We had to be up fairly early for our trip back, getting a taxi at 6:30 to the Lyon train station and then the RhoneExpress train directly to the airport.
This is the unpleasant part of travel. From the train station to the terminal was about a 20 minute walk. British Airlines sent me an e-mail saying we should get to the airport early. When we got there at 7:45, no agents were at the gate and a long line was forming. The agents didn't show up until 8am and it was almost an hour after we got there that we finally finished checking in. Then security at the Lyon airport where I had to be patted down because the security machine thought there was something on my leg. Then more passport checks.
Then the 1 1/2 hour British Airlines flight to Heathrow. The only thing complementary on the flight was a glass of water that wasn't available until the "for purchase" cart finished serving everyone.
At Heathrow, we had to go through security again, another pat down, more detailed this time and then in another line to have our passports checked again. Fortunately, we are able to use the American Airlines lounge which is very comfortable and where we could get a meal and drinks - but no more wine for me! Wine flowed continuously during lunch and dinner on our cruise.
We got to JFK at 5pm, half an hour early. Using the "Mobile Passport" app, we got through immigration in less than 2 minutes while hundreds of people were waiting in a herd to get through. I absolutely recommend this app if you are traveling internationally. You just need to take a photo of your passport, a "selfie" of your face, and answer some questions. The customs process seems to have changed as there was no additional check after getting our luggage. Maybe this is part of the immigration process now.
We were in our car at the off-airport valet parking by an hour after arriving at JFK. The traffic getting out was very heavy as it was rush hour but it wasn't as terrible as it can be. Fortunately, the rain didn't start until we were on I684 by Armonk. It rained off and on fairly hard most of the way home. We got home at 9pm, so just 3 hours. We usually try to avoid JFK but sometimes it can't be helped.
Overall, our trip was wonderful. We didn't have any rain the entire time and the only weather problem was the wind which for a couple days was 40-60mph. We were able to enjoy visiting quite a few historic and interesting sites along the river. For the most part, the tour guides were exceptional, very well versed on what they were showing. It was fun to swim in the river under the Roman Pont du Gard aqueduct.
The service and food on the Viking Heimdal was excellent. After the first few days, a camaraderie develops with the staff we got to know. Most of the staff is from Eastern Europe (Romania, Bulgaria), speaking excellent English and are very friendly. We also met several couples that were enjoyable to share meals with regularly. Most of our companions were professionals (teachers, lawyers, businessmen) who were retired or close to retirement and had traveled fairly extensively. Half of the people on the cruise had been on previous Viking cruises.
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