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FRANCE

Pedaling the Rhone: Provence by Barge and Bicycle

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Road Scholar
Program #20945RJ

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9 Days | 8 Nights
ACTIVITY LEVEL: Moderately Challenging
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ModerateThese programs get you on your feet and include activities such as walking up to a mile in a day through a city and standing in a museum for a few hours.
ActiveFor people who enjoy walking as much as two miles a day, perhaps to explore historic neighborhoods or a nature trail.
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Program Details > Daily Schedule

Equipment Requirements
Participants are required to bring and wear a bicycle helmet while biking each day.

Itinerary for May 17 — May 25, 2013

Expand all
Day One: Friday, May 17 - Board an overnight flight. 
Evening: Board an overnight flight to Marseille.

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Type: Barge

 Description: This barge is exclusively chartered for Road Scholar participants.

Ship Information: The Estello: Classic deluxe river barge, measuring 128’ long and 17’ wide. The barge offers 10 cabins for a total of 20 participants. The Estello was built in 1937, converted to a passenger barge in 1981 and refurbished in 2008.

Contact info:
N/A
N/A, France
phone: + N/A
Room amenities: Each cabin has closet space, a hair dryer, adapter plug, alarm clock, bottled water, water glasses, wooden hangers, tissues, hand soap, shower gel, shampoo, towels, insect repellent, make-up mirror, full-length mirror and a fan. There is individual climate control (air conditioning/heat).

Facility amenities: There are two decks: the upper deck has a saloon where meals are taken, a spacious sitting area, and a bar. There is also a sundeck with fixed awning, tables and chairs. All cabins are on the lower deck with heat, air-conditioning and private bathrooms.

Smoking policy: No
Smoking policies vary by facility. During all group events and activities, smoking is prohibited.

Check in time: 4:00 PM

Day Two: Saturday, May 18 - Arrival Marseille/Coach to Avignon/Bike Fitting & Testing/Welcome... 
Arrival Marseille/Coach to Avignon/Bike Fitting & Testing/Welcome Dinner

Afternoon: Join fellow travelers at the Marseille-Provence Airport for the coach transfer to the barge moored in Avignon. On arrival fit your bicycle and test your biking skills to insure safety and comfort for the days ahead. Meet the crew and listen carefully to the safety instructions from the skipper.

Dinner: Enjoy a welcome dinner with the other participants aboard the barge.

Lodging: Estello

Meals Included: Dinner
Close [ x ]
Type: Barge

 Description: This barge is exclusively chartered for Road Scholar participants.

Ship Information: The Estello: Classic deluxe river barge, measuring 128’ long and 17’ wide. The barge offers 10 cabins for a total of 20 participants. The Estello was built in 1937, converted to a passenger barge in 1981 and refurbished in 2008.

Contact info:
N/A
N/A, France
phone: + N/A
Room amenities: Each cabin has closet space, a hair dryer, adapter plug, alarm clock, bottled water, water glasses, wooden hangers, tissues, hand soap, shower gel, shampoo, towels, insect repellent, make-up mirror, full-length mirror and a fan. There is individual climate control (air conditioning/heat).

Facility amenities: There are two decks: the upper deck has a saloon where meals are taken, a spacious sitting area, and a bar. There is also a sundeck with fixed awning, tables and chairs. All cabins are on the lower deck with heat, air-conditioning and private bathrooms.

Smoking policy: No
Smoking policies vary by facility. During all group events and activities, smoking is prohibited.

Check in time: 4:00 PM

Day Three: Sunday, May 19 - Bicycle to Châteauneuf-du-Pape/Palace of the Popes 
Breakfast: Aboard the Estello

Morning: Attend a lecture on safety, rules of the road and the IBT corner system. Barge from Avignon to Roquemaure where we disembark and begin the journey by bike to Châteauneuf-du-Pape, perhaps to buy a bottle of the famous wine from this region.

Lunch: Sample the local fare in Châteauneuf-du-Pape on your own.

Afternoon: Return to the medieval city of Avignon for a lecture and field trip to the Palace of the Popes, home to popes during the Papal Schism from 1378 to 1417.

Dinner: Aboard the Estello.

Lodging: Estello

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
Close [ x ]
Type: Barge

 Description: This barge is exclusively chartered for Road Scholar participants.

Ship Information: The Estello: Classic deluxe river barge, measuring 128’ long and 17’ wide. The barge offers 10 cabins for a total of 20 participants. The Estello was built in 1937, converted to a passenger barge in 1981 and refurbished in 2008.

Contact info:
N/A
N/A, France
phone: + N/A
Room amenities: Each cabin has closet space, a hair dryer, adapter plug, alarm clock, bottled water, water glasses, wooden hangers, tissues, hand soap, shower gel, shampoo, towels, insect repellent, make-up mirror, full-length mirror and a fan. There is individual climate control (air conditioning/heat).

Facility amenities: There are two decks: the upper deck has a saloon where meals are taken, a spacious sitting area, and a bar. There is also a sundeck with fixed awning, tables and chairs. All cabins are on the lower deck with heat, air-conditioning and private bathrooms.

Smoking policy: No
Smoking policies vary by facility. During all group events and activities, smoking is prohibited.

Check in time: 4:00 PM

Day Four: Monday, May 20 - St-Rémy-de-Provence/St-Paul-de-Mausole 
Breakfast: Aboard the Estello.

Morning: Begin with a lecture aboard the barge about Vincent van Gogh and how Provence influenced his artwork. Head south for an excursion to St-Rémy-de-Provence, birthplace of Nostradamus and home of Vincent van Gogh.

Lunch: Independent lunch in St-Rémy-de-Provence.

Afternoon: Learn about van Gogh in Provence through a field trip to St-Paul-de-Mausole, the former asylum where he stayed from 1889 to 1890. It was his view from his room that inspired the famous Starry Night painting that hangs at the Musée d'Orsay in Paris. Continue biking to Tarascon with its imposing chateau on the banks of the Rhone.

Dinner: Aboard the Estello.

Lodging: Estello

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
Close [ x ]
Type: Barge

 Description: This barge is exclusively chartered for Road Scholar participants.

Ship Information: The Estello: Classic deluxe river barge, measuring 128’ long and 17’ wide. The barge offers 10 cabins for a total of 20 participants. The Estello was built in 1937, converted to a passenger barge in 1981 and refurbished in 2008.

Contact info:
N/A
N/A, France
phone: + N/A
Room amenities: Each cabin has closet space, a hair dryer, adapter plug, alarm clock, bottled water, water glasses, wooden hangers, tissues, hand soap, shower gel, shampoo, towels, insect repellent, make-up mirror, full-length mirror and a fan. There is individual climate control (air conditioning/heat).

Facility amenities: There are two decks: the upper deck has a saloon where meals are taken, a spacious sitting area, and a bar. There is also a sundeck with fixed awning, tables and chairs. All cabins are on the lower deck with heat, air-conditioning and private bathrooms.

Smoking policy: No
Smoking policies vary by facility. During all group events and activities, smoking is prohibited.

Check in time: 4:00 PM

Day Five: Tuesday, May 21 - Pont du Gard/Beaucaire 
Breakfast: Aboard the Estello.

Morning: Cycle to the Pont du Gard, a well-preserved Roman aqueduct, dating from the 1st century AD. With three tiers of arches, this bridge provided millions of liters of water to citizens in nearby Nîmes. Become versed in the history of this architectural wonder through a lecture and field trip.

Lunch: Independent lunch at the Pont du Gard.

Afternoon: Ride south towards Beaucaire where the troglodyte monastery of the Abbaye de St-Roman offers fantastic views of the Rhone.

Dinner: Aboard the Estello.

Lodging: Estello

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
Close [ x ]
Type: Barge

 Description: This barge is exclusively chartered for Road Scholar participants.

Ship Information: The Estello: Classic deluxe river barge, measuring 128’ long and 17’ wide. The barge offers 10 cabins for a total of 20 participants. The Estello was built in 1937, converted to a passenger barge in 1981 and refurbished in 2008.

Contact info:
N/A
N/A, France
phone: + N/A
Room amenities: Each cabin has closet space, a hair dryer, adapter plug, alarm clock, bottled water, water glasses, wooden hangers, tissues, hand soap, shower gel, shampoo, towels, insect repellent, make-up mirror, full-length mirror and a fan. There is individual climate control (air conditioning/heat).

Facility amenities: There are two decks: the upper deck has a saloon where meals are taken, a spacious sitting area, and a bar. There is also a sundeck with fixed awning, tables and chairs. All cabins are on the lower deck with heat, air-conditioning and private bathrooms.

Smoking policy: No
Smoking policies vary by facility. During all group events and activities, smoking is prohibited.

Check in time: 4:00 PM

Day Six: Wednesday, May 22 - Arles 
Breakfast: Aboard the Estello.

Morning: From Vallabrègues, follow the Rhone towards Arles with a splendid view of the Alpilles mountains. Van Gogh lived in Arles from 1888 to 1889; see the city that inspired some of his most beloved artwork, such as Starry Night over the Rhone, The Yellow House and Café Terrace at Night.

Lunch: Sample local fare on own in Arles.

Afternoon: Independent exploration of Arles. Sit on a terrace and watch the locals (and tourists) go about their business while sipping a coffee at a cafe.

Dinner: Aboard the Estello.

Lodging: Estello

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
Close [ x ]
Type: Barge

 Description: This barge is exclusively chartered for Road Scholar participants.

Ship Information: The Estello: Classic deluxe river barge, measuring 128’ long and 17’ wide. The barge offers 10 cabins for a total of 20 participants. The Estello was built in 1937, converted to a passenger barge in 1981 and refurbished in 2008.

Contact info:
N/A
N/A, France
phone: + N/A
Room amenities: Each cabin has closet space, a hair dryer, adapter plug, alarm clock, bottled water, water glasses, wooden hangers, tissues, hand soap, shower gel, shampoo, towels, insect repellent, make-up mirror, full-length mirror and a fan. There is individual climate control (air conditioning/heat).

Facility amenities: There are two decks: the upper deck has a saloon where meals are taken, a spacious sitting area, and a bar. There is also a sundeck with fixed awning, tables and chairs. All cabins are on the lower deck with heat, air-conditioning and private bathrooms.

Smoking policy: No
Smoking policies vary by facility. During all group events and activities, smoking is prohibited.

Check in time: 4:00 PM

Day Seven: Thursday, May 23 - Arles Arena/Camargue 
Breakfast: Aboard the Estello.

Morning: Commence with a lecture aboard the Estello about the Camargue Nature Park and its wildlife. Spend time in Arles with a field trip and lecture about the beautifully preserved Roman amphitheater. Today, bull fights are held there, but unlike in Spain, the bull is not killed.

Lunch: Independent lunch in St-Gilles.

Afternoon: Head south for the Camargue, an immense alluvial plain between the Rhone and the Mediterranean. We may see horses, sheep and bulls, guarded by herdsmen, the gardian. The gardian is the cowboy of the Camargue, watching over his herd, checking on sick animals and selecting bulls for the bull fights.

Dinner: Aboard the Estello.

Lodging: Estello

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
Close [ x ]
Type: Barge

 Description: This barge is exclusively chartered for Road Scholar participants.

Ship Information: The Estello: Classic deluxe river barge, measuring 128’ long and 17’ wide. The barge offers 10 cabins for a total of 20 participants. The Estello was built in 1937, converted to a passenger barge in 1981 and refurbished in 2008.

Contact info:
N/A
N/A, France
phone: + N/A
Room amenities: Each cabin has closet space, a hair dryer, adapter plug, alarm clock, bottled water, water glasses, wooden hangers, tissues, hand soap, shower gel, shampoo, towels, insect repellent, make-up mirror, full-length mirror and a fan. There is individual climate control (air conditioning/heat).

Facility amenities: There are two decks: the upper deck has a saloon where meals are taken, a spacious sitting area, and a bar. There is also a sundeck with fixed awning, tables and chairs. All cabins are on the lower deck with heat, air-conditioning and private bathrooms.

Smoking policy: No
Smoking policies vary by facility. During all group events and activities, smoking is prohibited.

Check in time: 4:00 PM

Day Eight: Friday, May 24 - Le Grau-du-Roi/Aigues-Mortes 
Breakfast: Aboard the Estello.

Morning: More bicycling on the flat terrain of the Camargue. The last ride heads to Le Grau-du-Roi, a seaside town on the Mediterranean, where there is a wooden boardwalk, many marinas and even more boats.

Lunch: Independent lunch in Le Grau-du-Roi

Afternoon: Cycle towards Aigues-Mortes (old French for “dead waters”) in the Petite Camargue where there is a field trip and lecture aboard the Petit Train to view the walled medieval town. The village featured prominently during the Crusades of the 13th century as a point of embarkation.

Dinner: Say au revoir to fellow passengers at the farewell dinner aboard the Estello.

Lodging: Estello

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
Day Nine: Saturday, May 25 - Departure 
Breakfast: Aboard the Estello.

Morning: Coach transfer to Marseille-Provence Airport for departure.

Meals Included: Breakfast
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Important information about your itinerary:
Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the information featured on this website. Itineraries are based on our best information at this time. Circumstances beyond our control may require us to adjust itineraries or other details. We regret any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your understanding. Information will be sent to you from your Program Provider approximately three weeks prior to the program start date.
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•7 nights of accommodations
•14 meals: 7 breakfasts, 0 lunches, 7 dinners
•7 Expert-led lectures
•10 Field trips
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