A Week Drifting Through France on the Seine with CroisiEurope

There are many ways to discover France. You can rush through it by train, tick cities off a list, or spend half your holiday dragging suitcases through métro stations.

Or… you can let France come to you.

That is exactly what happened during my latest river cruise aboard the MS Botticelli with CroisiEurope, sailing from Paris to La Roche-Guyon, Caudebec-en-Caux, Honfleur, Rouen and back to Paris along the Seine.

And honestly, what stayed with me most was not only the scenery. It was the feeling of being immersed in French life from morning to evening.

A French River Cruise… Truly French

This is where CroisiEurope stands apart.

CroisiEurope is a French company headquartered in Strasbourg. They know these waterways intimately. Not in a “tour operator reading from a script” kind of way, but in the way locals know a region: the little stories, the hidden corners, the rhythm of the villages, the markets, the traditions, and the atmosphere of each stop.

You feel it immediately onboard.

The crew is predominantly French, and there is something incredibly authentic about hearing French spoken naturally around you all day while sailing quietly through Normandy’s landscapes. The atmosphere never feels manufactured or overly polished. It feels real.

Even the excursions reflect that expertise. At several stopovers, guests had different excursion choices depending on their interests. Some wanted art and gardens, others history, others charming villages or coastal scenery. The program never felt generic.

You could tell these itineraries had been designed by people who genuinely know France “like the back of their hand.”

Conversations That Say Everything

One of my favourite things during this cruise was simply speaking with fellow passengers. I always like hearing what people really think once the “brochure effect” disappears. And the feedback was overwhelmingly positive. In fact, the only complaint I heard all week was: “Oh no… we’re eating too much.” Which, honestly, tells you a lot about travelling in France!

French Food Is Not a Side Detail Here

Meals onboard are not rushed affairs. This is France. Lunch and dinner become moments in themselves.

Expect proper table service, multi-course meals, beautifully presented plates, cheese, desserts, and French wines flowing generously throughout the cruise. Most lunches and dinners included 3 to 4 courses served à la carte, accompanied by a surprisingly generous wine selection: three whites, three rosés, and three reds, all French wines, of course!

And as anyone who has spent time in France knows, French people do not simply “eat.” They experience meals. Time stretches pleasantly between the entrée, the main course, the cheese, and dessert. Conversations continue. Nobody is checking their watch. Nobody is trying to finish quickly and move on to the next activity.

That slower rhythm became one of the things I enjoyed most about life onboard.

Rouen and Honfleur: Two Very Different Faces of Normandy

Rouen was one of the stopover on our itinerary. There is something incredibly atmospheric about this city. Between its half-timbered houses, narrow cobbled streets, and the imposing cathedral painted so many times by Monet, Rouen feels like stepping back into medieval France. Walking through the historic centre, you can still sense the story of Joan of Arc lingering in the background. It is lively, elegant, and deeply historical without ever feeling frozen in time.

Then comes Honfleur, which offers a completely different atmosphere. Smaller, softer, and so charming, the old harbour looks like a painting brought to life, with its colourful facades reflected in the water. It is easy to understand why the Impressionists loved this part of Normandy so much. Sitting at a café by the port with a glass of wine, watching the boats gently move with the tide, felt like one of those simple but perfect French moments you remember long after the trip ends.

Monet’s Garden: Different Every Single Time

One of the highlights of the journey was visiting Claude Monet’s Garden at Giverny. I have been there before, and what amazes me is how different it feels every single time. This time, it was all about the tulips. They were absolutely magnificent: vibrant colours everywhere, reflections dancing on the water, and that soft spring atmosphere that makes you understand why Monet painted here obsessively for years. Some places are famous for a reason. Giverny is one of them.

Veules-les-Roses: A Village Straight Out of a Postcard

Another memorable discovery was Veules-les-Roses, officially listed among the Plus Beaux Villages de France. Tiny lanes, half-timbered houses, flower-covered facades, little streams crossing the village… it almost does not feel real.

This is the kind of stop many travellers would never discover on their own, and exactly why I appreciate river cruising on smaller French waterways. You access places that large ocean cruises simply cannot reach.

Meanwhile, some fellow travellers chose a completely different excursion that day and visited the Normandy landings beaches — another example of the variety CroisiEurope offers depending on your interests.

France at Water Level

There is also something special about seeing France from the river itself. Church towers appearing slowly in the distance. Morning mist over the Seine. Small villages waking up quietly. People cycling along the riverbanks. The gentle arrival into ports instead of chaotic transfers and airports. The journey becomes part of the experience instead of simply the space between destinations. And perhaps that is why this cruise stayed with me. It did not feel like “doing France.” It felt like living inside it for a few days.

Talk to our team at France Travel Solutions about your dream cruise in France, we would love to help you find the perfect journey.

Browse our website to discover our wide selection of cruises across the French waterways and let us help you plan your perfect journey through France.