A classical "grand" tour of French treasures and outstanding beauty

Grand Tour of France

Normandy, Brittany, The Loire Valley, Dordogne, Cote D'Azur, The Ardeche & Paris. A classical "grand" tour of picturebook French treasures and outstanding beauty.

14 days from £1199

Holiday Highlights
• Honfleur, Mont St. Michel & St. Malo - seaside resorts for the Parisians
• Loire Valley - enchaning and impressive
• Oradour-sur-Glane & Limoges - village of remembrance and "porcelain" town
• Rocamadour - spectacular Dordogne town
• Carcassonne - majestic fortified town
• Bormes les Mimosas - pretty floral village
• Ardeche - beautiful scenery
• Paris - "city of lights"

Your holiday at a glance
Day 1 Local departure by coach then onwards to the Rouen area for an overnight stay.
Day 2 Honfleur, Mont St, Michel and St. Malo. Overnight stay in St. Malo area. B,D
Day 3 To Tours for two nights. B,D
Day 4 Loire Valley excursion seeing the châteaux of Azay-le-Rideau and Chenonceau. B,D
Day 5 Oradour-sur-Glane and Limoges en route to Rocamadour for two nights. B,D
Day 6 Rocamadour and the Dordogne. B,D
Day 7 To Carcassonne area for an overnight stay. B,D
Day 8 Morning in Carcassonne, then via Béziers and the Grotte de Clamouse to Aix-en-Provence for three nights. B,D
Day 9 Bormes Les Mimoses, Fréjus and St. Raphael. B,D
Day 10 The Gorges du Verdon. B,D
Day 11 Ardèche Tour en route to Valence area for overnight. B,D
Day 12 North to the Paris area for a two night stay. B
Day 13 Paris. B
Day 14 To Calais, then return home. B
Included Meals:B=Breakfast, D =Dinner

Excursions and visits
Honfleir, Mont St. Michel and St. Malo (included). A day exploring the beautiful Normandy coastline, Hornfleur with its 17th century Old Dock, the Vieux Bassin, was always a favourite for artists and still is - have your camera at the ready. We continue south through Normandy to the picturesque island of Le Mont St. Michel with its impressive Abbey, then into Brittany to arrive in the fortified town of St. Malo, with its huge ramparts and city walls, which you can walk around. Explore the old centre, and the maze of streets, stepped in history, and perhaps try one of the famous "crepes".
Tours (included); Amboise (included); Winetasting in Vouvray (optional). We head for the Loire Valley where we spend two nights in Tours, a smart ‘bourgeois’ town with an appealing centre, and at one time capital of France. Enjoy an included visit to Amboise, then why not join our optional winetasting in Vouvray, home of some fine wine and sparkling wines (Chateau entrance fees are at extra cost). 
Loire Valley (included). Enjoy a full-day excursion exploring the lovely countryside and seeing the imposing châteaux of the Loire Valley. We begin at the leafy village of Azay-le-Rideau with its small, but incredibly beautiful château, which some claim was used as a model for Sleeping Beauty’s Castle. Then to the huge, beguiling edifice of Chenonceau, which spans the River Cher. Please note that the reasonable entrance charges to the châteaux are at extra cost.
Oradour-sur-Glane and Limoges (included). A day of complete contrasts as we visit the remembrance village of Oradour-sur-Glane, scene of an insane massacre of the villagers by the German SS in 1944. The village has been left exactly as it was during the war. We also visit the porcelain town of Limoges. 
Rocamadour and the Dordogne (included). We spend a morning at leisure in Rocamadour, the important pilgrimage site, perched high on a limestone cliff overlooking the gorge of the River Alzou in the heart of the Dordogne. We also visit the wineproducing town of Cahors.
Carcassonne, Béziers and the Grotte de Clamouse (included). Enjoy a morning at leisure exploring the majestic fortified city of Carcassonne. You can enjoy splendid views of the surrounding countryside and new town from the walls of the old city. We will later call at the medieval town of Béziers, where the Canal du Midi crosses the river by means of an aqueduct. We then continue to the famous Grotte de Clamouse (included), where we tour the cave and see the famous calcite and aragonite formations. 
Bormes les Mimoses, Fréjus and St. Raphael (included). To the coast and the Côte d’Azur. Bormes les Mimoses is known as the most florally decorated village in France. The old houses are covered with pink tiles, the streets are lined with flowers and the medieval village is a delight. Then to Fréjus and St. Raphael, two striking riviera resorts, both with charming old centres, fine beaches and home to the rich and famous – indeed St. Raphael is one of the richest towns on the Côte d’Azur.
Gorges du Verdon (optional). Spend a day in Aix-en-Provence or perhaps our optional tour to one of the most impressive natural sights in Europe might tempt you. This dramatic gorge, created over millions of years, is a sight not to miss as the pretty River Verdon flows through this precipitous valley. This spectacular natural canyon divides the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, and the Var. We enjoy a scenic drive through part of the gorge, stopping to admire the breathtaking views.
Ardèche Tour (included). On our way north to Valence area we explore a region of France which boasts incomparable delights. Wild, rugged yet intensely beautiful scenery abounds in the Ardèche and we will see quaint villages clinging to the hillsides, as well as the famous Gorges de l’Ardèche. Steep cliffs carved after millions of years of erosion are stunning as is the Pont d’Arc, a natural limestone bridge over the river created by the elements.
Paris (included); Guided Sightseeing (optional); River Seine Cruise (optional). Enjoy a full day in the "city of lights". Join our optional guided sightseeing tour, seeing many of the sights, including the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Champs Elysees, Place de la Concorde and Notre Dame Cathedral. For a different view of the city, there's an optional hour-long River Seine cruise, complete with English commentary, that drifts past elegant buildings beneath historic buildings.

Your hotels
You’ll stay for one night at a 3-star hotel in Rouen, followed by one night in the St. Malo area. In Tours, we stay at the 3-star Novotel Tours Sud for two nights, followed by two nights at the 2-star Hotel Lion d’Or in Rocamadour, or similar. You will then spend one night at a 2-star hotel in the Carcassonne area, and three nights at the 3-star Novotel Beaumanoir in Aix-en-Provence, or similar.

Overnight stays in central France and in the Paris area will be in city-style hotels.

What’s included?
• Travel by Silver Service luxury coach
• FREE local joining points
• 13 nights' accommodation with breakfast & 10 evening meals
• Excursions and visits as described in the itinerary
• Extra legroom for your added comfort
• Porterage at all your hotels

Prices are per person, based on two sharing.
Extras • Optional excursions