La France

2012 Season
Departs From: Paris

From 2,200EUR

Length:  15 days from Paris to Paris, or 16 days incl. travel

Overview

This is the ideal vacation to explore all of France. Enjoy 2-night stays in Paris, Bordeaux, and Nice. Start with a welcome dinner at a local restaurant in Paris, and visit Notre Dame Cathedral and the Eiffel Tower. Next, continue to Normandy and stop in the seaside resorts of picturesque Honfleur and elegant Deauville, before arriving in Bayeux to admire Queen Matilda’s tapestry. Continue via the landing beaches to Mont St. Michel, where you’ll visit the Abbey, and to St. Malo, where a special dinner at a local restaurant awaits you. A scenic drive through Brittany brings you to the Loire Valley to visit Catherine de Medici’s Castle, lovely Chenonceau. Enter the Bordeaux area and taste its wine in St. Emilion. Other highlights are the ancient fishing village of Biarritz; Lourdes, where you will visit St. Bernadette’s Grotto and have a chance to join a memorable rosary and candlelight procession; medieval Carcassonne; the Pont du Gard Roman Aqueduct; and Avignon. Before going north, enjoy a full day at leisure in Nice at the French Riviera with the possibility to go to nearby Monte Carlo. Travel to Grenoble and Lyon, France’s second-largest city. Stay in Dijon, one of the prettiest cities in Burgundy, then travel with the high-speed TGV train back to Paris.

Duration:  15 Days

Schedule:

Start Date	End Date
02 June, 2012	16 June, 2012
16 June, 2012	30 June, 2012
30 June, 2012	14 July, 2012
07 July, 2012	21 July, 2012
14 July, 2012	28 July, 2012
21 July, 2012	04 August, 2012
18 August, 2012	01 September, 2012
01 September, 2012	15 September, 2012
08 September, 2012	22 September, 2012
22 September, 2012	06 October, 2012
29 September, 2012	13 October, 2012
06 October, 2012	20 October, 2012
13 October, 2012	27 October, 2012

City Highlights

Paris
Welcome dinner at a local restaurant; guided sightseeing, visit Notre Dame Cathedral, ascend the Eiffel Tower

Honfleur & Deauville

Bayeux
Visit Queen Matilda’s tapestry in the Tapestry Museum

Normandy Beaches

Mont St. Michel
Guided visit of the abbey

St. Malo
Dinner at a local restaurant

Loire Valley
Visit Chenonceau Castle

Bordeaux
Walking tour, dinner at local restaurant

St. Emilion
Wine tasting

Biarritz
Visit the seaside resort

Lourdes
Visit St. Bernadette’s grotto

Carcassonne
Walk on the ancient battlements

Pont Du Gard
Take pictures of the Roman Aqueduct

Avignon
Walking tour, take pictures of the Palace of the Popes and Pont d’Avignon

Nice
Walking tour of the Old Town

Grasse
Visit a perfume factory

Lyon
Orientation including Fourvière Hill

Dijon
Orientation

Dijon–Paris
By high-speed TGV train (first-class)

Headsets throughout the tour

Note:

In the rare event that the TGV train is unavailable, alternative services will be provided.

Day 1   Arrive in Paris, France. The day is free to rest or to start exploring the splendid French capital. At 6 pm, meet your Tour Director and traveling companions and leave the hotel for a welcome dinner with wine at one of Paris’ lively restaurants. After dinner you may wish to join an optional outing to get a first impression of the “City of Light.” (D)

Day 2   Paris. Sightseeing with a Local Guide features the Arc de Triomphe, Opéra, Madeleine, Louvre, and Champs-Elysées. Visit magnificent NOTRE DAME CATHEDRAL and for a panoramic view, take the elevator to the second floor of the EIFFEL TOWER. Balance of the day at leisure. An optional afternoon excursion to the Palace of Versailles and evening excursions are available. (B)

Day 3   Paris–Honfleur–Deauville–Bayeux. A pleasant drive through the rural area west of Paris takes you to picturesque Honfleur and the elegant resort of Deauville on the coast. Time to explore both towns before heading to Bayeux, where you can admire QUEEN MATILDA’S TAPESTRY, depicting in extraordinary detail William the Conqueror’s conquest of England. (B,D)

Day 4   Bayeux–Normandy Beaches–Mont St. Michel–St. Malo. Drive by the Normandy Beaches and arrive at the famous ABBEY OF MONT ST. MICHEL, perched on a rocky isle in the Gulf of Saint Malo. Overnight in St. Malo. This evening, enjoy dinner at a local restaurant. (B,D)

Day 5   St. Malo–Loire Valley. Ride through Brittany before arriving in the Loire Valley for your overnight stay. (B)

Day 6   Loire Valley–Chenonceau Castle–Bordeaux. First stop this morning is a visit to the 16th-century castle of Catherine de Medici, lovely CHENONCEAU. Continue to Bordeaux, and join your Tour Director for a walking tour through this pretty city. (B,D)

Day 7   Bordeaux. Excursion to St. Emilion. Morning at leisure or join an optional excursion to Arcachon. Situated at the southern entrance of the Atlantic Ocean, Arcachon Bay is crowned by Europe’s largest sand dune, the Dune de Pyla. This afternoon, join your Tour Director and visit St. Emilion, world famous for its wines. Enjoy a WINE TASTING and tonight, savor a dinner at a local restaurant. (B,D)

Day 8   Bordeaux–Biarritz–Lourdes. Visit Biarritz, an ancient fishing village turned trendy seaside resort on your way to Lourdes, one of the world’s most famous places of pilgrimage. Visit the GROTTO where the Virgin Mary appeared to St. Bernadette in 1858. You can join this evening’s memorable rosary and candlelight procession. (B,D)

Day 9   Lourdes–Carcassonne–Nîmes. From Lourdes to the beautifully preserved, medieval, walled town of Carcassonne for a leisurely walk on the ancient BATTLEMENTS and time to explore the town on your own. Overnight in Nîmes. (B,D)

Day 10   Nîmes–Pont du Gard–Avignon–Nice. Motor through the splendid vineyards of Languedoc-Roussillon. At Pont du Gard, admire the Roman Aqueduct, a monumental feat of engineering completed in the year 19 BC. Stop in Avignon for pictures of the magnificent Palace of the Popes and the bridge of the popular song. Arrive in Nice, the sophisticated “Queen of the Riviera.” Later, why not join an exciting optional outing to Monte Carlo? (B)

Day 11   At Leisure in Nice. Enjoy this enchanting resort on the Côte d’Azur at your own pace. Browse through the elegant shops or stroll along the Promenade des Anglais. Join your Tour Director for a walk through the OLD TOWN and its colorful flower market, and you may wish to join an optional excursion to the famous artist town of St. Paul de Vence. (B)

Day 12   Nice–Grasse–Grenoble. This morning, stop in Grasse to visit a PERFUME FACTORY. Next, a scenic drive along the famous Route Napoleon through the French Alps past medieval towns to Grenoble. (B,D)

Day 13   Grenoble–Lyon–Dijon. Your orientation of Lyon includes a panoramic view from FOURVIÈRE HILL with its basilica to enjoy a breathtaking panorama of the city and its Roman ruins. Then, drive north into Burgundy, where road signs read like the wine list of an expensive restaurant, to Dijon, which was the capital of Burgundy from the 11th to the 15th centuries. During your orientation, hear about the various dukes who ruled over the area, then have the rest of the afternoon to browse the shops and enjoy this charming city. (B,D)

Day 14   Dijon–Paris. Enjoy a ride on the high-speed TGV TRAIN to Paris. In the afternoon, an optional excursion to the Louvre Museum is available, as well as exciting possibilities for an unforgettable night out on the town! (B)

Day 15   Paris. Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning. (B)

Meals:  Full buffet breakfast daily (B); 9 three-course dinners with wine (D), including a special welcome dinner in Paris and a special dinner in Bordeaux

Hotel Information:  PARIS Le Méridien Etoile (SF), BAYEUX Novotel (F), ST. MALO Océania (F), LOIRE VALLEY Clarion Château Belmont (F) at Tours, BORDEAUX Mercure Château Chartrons (F), LOURDES Grand Hotel Gallia & Londres (F), NÎMES Imperator Concorde (F), NICE Boscolo Park (F), GRENOBLE Grand Hotel Mercure Grenoble Président (F), DIJON Mercure Clémenceau (F), PARIS Pullman Paris Bercy (SF)


Terms and Conditions

Note: Flights are NOT included with the Tour and unless otherwise stated above transfers are also NOT included.

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