Deal

Your tour commences this evening in Paris. Join your fellow travellers for a welcome drink before dinner. This is an ideal chance to meet, and get to know, your Tour Manager and fellow travellers.

Your first stop today is to the north of Paris at the Château de Compiègne (Palace of Compiègne). Built by Louis XV and Louis XVI, and remodelled under Napoleon I and later Napoleon III, the Château de Compiègne was the hub of courtly life. Overlooking a forest of more than 14,000 hectares, it is regarded as one of the three most important French royal and imperial residences. The interior furnishings and décor remain unchanged and exactly as they were more than 200 years ago, so as you walk through the Emperor’s apartments, you will see them much as Napoleon did. Extraordinary! You will also discover a collection of beautiful antique horse-drawn carriages. At the end of the terrace is a café beside a small garden featuring Marie Antoinette’s little fountain. Lunch will be at leisure in the old town of Pierrefonds, with its lake and impressive Neo-Gothic castle built for Napoleon III. Its ‘medieval fairytale’ appearance has featured in many films. Later, continue to Reims, the capital of the Champagne region. On arrival, meet a local guide who will lead you through the pedestrian heart of the city and into the magnificent Cathedral, where so many of France’s kings were crowned. Your hotel for the next two nights is located in the heart of the old town, just 50 metres from the pedestrian precinct lined with shops, cafés and restaurants, and within easy walking distance of the Cathedral.

Travelling south through rolling hills dotted with vineyards, you’ll arrive in Epernay. Here, you’ll enjoy a leisurely drive along the world-renowned, UNESCO-listed Avenue de Champagne. Lined with prestigious Champagne houses, including Moët & Chandon, Mercier and Pol Roger, as well as elegant 19th-century mansions, it is often referred to as the most expensive street in the world due to the immense value of the wine stored within its vast network of underground cellars. You will visit one of the region’s most famous Champagne houses, tour the extensive chalk cellars, and enjoy a glass of bubbles. Champagne in Champagne! The afternoon and evening are then at leisure back in Reims.

Today you visit Verdun! This was the site of one of the longest and most costly battles in human history. Over 302 days throughout 1916, the Germans tried to break the back of the French Army, and the human cost was devastating, with 714,000 casualties between both sides. With the historic French slogan “Ils ne passeront pas” (they shall not pass), the battle came to symbolise the courage and determination of the French resistance throughout this war.

As you approach the Douaumont Ossuary, you drive past the cemetery containing 16,142 graves, whilst inside the Ossuary itself are family plaques of French soldiers who died here during the battle. Underneath are the skeletal remains of 130,000 unidentified combatants from both France and Germany. You also visit the ‘Trench of the Bayonets’ and, most haunting of all, walk through the Fleury-devant-Douaumont destroyed village. Sixteen times it changed hands during the battle and it was utterly destroyed, eventually being officially declared to be ‘the village that died for France’. Now beautiful trees and woods peacefully grow over the undulating, grass-covered craters.

In Verdun itself, you have included a fascinating guided tour through the underground Citadel of Verdun. Wearing virtual reality masks and riding on small, automated vehicles, you will be able to relive how life was for the soldiers stationed here in 1916 as you pass through some of the four kilometres of tunnels and galleries. You will see hospitals, dormitories, munitions and communications centres, even a bakery – and soldiers – all safe in this underground city whilst the Battle of Verdun raged above.

Later you arrive in the beautiful Alsace region where you stay for five nights, enabling you to fully explore this fantastic part of France. The first two nights of your Alsace stay will be in the elegant city of Strasbourg. The most famous part of Strasbourg is the canals of ‘La Petite France’, and your 5-star hotel sits right in the very heart of this UNESCO Heritage-listed district. Make sure you visit your hotel terrace bar to take in the views directly onto the most photographed building in the city – the half-timbered Maison des Tanneurs. What a sight – what a location to stay for two nights! Tonight, you dine in a local restaurant.

Joined by a local guide, you will enjoy a delightful walking tour of this wonderful city, the seat of the European Parliament and nicknamed the ‘Capital of Europe’. Your guide will lead you along cobblestone streets past medieval half-timbered houses and into the stunning Gothic Cathedral. This architectural masterpiece was the world’s tallest building for over 200 years until 1874, and inside is a famous astronomical clock and massive Rose Window of stained glass. Beautiful!

During the morning, you will also enjoy a scenic canal boat cruise along the city’s picturesque canals. Your afternoon and evening are entirely free – ‘My Time’ to explore this fabulous, elegant historical city centre.

Today you focus on two fabulous castles high above the vine-covered hills of the Alsace region. The first stop of the day is Château du Haut-Koenigsbourg. Perched 757 metres above the valley, the views from the ramparts and staterooms across Alsace are stunning. Dating back 900 years, rebuilt and remodelled over the centuries, and totally restored by Wilhelm II at the beginning of the 20th century, it looks and feels like a true Germanic knight’s fortress and the interior is a medieval masterpiece. Later you also visit Kintzheim Castle for an amazing falconry show in an ancient backdrop. Here you will be dazzled by a show of swooping falcons, eagles, hawks and owls that soar all around you as you sit in the courtyard of the crumbling ruins of this ancient castle. A magnificent spectacle!

Your next three nights in the Alsace Region will be spent right in the very heart of beautiful Colmar. Your 4-star hotel is superbly located just one hundred metres from the famous bridge in ‘Little Venice’. Perfect for exploring the surrounding villages, towns and sites, you cannot get a better location to stay! Dinner tonight is in a local restaurant in ‘Little Venice’.

Colmar is world-famous for the beauty of its classic ‘Little Venice’ canals right beside where you stay. But to truly appreciate the beauty of the Alsace region you also need to get out amongst the rolling vineyards, villages and towns that line the famous ‘Route Alsace du Vin’ (the Alsace Wine Road). Following that route today you visit two glorious towns that appear to have stepped back in time. Your morning is spent ambling along the cobblestone streets of Ribeauvillé, which are lined with shops, character restaurants and colourful half-timbered houses. Lunchtime is in the equally historic town of Riquewihr. Both towns are utterly beautiful, and finding a centuries-old Wine Maker’s Inn for lunch will be a highlight. On your return to Colmar, you stop in the small hill town of Zellenberg, in the heart of the Alsatian ‘Grand Crus’ vineyards. Here you visit and enjoy a wine tasting in House Becker. The historic Jean Becker winery has been cultivating its renowned wine for over 400 years, and leading the way, for nearly 30 years they have been cultivating and producing wines organically.

Your evening is free back amongst the beautiful pedestrian, medieval streets and squares of Colmar, on the doorstep of your hotel.

Near Ungersheim, you will make a special visit to explore the Ecomusée d’Alsace, which is the largest open-air museum in France. In this historical park, you will discover an exceptional collection of traditional houses, barns, farms and heritage buildings, all dismantled beam by beam from their original villages and re-assembled here to ensure their preservation. Like walking through a time capsule country village, here you will find the fortified tower of Mulhouse, which stands proudly between the Renaissance garden and the Medieval garden. Nearby, you will discover the wash house, the oil mill, carpenters’ shop, villagers’ cottages… the list goes on… and most of the shops and traders’ cottages have been completely refurnished as they would have been decades and centuries ago. A fascinating visit!

Lunchtime will be a pleasure, relaxing and exploring another medieval gem of a town – Éguisheim. The remainder of your afternoon and evening will be free – ‘My Time’ – in lovely Colmar.

At Mulhouse, you’ll enjoy included admission to the fabulous Cité de l’Automobile. Even if you don’t like cars, you will absolutelylove this visit! With more than 500 vehicles spanning well over a century, this is the largest and most important automobilecollection in the world. Also famous for its massive Bugatti collection you will find cars of all ages, shapes and size from thetiniest of all to massive ‘gangster’ cars with sweeping footplates. Some are designs and brands that are lost in time, and someare so beautiful, graceful, historic and ludicrously expensive. Stunning!

In the afternoon you will explore the massive Citadel above Belfort. Highlights will be visiting the historic Lion ofBelfort, a monumental sculpture by Bartholdi, the same sculptor who created the Statue of Liberty. This colossal redsandstone sculpture of a fierce lion, 22 metres long and 11 metres high, was designed to dominate the landscape.

Later you continue to Beaune, capital of the Burgundian Wine Industry where you stay two nights in your charming hotelsuperbly located just 200 metres from the famous Hôtel-Dieu de Beaune, and all the major sights. Your evening is free todiscover your own private little Burgundian bistro in the old town which is just steps away.

This morning, you’ll visit the famous Hôtel-Dieu – known also as the Hospices de Beaune. Remarkably preserved and dating back to 1443, this hospital foundation was conceived as a ‘Palace for the Poor’. In the main courtyard you will be amazed by the quality and colours of the dramatic, glazed tile roofs, and inside you will journey into the world of 15th century medicine and care.
The rest of your morning is free to explore the pretty medieval town centre.

In the afternoon you will visit the nearby capital of Burgundy, Dijon. Famous for its production of ‘Dijon Mustard’, you will enjoy ‘My Time’ to explore. Maybe visit the grand Palace of the Dukes, or window shop along the pedestrian malls lined with historic mansions.

On your way back to Beaune, you will follow the wine route through the prestigious Grand Crus vineyards of the Côte de Nuits. Here you will stop in a village to enjoy a talk and taste the local Burgundian wines. As a finale, you will settle into your terrace restaurant located amongst the surrounding vineyards, to enjoy a Burgundian dinner with wine. Delicious and delightful!

A different day today. At the nearby town of Dole, you will board a modern three-car train that will take you along the historic Ligne de Hirondelles – The Swallow Line – a 123-kilometre stretch of railway line that was one of the most challenging tracks to build in France. Taking 50 years to complete, the pace of the journey is very slow as it enters 36 tunnels and crosses 18 viaducts spanning the hills and valleys of the Grandvaux Plateau of the beautiful Jura Mountains. The scenery is spectacular as you cross the Forêt de Chaux, the Arbois vineyards and the Vallée de la Bienne to reach Saint-Claude for lunchtime. Here you have included lunch in a local restaurant before setting off for Lyon where you stay tonight. En route, you make a necessary detour to visit the absolute gem of a hilltop walled town called Pérouges. Officially listed as one of France’s most beautiful and best-preserved villages (Les Plus Beaux Villages de France), Pérouges dates back to the 14th and 15th centuries and is an absolutely authentic, atmospheric cluster of stone houses. Surrounding the old stone square are little streets and alleys lined with vines climbing ancient walls and stone steps. You stop to visit in the afternoon because it is just beautiful.

Later, on arrival in Lyon, you make a stop on top of the Fourvière Hill to see the white Notre-Dame Basilica – a stunning 19th-century church renowned for its opulent neo-Byzantine and Romanesque interior decorated with vibrant mosaics. Beside the Basilica is a much older chapel with a glorious golden statue of Mary on top. The views down onto the historic ‘Vieux Lyon’ (the old town) on the bank of the Saône River are massive.

Your hotel tonight is located nearby on Fourvière Hill, in a characterful converted 19th-century convent. After dinner in your hotel, maybe take a stroll back to the Basilica and take in the city’s illuminations far below.

Your morning will be free in Lyon. France’s third-largest city, located at the confluence of the Rhône and Saône rivers, dates back to Roman times. The old town, with its narrow, winding cobblestone streets lined with beautiful Renaissance-era buildings and charming cafés, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This is your time to stroll and explore, and since Lyon is noted as France’s culinary capital, you may wish to choose a local ‘bouchon’ – a traditional bistro serving authentic Lyonnaise cuisine – for lunch.

In the afternoon, you will head south, following the course of the Rhône River to Provence and the papal city of Avignon, where you will stay for the next three nights. Your hotel is located right beside the city’s ancient walls.

This morning, you will enjoy an included walking tour of the UNESCO-listed Avignon city centre with a local guide. Between 1309 and 1377, Avignon was the seat of the Catholic Popes, and a highlight will be your tour inside the massive Papal Palace. The rest of the day will be at leisure, allowing you to explore this beautiful city. Be sure to visit the Jardin des Dômes and take a stroll across the Saint-Bénézet Bridge. Otherwise known from the famous song as the Pont d’Avignon, this medieval bridge, with just four arches remaining, extends only part way across the Rhône River.

This evening, you will visit the nearby, famous hilltop village of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. At the summit sit the impressive ruins of Pope John XXII’s 14th-century castle, and just below, you will visit a classic local winery. Here, you will enjoy a tasting of the renowned AOC wines, followed by dinner on the terrace, with sweeping views across the valley and down to the sleepy Rhône River. Memorable!

First up, on the outskirts of Les Baux, your tour includes entry to enjoy a stunning audio-visual art show – the Carrières de Lumières. Underground, inside an abandoned quarry, you will have a totally unique sound and vision experience as classic works of art are projected as massive frescoes all around you, onto the walls and ceilings. Please do check out the video on the web. Astounding!

Afterwards, you will visit the crumbling castle and once-deserted village of Les Baux to discover the craft shops and cafés scattered throughout the ruins. Set on the craggy hillside, this rejuvenated town is an extraordinary sight. Mid-afternoon, you will stop to enjoy a walk across the spectacular Pont du Gard – an imposing 2,000-year-old Roman aqueduct that was built with giant stones weighing up to six tonnes. In a beautiful setting, this remarkable structure spans 200 metres between the craggy hillsides of the River Gard. Your evening is at leisure in Avignon.

Today is a day of spectacular drives, the Provençal countryside, picturesque old towns and craggy gorges. Heading east, you enter the Luberon region, famous for its lavender production and authentic old stone towns. (Note: whilst there are of course seasonal variances, generally the lavender fields are only in bloom during the latter part of June and the first half of July).

Your morning stop is in the classic hilltop town of Gordes, the most photographed in the Luberon. As you approach, the views across the Clavon Valley to Gordes, perched on the far side of the Monts de Vaucluse mountainside, are dramatic. Renowned for its white stone houses and dramatic, steep architecture, there is a 10th-century castle and viewpoints for the huge valley panoramas. You have time to wander through the ‘calades’ – the narrow cobblestone streets – which are lined with art galleries, cafés and boutiques.

In the afternoon, you continue deep into the rugged mountains and hills of the Verdon Natural Regional Park. The last 20 kilometres will take you nearly an hour as the drive is utterly mesmerising. Clinging to the cliffs, your winding road follows the Gorge du Verdon, high above the turquoise blue waters of the river far below, before emerging near the village of La Palud-sur-Verdon where you stay for the next two evocative nights. The remainder of the afternoon is yours to relax before dinner in your beautiful hotel. Set on a hillside, there is a large open-air pool, spa centre, relaxing lounge terraces in the gardens, and a huge restaurant and bar terrace – all facing across the valley to the Verdon Massif mountains which loom into the distance. Relaxing while enjoying an aperitivo and taking in the views is a memorable experience.

After a leisurely breakfast, you retrace your route back along the cliff-top scenic road and then down to the Pont du Galetas where you make a photo stop. This is the bridge that spans the river as it exits the gorge and flows into the huge lake – Lac de Sainte-Croix. The gorge itself is the tallest in Europe, with cliffs that rise steeply 700 metres above the placid river. When you look at the astounding turquoise colour of the water in the lake, you realise those photos you have seen are not photoshopped. Beautiful, it is like the water is illuminated from underneath. Looking up the gorge and across the lake, you will see hundreds of small rivercraft moving gently upstream for two kilometres, and then back. Either side of the lake are beaches, and this is where there are several boat hire facilities and you can hire kayaks, paddle boats, row boats and e-boats.

You now have a choice… to hire a boat of your choice (not included) and make your way up the spectacular gorge beneath the massive cliffs, or stay on the coach and drive over the hills to the town of Aups. Cute, very attractive, not too big but with plenty of small shops and cafés, Aups makes a great morning visit. On the way back, there are wonderful panoramic views down across the broad turquoise lake.

Assembled again as one group, you drive up the road to the fabulous town of Moustiers-Sainte-Marie, yet another on the list of nominated ‘Les Plus Beaux Villages de France’ (beautiful villages of France). Nestled in the shadow of a rockface, Moustiers is famous for its 12th-century Chapelle Notre-Dame de Beauvoir and, high above it, suspended 200 feet between two huge rock pillars, is a large gold star. A tumbling stream and waterfall cut through the old village, filled with restaurants, bars and shops selling handcrafted goods and ‘faïence’ glazed ceramic pottery. A perfect, characterful village for you to while away your leisurely lunchtime.

Returning to your spa hotel, the remainder of your afternoon is free. Dinner tonight is included in your hotel.

Your drive takes you further down the gorge and the views continue to be spectacular, especially at Point Sublime where you will make a photo stop. Heading through the mountains, you enjoy a long leisurely lunch stop in the pretty village of Gourdon. The stone houses, cottages and streets blend harmoniously into the rocky hillside. Perched on the very edge of the cliffs, the views from the terraces to the Côte d’Azur, 25 kilometres away and far below, are enormous.

Later, you head down to Nice, nicknamed ‘the Queen of the French Riviera’, where you stay for the next three nights. Your hotel is an easy walk to the vibrant central square of Place Masséna, and the Boulevard des Anglais. Dinner tonight is a relaxed affair in a local restaurant.

This morning, you will visit Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat and the fabulous Villa Ephrussi – home of the Rothschild family. Your tour includes a self-guided visit through this exceptional villa, perhaps the grandest on the Côte d’Azur, to see Béatrice Ephrussi’s grand apartments, tapestry and porcelain collections, and the magnificent gardens.

Afterwards, following the scenic drive along the ‘Moyenne Corniche’, you arrive in the city of Monaco. On arrival, your tour includes a ride on ‘Le Petit Train’, which takes you down to Monte Carlo and along the Formula 1 Grand Prix circuit, past the Casino and back to the old town, where you will have time to explore and discover the Prince’s Palace and Cathedral.

The remainder of your afternoon and evening will be at leisure back in the elegant resort town of Nice. Take time to stroll and shop amongst the winding streets and perhaps enjoy dinner in one of the attractive seaside restaurants.

This morning, you drive into the foothills of the Alpes Maritimes to the old town of Saint-Paul-de-Vence. With its imposing ramparts overlooking the Provençal countryside, the wonderful natural light attracted an artists’ colony. Soon they were followed by film directors and movie stars, then galleries and shops. Enjoy ‘My Time’ to explore at your own pace.

Later, you continue to the extravagant seaside resort of Cannes. Famous for its movie stars and the Cannes Film Festival, you have time at leisure to explore the old port town and ‘La Croisette’ – the seafront promenade lined with palm trees, upmarket boutiques, cafés and grand hotels.

As a finale, back in Nice, you will enjoy a farewell dinner in a local Provençal restaurant.