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The Best Part of My Seine River Cruise Wasn’t Paris
While I was on my flight home from France, I found myself thinking back over the previous couple of weeks and trying to decide what I’d loved most.
And the answer surprised me.
If I asked you to picture a Seine River cruise, chances are you’d immediately think of Paris: the Eiffel Tower, sidewalk cafés, fresh croissants, and maybe a stroll along the Seine at sunset.
And while Paris absolutely deserves its reputation, somewhere between France and home I realized something.
The best part of my Seine River cruise wasn’t Paris.
It was everything in between.
Over the course of a week aboard Avalon Waterways, I found myself falling in love with places I’d barely heard of before boarding the ship. Small towns, historic cities, castles, gardens, and stretches of the French countryside that I probably never would have experienced if I’d planned a traditional Paris vacation.
And those are the places I keep thinking about.
Honfleur: The Town I Immediately Wanted More Time In
Honfleur was one of those places that charmed me almost immediately.
It’s a postcard-perfect harbor town with colorful buildings lining the waterfront, artists painting in the square, and little streets that practically beg you to wander without much of a plan.
This wasn’t a place where I felt like I had to rush around checking things off a sightseeing list. I could simply walk, explore, stop when something caught my attention, and enjoy being there.
It was also one of those places where I immediately thought, Yep, I could spend more time here.
Rouen: Medieval Streets and Centuries of History
Then there was Rouen, where medieval streets wind through the city beneath the towering spires of its cathedral.
It’s beautiful, but there’s also so much history here.
This is the city where Joan of Arc was tried and executed, and walking through Rouen was a good reminder of something I love about traveling through Europe: the places you’re casually strolling through often have centuries of stories behind them.
You can turn a corner, admire a half-timbered building or an old church, and suddenly realize you’re standing somewhere connected to events you learned about years ago in a history book.
Les Andelys: The Hike That Was Worth the Sweat
In Les Andelys, I decided that hiking uphill in some pretty ridiculous July heat to see the ruins of Château Gaillard was a good idea.
Somewhere on the way up, I may have questioned that decision.
But Château Gaillard was built by Richard the Lionheart in the 12th century, and when you have the opportunity to climb up to the ruins of a medieval castle overlooking the Seine, you take it.
The views from the top were spectacular. From up there, you can see the river winding through the countryside below, with the town tucked along its banks.
And yes, it was absolutely worth the sweat.
Giverny: Walking Through Monet’s Paintings
And then there was Giverny.
I’d seen photos of Claude Monet’s gardens for years, but actually standing beside the lily pond and walking across the Japanese bridge was completely different.
The flowers, the water, the colors, and the way the gardens seem just a little bit wild made it easy to understand why Monet spent so many years painting them.
There’s something special about visiting a place you already recognize through art and then getting to see the real thing. Suddenly, those famous water lilies aren’t just hanging on the wall of a museum. You’re standing beside the pond that inspired them.
And Yes, Paris Was Wonderful
Of course Paris was wonderful.
There’s a reason people travel from all over the world to see it, and I certainly wouldn’t suggest taking a Seine River cruise and skipping Paris.
But when I think back on this trip, it’s these smaller places that keep popping into my head.
And that’s one of the things I love most about river cruising.
You unpack once and let the river take you into cities and small towns you might never have thought to build an entire vacation around. Instead of simply getting from one major European city to another, you get to experience all those places in between.
You wake up, look outside, and there’s somewhere new waiting for you.
Some days that might mean wandering through a harbor town. Another day, you’re walking through medieval streets, climbing to the ruins of a 12th-century castle, or standing beside the lily pond that inspired one of the world’s most famous artists.
Sometimes the Places You Weren’t Expecting Become the Ones You Remember Most
It’s easy to know you want to go to Paris.
It’s a little harder to know ahead of time that you’re going to love wandering around the harbor in Honfleur, hiking to a medieval castle in Les Andelys, exploring the streets of Rouen, or spending a morning standing beside Monet’s lily pond.
That’s where river cruising shines.
The famous cities may be what initially get you interested in the itinerary, but the smaller places along the way can end up being some of the most memorable parts of the trip.
That was certainly true for me.
So if France has been sitting on your travel wish list, don’t stop at Paris.
There is so much waiting for you farther down the river.
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