Eleven days overseas…
Southern France has always been at the very top of my travel bucket list, and somehow it exceeded every expectation I had. The scenery, the food, the wine, the villages — it truly felt like a dream from start to finish.
At the same time, eleven days is a substantial trip to plan. Finding the balance between maximizing your time and leaving room to relax can look completely different for every traveler. What worked incredibly well for Rachel and me was combining a 7-day wine cruise along the Rhône River with a few days of independent travel before and after the cruise.
The cruise gave us structure and removed a lot of the stress of planning every detail, allowing us to fully enjoy the experience without constantly worrying about transportation, hotels, or logistics. Meanwhile, the extra days on either side gave us the freedom to slow down, explore on our own schedule, and experience parts of Southern France beyond the cruise itinerary.
Over these 11 days in Southern France, we checked off so many unforgettable experiences — charming villages, vineyard hikes, incredible food, historic cities, and some of the most beautiful scenery I’ve ever seen. If you’re looking for a way to experience Southern France without feeling rushed or overwhelmed, I can’t recommend this style of trip enough.
Let’s break it all down.!
First stop, Nice France!
And now, enter Emerald Cruises
Emerald Cruises truly took exceptional care of us throughout the trip. From the very beginning, the experience felt smooth, welcoming, and incredibly well organized.
Our first impression came right at the airport, where we boarded a large shuttle bus bound for Arles to meet the ship. Almost immediately, we knew we were in good hands thanks to our guide, Bastian.
He had the perfect dry sense of humor paired with an impressive knowledge of the region. One moment he was teaching us about cypress trees lining the countryside, and the next he was explaining the mysteries of French license plates — including encouraging the entire bus to jokingly boo any car marked with a “75,” signaling drivers from Paris. Apparently, residents of Southern France aren’t exactly known for their love of Parisian drivers.
Between the stories, local insights, and constant laughs, the nearly two-hour ride absolutely flew by and ended up being one of the unexpectedly memorable parts of the day.
Once we boarded the ship, we checked in, unpacked, and met the crew during the safety briefing before settling into life on the river.
That first evening also introduced us to what would become one of the highlights of the cruise: the food.
The chef onboard was phenomenal. Rachel and I decided early on to trust the “Chef Recommended” option each night, and it never disappointed. Somehow, they even managed to make frog legs and escargot genuinely enjoyable for us — which I absolutely did not expect.
Every meal felt thoughtfully prepared. Breakfast featured an enormous spread with plenty of variety each morning, while the supposedly “light” lunch served in the lounge could easily qualify as a full meal on its own. Dinner each night felt restaurant quality, both in presentation and flavor.
The wait staff and bartenders also deserve a gold star. Over the course of the week, we got to know many of them personally, and their friendliness and attention to detail made the experience feel incredibly welcoming and comfortable from start to finish.
Each day, Emerald Cruises included guided tours at each port along the route, followed by plenty of free time to either continue exploring on our own or head back to the ship to relax.
The excursions gave us context, history, and local insight into each destination, while the flexible free time allowed us to wander at our own pace, grab coffee, shop, or simply soak in the atmosphere without feeling rushed.
Back onboard, there was always something happening in the evenings as well. Trivia nights, live concerts, cornhole tournaments, movie nights — the entertainment felt casual, fun, and surprisingly social. It created a really nice rhythm to the trip where every day offered a mix of sightseeing, downtime, and community without ever feeling over-scheduled.
And yes — addressing the obvious elephant in the room — Rachel and I were definitely on the younger side of the average age onboard. Most guests were probably 20–30 years older than us, with the exception of one other couple in their 30s who we absolutely loved getting to know during the trip.
Honestly though, the age difference ended up not mattering at all. We met so many kind, interesting people, and everyone had a good sense of humor about it. In many ways, it actually created exactly the atmosphere we were hoping for.
As two married moms looking for a relaxing French vacation — not a loud party cruise — the slower pace, quieter environment, and laid-back evenings were perfect. The vibe onboard felt comfortable, peaceful, and genuinely enjoyable, which fit this style of trip beautifully.
Emerald Cruises really handled so many of the details for us, which made the entire trip feel genuinely relaxing from start to finish.
Let’s talk about our stops on the Rhone:
From Lyon we had to get ourselves home. Looking at the map you have a few options. The most obvious: take a train to either Paris or back to Nice to fly home. OORRRR… take a train to Geneva Switzerland, only 2 hours away, and get another stamp in the passport!
How and What to Pack for 11 Days in France
Whenever I think of Europe I picture light, breezy outfits. What I learned on this trip is we also need to think of rain gear— But still light and breezy! Even the rainy days were relatively warm and humid.
In Avignon especially, my feet were absolutely soaking wet but I was still perfectly comfortable in a short sleeve shirt and pants. Heavy layers would have been miserable. Lightweight clothing and layers are definitely the way to go, even when rain is in the forecast.
Wrinkle Control
For my dresses, I somehow always end up with unreasonable wrinkles! No matter what technique I try— rolling, laying flat, compression cubes, steaming before packing— they always come out too wrinkled to wear.
This year I got a travel steamer! Admittedly, it’s not the most powerful steamer in the world, but it absolutely took out enough suitcase wrinkle to be wearable! Definitely one of those little travel upgrades that made a bigger difference than I expected. Grab one for your next trip here!
Jeans in Europe
For this trip I did bring a couple denim options: a pair of denim shorts and a pair of jeans. Any later in the year, though, I would not suggest a heavy, stiff denim. The sun can be WARM!
If you’re by the water, the breeze can balance out the heat and it can feel really comfortable. But walking through the narrow streets where the wind is blocked? That’s when a pair of jeans can feel very hot and sticky.
Footwear you Wanna-Wear
Speaking of those narrow streets, a lot of your walking will be on cobblestone. I did have a pair of sneakers for a day with a significant amount of walking or for hikes specifically, but otherwise I packed two pairs of minimalist sandals. (Not Flip Flops!)
One pair of sandals had a very flat, thin sole. I do think they looked cuter with my outfits and weren’t the worst, but by the end of the day I was very ready to be OFF the cobblestones! The other pair of sandals had a thicker sole, which made a huge difference because I wasn’t feeling every single stone pressing on the arch of my foot.
Cute is great, and beauty is pain after all, but cobblestones definitely reward a little extra cushioning.
Compression Packing Cubes
I experimented with packing cubes for this trip and have mixed feelings. On one hand, it was great to have some organization! I knew this cube had workout clothes and jammies, this cube had undies and shapewear, this cube had dressed, etc. This was helpful since we were moving between hotel- ship-hotel and unpacking, repacking, several times.
The compression was in some ways helpful but I’m not sure if it worked any better than other packing techniques like the roll and stuff method. Overall, I was happy to have them, but next time would probably use fewer cubes, not everything needed its own compartment. To try for yourself, check these out!
Wine Suitcase
An experiment that I have no negative feelings about: the wine suitcase! I knew I was going to want to bring wine home, which is always nerve-wracking. You pack everything up, zip your suitcase so carefully, and then watch the airport staff throw it around like it’s being launched off a cliff. You’re just bracing as you wait to claim your red-stained, leaking luggage off the baggage carousel.
BUT this wine suitcase seriously delivered! The bottles fit into cushioned foam cutouts that keep everything super secure during travel. Since this was my first trip using it, I was still a little nervous, but now? Zero concerns for the next trip! Everything made it home in tact — and delicious! Get yours here!
