Step Back in the History of France with Paris, Normandy and the Loire Valley

Start you 10-day Romantic Getaway in France by arriving at Paris Roissy CDG airport. Welcome by your friendly private driver and transfer to your hotel in the center of Paris. After a short rest and a first lunch on your own around your hotel, make your own way to your first excursion: a Paris city tour in a vintage car with driver (private / approx. 3 hours).

Let’s start with the best of the Left bank where you can admire some of the most famous Paris monuments: the Eiffel Tower, Notre-Dame Cathedral, the Place de la Concorde as well the historic bridges in Paris. Your guide then takes you to the heart of the Latin Quarter, the historic center in Paris for Science and the Arts.

Continue with the best of the Right bank: your guide takes you to the picturesque streets of Montmartre. You learn all about the Moulin Rouge. You discover this Mecca of entertainment, home to the famous painter Toulouse-Lautrec, the great Edith Piaf or the scandalous Mistinguette. Then, you will be immersed in the romance of Paris by visiting the most beautiful Parisian squares, the magnificent « Place de la Concorde » and the luxurious « Place Vendôme ».

End this Parisian tour with some more “off the beaten track” routes.

You will travel on board a vintage Mercedes 280 SE. The car is equipped with an inside MB-Tex/Fabric Bordeaux color, an excellent match with the milk-white body of the car! 

Start your second day in France with a walking tour that will take you a few centuries back and show you the stunning Notre Dame and Ile de la Cité (private / approx. 2 hours). This excursion perfectly completes the first introduction you made the day before with the vintage car, as you now take the time to explore in-depth what is considered as the cradle of Paris.

Your guide starts with a detailed presentation of the world-famous Notre Dame Cathedral,  a 12th Century masterpiece of architecture and home of the Hunchback. Though the iconic church has been damaged by a disastrous fire in 2019, it’s still worth to be admired and told!  

You then cross the Seine River to discover the northern edge of the vibrant Latin Quarter and wander the first streets of Paris. Last but not least, your guide takes you to the neighborhood’s most iconic intellectual hotspot: Shakespeare & Co bookstore!

The afternoon is dedicated to a Dessert cooking class (small group / approx. 3 hours). 

This is a delectable experience for those with a sweet tooth and a love of French desserts! Our English speaking professional pastry chef welcomes you into her modernized Paris kitchen, giving you hands-on experience on baking some of the most delicious treats on the planet.

Start the day with a memorable immersion in the splendors of Versailles chateau (private / approx.. 5.5 hours) and make a trip into the Renaissance times and the reign of Louis XIV, the Sun King. After a 45-minute train ride with your private guide who picked you at your hotel, you enter the gate of the famous monumental castle… 

This tour of Versailles is designed so that you travel through all of the rooms that the King himself would’ve passed through as he enacted the rituals and ceremonies that made up the royal routine. You’ll follow in the footsteps of Louis XVI and his young wife Marie Antoinette in the King and Queen’s Apartments, the Salons of Hercules, Mars and Venus, the Hall of Mirrors, the Gallery of Battles and plenty more.

After a dazzling tour of the chateau, what better way to unwind than with a stroll through the exquisite gardens? These beautiful grounds unfold in a seemingly endless display of manicured lawns, Greek and Roman statues, labyrinths, forests, and canals. You’ll also bear witness a wealth of extraordinary fountains (depending on the day of the visit) with elaborate displays of perpetually spouting water.

Coming back to the Paris center in the same way (train), you have the first part of the afternoon at leisure. Then, head to the world-renowned museum of the Louvre to discover its masterpieces in an intimate visit.

The next step of your 10-day Romantic Getaway from Paris to Loire Valley stops you halfway in Normandy. In the morning, enjoy a private transfer to the train station and take your train to Bayeux.

Arrive in Bayeux and take your private transfer to your hotel. 

Two cross-Channel invasions, almost 900 years apart, gave Bayeux a front-row seat at defining moments in Western history. Bayeux was the first French town to be liberated (on the morning of 7 June 1944) and is one of the few places in Calvados to have survived WWII practically unscathed. A very attractive and historic town, Bayeux makes an ideal base for exploring the D-Day beaches and is crammed with 13th- to 18th-century buildings plus a fine Gothic cathedral.

In the afternoon, meet your private guide and go for a private visit to Bayeux. You admire the medieval architecture, Notre Dame as well as lace and porcelain that made the richness of Bayeux. The Museum of the MAHB relates to perfection these aspects in a modern setting. To end this tour, you visit the world-renowned Museum of the Tapestry to rediscover the history of the Conquest of England by William the Conqueror who was part of your first curriculum of history.

Our full-day D Day US beaches tour is with no o doubt our best American tour (small group / approx.. 9.5 hours).

You cover a large area, stopping to visit all the major sites in the U.S sector (we propose a similar full-day tour dedicated to the Canadian and UK sector, please ask). You discover the extraordinary actions of the paratroopers in Sainte Mere-l’Eglise and the Airborne Museum. You also go to Utah Beach where the U.S 4th Division landed. During the day, you can discuss a lot of subjects about the war (from the German occupation to the French Resistance) and your guide shares with you many soldiers’ stories. After a quick stop at the German Cemetery, you visit Pointe du Hoc. This German battery attacked by the U.S Rangers will put you right in the atmosphere: the beach, the cliff, the bunkers, the bomb craters... and your guide makes sure to stop at the best-known Bloody Omaha.

Four miles long, no picture or movie has yet done it justice. A second stop at Omaha is the heartbreaking U.S Cemetery, for yet another perspective of the beach from the high ground. Your guide gives you time on your own at the end, to either stay longer in the cemetery or save time for the Visitor Center.

Your driver-guide brings you back to Bayeux at the end of the day. 

Only 1.5-hour drive away from Bayeux, stands the unique Mont Saint Michel in the eponymous bay, that some people consider being the Eighth Wonder of the World. You’ll make an extensive visit to this monument (small group / approx. 8 hours).

A granitic island in the middle of a huge bay under the influence of Europe’s biggest tides, wherein 708 the Archangel St Michael (St Michel in French) ordered Aubert, the bishop of Avranches, the construction of a sanctuary. This is how Mont St Michel was born!

Your guide lets you understand the symbolism of the architecture in this “book of stone”, going through the different rooms, one more incredible than the other. You might meet one of the monks of the new community who settled here a few years ago, and hear their Gregorian Chants vibrating in the church at the time of the mass. 

Have a romantic walk through the narrow cobbled streets around the village, with granite or half-timbered houses. Wander along the top of the fortification wall, built during the Hundred Years War, when Mont St Michel became a medieval castle.

Your driver-guide brings you back to Bayeux at the end of the day. 

Your journey finally brings you in the Loire Valley! You’re transferred to the train station of Caen early in the morning. Take a train to Saint Pierre des Corps, the TGV (high-speed train) station of Tours, the medieval city that is considered to be the gate to the Loire Valley. There, you are welcome and transferred to your hotel. 

We usually recommend staying in Amboise, around 45-minute drive from Tours, as it’s a convenient and central place to visit the whole region. 

The rest of the day is at leisure after the check-in at your hotel.

The Loire Valley is brimming with ideas for excursions: the region's many treasures are just waiting to reveal all their secrets, whether you come for a day, a weekend or longer holidays. Amboise, an architectural jewel of the Renaissance, dips its majestic silhouette into the Loire, a UNESCO World Heritage river. A place of residence for the French kings from the 15th to the 19th centuries, its destiny is inextricably linked to the history of France. Numerous literary figures and artists were invited there, like Leonardo da Vinci whose tomb is preserved at the chateau.

You have time at leisure in the afternoon to visit Amboise and its two jewels: The Château Royal and the Clos Lucé. 

Today, you discover and visit two most prestigious castles in one great full-day tour: the impressive Château of Chambord and stunning Château de Chenonceau (small group / approx. 9 hours). 

Learn about the intimate little secrets of the French Kings who once lived there. Enjoy off-the-crowd panoramic views thanks to your local guide, benefit from a wealth of thrilling genuine details and funny anecdotes and make the most of this exciting day. One of the highlights will definitely be a restful lunch away from tourist groups in a beautiful privately-owned chateau still inhabited by the family. 

So get ready to travel back in the time of the French Renaissance!

Enjoy the famous French art de Vivre with this delightful morning tour including the visit of the elegant must-see Chateau of Villandry and its unique gardens (small group /approx.. 4 hours).

Your local expert shares all his knowledge of these gardens « à la française », and shows you hidden corners from where you get the best views of this remarkable site. The ornamental kitchen garden, the maze, the classical water garden...Don't miss any details! 

After a short drive, enjoy the amazing sight unfolding in front of you and discover the Chateau de L’Islette, a private chateau still inhabited by a French family who inherited this historical monument. Be prepared for a very unusual visit, as your guide takes you to all the rooms of the house, including the most intimate ones like the parents’ bedroom, the kids’ corner, the family kitchen and even the bathrooms! If you are lucky, you may even get the chance to meet your charming French hosts and chat about their daily life in this 21st-century chateau!  A real genuine experience!

After your visit, you share a friendly moment with your guide who sets up for you a lovely French aperitif, near the riverbank, in the park of the chateau. Enjoy a Loire wine, perfectly matching a selection of tasty local products... 

Afternoon at leisure for your personal discovery of the Loire Valley.

Early in the morning, transfer back to the train station of St Pierre des Corps and take your train to Paris Roissy CDG. Proceed to the departure terminal with the shuttle and catch your international flight back to your destination.