Capital : Paris
Area : 643,427 Sq Km
Population : 60,495,540
Languages : French
Currency : Euro
Climate : Continental climate
Teperature :
Clothing :
(Sun.) Board your overnight transatlantic flight.
(Mon.) The day is free to rest or to start exploring the splendid French capital. At 6 p.m. meet your Tour Director and traveling companions and leave the hotel for a welcome dinner with wine at one of Paris’ lively restaurants. After dinner you may wish to join an optional outing to get a first impression of the City of Light. (D)
(Tue.) Sightseeing with a Local Guide features the Arc de Triomphe, Opéra, Madeleine, Louvre, and Champs- Elysées. Visit magnificent NOTRE DAME CATHEDRAL and for a panoramic view, take the elevator to the second floor of the EIFFEL TOWER. Balance of the day at leisure and lots to do. An optional afternoon excursion to the Palace and Gardens of Versailles and optional evening excursions are available. (BB)
(Wed.) A pleasant drive through the rural area west of Paris takes you to historic Rouen in the lower valley of the River Seine. Time here for a leisurely stroll along the lovely cobbled Rue du Gros-Horloge leading from the cathedral to the square where Joan of Arc was burned in 1431. Then continue to Caen and look forward to the highlight of the day: a visit to the fascinating MEMORIAL MUSEUM FOR PEACE. Its great exhibits and audiovisual show focus on the Battle of Normandy. (BB,D)
(Thu.) Focus on the scene of the Allied Forces’ landing on D-Day, June 6, 1944. Visit the NORMANDY AMERICAN CEMETERY and see the Ranger Monument at Point du Hoc. Then to Bayeux where you admire QUEEN MATILDA’S TAPESTRY, depicting in extraordinary detail William the Conqueror’s conquest of England. In the afternoon visit the famous ABBEY OF MONT ST. MICHEL, perched on a rocky isle in the Gulf of Saint Malo. Overnight on the coast near Mont St. Michel. (BB,D)
(Fri.) Enjoy a scenic ride right across Brittany via Châteaubriant to Angers. Stop here for pictures of an impressive 13th-century castle overlooking the River Maine. Then continue your journey to Tours in the Loire Valley. Tonight is your chance to sample French cuisine at one of the area’s excellent bistros. (BB)
(Sat.) A rich day of sightseeing. Visit the jewel of the French Renaissance, Château CHAMBORD, and the 16th-century château of Catherine de Medici, lovely CHENONCEAU. On to Amboise. Visit CLOS LUCÉ and marvel at an amazing collection of models of Leonardo da Vinci’s inventions, painstakingly reconstructed from the drawings of the great renaissance genius. Return to Tours in the late afternoon. (BB,D)
(Sun.) South through the area where Charles Martel saved Christian Europe from the Muslim tide in 732 A.D. and the Dordogne area to Limoges to visit a PORCELAIN FACTORY (if closed, visit the NATIONAL PORCELAIN MUSEUM instead). Next, stop in the pretty town of St. Emilion before arriving in Bordeaux, where you may want to try one of the area’s great wines with your dinner. (BB,D)
(Mon.) From Bordeaux to the beautifully preserved, medieval, walled town of Carcassonne for a leisurely walk on the ancient BATTLEMENTS and time to explore the town on your own. Overnight in Nîmes. (BB,D)