AND

PRESENT~

VIKING SEINE RIVER CRUISEPARIS AND NORMANDY

October 20-27, 2019

DAY 1ARRIVE IN PARIS

Arrive in Paris, romance capital of the world. Transfer from the airport in Paris to your ship. After boarding, take free time to explore Paris, or join our “welcome walk” to stretch your legs and get oriented. (D)

DAY 2

PARIS, FRANCEAfter breakfast, embark on a tour of this dazzling city and marvel at its most remarkable sights, including the iconic Eiffel Tower. Take in the École Militaire, Orsay Museum and Latin Quarter, and magnificent Notre Dame Cathedral. Then we’ll drive past the Louvre and Opera House and along the famed Champs-Élysées. Return on board for dinner and start your cruise on the Seine this evening. (B, D)

DAY 3

VERNON, FRANCEArrive in Vernon before breakfast; take a short ride into the town of Giverny, where Claude Monet resided from 1883 until his death in 1926. Visit the beautiful gardens and charming stone farmhouse where he lived and worked; see the water garden with the recognizable Japanese bridge, water lilies, wisteria and azaleas that inspired many of his masterpieces.

After lunch, spend some time with your Program Director in the provincial town of Vernon. Take a stroll to see the Maison du Temps Jadis (House of Past Times), Vernon’s oldest house, and the 11th-century Church of Notre Dame. Dinner is served on board. (B, L, D)

DAY 4

ROUEN, FRANCEIndulge in leisurely morning cruising along the Seine. Spend the afternoon in the medieval city of Rouen, preeminent capital of Normandy. Begin with

a walking tour through the center of Old Town, where you see the spectacular Gothic Notre Dame Cathedral, often painted by Claude Monet, and the famous Gros Horloge, a 16th-century astronomical clock. As you walk among the half-timbered storybook buildings, allow yourself to be transported back through time; see the 14th-century courthouse where Joan of Arc was sentenced to death and the nearby Market Square where she was martyred.

Use your free time to discover more of Rouen or visit one of its museums of art or antiquities. Dine on board or at a sidewalk café. Your ship remains docked overnight. (B, L, D)

DAY 5

NORMANDY BEACHES

Note: 2019 is the 75th anniversary (1944) of the Normandy invasion, so there will be many special events going on during this trip!After breakfast, begin your full-day tour to the historic beaches of Normandy. Drive past Gold Beach, Courseulles sur Mer and Juno Beach on your way to visit such World War II landmarks as Omaha Beach, the

American Military Cemetery and Arromanches Debarkment D-Day Museum. Alternatively, you may take a tour of Bayeaux, where you can admire the magnificent tapestry that chronicles the pre–Battle of Hastings events. Afterward, continue to Normandy’s coast and enjoy some free time at Juno Beach after your visit to the museum; then visit the Pegasus Museum. Return to your ship for dinner and relax on board, or take an evening stroll through Rouen. (B, L, D)

DAY 6

LES ANDELYS, FRANCE Enjoy a leisurely morning cruise to the small town of Les Andelys, known for its imposing castle, Château Gaillard, built in 1196 by Richard the Lionheart. After lunch, join a guided walk to this fatally flawed masterpiece of Middle Ages architecture before returning to your ship. (B, L, D)

DAY 7

PARIS (LE PECQ), FRANCE

After breakfast, disembark for a visit to Chateau de Malmaison, where Napoleon Bonaparte spent his final days in France. Along with the Tuileries, this elegant manor house, purchased by the emperor’s wife Josephine in 1799, served as the seat of Napoleon’s French government from 1800 to 1802. Or, join an optional tour to the luxurious Palace of Versailles, former home of Louis XIV. (B, L, D)

DAY 8

PARIS, FRANCEAfter breakfast, disembark and proceed to the Paris airport for your return flight. Or, extend your time in France’s romantic capital with a 3-night Paris extension. (B)

Pricing Per Person- Based on double occupancy. Price varies in each room category depending on time of booking. There is no single cabin option available.

Stateroom: $2,724 - $2,824

French Balcony: $3,024 - $3,224

Verandah: $3,424 - $3,624

A deposit of $500 per person is due by: September 1, 2018(All but $100 is refundable if you need to cancel)

After September 1, 2018 our group room reservation will be released and it will be first come, first serve after that date. The reason that we must reserve the cruise cabins so early is because 2019 is the 75th anniversary of the Normandy invasion and the popularity therefore of this cruise.

Final payment is due by: May 1, 2019

Trip deposit and Air will be arranged by Trip and Sip Travel who can also plan any pre or post stays or optional excursions. The air currently being offered is $549.00 R/T, but that also will depend on time of booking. We are dedicated to finding you the best air pricing possible.

Office: 919-349-3842

Email: tripnsip@gmail.com

Your friends and family are welcome to join you on this trip! If they live out of state, we can arrange their air itinerary to meet up with the group. As long as one person is age 55+, your guests do not have to be. We do ask that all guests be age 21+.

Your Viking Cruise includes one shore excursion in each port of call, and there are many optional excursions in most ports that will allow you to customize your journey. A full list of available shore excursions is provided to each guest well in advance of each cruise.