Itineraries of Seine Riverboat Cruise Vacations
Luxury Riverboat Cruising from Paris to Normandy in Northern France
Jan 23, 2009
Luxury riverboat cruises on the Seine River in Northern France usually include stops in at least Paris in the Île de France region and Rouen in Normandy (Normandie). Other popular stops include Conflas (for excursions to the Palace of Versailles), Vernon (excursions to Giverny), Les Andelys, and Caubec. Many cruises continue to the lower parts of the Seine River with stops in Honfleur and Le Havre – both well located for excursions to the coastline of Normandy, the Bayeux tapestry, as well as the D-Day beaches and related Second World War monuments.
Multiple-day luxury boat cruises on the Seine River are mostly operated by Peter Deilmann, Viking River Cruises, CroisiEurope, and Uniworld. These riverboats cruise between Paris and Le Havre at the mouth of the Seine in the English Channel. Cruises are often one-week returns from Paris but more relaxing one-way cruises are also available. During the off-season, cruises as short as two nights are sometimes offered from Paris.
- Top sights on Seine River cruises include Paris, Giverny, Gothic architecture, historic half-timbered houses, and sights in Normandy (white cliffs, Bayeux, D-Day beaches).
Paris – the Home Port of Most Seiner River Cruises
Paris is the highlight of most Seine River cruises (and many trips to France or Europe). Most Seine cruises use Paris as the port of departure and / or arrival. Various excursions are offered for cruise passengers to see the highlights and especially nightlife of Paris. However, Paris is easily explored without such often expensive tours – the city has a great public transportation system and the historic parts of the city are fantastically suited for strolling.
Conflas-St Honorine and Excursions to Versailles
Many Seine cruises stop just downstream of Paris at Conflas for excursions to the Palace of Versailles. Passengers on Seine River boat cruises that do not stop here need not fret – Versailles is a very easy and highly recommended day-trip from Paris.
Vernon & Giverny – Monet’s House and Garden near the Seine
The main reason Vernon is a stop on most Seine River cruises is for passengers to travel to nearby Giverny to see the house and gardens with water lilies of French Impressionist painter Claude Monet.
Les Andelys and Richard the Lion Heart
Les Andelys is strongly associated with English king Richard the Lion Heart. The ruins of his twelfth-century fortress Chateau de Gaillard tower over the town and have grand views of the Seine Valley.
Rouen – Gothic Architecture, Museums, and Joan of Arc
Rouen, once the capital of William the Conqueror, is famous for its Gothic architecture including the Notre Dame Cathedral (famously painted by Monet), the Palace of Justice, and the Gros-Horloge clock. Joan of Arc was burnt at the stake in Rouen – a very modern, twentieth-century church was built in her honor.
Caudebec-en-Caux – Notre Dame and Abbey St Wandrille
Caudebec-en-Caux is a romantic little Seine town. It is mostly visited for its Gothic Notre Dame church, the nearby town Villequier with its half-timbered houses, and the Benedictine Fontenelle Abbey at St Wandrille.
Le Havre and Excursions into Normandy
Le Havre has a seaport at the mouth of the Seine River. The historic town was severely damaged in 1944 but rebuilt with its modernist architecture showing such a remarkable degree of homogeneity that Le Havre was added to the UNESCO Word Cultural Heritage list.
Excursions depart from Le Havre (or from Rouen for cruises not going all the way to the mouth of the Seine) to various popular sights in Normandy:
- Honfleur is at the mouth of the Seine at the opposite side of the river from Le Havre. Honfleur has a marvelous historic old town with seemingly endless, picture-perfect half-timbered houses.
- Second World War sights including D-Day Beaches and War Cemeteries are best reached on excursions or other organized tours as public transportation is somewhat inadequate.
- Other popular excursions go to the white cliffs of the Atlantic coast of Normandy, the Bayeux tapestry, and production facilities for local products including cider, Calvados brandy, and camembert cheese.
Cruise lines operating luxury riverboats on the Seine include Peter Deilmann, Viking River Cruises, CroisiEurope, and Uniworld. More options are available for cruises in the south of France (Burgundy and Provence) on the Rhone and Saone Rivers.
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