cruises south, you will have breakfast on board and watch the vineyards and rolling hillsides slide past from the water. After lunch your first ride begins in the small wine-growing village of Chavanay. The route follows the ViaRhôna south along the river, through Sablons and Serrières to Andance, home to one of the oldest suspension bridges across the Rhône. From there vineyard roads turn inland toward Saint-Désirat, where there may be an opportunity for a Côtes du Rhône tasting near the end of the ride. In the late afternoon you arrive in Tournon-sur-Rhône, where the ship is waiting.

Day 3: Tournon-sur-Rhône – La Voulte-sur-Rhône | La Voulte-sur-Rhône – Viviers (40 km or 75 km)
Today you choose your own day. The easier route stays on the ViaRhôna, flat and traffic-free beside the water, passing Glun and Beauchastel with time to walk part of the historic centre of Valence; along the way you will see the elegant Marc Seguin suspension bridge and the Cité du Chocolat Valrhona in Tain-l'Hermitage. The advanced route opens with a ride on the historic Train de l'Ardèche to Lamastre, subject to availability, then follows the La Dolce Via greenway through the Eyrieux Valley — a former railway line of gentle gradients, tunnels, viaducts, forest and river scenery. Both groups rejoin the ship in La Voulte-sur-Rhône, which sails on to Viviers in the evening.

Day 4: Viviers – Châteauneuf-du-Pape | Châteauneuf-du-Pape – Avignon (60 km or 65 km)
This is one of the great days of the southern Rhône, with a support vehicle alongside the group throughout. From the medieval town of Viviers you climb to La Garde-Adhémar, one of the most beautiful hilltop villages in France, and the effort is repaid with wide views over the valley. The route continues through the Drôme Provençale — vineyards, olive groves, lavender fields and truffle country — toward Suze-la-Rousse, known for its imposing château and its wine university. In the afternoon you ride toward Orange, with a brief stop to admire the famous Roman theatre, then on through the celebrated vineyards of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, where an optional wine tasting or a wine-and-chocolate pairing closes the day. The ship carries you on to Avignon for the evening.

Day 5: Avignon (40 km or 50 km)
The morning belongs to Avignon. With local experts you will visit the UNESCO-listed old town and the Palais des Papes, the largest Gothic palace in Europe. After lunch on board you can take the city at your own pace or join an optional ride into the quiet Provençal countryside: the ViaRhôna out of the city, then small country roads through orchards, canals and villages around Sorgues and Entraigues-sur-la-Sorgue, with a relaxed café stop along the way. The evening is free for the restaurants and the atmospheric old town.

Day 6: Avignon – Pont du Gard – Tarascon (55 km or 60 km)
Again with a support vehicle, you will cycle into the heart of Provence. From Avignon the route leads via Villeneuve-lès-Avignon onto quiet country roads through Mediterranean landscapes toward the Pont du Gard, the remarkably preserved Roman aqueduct and UNESCO World Heritage Site, with time to explore the site and a relaxed lunch break. In the afternoon flat, easy roads carry you through the Rhône countryside to Beaucaire and Tarascon, where the ship stays overnight and dinner is served on board.

Day 7: Tarascon – Arles (25 km or 65 km)
On the last cycling day you choose again. The easier route follows quiet roads and stretches of the ViaRhôna from Tarascon to Arles, through typical river landscapes, small villages and wide open plains. The sportier route climbs via Fontvieille into the scenic hills of the Alpilles, where quiet countryside roads rise toward Les Baux-de-Provence, a hilltop village set high on a rocky outcrop, and continue through olive groves to Saint-Paul-de-Mausole, where Vincent van Gogh created some of his most famous works; visits en route may include the Abbaye de Montmajour and the Château des Baux-de-Provence. In Arles a guided walking tour with local guides introduces the Amphitheatre and the Roman Theatre, and Pass Liberté access is included for further sites.

Day 8: Arles
After breakfast it is time to say goodbye to the crew of the MS Provence. You leave with Provençal landscapes, Roman monuments, historic cities, celebrated wines and a week of riding between Lyon and the South of France.