Savor the Rhone on a Food and Wine River Cruise from Avignon to Lyon

The Rhône River is a superhighway through France’s world-renowned food and wine culture, and there’s no better way to experience that journey than on board a riverboat.

When that vessel is Riverside Luxury Cruises’ 110-passenger Ravel, the onboard food and beverage options add another layer to the gastronomic experience. It’s a sophisticated yet comfortable way to become immersed in the region.

My husband John and I boarded the Ravel in Avignon and spent seven nights and days visiting towns and cities along the Rhône and Saône rivers in southeastern France. This being France, food and wine are an essential component of the history and culture.

The Rhône Valley is one of France’s most renowned wine-making regions, with the Côtes du Rhône appellation stretching for 200 kilometers north of Avignon.

The end point of our cruise, Lyon, is considered France’s culinary capital and the training ground of many celebrated chefs, beginning with Paul Bocuse, associated with the start of nouvelle cuisine in the 1960s and 70s.

All Aboard

We were surprised when Ravel’s captain, Stephano Tarabella, greeted us outside the ship and escorted us on board when we arrived. Though I’m pretty sure the encounter was random, his willingness to usher us in seemed emblematic of Riverside’s personal service ethos.

It became clear before we had even spent one night on the ship that we would learn a lot about wine during the voyage. We left Avignon mid-afternoon and were docked a few hours later at Châteauneuf-du-Pape, famed for its wines and as the summer home for Renaissance popes.

The first wine tasting of the cruise happened that evening at Maison Bouachon, a family-owned winery since 1898. It set the tone, mixing history of the wine region with an extensive tasting of two whites and two reds, paired with local cheeses chosen for each wine.

Later on the sailing, we would visit and taste wines in regions devoted to Chardonnay, Burgundy, Beaujolais, and more. We sampled wines in châteaux, in castles, in retail stores, on truffle farms and, of course, on the ship during dinners and an organized tasting.

Read More: The Best Wine Regions in Europe for Your Next Tasting Adventure

Getting to Know the Ravel

Our room was ready shortly after we boarded and that is when we first met Ricardo Silva, our butler. Each of the 55 suites has butler service.

Ricardo quickly became my favorite person on board. Every morning, five minutes after I called him, he would show up at my room with a latte. I didn’t need to fiddle with the in-room coffee maker or change out of my nightgown.

Sometimes it’s the small things that make a difference, and that seems to be the case on Riverside, where guest service is a hallmark. Ricardo packaged several bottles of wine for safekeeping in our suitcases for the flight home. He could also pack or unpack belongings, a service we skipped.

Spacious Staterooms

At 258 square feet, the staterooms are generously sized for riverboats, easily accommodating a king-sized bed, built-in desk, easy chair and side table. I especially appreciated the large walk-in closet, to keep everything organized, and a marble-outfitted bathroom.

The bathroom has a double-sink vanity, plenty of storage, and a terrific shower. The floor-to-ceiling drop-down windows are a delight.

One of my only complaints was that we couldn’t leave the window open as we cruised. I love the feel of fresh air and the sounds of the river, but the ship fits too tightly into the river locks to have the window mechanisms open.

The Ravel has a small fitness center and a self-serve laundry (detergent provided) on the lower level. There’s a small indoor pool on Deck 3, with a nice outdoor seating area adjacent.

Up top, on the Vista Deck, there are lounge chairs and table seating, some covered for shade. And a bar. Sometimes, the crew grills on this level.

Ravel’s main dining room is the Waterside, on the second level, with waiter service and made-to-order menu items complementing a substantial buffet. The kitchen space is larger than most ships, allowing for more individual service.

Wine and Chocolate Together

One of my favorite Ravel excursions was on Day 3 in the village of Tain l’Hermitage, a historic and notable wine region. Besides its celebrated wines, the region is also home to Valrhona chocolates, in business since 1922.

A stop at Valrhona’s La Cité du Chocolat is a chocolate lover’s dream. For those who like a little wine with their chocolate, it’s even better.

The company offers a tasting that pairs six varieties of chocolate, from creamy milk blends to more intense dark chocolate, with specific regional wines that enhance the taste of each.

Like our first night stop at the Châteauneuf-du-Pape winery, we didn’t escape without a purchase. Wine and chocolate are impossible to resist.

While I was at Valrhona on one side of the river, John was on the other side tasting wine at a 16th-century castle in Tournon.

Chardonnay or Beaujolais? Both!

The next day, John headed out for a full day with a trip to Mâcon to taste the fruits of the Chardonnay grape at a 14-acre woman-owned winery with just five employees.

Winemaker Nadine Ferrand has a slogan of “Le vin au féminin,” a play on the fact that “le vin” is grammatically masculine in French. She makes exceptionally good wine, including an award-winning sparkling Pouilly-Fuissé.

I decided to focus instead on the Beaujolais wine region, where vineyards were first planted by the Romans, and visited the 1,100-acre Château de la Chaize, a family-run wine producer for 350 years.

We toured the winemaking facilities and got a good look (from outside) at the magnificent château, built in 1676. Then we sampled the wine, with a charcuterie board filled with local cheeses.

Not all the excursions were wine-focused, but even those that were not always seemed to include at least a glass of bubbly.

Read More: Slow Travel on the Seine: Exploring Normandy in Style on the Scenic Gem

Truffles, Anyone?

One day, an afternoon bus ride to a truffle farm near Mâcon afforded us a lovely drive through rural France, with fields and hillsides in shades of gold and green, vineyards changing color under the blue autumn sky.

Curving roads were edged by small stone buildings and the occasional church, pastures dotted with sheep and cows.

At the truffle farm, Le Cos-Piguet, we walked beneath stands of trees, brown leaves littering the ground as Maestro, the truffle-hunting dog, was sent in search of the pricey gastronomic fungus.

Farmer Olivier Devevre, who holds a PhD in forestry and soil microbiology, is passionate about truffles and the farm he inherited in 2001 from his grandmother.

Our tours dispelled the myth that truffles are only found in the wild and hunted by pigs. Here they grow on the roots of oak and other trees, planted like orchards, and located by energetic dogs that work for treats.

Taste of Chalon-sur-Saône

On our last full day, as we ventured a little way up the connecting Saône River, we spent a morning in the small city of Chalon-sur-Saône, situated midway between Paris and Lyon.

It’s a walkable, picturesque town of about 50,000 people, recognized as the birthplace of photography thanks to native son Nicéphore Niépce.

We got a full “tasting” of the city with stops at an organic bakery for baguettes and croissants, a chocolatier for sweet bites, and a wine shop, Terroirs & Millésimes.

That’s where Andre Politschuck guided us through a tasting, sampling Chardonnay (“2022 was considered the perfect year”), Pinot Noir, and Gamay (“more fruity than Pinot”), and offered his musings on wine culture.

“The myth that you have to be pricey is wrong. It doesn’t have to be expensive to be good,” he said. “Wine itself is a moment, it’s a place, it’s a situation.”

We were definitely in that moment, in that place, and the situation was lovely.

Post-Cruise in Lyon

Our cruise ended in Lyon, and rather than dash to the airport for the long-haul flight back to the U.S., we stayed a few days in the place known as France’s gastronomic capital.

We left the planning to Enchanting Travels, a company that crafts tailored itineraries in more than 70 countries around the world.

Leaving the details to a trusted partner worked out well for us.

Enchanting Travels booked us for two nights at the Cour des Loges, a Radisson property within the walls of the old city. Parts of the building date to the 15th and 16th centuries.

The historic ambience, terrific location, and elaborate breakfast made it a winner for us.

We discussed our interests with advisors at Enchanting Travels before they laid out our itinerary and assigned us a contact person. Next, we downloaded an app that tracked everything.

I tend not to want to add apps, but this was easy to use and helpful, with a stored itinerary and other documents.

A Lyon city tour and a market visit/cooking class with a local chef were the highlights of our time in the city.

Enchanting Travels also arranged a transfer from the hotel to the airport on our departure date. Our driver parked, retrieved a luggage cart, and came into the airport with us.

He pointed out the bathrooms and security areas and showed us where to wait for check-in information. Even for frequent travelers, it eases the stress to have someone share that information.

If You Go

The south of France can be warm and crowded during the peak summer months of July and August. My cruise during the first week of October had perfect weather for touring, with temperatures in the high 60s to low 70s.

For 2026, Riverside offers similar Ravel itineraries along the Rhône for durations of 3-, 4-, and 7-nights, which can be combined if desired. For more information, visit the Riverside Cruise website.

For our embarkation in Avignon, we flew into Marseille and took a high-speed train to Avignon. Some folks talked about flying into Paris and taking the high-speed train from there to the Rhône River ports.

Riverside is a luxury cruise line, but I appreciated the understated nature of the dress code, described for dinner as “smart casual.” There was the occasional sport coat or fancy dress, but mostly attire was relaxed.

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Author Bio: Terri Colby spent decades as a journalist reporting on hard news before she wised up and started roaming the world as a travel writer. Her favorite travel stories always seem to involve natural wonders. But cruises, fine dining, and boutique hotels are always on her radar. Her award-winning writing and photography can be found in print and online outlets including AAA Extra Mile, Chicago Tribune, Porthole Cruise & Travel and more. Colby serves on the board of the Society of American Travel Writers. Find her at https://www.facebook.com/terricolby or follow her on Instagram.

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