Where to travel in France

What other locations will you visit as part of the cruise?

Paris, La Roche Guyon, Vernon, Rouen, Normandy, Les Andelys, Le Pecq, Lyon, Vienne, Tournon, Arles, Avignon

Not sure how much time you're planning to spend, but I might be tempted to head toward Spain or Italy just for something different. You'd need to check connections from Avignon to see what is realistic. Or if you want to have some R&R after the cruise, stay closer in Marseille or Nice. Really depends on what you're interested in doing. Personally, I'd be exhausted after two weeks and would want to have at least a couple of down days to regroup.

Personally, I'd be exhausted after two weeks and would want to have at least a couple of down days to regroup.

That's a good option. One place close to Avignon (1 hour by auto) to spend a little time relaxing is Nyons. A wonderful town.

Our first river cruise was a Rhone cruise and one of my favorite sites on it was Roussillon. Small village a bit off the beaten track but lovely. Sort of a French Sedona.

If you haven't been to Paris before you might want to head back there for time on your own. Both our Rhone and a different Seine cruise had time in Paris but we still haven't seen all we want.

St Rémy-de-Provence is about 25 min from Avignon and it is one of my favorite towns in France. We stayed at Hotel du Soleil which I highly recommend. St Rémy is super charming, friendly, small, very walkable, with lots of fun stores, cafés, restaurants and their famous weekly outdoor market. Very easy to drive into and out of, and easy driving from there to visit lots of other towns/cities. Roussillon is wonderful but I’d rather stay in St Rémy, Roussillon is a bit remote, isolated and limited in amenities. I recommend getting a rental car in Avignon.

I agree with Susan about St. Remy. They have 2 outdoor markets weekly, on Wednesday and Saturday.

Another vote for St-Remy de Provence. There are many good sites within easy driving distance. The RS Provence book describes many.

You can easily reach Nice by train from Avignon. The seaside setting is great for some relaxation and recovery if you like, but there are several museums (including one Matisse, one Chagall, and one Roman Archaeological), the outdoor market at Liberation, and nearby towns and villages if you want to do a bit more exploring. Villefranche and Antibes (Picasso museum) by short train or boat rides, Saint-Paul de Vence, and even tun Monaco, just down the coast, for a quick visit.

We rented a house in Saint Remy and it was great, for the town as well as places nearby, with a car.

We stayed at Jardin de Bacchus in Tavel for a couple of days after our river cruise. We did cooking classes with Christine and also hired a tour guide to take us around various vineyards, as well as Pont du Gard. It was easy to catch a bus into Avignon as well.

Saint Rémy is a good choice, but probably not for more than 2-3 nights given that you will already have visited Arles and Avignon nearby.
If you are interested in Roman history and architecture, I would add Nîmes to the list of options: a great new museum, many historical sites in town, and Pont du Gard is nearby. It is also quick and easy to get back to Paris for your flight (<3 hours by train, but please do not attempt to do this the same day as a flight).