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Taste of France
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Summary
A week-long France holiday tour that manages to capture the essence of the decidedly fabulous French raison d'être? Mais oui! It took some doing, but we've managed to cram all of those must-see French destinations into one breath-taking week.
Join us as we stroll along the gorgeous boulevards of the City of Lights, indulge our inner gluttons on lingering lunches and wine tours, play princes and princesses in a few storybook castles, visit WWII remembrance sites and gaze in wonderment at all those glamorous postcard destinations that make you feel like reaching for a beret and a baguette. In between we give you plenty of time to break from the pack and build out your travel experience according to your own preferences on selected free days. Our guided vacation coach package is the perfect way to explore France in style. Allez, allez! Let's go!
Photos of the Tour
Why this Trip
- All tour dates are guaranteed to depart.
- No minimum numbers required.
- FREE Wi-Fi in hotels.
- Services of your Expat Explore tour leader.
- Only 10% deposit or minimum $110.00 required and no booking fees.
Itinerary PrintView full Itinerary here
DAY 1: Arrive in Paris
Bienvenue! Welcome to Paris for the start of your 7 day Taste of France tour! If you arrive early, take time to explore The City of Lights, stroll the historic boulevards, visit the many museums, shop in charming boutiques or simply people-watch from a Parisian cafe. This evening, you’ll meet your Expat Explore tour leader and fellow travellers at our included welcome dinner.
DAY 2: Paris - Burgundy - Lyon
Leaving Paris behind us, we make our way to the Burgundy region, where we’ll enjoy a wine tasting. If Paris is the place for romance, then Burgundy is the place for two other things France is well-known for: great food and fine wine. Famous ‘Burgundies’ (wines made in this region) include whites made from Chardonnay grapes, and dry reds made from the Pinot noir grape. We’ll then travel on to Lyon, where your tour leader will take you on an orientation tour. The city, itself a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is famous for its gastronomy, historical landmarks and picturesque riverside setting. This evening, you’ll have the opportunity to join your tour leader for an optional dinner, where you can try classic Lyonnais cuisine.
DAY 3: Chateau de Chaumont - Loire Valley
Our first stop today is at the incredible Chateau de Chaumont. Built in the 15th century, this stunning example of a renaissance French Chateau (castle) stands on a hill above the River Loire, and is known for its summertime garden festival. The ‘Festival des Jardins’ (International Garden Festival) has been held here since 1992, and features up to 30 themed gardens that paint a panoramic picture of landscape design from around the world. After having some time to explore the chateau and the extensive gardens, we’ll head to our accommodation in the Loire Valley, where we’ll enjoy an included dinner.
DAY 4: Loire Valley - Free day
Enjoy a free day to explore the Loire Valley! This fertile river valley in central France is covered in vineyards, hundreds of chateaux and quaint French villages. The valley is one enormous UNESCO World Heritage Site, testament to the centuries of history and architectural riches offered by this region, and the perfect way to experience these treasures is on the châteaux optional excursion. In addition to experiencing the stunning French countryside, the charming town of Amboise and a wine tasting, you will visit two of the finest châteaux in France; Château de Chenonceau and Château de Chambord.
DAY 5: Mont St Michel - Bayeux - Normandy
Our first stop is at magical Mont St Michel. An island commune located just off the coast, it is one of France's most recognisable landmarks, and is another French entry on the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites. After some time to explore the abbey and monastery we’ll travel on to Bayeux, a commune in north-western France. Bayeux is famous for the bayeux Tapestry, a large embroidered cloth more than 70 metres long which depicts the events leading up to the Norman conquest of England. You’ll have free time to see the tapestry in the Musée de la Tapisserie de Bayeux, or alternatively the Memorial Museum of the Battle of Normandy, which offers a great insight into WWII and the prominent role this region played during the Normandy Landings.
DAY 6: Normandy beaches - Paris
This morning we’ll explore ‘Omaha’ D-Day landing beach. It was here that the Allied forces landed in June 1944 during WWII, which eventually led to the liberation of France. You'll have time to explore the area and reflect on all that transpired here, as well as the opportunity to visit the Arromanches 360 cinema. This optional experience tells the story of the Battle of Normandy thanks to archive images gathered from around the world. We’ll then continue back to Paris where your tour leader will lead you on a driving tour of this famous city; you’ll see the must-see sights including The Eiffel Tower, The Champs-Élysées, Notre Dame, the Louvre and the Arc de Triomphe. To round off the last day of the tour we’ll enjoy a farewell dinner so you can say your goodbyes and share your memories of the last week with your fellow travellers and tour leader.
DAY 7: End of tour
This morning, your Taste of France tour concludes after breakfast. Don’t forget to swap details with your fellow travellers before your onward journey home!
What's Included
- 6 nights' accommodation in twin rooms with private en-suite facilities. Single travellers have the option to pay a single supplement to ensure a private room.
- Services of your Expat tour leader, who will be on hand with advice and tips to ensure that you get the most from your trip. You can also book any of the optional excursions available during your tour with your tour leader – please see the 'Essential Information' tab for more details.
- 6 breakfasts, 3 dinners
- All taxes and fees
- Any public transport used as part of the tour (excludes free days)
- Modern air conditioned coach with reclining seats, TV for showing DVDs, and toilet.
- 8 Experiences (including guided walking tours, orientation walks, driving tours of cities plus other exciting experiences)
- Free Expat Explore tour souvenir – a memorable gift of your once in a lifetime trip.
Optional Excursions
Optional excursions are payable in cash currency to your tour leader whilst on tour.- Arromanches 360 Circular Cinema
- Cabaret Show
- Loire Valley châteaux day trip
- Three-course Lyonnais dinner
Return customers get 10% off!
If you have traveled with us before you qualify for a 10% rebate. To claim your rebate, simply type your previous Booking Number in the "Special Notes" box at the final Payment step of the checkout.
Save - without compromising on quality - by booking directly with the leading tour operator
How we make awesome trips affordable
- No intermediary: You book directly from the tour operator so you don't have to pay any travel agent.
- As a Europe leading bus tour operator we have 11 years of experience finding the best hotels for your budget and continuously optimizing our selection based on customer feedback.
- We book our hotels well in advance so we get great value rates that we can pass on to you!
- Thanks to the great number of people who travel with us each year, we can negotiate great deals that would be quite impossible for you to find on your own.
Detailed Info Pack
- Tour start & end points
- Pre-departure information
- Pre-tour accommodation
For more information on, starting points & times, emergency contact details, budgeting for your tour & much more you can download our information pack here.
Helpful Pre-Trip Info
Visa
Certain nationalities may require a visa(s) for this tour. Please see our visas page for more information. It is your responsibility to contact the relevant embassies to confirm your visa requirements. We can provide the support documentation upon request - please contact us.
On tour costs
Please refer to the tour itinerary above for full details of what activities are included, which meals are included and what is excluded. We would recommend budgeting €25-€40 per day (this excludes optional excursions).
Room Sharing
Please note, all rooms are twin bed as standard.
- Partners: When you book for more than one person, we will by default group you together in a room (unless you specifically request us not to). If you are unequal numbers (3, 5, 7 etc.) and we are unable to secure a triple room then the the remaining traveler will be roomed with another passenger of the same gender.
- Single Travelers: If you are travelling alone there is no compulsory charge - you will share a twin room with another passenger of the same gender. There is an optional single supplement/private room upgrade available for single travellers who wish to have a private room. This can be added at the time of booking or by contacting our customer services team. Please note that the room provided may be a single room with a single bed.
- Triple Room requests: We can generally provide a triple room on request; however it is not guaranteed to be available in every destination. Please contact our customer services team to request a triple room. Please note that in some hotels, the triple may be a double and a single bed, or the third bed may be a pull-out or bunk-bed. Where we cannot provide a triple room the rooming will consist of one twin room and the third passenger sharing with another single traveller of the same gender.
Free-time
In some destinations you will have a full free day, where you can choose to join our optional excursions or explore on your own.
Meeting Point
Your tour starts and finishes in Paris. Please have a look at our essential tour help page for detailed information.
Passport
This should be valid for at least six months after you have returned home from your trip. You should also have several blank pages as Visas and entry/exit stamps can take up a whole page.
