French Provincials ®

Normandy, Brittany and the Loire - fine private touring

Day 1, Paris * Giverny * Rouen
A morning greeting and departure for Giverny, Monet’s exquisite home and gardens. Continue to medieval Rouen to explore the bustling pedestrian zone with half-timbered houses, before driving into the idyllic Normandy countryside for two nights at Chateau La Thillaye .

Day 2, The Auge Region
Enjoy some truly scenic routes through the Auge country, known for its famous cheeses and cider. Visit towns such as Camembert, Pont l’Eveque and at Vimoutiers, tour the Camembert Museum & see how Calvados, the strong ‘apple liqueur’ is produced. (B)

Day 3, Rouen to Bayeux
Along the coast with the resort towns of Deauville, Trouville & Cabourg, to historic Caen, to visit the Peace Memorial, before reaching Bayeux for three nights at Chateau de Sully . (B)

Day 4, Landing Beaches
A full day devoted to places associated with the Liberation of Europe and the historic Normandy Landings: Arromanches, Omaha Beach, the moving American Cemetery, Utah Beach, Pointe du Hoc and Ste-Mere-l’Eglise . (B)

Day 5, Bayeux & Beyond
A day for medieval Bayeux, first city to be liberated with the world-famous Tapestry Museum, and half-timbered houses, miraculously spared destruction, and for a visit to the Chateau de Balleroy . (B)

Day 6, Bayeux to Dinard
On to Villedieu les Poeles, charming village known for its copper and pewter ware, before reaching Avranches, to get a first glimpse of the Mont-St-Michel, deservedly called “The Marvel”. Explore the steep winding streets of the Mount & visit its Abbey. Culinary delights await here or in Cancale, oyster capital, with some of the best seafood. On to Dinard, a Victorian-era resort town, for two nights at Villa Reine Hortense . (B)

Day 7, Dinan & the Emerald Coast
View Dinard’s elegant villas with Mediterranean style gardens, or explore medieval Dinan, with the small train that winds its way through the narrow medieval lanes, lined with half-timbered houses & flowering window-boxes. Enjoy superb vistas along the scenic Emerald Coast . (B)

Day 8, Dinard to the Loire Valley
Along the byways to Angers, to view the splendid tapestries within its Chateau, and to Saumur, renowned for its wines and unusual architecture, before reaching Le Choiseul, near Amboise for three nights.(B)

Day 9 & 10, The Loire Valley's Towns & Chateaux
Two full days to discover this superb region. Visit Blois and its extraordinary Renaissance Chateau. Tour Chambord, the largest chateau, bristling with hundreds of chimneys, and Cours Cheverny, a lived-in chateau, with links to American history. Take the wine roads around Montrichard to Chenonceau Chateau, the most romantic of Loire Valley castles, and savor the idyllic setting of Azay-le-Rideau. Visit the manor house of Clos Luce, where Leonardo da Vinci lived, filled with his working inventions. Enjoy the exquisite gardens of Villandry, and stroll in medieval Chinon. Tour the vast Fontevraud Abbey , where the Plantagenet kings & Richard-the-Lion-Hearted are entombed. (B daily)

Day 11, The Loire Valley to Paris After breakfast off to Paris, stopping perhaps for visits in Beaugency or Orleans , before reaching Paris. (B)

Features include 11 days of touring by deluxe touring vehicle; knowledgeable English-speaking driver/guide; accommodations in superior rooms at hotels mentioned with breakfast daily. Entrances are not included, but can be calculated, depending on your specific interests.

Prices Per Person Twin, Based on High Season:
Party of   2: $6130    3: $4640    4: $3895    5: $3610    6: $3280
Single Room Supplement $1375