The finest and most picturesque ports of call in the Seine valley

Home to more than 10 million people, the "City of Light" is majestic in its architecture and artistic heritage. More than a destination of pleasurable externals, bourgeois absolutes and just-baked baguettes (French law demands they bake them fresh thrice daily), Paris is great sightseeing, incredible shopping and leisure dining that always comes with desserts in the form of delicate trays of the finest chocolates and macaroons.

Paris is so much more than the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, Notre-Dame and the Louvre. This trip, stroll the Marais and shop along rue des Francs Bourgeois or walk under the arches of the oldest square in Paris, Place des Vosges. Take time to explore the Latin Quarter to see the church of St. Severin, the Sorbonne and rue Mouffetard -- not just because it's where Joyce, Orwell, Balzac and Hemmingway once lived, but also for the rows and rows of fresh food glistening like bouquets of colourful gems under the street market's faded French-blue-striped awnings. Stop by the bookseller's stalls along the banks of the Seine around Notre-Dame for antique and second-hand books, comic strips, post cards and posters at great prices.

Saint Germain-des-Pres and the stately Church of St. Sulpice's beautiful Delacroix murals are a must-see this trip -- as is the St. Germain Church, the city's oldest church -- before heading down its enchanting streets, through the old squares and artists' studios that surround it. Don't forget to leave time to head up to the little village of Montmarte and the old cobbled streets where Renoir, Lautrec and van Gogh lived and worked; there are wonderful views of the city.

The capital of Normandy, Rouen is just a bit over an hour's train ride from Paris. If you've only got a day and you're intent on doing the "if it's Tuesday it must be Paris" shtick by heading off to the big city on your own, we won't dissuade you -- particularly if you've not been there before.

But Rouen's worth a look, too. With 2,000 years of history, it is one of the country's most ancient cities, laid out by the Duke of Normandy in 911. Victor Hugo called Rouen "the city of a hundred spires." Like Paris, the city is divided by the Seine, and like Paris, Rouennais refer to the sides as Rive Gauche (Left Bank) and Rive Droite (Right Bank). The Old City is on the Right Bank. Chock-a-block with cobbled streets dotted with French Norman architecture dating back to the Middle Ages, it is where you'll see the gothic Notre-Dame Cathedral and swear you've spied Monet painting a cityscape across the way, as he did. Visit the thyme-covered mound in the square where Joan of Arc burned at the stake (place du Vieux-Marche) in 1431 while the English had control of Rouen from 1431 - 1449.

Over the centuries, great devastation came to Rouen -- including 45 major fires in the first half of the 13th century. WWII destroyed all its bridges, many of its spires, and much of the area between the cathedral and the quais -- resulting in the city being almost entirely rebuilt in the years since the end of the war.

Rouen is also a terrific jumping-off point for other great haunts in Normandy -- marvellous places like Giverny (31 miles/50km), Honfleur (44 miles/72km) and Dieppe (36 miles/58km). And we can't say enough about the entire region being a spread-out bonanza of creamy Camembert, velvety omelettes, oysters so fresh you'll think they jumped from the sea unto your plate and Bon Bere (cider) in provincial cafes anywhere you go.

The capital of Normandy, Rouen is just a bit over an hour's train ride from Paris. If you've only got a day and you're intent on doing the "if it's Tuesday it must be Paris" shtick by heading off to the big city on your own, we won't dissuade you -- particularly if you've not been there before.

But Rouen's worth a look, too. With 2,000 years of history, it is one of the country's most ancient cities, laid out by the Duke of Normandy in 911. Victor Hugo called Rouen "the city of a hundred spires." Like Paris, the city is divided by the Seine, and like Paris, Rouennais refer to the sides as Rive Gauche (Left Bank) and Rive Droite (Right Bank). The Old City is on the Right Bank. Chock-a-block with cobbled streets dotted with French Norman architecture dating back to the Middle Ages, it is where you'll see the gothic Notre-Dame Cathedral and swear you've spied Monet painting a cityscape across the way, as he did. Visit the thyme-covered mound in the square where Joan of Arc burned at the stake (place du Vieux-Marche) in 1431 while the English had control of Rouen from 1431 - 1449.

Over the centuries, great devastation came to Rouen -- including 45 major fires in the first half of the 13th century. WWII destroyed all its bridges, many of its spires, and much of the area between the cathedral and the quais -- resulting in the city being almost entirely rebuilt in the years since the end of the war.

Rouen is also a terrific jumping-off point for other great haunts in Normandy -- marvellous places like Giverny (31 miles/50km), Honfleur (44 miles/72km) and Dieppe (36 miles/58km). And we can't say enough about the entire region being a spread-out bonanza of creamy Camembert, velvety omelettes, oysters so fresh you'll think they jumped from the sea unto your plate and Bon Bere (cider) in provincial cafes anywhere you go.

The villages along the Seine on the popular river cruises between Paris and Normandy are so wonderful that it's almost impossible to pick a favourite. But, when you visit Honfleur, it's easy to understand why this seductive seaside village on France's northern coast has such tremendous appeal.

First, this medieval town -- with its narrow half-timbered houses and cobblestone streets -- has great bones. Unlike many of its neighbours in Normandy, Honfleur was spared during the bombing of World War II. The old harbour, set in a sheltered cove off of the Seine's tidal estuary, is Honfleur's centre stage, as it has been for centuries. There, you'll find fishermen, artists, tourists and locals alike soaking in much the same scenery (often from a cafe) that attracted celebrated painters like Delacroix, Sisley, Corot and Monet.

From the harbour, where Samuel de Champlain departed in 1608 to found the city of Quebec in the New World, the lushly planted village rises upward between two hills. Nestled in its tidy, picturesque streets are art galleries, artists' studios, boutiques, restaurants and fine souvenir shops. History has left its footprint, too, with the largest wooden church in France, salt warehouses that date back to the 17th century, and the Lieutenance, the last remaining part of a 16th-century castle that fortified the town.

Honfleur, population 9,000, is the start or end of itineraries on river cruises between Paris and Normandy. Travellers are bussed between Paris and their riverboats, negating the need for a hotel in Honfleur. Ships tend to dock for as many as three nights because Honfleur is the departure point for ship-run shore excursions to such landmarks as the D-Day landing beaches, the American Cemetery and the museum that houses the famous Bayeux tapestry.

Three nights in Honfleur? Nothing wrong with that. While its prestigious past goes back 1,000 years, Honfleur has that special something that keeps it fresh, interesting and exciting.

The capital of Normandy, Rouen is just a bit over an hour's train ride from Paris. If you've only got a day and you're intent on doing the "if it's Tuesday it must be Paris" shtick by heading off to the big city on your own, we won't dissuade you -- particularly if you've not been there before.

But Rouen's worth a look, too. With 2,000 years of history, it is one of the country's most ancient cities, laid out by the Duke of Normandy in 911. Victor Hugo called Rouen "the city of a hundred spires." Like Paris, the city is divided by the Seine, and like Paris, Rouennais refer to the sides as Rive Gauche (Left Bank) and Rive Droite (Right Bank). The Old City is on the Right Bank. Chock-a-block with cobbled streets dotted with French Norman architecture dating back to the Middle Ages, it is where you'll see the gothic Notre-Dame Cathedral and swear you've spied Monet painting a cityscape across the way, as he did. Visit the thyme-covered mound in the square where Joan of Arc burned at the stake (place du Vieux-Marche) in 1431 while the English had control of Rouen from 1431 - 1449.

Over the centuries, great devastation came to Rouen -- including 45 major fires in the first half of the 13th century. WWII destroyed all its bridges, many of its spires, and much of the area between the cathedral and the quais -- resulting in the city being almost entirely rebuilt in the years since the end of the war.

Rouen is also a terrific jumping-off point for other great haunts in Normandy -- marvellous places like Giverny (31 miles/50km), Honfleur (44 miles/72km) and Dieppe (36 miles/58km). And we can't say enough about the entire region being a spread-out bonanza of creamy Camembert, velvety omelettes, oysters so fresh you'll think they jumped from the sea unto your plate and Bon Bere (cider) in provincial cafes anywhere you go.

Home to more than 10 million people, the "City of Light" is majestic in its architecture and artistic heritage. More than a destination of pleasurable externals, bourgeois absolutes and just-baked baguettes (French law demands they bake them fresh thrice daily), Paris is great sightseeing, incredible shopping and leisure dining that always comes with desserts in the form of delicate trays of the finest chocolates and macaroons.

Paris is so much more than the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, Notre-Dame and the Louvre. This trip, stroll the Marais and shop along rue des Francs Bourgeois or walk under the arches of the oldest square in Paris, Place des Vosges. Take time to explore the Latin Quarter to see the church of St. Severin, the Sorbonne and rue Mouffetard -- not just because it's where Joyce, Orwell, Balzac and Hemmingway once lived, but also for the rows and rows of fresh food glistening like bouquets of colourful gems under the street market's faded French-blue-striped awnings. Stop by the bookseller's stalls along the banks of the Seine around Notre-Dame for antique and second-hand books, comic strips, post cards and posters at great prices.

Saint Germain-des-Pres and the stately Church of St. Sulpice's beautiful Delacroix murals are a must-see this trip -- as is the St. Germain Church, the city's oldest church -- before heading down its enchanting streets, through the old squares and artists' studios that surround it. Don't forget to leave time to head up to the little village of Montmarte and the old cobbled streets where Renoir, Lautrec and van Gogh lived and worked; there are wonderful views of the city.

Home to more than 10 million people, the "City of Light" is majestic in its architecture and artistic heritage. More than a destination of pleasurable externals, bourgeois absolutes and just-baked baguettes (French law demands they bake them fresh thrice daily), Paris is great sightseeing, incredible shopping and leisure dining that always comes with desserts in the form of delicate trays of the finest chocolates and macaroons.

Paris is so much more than the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, Notre-Dame and the Louvre. This trip, stroll the Marais and shop along rue des Francs Bourgeois or walk under the arches of the oldest square in Paris, Place des Vosges. Take time to explore the Latin Quarter to see the church of St. Severin, the Sorbonne and rue Mouffetard -- not just because it's where Joyce, Orwell, Balzac and Hemmingway once lived, but also for the rows and rows of fresh food glistening like bouquets of colourful gems under the street market's faded French-blue-striped awnings. Stop by the bookseller's stalls along the banks of the Seine around Notre-Dame for antique and second-hand books, comic strips, post cards and posters at great prices.

Saint Germain-des-Pres and the stately Church of St. Sulpice's beautiful Delacroix murals are a must-see this trip -- as is the St. Germain Church, the city's oldest church -- before heading down its enchanting streets, through the old squares and artists' studios that surround it. Don't forget to leave time to head up to the little village of Montmarte and the old cobbled streets where Renoir, Lautrec and van Gogh lived and worked; there are wonderful views of the city.