Make for Monet’s garden ...by boat
Now that travel restrictions are easing, we all want to get away – so don’t delay. Here is my pick of cruises for this year and next, with discounts and added perks.
Grab a 15% discount on Amadeus river cruises this year by booking before February 28.
A one-week round trip from Paris to Normandy on the Seine will take you to Rouen, Le Havre and Monet’s gorgeous garden at Giverny. You can also borrow one of the bikes on board for a spin along the banks.
Departing on April 20, fares start at €1,262pp (down from €1,485pp), including drinks with lunch and dinner (amadeusrivercruises.co.uk).
Couples booking now with Celebrity Cruises can save a whopping €865 and enjoy a free upgrade to a balcony cabin on a no-fly cruise from England to Spain, Portugal and France. Sailing on Celebrity Silhouette, you will get to explore Vigo, La Rochelle, Bilbao, La Coruna and Porto. The nine-night trip, departing on April 21, now costs from €1,560pp (was €1,992pp) and includes drinks, wifi and tips (celebritycruises.com).
Don’t miss out on the spectacular, once-in-a-decade Floriade International Horticultural Exhibition, spread over 163 acres in Holland. It is a must for keen gardeners, with 40 show gardens and pavilions, and has a Green Cities theme this year.
Arena River Cruises has laid on two garden-themed sailings on MS Arena, with expert lecturers on board. The four-night cruises, sailing from Amsterdam on May 21 and 25, cost from €835pp, including coach and ferry travel (arenarivercruises.co.uk).
Looking ahead to next year, give yourself the treat of 10 nights swanning around some of Italy’s less-visited gems.
A Jewels Of The Italian Riviera cruise, sailing right round Italy aboard the French small ship Le Lyrial, will take you to picture-perfect places from Nice to Venice. These include Portofino in Liguria, Porto Santo Stefano in Tuscany, the Amalfi Coast, Taormina in Sicily, Otranto on the tip of the heel of the boot, and Ancona and Ravenna on the Adriatic coast.
Departure is on May 29, 2023, and fares start at €4,541pp with the added perks of free flights and transfers when booked with Mundy Cruising (mundycruising.co.uk).