| Trip Itinerary |
|
| DAY 1 USA - Paris |
Paris, France
|
| VIP Door-to-Door Transfer
to your local airport for your
overnight flight to Paris. |
| DAY 2 Arrive Paris |
Paris, France
|
| After your arrival, you will be
transferred to your Paris hotel,
home for the next three relaxing
nights. This evening enjoy a
Welcome Drink with your Tour
Director and meet your new
companions. |
| DAY 3 Paris |
Paris, France
|
Truly one of Europe’s great
cities, Paris has an appeal
all of her own. Our resident
local expert takes us down the
Champs- Elysees to view the
Arc de Triomphe, Place de la
Concorde, and the magnificent
Gothic Cathedral of Notre
Dame. Enjoy a highlight visit to
Napoleon’s Tomb beneath Les
Invalides. This evening don’t
miss the opportunity to see an
exciting Parisian Cabaret with the
French CanCan or enjoy a tour of
the famous Paris Illuminations. Breakfast Included |
| DAY 4 Paris |
Paris, France
|
A full day at leisure today to
explore one of the most beautiful
cities! Stroll past the fashion
houses and boutiques of the
Champs-Elysees, visit one of 90
museums including the famous
Louvre or the Musee d’Orsay,
shop for paintings in Montmartre
or just enjoy a coffee in a sidewalk
cafe! The Palace of Versailles or
Monet’s Gardens in Giverny, are
both possible trips from Paris. Breakfast Included |
| DAY 5 Paris - Avignon (French TGV Train Included) |
Avignon, France
|
This morning board
the famous French TGV train
for a comfortable ride through
Burgundy to Avignon. Upon arrival, we join our motorcoach
for a short drive to Pont du Gard
to view the three-tiered Roman
Aqueduct. For dinner this
evening, enjoy the freedom of
your Dine-Around program
and choose from a selection
of restaurants recommended
by your Tour Director. Breakfast and Dinner Included |
| DAY 6 Avignon -Nice |
Nice, France
|
Enjoy a highlight morning visit
to Avignon’s magnificent Papal
Palace and see the famous
bridge. Head southeast through
Provence, famed for its lavender
and sunflower fields that
inspired the great impressionist
painters. This afternoon we
arrive for a relaxing two night
stay in Nice, the “Queen of the
French Riviera.” Tonight, we
visit a casino in the principality
of Monte Carlo and enjoy a
Highlight Dinner. Breakfast and Highlight Dinner Included |
| DAY 7 Nice |
Nice, France
|
Enjoy the delights of the Cote d’Azur
at leisure with an entire day to
explore. This famous coastline has
long been the playground of the rich
and famous and is a cornucopia of
exotic vegetation. Breakfast Included |
| DAY 8 Nice - Nimes - Carcassone |
Nice, France
|
Our first stop this morning is Nimes
to see the Roman Arena and Maison
Carre. Then it’s on to a leisurely
two-night stay in Carcassonne, where
we enjoy an orientation walk around
this walled city surrounded by
vineyards. Breakfast and Dinner Included |
| DAY 9 Carcassonne |
Carcassonne, France
|
Enjoy a full day at leisure to explore
this unique town or perhaps join
an optional excursion into “Hidden
France” to Albi and the surrounding
countryside. Breakfast Included |
| DAY 10 Carcassonne - Lourdes - Bordeaux |
Bordeaux, France
|
A special highlight today as we
make our way into the towering
French Pyrenees en route to
the remarkable pilgrimage town
of Lourdes. Here we see the
beautiful basilica on top of St.
Bernadette’s grotto where the
young Soubirous was thought to
have had her first vision of the
Virgin Mary. Continue to our
hotel in Bordeaux. Breakfast and Dinner Included |
| DAY 11 Bordeaux - Cognac - Blois |
Blois, France
|
After a stop to see Quinconces
Square, a visit is included to the
Courvoisier distillery at Jarnac
with an opportunity to taste some
of the world’s finest brandy. Then,
via Poitiers to the famous valley
of the River Loire and the Garden
of France. This is France as
you’ve always imagined it: rolling
vineyards, quiet canals, imposing castles and elegant chateaux
around every corner. Spend the
next two relaxing nights in the
heart of the Loire Valley. Breakfast and Dinner Included |
| DAY 12 Blois (Chateaux Excursion Included) |
Blois, France
|
A full day to visit the best
chateaux of France! We begin
with a visit to the 16th-century
Chateau de Chenonceau,
incredibly engineered over the
River Cher. We continue on to
view the beautiful Chateau of Chambord, the largest of the
Loire chateaux, before a guided
visit of the impressive Chateau
d’Amboise, where Leonardo da
Vinci spent the last years of his
life and was eventually buried. Breakfast Included |
| DAY 13 Blois - Mont St. Michel - Normandy |
Mont Saint Michel, France
|
This morning we travel along the
Loire Valley before reaching that
marvel of French architecture,
Mont St. Michel. This mass of
granite rising 400 feet from the
sea was begun in 709 A.D. Visit
its famous Benedictine monastery
added in the 13th-century. After
a visit to the incredible Bayeux
Tapestry Museum we continue to
our hotel for a relaxing two-night
stay. Rediscover the victory of
the D-Day landings as we hear
a special lecture from a local
resident as part of our Explore &
Discover™ series. Breakfast and Dinner Included |
| DAY 14 Normandy |
Normandy, France
|
Today we remember the heroes
of the D-Day landings. Visit the
Normandy Landing Beaches,
the museum at Arromanches,
the American Military Cemetery
at Omaha Beach, Pointe du
Hoc (heroically secured by the
American Rangers) and St. Mere
Eglise at Utah Beach. Breakfast Included |
| DAY 15 Normandy - Giverny - Paris |
Normandy, France
|
After a stop in Joan of Arc’s
Rouen, we continue to Giverny to
visit Claude Monet’s house and
beautiful gardens, the inspiration
for his “water lily” paintings. We
end our day back in Paris with a
Highlight Farewell Bistro Dinner. Breakfast and Highlight Dinner Included |
| DAY 16 Paris - USA |
Paris, France
|
Today we say "au revoir" to France. Breakfast Included |
| |