The Best of France
14 Days
Featuring: Paris, The Riviera, Lourdes, Celebrated Vineyards,
The Dordogne, Loire Valley, Giverny and more, including the Invasion
Beaches of Normandy
Day 1 Depart
USA Overnight flight to Paris.
Day 2 Arrive Paris You are met on
arrival in fun-filled Paris and transferred to your hotel. After
check-in you are free to explore this beautiful city or just relax.
Tonight, enjoy a welcome drink with your Tour Director and meet
your fellow travellers.
Day 3 Paris - Beaune - Lyon We drive
southwards today into Burgundy wine country via its capital, Dijon.
Past the Côte d'Or vineyards of Gevrey-Chambertin and Nuits-St.
Georges to the medieval town of Beaune. Here we sample some of
the regional wines in one of the local wine cellars before we
head to Lyon. This evening, we enjoy a dinner of Lyonnaise specialities
in a local restaurant. (Buffet breakfast/ Restaurant dinner in
Lyon)
Day 4 Lyon - Avignon - Nice (2nights)
- Monte Carlo Excursion Today's scenic drive to Avignon seeing
the Papal Palace and famous bridge. On through the Provence of
Van Gogh and Cézanne to the French Riviera and Nice. Later, enjoy
French cuisine in a local restaurant and a taste of the high life
on a visit to the Principality of Monaco, to see the famous Monte
Carlo casinos! (Buffet breakfast/ Restaurant dinner on the French
Riviera)
Day 5 Nice at leisure After breakfast
you'll have a full day at leisure to enjoy the relaxed atmosphere
of the Côte d'Azur. Perhaps lounge on the beach, shop in the elegant
boutiques or maybe visit the hilltop town of St. Paul de Vence.
Tonight, why not dine in one of the many pleasant seaside restaurants?
(Buffet breakfast)
Day 6 Nice - Nîmes - Carcassonne
Today we drive through Cannes along this magnificent coast and
then through the Camargue to Nîmes. Here we see the Roman arena,
the Maison Carré and city gardens. Then on past Alaric's Mountain
to the walled city of Carcassonne. (Buffet breakfast/ Dinner)
Day 7 Carcassonne - Lourdes - Biarritz
This morning we enjoy an orientation of this magical city. Then
we wind our way through the Corbieres Hills and 'Cathar' landscapes
toward the Pyrenees and the pilgrimage site of Lourdes. Here we
see the Basilica on top of St. Bernadette's grotto en route to
Biarritz. There's time for a swim on the beach before we reach
our hotel. (Buffet breakfast/ Dinner)
Day 8 Biarritz - Bordeaux We leave
Biarritz and cross the country of Les Landes to the classical
town of Bordeaux. Here an orientation tour shows us the Esplanade
des Quinconces and the banks of the Gironde. Then time at leisure
to explore in the old quarter. (Buffet breakfast/ Dinner)
Day 9 Bordeaux - St. Emilion - Dordogne
Valley Our first stop is at St. Emilion, famous for its red
wines. Then through the Dordogne, we travel via Bergerac to see
the castle of Beynac, the fortress of Castelnaud and Josephine
Baker's Château of Les Milandes. Next via La Roque-Gageac, with
its quaint houses clinging to the Dordogne cliffs. From here we
continue via Les Eyzies, 'the cradle of pre-history' before arriving
in our 'Manor' style hotel in the Dordogne Valley. Tonight, we
will enjoy a gourment candlelit dinner. (Buffet breakfast/ Gourmet
dinner in the Dordogne Valley)
Day 10
Dordogne Valley - Limoges - Tours Our journey continues
to Limoges, where we'll see a demonstration of porcelain manufacture.
Then we stop to visit the beautiful fairy-tale Palace of Chenonceau
in the Loire Valley before reaching our hotel in Tours. Tonight,
why not take the opportunity of dining with the Troglodytes? (Buffet
breakfast)
Day 11 Tours - Mont St. Michel - Omaha
Beach (Bayeux) This morning we continue our journey into Brittany,
to visit the island-town of Mont St. Michel, with its picturesque
streets and abbey. From here we travel along the Liberty Highway
to St. Lô and the D-Day Landing Beaches. Then we make our way
to Bayeux where we visit the Bayeux Tapestry Museum with its scenes
of the Battle of Hastings in the preserved 900 year old embroidery.
Enjoy views of Bayeux' Magnificent Cathedral before we reach our
hotel for dinner an overnight stay. (Buffet breakfast/ Dinner)
Day 12 Omaha Beach (Bayeux) - Giverny
- Paris (2nights) This morning we set off towards the valley
of the river Seine to make a stop in Giverny to visit the house
and gardens of Claude Monet inspiration for his 'water lily' paintings.
(Buffet breakfast)
Day 13 Paris sightseeing & at leisure
Today's morning sightseeing with a local guide includes the ascent
of the Eiffel Tower to its second level for wonderful views over
the city. Other highlights include views of Notre Dame Cathedral,
the Arc de Triomphe and the Champs Elysées before we enjoy a visit
of Les Invalides with its golden dome...as part of the Army Museum,
its most important relic is the tomb of France's most influential
ruler, Napoleon Bonaparte. For the rest of the day you may choose
to stroll through the Luxembourg gardens, visit the Louvre or
relax over a "cafe au lait" in a sidewalk cafe? (Buffet
breakfast)
Day 14 Paris - USA It's 'au revoir
Paris' as we transfer to the airport for our return flight to
America. (Buffet breakfast)
2002