Doing something unique in each port helps us differentiate one port from another, and what most who cruise the Rhone River with Viking will remember about Tournon is the train ride through the Ardèche Valley.
Before taking buses to the rail line, we had a quick tour of Tournon, which Viking Daily calls "one of the most attractive cities on the Rhone."
The same edition of that onboard morning newspaper goes on to say "Tournon lies secluded between the river and the vineyard - blanketed granite slopes that nurture fine vintages. An ancient castle, built snugly into a rock, overlooks the riverside setting. A settlement has perched on this hill since Celtic times, but the stunning views from its overlook have never changed. The name of its neighboring wine-producing region, Tain-l'Hermitage, comes from the hermit who planted wines here after returning from the Crusades and invited travelers to drink wine with him Today, his wines are awash in sunshine and produce a port-like wine and some stellar whites."
Viking only devoted a half day to Tournon, possibly to allow time for the morning tour in Viviers or the leisurely afternoon cruise the prior day. In any case, we had to choose between the memorable train ride or the optional "Rhone Valley Vineyard Hike" with scenic hilltop vistas plus sampling fine wine.
The Ardèche Valley historic train ride was included at no additional cost while the winery tour had a price tag, so for us the choice seemed obvious.
We had made the decision at the time we booked this cruise to simply go with whatever was included as standard by Viking, which is what many people splurging for such a trip probably expect to do. Every time we cruise, part of me is the observer on behalf of my clients taking a similar cruise in the future and being able to compare offerings.
We wanted to keep our planning simple, going with the included excursions, air and transfers. In addition, we knew we would be going to a different winery later in the trip. Spoiler alert: we had a very satisfying experience without spending for extras beyond the special that Viking offered.
It also means that anyone who takes this cruise can return and pay for the the alternative excursions next time, adding new experiences to the wonderful onboard experience you can expect to consistently receive from Viking, whether on rivers or at sea.
I haven't been on the White Pass & Yukon Route in Skagway, Alaska, but I would surmise this is a similar type of experience, in this case riding through the French countryside with lovely views of a river that runs next to it. For Julie and me, the most similar experience from our travel history was Kuranda Scenic Railway in Queensland, Australia, which was a hard act to follow.
The most unique part of this relaxing ride is when the train reaches the midpoint, Saint-Barthelemy-Le-Plain. Two men manually rotate the locomotive by pushing it on a sort of huge Lazy Susan section of track to reverse the direction it will point for the return trip back to Tournon.
We learned that the locomotive steam engine used in the design was by Marc Seguin, something of an engineering superstar of this region in the 19th century. As with most of his inventions, the multi-tubular steam-engine boiler, which is still used to power this historic train, was an improvement on a previous design.
Similarly, he designed the first European cable suspension bridge, not unsimilar to California's Golden Gate Bridge. It improved on a prior chain design. We walked a bit on his beautiful bridge over the Rhone that was unveiled in 1825 on our morning tour through what is indeed a lovely village, from what we saw.
While we were on the train ride, the ship cruised to Andance, which allowed for a third morning possibility of just cruising between ports. We re-boarded there and after another delicious lunch enjoyed afternoon scenic cruising to our afternoon port, Vienne.
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