Family Fun Along The Seine: Paris To Normandy

Tour begins: 4:00 PM, ms Sapphire. A transfer is included from Charles de Gaulle International Airport, and Gare du Nord and Gare du Lyon train stations to the ship. Tonight you’ll meet your Tauck Director and your fellow family river cruisers at a welcome reception and dinner.

The historic city of Paris is at your feet today, literally! Two sightseeing choices today – get an overview of its famous landmark sites on a guided walking tour, viewing the Arc de Triomphe and gargoyled Cathédrale Notre Dame de Paris (no inside visits on this walking tour). Or, if you wish, pedal along the Seine on a guided bicycle ride, passing by the Musée d’Orsay, the Tuileries Garden and the towering Eiffel Tower. And after lunch, you'll visit the world-famous Tower yourself! The rest of the day is free for you and your family to experience “Paree” as you please.

Until King Louis XIV moved his household outside of Paris to the Château de Versailles in the 1700s, Musée du Louvre was a royal palace. But now it’s an amazing treasure-filled museum – one of the largest and most-visited art museums in the world – and the perfect place for today’s guided visit and a fun scavenger hunt. Follow clues to works of art renowned the world over, including Leonardo da Vinci’s enigmatic Mona Lisa, whose mysterious smile has captivated imaginations for centuries. Following your morning at Musée du Louvre you'll enjoy some free time in Paris, then embark ms Sapphire mid-afternoon and begin your cruise along the River Seine.

Traveling in France is a feast for the senses. In Paris you’ve already seen – and “hunted” for – some of the most famous art in the world at the Musée du Louvre. Today you’ll hear a lot about the artist Claude Monet when you visit his pink house and painted gardens in Giverny. Dock in Les Andelys this afternoon for a choice of sightseeing – hike up to Château Gaillard and listen to stories about Richard the Lionheart, King of England, who built the fortified castle; or take a guided walking tour of the village of Les Andelys. Dinner is back onboard your riverboat as we head for Caudebec for a full day at Normandy’s historic D-Day beaches.

You’ll feel history all around you today as you learn about the heroes of Normandy’s Allied Invasion of June 6, 1944 during up close exploration of D-Day beaches. Visit D-Day sites including Pont du Hoc and Omaha Beach, plus a poignant stop at the hallowed American Cemetery. Following lunch, the afternoon is spent exploring one of Europe's most unique museums, the D-Day Academy; here you’ll have a hands-on opportunity to learn first-hand about World War II. You'll actually touch World War II artifacts, from weapons to wireless radios; put on a workable wireless headset as you climb aboard a Willys jeep or Dodge Command car for a ride between the apple trees; and sample rations that the troops ate while serving here. Drive to Caudebec late afternoon and return to the riverboat to set sail for Rouen.

Wake up in Rouen, the “museum city of a hundred spires,” this morning and walk off your riverboat right into the heart of history. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Rouen grew up along the Seine and was an important city for the Romans, Vikings and Normans as far back as the 3rd century! It became the capital of Normandy in the 10th century and many buildings remain from its heyday in the Middle Ages. William the Conqueror used to hold court here. Richard the Lionheart left his heart here and Joan of Arc was burned at the stake here. Explore the sites today on a guided tour that takes you to Rouen’s Notre Dame Cathedral – painted by Claude Monet more than 30 times – Joan of Arc Square and the church where she died – you'll also embark on a photo scavenger hunt.

Travel today to Louis XIV’s ornate palace, the Château de Versailles, where you'll have a choice of a guided visit inside the palace or a guided bicycle ride. If you choose the palace visit, be sure to take a walk in the garden – it is just as impressive as the palace, covering 1,976 acres with some 200,000 trees, 50 fountains and 210,000+ flowers. And if you choose to explore by bicycle, you’ll also visit Marie Antoinette’s farm, created in the style of a miniature Norman village. Bid a fond au revoir to the River Seine at a farewell reception and dinner onboard ship tonight.

Tour Ends: Paris. Disembark this morning in Paris. Transfers are included from the riverboat to Charles de Gaulle International Airport, and Gare du Nord and Gare du Lyon train stations; allow a minimum of three hours for your flight check-in.