Boutique chic


Michelin-starred dining and suites that rival top-end hotels set the tone for the new Viva Boutique brand, writes Jeannine Williamson


DESTINATIONS SEINE | CRUISE


a


Exploring Paris in a vintage Citroen 2CV


travelweekly.co.uk 9 JULY 2026 35


s our bright red Citroen 2CV rattled past the Eiffel Tower, something unexpected


happened. Instead of photographing Paris’s most famous landmark, the tourists lining the streets turned their backs on it to snap pictures of us. With the roof folded back on the head-turning vintage car, I suppose we did make quite a novel sight. It was a fitting reminder during a week spent exploring France with Viva Boutique, the new premium river cruise brand from Viva Cruises, that you can always discover even the most familiar places in a different way. The two-hour excursion, available


through Viva’s partnership with a local operator, offers a charmingly fresh perspective on the city. With the heady scent of blooms spilling from the flower shops, we climbed the narrow streets in the bohemian artists’ quarter of Montmartre. And swaying gently from side to side as we circled the Arc de Triomphe and motored through streets many cruise visitors never reach, our guide Nico handled the famously soft suspension of the quirky French car with practised ease.


²


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48