Below the papal walls
Boarding a Rhône cruise in Avignon
Avignon is Viking's and Riverside's southern start, and no one publishes the quay. That matters less than it sounds. The walled city is small, and the river runs along its edge.
- About 84 kmMarseille Provence airport to Avignon
- 2 h 40TGV from Paris to Avignon TGV
- 5 minshuttle train from Avignon TGV into the centre
- 2lines that begin Rhône weeks here: Viking and Riverside
- BerthNear the Pont Saint-Bénézet, by the walls
- AirportMarseille (MRS), 84 km away
- All-aboard—
- Nights beforeOne; two for Châteauneuf-du-Pape
- Best forThe Palais des Papes and the bridge
In short
Avignon at a glance
On Viking air, you fly into Marseille and transfer to a ship already docked in Avignon. Riverside runs Avignon round trips and Avignon–Lyon weeks.
AmaWaterways, Uniworld and Tauck call here but don't start here.
No line names its berth. One port guide puts most ships near the Pont Saint-Bénézet, an easy walk from the Palais des Papes.
Give the city one night for the palace and the bridge. A second buys Châteauneuf-du-Pape or the Pont du Gard.
The berths
The berth question, below the walls
There's no published cruise berth in Avignon. Ships use the riverbank below the walls, and the bridge is the landmark to steer by.
The Rhône quay near the Pont Saint-Bénézet
On the river side of the walled city. 'Most ships dock near the Pont Saint Bénézet bridge, in the heart of Avignon,' says What's In Port. Allée de l'Oulle, just downstream, is where the local Grands Bateaux de Provence boats board — a landing for excursion boats, not a named berth for the cruise lines.
Most river ships, by one port guide's account
Source 1 Source 2Ask your line for the quay before you pick a hotel by distance. On Viking with Viking air, the transfer finds the ship for you.
Avignon on the Rhône. Open the Avignon card on the river map for the lines, the season and nearby calls.
Getting there
Marseille, or the TGV
Viking names Marseille Provence as the airport for an Avignon start. From Paris, the high-speed train is a strong rival to any connecting flight.
Fly into
Marseille Provence MRS
It's the airport Viking names for Avignon arrivals; no door-to-door time from the terminal is published.
- Train
From MRS by shuttle and TER
A shuttle runs to Vitrolles-Aéroport Marseille Provence station for a TER regional train to Avignon. The other route is the shuttle to Marseille Saint-Charles, which has regular trains to Avignon.
Source - Train
- Bus
From Avignon TGV to the walls
Several bus routes run to Avignon Poste and the Porte de l'Oulle, at the entrance to the historic centre. Inside the walls, free electric Baladine shuttles circulate.
Source - Taxi
Taxi
No fare is published from MRS or from Avignon TGV. Agree the price before the bags go in the trunk.
Source - Line transfer
Side by side
- TrainFrom MRS by shuttle and TERTime—Cost—Independent travellers flying into Marseille
- TrainTGV from Paris or LyonTimeabout 2 h 40 from ParisCost—Anyone spending the night before in Paris
- BusFrom Avignon TGV to the wallsTime—Cost—TGV arrivals with light bags
- TaxiTaxiTime—Cost—Luggage-heavy arrivals; agree the fare first
- Line transferViking's meet-and-greetTime—Cost—Viking guests who bought Viking air
What the lines say about transfers
- Viking River CruisesMeet-and-greet transfers from Marseille to the ship are 'included when air is purchased from Viking River Cruises'.
- AmaWaterwaysTransfers come with flights booked through AmaAir, on standard dates.
The day before
A day inside the walls
Almost everything worth the day is inside the ramparts or just beside them. The only real question is how much of the Rhône you want before a week on it.
The night-before planner
How many nights before you board?
Where are you flying from?
And for Avignon itself?
- 01
The Palais des Papes and the Place de l'Horloge
The papal palace dominates the old town. Buy your ticket online before you travel.
Source - 02
The Pont Saint-Bénézet at dusk
The broken bridge is the landmark most ships tie up near. A riverside walk the evening before doubles as a look at where you'll board.
Source - 03
A Sunday on the river
Grands Bateaux de Provence board at Allée de l'Oulle. From November to the end of March, the Sunday guinguette cruise (12:00–16:00) passes the Villeneuve-lès-Avignon lock toward Châteauneuf-du-Pape, with lunch, musicians and dancing — €49, or €69 with drinks. From April to October it becomes a day trip to Arles, 10:30–19:30, at €59 or €79, prices as published 21 Oct 2026.
Source - 04
Across the Rhône at Villeneuve-lès-Avignon
Le Prieuré was 'built as a priory in the year 1322', and its starred restaurant serves regional food 'beneath medieval archways and timbered ceilings'. The quieter half of Avignon.
Source - 05
Dinner facing the palace
La Mirande holds two MICHELIN Keys for 2026 and looks straight at the Palais des Papes. Reserve the table with the room.
Source - 06
July: book everything first
The summer theatre festival fills the old town in July. On a July sailing, secure the hotel and any palace ticket before anything else.
Source
Extra days, booked ahead
Things to do in Avignon
Avignon is a walking city. Pay for a guide where the history is dense, or where the wine is out of town.
- Palais des Papes guided visit with skip-the-line entryThe one sight everyone wants, with someone to explain its scale.
- Châteauneuf-du-Pape tasting, half dayThe appellation lies up the Rhône — the same way the winter Sunday boat heads.
- Pont du Gard and Uzès, half dayFor a second night, not the day you board.
Viator is an affiliate link: we may earn a commission at no cost to you. Your line’s included excursions stay with the line. Disclosure.
Where to stay
Six hotels for the evening before
Our Avignon pre-cruise hotel hub lists six. La Mirande, facing the palace, leads inside the walls, and Le Prieuré is the poolside alternative across the river.
Intra-muros, by the Palais des Papes
Inside the ramparts, steps from the palace and a walk to the Rhône. La Mirande and Hôtel d'Europe are here, and the free Baladine shuttles cut the distances.
Boulevard Saint-Roch, by Avignon Centre station
Just outside the walls, where the shuttle train from the TGV station pulls in. Avignon Grand Hotel stands at number 34.
Villeneuve-lès-Avignon
A village across the Rhône, home to Le Prieuré. Quieter; the distance to the berth isn't published, so count on a taxi.
All six Avignon pre-cruise hotels
Hotel links go to Booking.com; Seabound Journeys may earn a commission at no cost to you. Affiliate disclosure. Prefer us to book the nights with the cruise? Say so in your brief.
The lines
Who starts a cruise in Avignon
Lines with published itineraries that start or end here. Each name opens our review.
Calls here mid-cruise
When
Grands Bateaux de Provence switch from Sunday Arles trips to winter lunch cruises in November. Each March, navigation stops between Lyon and the sea for lock maintenance — 8–19 March in 2026. On a March date, check your sailing against that closure before you pay the deposit.
Your checklist
Sorted before boarding day
0 of 5 done
Why trust this page
The Seabound standard
Sources, read at the source
Every fare, berth and timetable here was checked on October 21, 2026, at the line, port or hotel wherever they publish it. Where they don’t, we name the source we used, or say nothing is published.
Paid placements
No line or hotel pays to appear here or to rank higher. Affiliate links are labelled, and they never decide what we recommend.
Advisors, not a booking engine
A Seabound Journeys advisor reads your brief, compares the lines for your dates and answers you personally. CLIA-affiliated, Florida Seller of Travel ST15578.
Have us plan it
Start your Rhône cruise in Avignon
Tell us the month and who is sailing. We match the line, the cabin and the hotel night to how you travel, and price it against the alternatives.
- Usually the same fare as booking direct, and our advice costs you nothing.
- We compare the lines sailing from Avignon for your dates, not one brochure.
- Hotel nights, flights and transfers can go into the same plan.
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Quick answers
Avignon river cruise questions
Does Uniworld start cruises in Avignon?
No. Uniworld visits, but its Rhône boardings are in Arles and Lyon. Viking and Riverside are the lines that start here.
So where exactly is the ship?
Somewhere on the Rhône below the walls. One port guide says most ships dock near the Pont Saint-Bénézet, but no line names its quay — treat the exact berth as unconfirmed until yours does.
Fly to Marseille or come by train?
If you're already in Paris, take the TGV and skip the airport. If you're flying in from the US, Marseille is the airport Viking uses, and its transfer is included with Viking air.
Inside the walls or across the river?
Inside for the palace and an evening walk. Villeneuve-lès-Avignon for quiet and Le Prieuré's pool. Near the station if you arrive by rail.
Can I see Châteauneuf-du-Pape before boarding?
Two ways. A half-day tasting by road, or, between November and March, the Sunday lunch cruise that heads up the Rhône toward the village.
How we checked this page 15 sources
Every fact above comes from a source listed here, checked on October 21, 2026: port and city authorities, the lines’ own pages, the hotels and the rating guides. Where nothing official is published, the page says so rather than filling the gap.
- What's In Port – Avignon
- Viking UK – Lyon & Provence
- Uniworld – Port Locations & Boarding Times
- Riverside – Rhône Rhapsody
- Riverside – All routes
- AmaWaterways – Colors of Provence
- Tauck – Rhône river cruises
- La Mirande – Location & access
- International Railway Journal – Avignon TGV–city centre link (2014)
- Avignon Tourisme – Grands Bateaux de Provence
- Michelin Guide – MICHELIN Keys 2026, France
- Michelin Guide – Le Prieuré
- CNR – Annual navigation stoppage, March 2026
- AmaWaterways – AmaAir
- Viator – Avignon