Itinerary

Day 1:
Thu. BOARD YOUR OVERNIGHT TRANSATLANTIC FLIGHT.

Day 2:
Fri. ARRIVAL IN PARIS, FRANCE. Check into your hotel. The rest of the day is free to explore the French capital. Tonight, meet your Tour Director and fellow travelers.

Day 3:
Sat. PARIS One full day to explore the city that’s known throughout the world for its fashions, art and museums, delicious food, and joie de vivre. Included sightseeing with a local expert starts with an inside visit to Notre Dame Cathedral. Then many of the best-known Parisian sights: La Sorbonne, Arc de Triomphe, Opéra, Madeleine, the Eiffel Tower, the Pyramid near the Louvre, the Invalides, and Champs Elysées. Optional excursions are also available to the Palace and Gardens of Versailles. (B)

Day 4:
Sun. PARIS-GIVERNY-ROUEN-HONFLEUR-DEAUVILLE. Start the day with a visit to Giverny, home of painter Claude Monet. The famous water garden at Giverny was the inspiration behind some of Monet''s finest work (gardens open from April onwards). Continue to Rouen to visit its great cathedral. Next, enjoy a stop in lovely Honfleur and then continue to the seaside resort of Deauville for an overnight. (B,D)

Day 5:
Mon. DEAUVILLE-LANDING BEACHES-MONT ST. MICHEL. This morning visit the nearby legendary beaches of Normandy, where the Allied troops landed more than 60 years ago. The highlights are Arromanches and the American Cemetery at Omaha. Next to Bayeux, famed for its lace-making and the worldrenowned Bayeux Tapestry (included visit). Then southwards to the unique beauty of Mont St. Michel, which stands on an island reached by a causeway. (B)

Day 6:
Tue. MONT ST. MICHEL-ST. MALO-RENNES-TOURS. Time to enjoy Mont St. Michel before driving along the coast to the fortified seaside resort of St. Malo to admire its cathedral and ancient walls. Continue to Rennes with its traditional colourful timber-framed houses. Later, reach Tours, also known as "le jardin de France" for two overnights. (B)

Day 7:
Wed. CHÂTEAUX COUNTRY. A whole day to take advantage of the optional program of excursions: visit the Château of Cheverny, still inhabited by the family of Marquis de Vibraze; the huge Castle of Chambord built in 1519 by Francis I; view Château Menars; admire the beauty of the great Châteaux of Chenonceaux and Amboise. (B,D)

Day 8:
Thu. TOURS-CHARTRES-PARIS. Drive to Orléans for a short stop to take your picture of the statue of Joan of Arc. Next is the highlight of the day—a visit to Chartres to admire the famous gothic cathedral. Reach Paris well in time to enjoy the optional cabaret show. (B)

Day 9:
Fri. YOUR HOMEBOUND FLIGHT ARRIVES THE SAME DAY. (B)

Dates & Prices

Visits to Giverny, Rouen, Honfleur, Deauville, Landing Beaches and American Cemetery, Bayeux and its Tapestry, Mont St. Michel, St. Malo, Rennes, Tours, Orléans, Chartres
 

Itinerary

Day 1:
Mon. BOARD YOUR OVERNIGHT TRANSATLANTIC FLIGHT.

Day 2:
Tue. ARRIVAL IN PARIS, FRANCE. Check into your hotel. Tonight, meet your Tour Director and fellow travelers.

Day 3:
Wed. PARIS-ROUEN-CAEN. Drive first to the fine old city of Rouen to see its cathedral. Next, a stop in lovely Honfleur and then a second stop in the world-famous seaside resort of Deauville. Overnight in Caen. (B,D)

Day 4:
Thu. CAEN-NORMANDY LANDING BEACHES-MONT ST. MICHEL. Time to see Caen before a visit to the legendary beaches where the Allied troops landed more than 60 years ago. The highlights are Arromanches, St. Laurant, and the American Cemetery at Omaha. Next, journey to Bayeux, where the famous tapestry is located (entrance fee extra). Then southwards to the unique beauty of Mont St. Michel, which stands on an island reached by a causeway, for an overnight. (B)

Day 5:
Fri. MONT ST. MICHEL-ANGERS-TOURS. Time this morning to enjoy a visit of Mont St. Michel before a mid-morning departure to Angers to visit its cathedral. Then along the banks of the Loire to Tours for two overnights. A chance this evening to join an optional dinner at a typical local restaurant. (B)

Day 6:
Sat. CHÂTEAUX COUNTRY. Time at leisure or join the optional excursion to see some of the most spectacular castles of the Loire, steeped in the history of noblemen and kings since the 11th century. Gothic spires, medieval turrets, great fortresses, and beautiful châteaux make for splendid panoramas. (B,D)

Day 7:
Sun. TOURS-POITIERS-LA ROCHELLE-BORDEAUX. Travel on the comfortable Autoroute L’Aquitaine as far as Poitiers. Next stop is the picturesque town of La Rochelle, situated on the Atlantic Coast. Continue westwards into the world-famous Cognac region to visit a museum in Cognac. Then journey to Bordeaux for an overnight. (B,D)

Day 8:
Mon. BORDEAUX-DORDOGNE-ROCAMADOUR-TOULOUSE. Time for an orientation tour in Bordeaux, then drive into the heart of one of France’s most scenic regions, the Dordogne. Stop in the dramatically located medieval town of Rocamadour perched high upon a cliff. Southwards by way of Cahors to Toulouse for an overnight. (B)

Day 9:
Tue. TOULOUSE-AVIGNON. Drive this morning along the Autoroute des Deux Mers for an orientation drive in Carcassonne. Then continue westwards to Nîmes, an elegant city famed for its busy boulevards shaded by lotus trees. Get a view of the Maison Carrée, one of the best-preserved Roman temples in the whole of France. Overnight in nearby Avignon. (B,D)

Day 10:
Wed. AVIGNON-ARLES-AIX-EN-PROVENCE-FRENCH RIVIERA. South this morning to visit the Roman amphitheater in Arles, the most famous of all the Provence towns, known the world over by the paintings of Van Gogh. Stop in Aix-en-Provence to see its main street, the Cours Mirabeau, lined with plane trees and its 17th-century palace, houses, and fountains. Finally, to the French Riviera on the shores of the Mediterranean. Don’t miss the optional evening excursion. (B)

Day 11:
Thu. FRENCH RIVIERA. Take the opportunity today to enjoy all the amenities of the French Riviera. (B)

Day 12:
Fri. FRENCH RIVIERA-GRASSE-LYON. First to Grasse for a visit to a perfume workshop. See more of Provence and follow one of France’s great panoramic routes, the one Napoleon took on his return from Elba in 1815. From Grenoble join the expressway to Lyon, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. (B,D)

Day 13:
Sat. LYON-PARIS. Make a first stop this morning in Beaune, famed for its medieval hospital and its Bourgogne wine. Here enjoy some wine tasting. In the afternoon continue by motorway and reach Paris well in time to enjoy the optional cabaret show. (B)

Day 14:
Sun. PARIS. Included sightseeing with a local expert starts with an inside visit to Notre Dame Cathedral. Then, many of the best-known Parisian sights: La Sorbonne, Arc de Triomphe, Opéra, Madeleine, the Eiffel Tower, the Pyramid near the Louvre, the Invalides, and Champs Elysées. Optional excursions are also available to the Palace and Gardens of Versailles and, to celebrate the success of your tour, a French farewell dinner might be just the ticket. (B)

Day 15:
Mon. YOUR HOMEBOUND FLIGHT ARRIVES THE SAME DAY. (B)

Dates & Prices

Visits to Rouen, Honfleur, Deauville, Caen, Normandy Landing Beaches, Bayeux, Mont St. Michel, Angers, Tours, La Rochelle, Cognac museum, Bordeaux, Rocamadour, Carcassonne, Nîmes, Avignon, Arles, Aix en Provence, French Riviera, Beaune, Lyon