Compare From the Capital to Castle Country: Paris and the Loire Valley by Road Scholar vs Cruise on the Marne Canal from Paris to Epernay (port-to-port cruise) by CroisiEurope

Day 1: In Transit to Program

In Flight

Day 2: Arrive Paris, Check In, Orientation, Welcome Dinner

Meals: Dinner

Accommodation: Les Jardins du Marais

Activity note: Hotel check in available from 2:00 p.m.

Afternoon: After arriving at the hotel, check in and get your room, then take some time to unpack, freshen up, and relax. A notice will be posted with the time and location of our Orientation session. Orientation: The Group Leader will greet everyone with a warm welcome and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule and any changes, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures including contact numbers for key staff, and answer any questions you may have. In addition to the Group Leader, our program will be staffed with a resident instructor who is also an official licensed guide and who will provide most of the lectures and on-site commentary during field trips. Another outstanding benefit of this program is included tickets for museums and the Paris Mètro. The Group Leader will explain how to use them and how to get around in Paris. This is a Road Scholar FLEX program. Our FLEX programs are designed for participants who want high-level Road Scholar instruction, a few group activities, and who are capable and comfortable setting out on their own for a significant part of the day/night. There will be several hours each day of educational content, a number of meals on your own (excluded from the program cost) to enjoy what you like, and substantial free time for personal independent exploration. The Group Leader will often be available during free time to accompany informal excursions, activities, or meals that have been excluded from the program cost. You are welcome to join if you like, with any associated costs on your own. Please note that program activities, schedules, and personnel may need to change due to local circumstances. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding.

Dinner: At a local restaurant, enjoy a welcome dinner including a 3-course plated meal plus a glass of wine. In France, meals are accompanied by complimentary bread (“pain”) and water (“eau” or “l’eau”), so you need not ask for them.

Evening: At leisure.

Day 3: The Cluny Museum, Saint Denis Basilica, Paris City Excursion

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Accommodation: Les Jardins du Marais

Activity note: Walking up to 2 miles, even and uneven terrain; travel via Paris Métro, accessed by climbing up/down flights of stairs and walking through pedestrian tunnels; elevators/escalators not available in most stations; standing for up to 2 hours; expect crowded conditions; getting on/off motorcoach; depending on the time of year you may or may not see the lights of Paris during our final activity.

Breakfast: At the hotel, buffet offers hot and cold choices plus juice, coffee, tea, water.

Morning: Via Métro to we will head to the Cluny Museum — the Musée national du Moyen Âge (National Museum of the Middle Ages) — with the instructor who will provide expert commentary. Constructed on the remnants of a 3rd century Roman Baths, the museum is housed in the city’s finest remaining example of medieval architecture, the townhouse for the abbots of Cluny (Hôtel de Cluny). The collection features priceless medieval treasures such as tapestries including the 15th century La Dame à la Licorne (Lady and the Unicorn), sculptures dating back to the 7th century, illuminated manuscripts, and a wealth of works in gold, ivory, and stained glass.

Lunch: This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to enjoy what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions and give directions.

Afternoon: We continue with a field trip via motorcoach to the Basilica of Saint Denis to learn about the legend of this Saint and the famous burial site for French royalty and nobility, comparable to Westminster Abbey in London. The design and construction of this basilica was first mentioned in 754 and records show it was completed in 1144. It is believed to be the first Gothic church. Saint Denis is the final resting place of all but three kings of France from the 10th century until the French Revolution. What could be found of the bodies of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were moved from a mass grave to the Basilica after the restoration of the monarchy in 1814.

Dinner: At a nearby restaurant, enjoy a 3-course plated meal and beverage.

Evening: En route back to the hotel via motorcoach, enjoy a “city lights” excursion to see some of the magnificent Paris monuments and sights illuminated at night. Please not that depending on the time of year, you may or may not see the lights of Paris.

Day 4: Transfer to Tours, Château de Malmaison, Château de Chambord

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Accommodation: Hôtel Oceania L'Univers Tours

Activity note: Getting on/off motorcoach; driving approximately 171 miles (about 3.5 hours) with several stops; walking up to 2 miles on even terrain, stairs and cobble stones.

Breakfast: At the hotel, buffet.

Morning: Via motorcoach, we will go to the Château de Malmaison, the home of Napoleon and Joséphine de Beauharnais, later the Empress Joséphine. Led by an expert, we will learn the history of Malmaison and its residents. Joséphine bought the manor while Napoleon was fighting his campaign in Egypt. He was enraged when he found out she had bought such an expensive home, especially one that needed extensive work. Joséphine aimed to create one of the most beautiful and unique gardens in Europe. For more than a decade, she worked on the garden planting oranges, pineapples, and ordering the construction of a greenhouse. With the planting of her rose garden, the garden grew in fame throughout Europe for its 250 varieties from around the world. After she and Napoleon were divorced, he gave her the property with a handsome financial settlement — and the right still to be called Empress. She died there in 1814. A final Napoleonic footnote, the ex-Emperor returned here briefly after his defeat at the Battle of Waterloo before being exiled. We will also visit the city of Malmaison, and the church where Joséphine is buried.

Lunch: En route to Chambord, this meal is on your own to enjoy what you like.

Afternoon: We will continue to learn about the royal history of the Loire Valley as we journey to Chambord. Situated along the banks of the Loire River, this 310 square mile valley — a UNESCO World Heritage Site — is an architectural wonder, with more than 300 châteaux built predominantly during the French Renaissance. Growing out of 10th century castle fortifications, French monarchs built their castles in the valley and were soon followed by the nobility. The finest architects and landscapers blended the grandeur of the châteaux into the surrounding fields of this abundantly fertile valley.

Dinner: At the hotel, enjoy a 3-course plated meal with beverage.

Evening: At leisure.

Day 5: Château de Chenonceau, da Vinci at Clos Lucé

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Accommodation: Hôtel Oceania L'Univers Tours

Activity note: Getting on/off motorcoach; driving approximately 45 miles (about 1 hour 4 minutes) will several stops; walking up to 2 miles on gravel and cobblestone paths; some stairs may be unavoidable; standing up to 2 hours on even ground.

Breakfast: At the hotel, our French-style buffet offers hot and cold choices plus juice, coffee, tea, water.

Morning: We will depart via motorcoach to the Château de Chenonceau. Built on the foundation of an old mill in the early 16th century, this château is one of the most well-known in the Loire Valley. It has a long and complicated history with many owners, most famously Catherine de’ Medici, who made it her favorite residence and added rooms and gardens. Due to its unique structure, the Château managed to escape destruction during the French Revolution by being the only bridge across the river for several miles.

Lunch: On your own to enjoy what you like in Amboise.

Afternoon: Enjoy free time for personal independent exploration in charming Amboise, a small market town that was once the home of the royal court. We will continue our Loire Valley exploration at Clos Lucé, a small château in Amboise, with a local expert. This château was home to Leonardo da Vinci for the last years of his life following an invitation from King Francis I in 1516, who offered it to him as a place to live and work. Restored inside and out to its appearance during Renaissance times, it serves as a museum displaying forty machines of da Vinci’s design, the chapel, and the gardens as they were in the 16th century.

Dinner: At a local restaurant, use restaurant tickets (meal vouchers) to choose what you would like.

Evening: At leisure.

Day 6: Cooking Class, Explore Tours

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Accommodation: Hôtel Oceania L'Univers Tours

Activity note: Walking up to 2 miles throughout the day; standing for up to 2 hours on even and uneven ground.

Breakfast: At the hotel.

Morning: Free time to relax or explore Tours on your own.

Lunch: In a hands-on cooking class, hone your culinary skills then savor the dishes you help prepare.

Afternoon: Free time. For participants who would like to structure their free time, they may join the Group Leader and explore the historic city center on foot, visiting the Quartier Plumereau and the Basilica St. Martin.

Dinner: On your own to enjoy what you like.

Evening: At leisure.

Day 7: Fontevraud Abbey, Gardens of Villandry

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Accommodation: Hôtel Oceania L'Univers Tours

Activity note: Getting on/off motorcoach; walking up to 2 miles; standing for up to 2 hours; uneven and even ground.

Breakfast: At the hotel.

Morning: We will board the motorcoach for a field trip to Fontevraud Abbey led by a local expert. The Abbaye Royale de Fontevraud (Royal Abbey of Fontevraud) was founded in 1110 for a newly created order, headed by an abbess. Its many benefactors included King Henry II of England and his wife, the legendary Eleanor of Aquitaine. Thanks to these royal benefactors, the Abbey serves as a royal necropolis for the Plantagenet dynasty. During the French Revolution, the graves were vandalized but have now been restored. After the Revolution, the Abbey became a prison for more than 150 years, holding up to 2,000 prisoners. The Abbey now serves as a cultural center and museum where the public can view the cloister and the octagonal byzantine kitchens, originally a salmon smokehouse littered with pointy chimneys and fish-scale slating.

Lunch: At a restaurant in the center of Saumur, enjoy a 3-course plated meal.

Afternoon: We will continue to explore Saumur with a walk around the fortified town in the shadow of the Château de Saumur, situated high upon the hill before returning to the motorcoach and heading to Villandy. We will enjoy a stroll through the famous gardens of the Château de Villandry. Unusual for the Loire Valley, this chateau and its gardens were the home and pet project of a commoner — albeit one who was powerful and influential — Jean le Breton, the finance minister of King Francois I. The chateau le Breton had built replaced a medieval fortress. Its gardens became famous for their complex symmetrical beauty and have been restored to their original 15th century appearance.

Dinner: On your own to enjoy what you like.

Evening: At leisure.

Day 8: Chartres Cathedral, Blois, Transfer to Paris

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Hotel Oceania Paris Roissy CDG

Activity note: Getting on/off motorcoach; driving approximately 192 miles (about 4 hours) with several stops; walking up to 2 miles; standing for up to 2 hours; even surfaces, gravel paths, stairs.

Breakfast: At the hotel.

Morning: We will board the motorcoach and ride to Blois. With its oldest rooms dating from the 13th century, the Chateau de Blois encompasses architectural styles ranging from Gothic to classical. Home to several French kings, including François I and Henri IV, the chateau is comprised of over 500 rooms. Abandoned by the start of the French Revolution, the Chateau de Blois was designated a historic monument in 1845.

Lunch: At a restaurant in Chartres, enjoy a 2-course plated meal featuring local cuisine.

Afternoon: We will visit Chartres. Founded as a small market town by the Romans, it became an intellectual and spiritual center under Bishop Fulbert for nearly 300 years until the 13th century. During this time, the Royal Gateway of the Chartres Cathedral was constructed and is preserved by the main façade. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the cathedral is one of the most impressive in all of France, notable for its Gothic art, 9 sculpted gates, and one of the finest examples of stained glass windows.

Dinner: At the hotel, enjoy a 3-course plated meal with beverage and share your favorite experiences with new Road Scholar friends.

Evening: At leisure. Say your farewells and prepare for departure in the morning.

Day 9: Program Concludes

Meals: Breakfast

Activity note: Hotel check-out is by 12:00 Noon. See your program’s travel details regarding transfers.If you are an independent traveler (POP status), see “Ground Transportation from Last Location.

Breakfast: At the hotel, buffet offering hot and cold choices plus juice, coffee, tea, water. This concludes our program. 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. Please join our Facebook page and share photos of your program. Visit us at www.facebook.com/rsadventures. Best wishes for all your journeys!

Day 1 PARIS

Passengers are welcome to board our ship at 6:00 p.m. After comfortably settling into your cabins, we'll introduce our crew at a welcome cocktail before dinner.

Day 2 PARIS - LAGNY-SUR-MARNE

We'll set out on an excursion through the major sites of the capital: the Place de la République, the main boulevards, the Opera, the Place de la Madeleine, Place Vendôme and the Louvre. Join us on an original walk along the prettiest covered arcades in Paris, allowing you to travel back through time and history around the Palais Royal. We'll return on board and start cruising towards Lagny-sur-Marne.

Day 3 LAGNY-SUR-MARNE - ISLES-LES-MELDEUSES - SAINT-JEAN-LESDEUX- JUMEAUX

This morning will be spent cruising to Isles-les-Meldeuses. This afternoon, join us on a tour of the charming town of Meaux, from the Cathedral to the Bishops' Palace, passing the Gallo-Roman ramparts and the magnificent Bossuet Garden, traditionally believed to be an early work of Le Nôtre. We'll discover and taste the Brie de Meaux cheese, hailed as "the King of Cheeses”. During this visit, the ship continues cruising to Saint-Jean-Les-Deux-Jumeaux where we will return on board.

Day 4 SAINT-JEAN-LES-DEUX-JUMEAUX - CHÂTEAU-THIERRY

This morning will be spent cruising, passing Champigny and Drachy, through the heart of the Seine-et-Marne countryside and its Champagne vines. In the afternoon, we'll arrive in Château-Thierry and set off for an excursion with an educational falconry performance (1). We'll get the chance to discover an art that has been classified as Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. Afterwards, we'll return on board.

Day 5 CHÂTEAU-THIERRY - DORMANS

We'll start sailing towards Dormans. This afternoon, join us on an excursion along the famous Champagne route. We'll start off with a guided tour of the village of Hautvillers. This picturesque village is located in the Montagne de Reims Regional Natural Park and is best explored on foot. We'll continue our visit to a prominent champagne house, with a tasting*.

Day 6 DORMANS - EPERNAY

This morning will be spent sailing towards Epernay. This afternoon, we'll set off by coach for our excursion to Reims, known as the "City of Coronations”. We'll take part in a guided tour of the historic center as well as a guided visit of the cathedral, which receives about one million visitors annually. We'll return on board. Tonight is our gala dinner and evening.

Day 7 EPERNAY - Paris(2)

Enjoy one last buffet breakfast on board before disembarking at 9:00 a.m. Possible transfer by coach to Paris(2). End of our services.