Grand Tour Of France

Day 1: Mon. BOARD YOUR OVERNIGHT TRANSATLANTIC FLIGHT.

Tue. ARRIVE IN Check into your hotel. Tonight, meet your Tour Director and fellow travelers.

Day 2: PARIS, FRANCE.

Wed. Drive first to the fine old city of Rouen for an orientation walk. Next, a stop in lovely Honfleur and then in the world-famous seaside resort of Deauville. Overnight in Caen. (B,D)

Day 3: PARIS–ROUEN–HONFLEUR–CAEN.

Thu. Time to see Caen before a visit to the legendary beaches where the Allied troops landed more than 60 years ago. The highlights are Arromanches, St. Laurant, and the American Cemetery at Omaha. Next, journey to Bayeux, where the famous tapestry is located (entrance fee extra). Then, southwards to the unique beauty of Mont St. Michel, which stands on an island reached by a causeway, for an overnight. (B)

Day 4: CAEN–NORMANDY LANDING BEACHES–BAYEUX–MONT ST. MICHEL.

Fri. Time this morning to enjoy a visit of Mont St. Michel before a mid-morning departure to Angers to visit its cathedral. Then, along the banks of the Loire to Tours for two overnights. A chance this evening to join an optional dinner at a typical local restaurant. (B)

Day 5: MONT ST. MICHEL–ANGERS–TOURS.

Sat. Time at leisure or join the optional excursion to see some of the most spectacular castles of the Loire, steeped in the history of noblemen and kings since the 11th century. Gothic spires, medieval turrets, great fortresses, and beautiful châteaux make for splendid panoramas. (B,D)

Day 6: TOURS.

Sun. Travel on the comfortable Autoroute L’Aquitaine as far as Poitiers. Next stop is the picturesque town of La Rochelle, situated on the Atlantic coast. Continue westwards into the world-famous Cognac region to visit a museum in Cognac. Then, journey to Bordeaux for an overnight. (B,D)

Day 7: TOURS–POITIERS–LA ROCHELLE–BORDEAUX.

Mon. Time for an orientation walk of Bordeaux, then drive into the heart of one of France’s most scenic regions, the Dordogne. Stop in the dramatically located medieval town of Rocamadour perched high upon a cliff. Southwards by way of Cahors to Toulouse for an overnight. (B,D)

Day 8: BORDEAUX–DORDOGNE–ROCAMADOUR–TOULOUSE.

Tue. Drive this morning along the Autoroute des Deux Mers for an orientation walk in Carcassonne. Then, continue eastwards to Nîmes, an elegant city famed for its busy boulevards shaded by lotus trees. Get a view of the Maison Carrée, one of the best-preserved Roman temples in the whole of France. Overnight in nearby Avignon. (B)

Day 9: TOULOUSE–CARCASSONNE–NÎMES–AVIGNON.

Wed. South this morning to visit the Roman amphitheater in Arles, the most famous of all the Provence towns, known the world over by the paintings of Van Gogh. Stop in Aix-en-Provence to see its main street, the Cours Mirabeau, lined with plane trees and its 17th-century palace, houses, and fountains. Finally, to the French Riviera on the shores of the Mediterranean. Don’t miss the optional evening excursion. (B)

Day 10: AVIGNON–ARLES–AIX-EN-PROVENCE–FRENCH RIVIERA.

Thu. Take the opportunity today to enjoy all the amenities of the French Riviera. (B)

Day 11: FRENCH RIVIERA.

Fri. First to Grasse for a visit to a perfume workshop. See more of Provence and follow one of France’s great panoramic routes, the one Napoleon took on his return from Elba in 1815. From Grenoble, join the expressway to Lyon, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. (B,D)

Day 12: FRENCH RIVIERA–GRASSE–LYON.

Sat. Travel through the picturesque vineyards and fields of Burgundy to medieval Beaune, the region's wine capital since Roman times, where you visit one of the famous Bourgogne wine cellars and taste some of its production before continuing to the French capital and “City of Light,” Paris. Don't miss the optional evening cabaret show, a real Parisian spectacle. (B)

Day 13: LYON–BEAUNE–PARIS.

Sun. Included sightseeing with a local expert starts with an inside visit to Notre Dame Cathedral. Then, many of the best-known Parisian sights: La Sorbonne, Arc de Triomphe, Opéra, Madeleine, the Eiffel Tower, the Pyramid near the Louvre, the Invalides, and Champs Elysées. Optional excursions are also available to the Palace and Gardens of Versailles and, to celebrate the success of your tour, a French farewell dinner might be just the ticket. (B)

Day 14: PARIS.

Sun. Included sightseeing with a local expert starts with an inside visit to Notre Dame Cathedral. Then, many of the best-known Parisian sights: La Sorbonne, Arc de Triomphe, Opéra, Madeleine, the Eiffel Tower, the Pyramid near the Louvre, the Invalides, and Champs Elysées. Optional excursions are also available to the Palace and Gardens of Versailles and, to celebrate the success of your tour, a French farewell dinner might be just the ticket. (B)

Day 15: Mon. YOUR HOMEBOUND FLIGHT ARRIVES THE SAME DAY. (B)