Family Trip Paris, Loire Valley and Provence

Starting at PER PERSON for all of the below, based on 4 participants: $3,390.00

Day 1:  Paris for 4 nights

Meet & greet private transfer from airport to hotel

1 superior double next to 1 superior twin room, breakfast & taxes included at Hotel Pont Royal*****  

Hotel Pont Royal offers elegant accommodation and free internet. It is located in the trendy Saint Germain des Prés area on Paris’s left bank, near art galleries and the Louvre.

Guest rooms at the Hotel Pont Royal are air-conditioned. They include a minibar, safe, flat-screen TV with satellite channels and modern en suite facilities.

A full buffet breakfast can be enjoyed every day before work or sightseeing. Atelier St Germain de Joel Robuchon, the hotel’s restaurant, is internationally acclaimed and serves gourmet cuisine.

The Pont Royal’s central location means guests can explore the city on foot or by Metro. Its rich history (it has welcomed famous artists and writers, including Albert Camus and Boris Vian) makes it the perfect place to experience this romantic city.

http://www.leshotelsduroy.com/en/hotel-pont-royal?utm_source=google&keyword=h%C3%B4tel%20pont-royal&gclid=CjwKEAiAkb-zBRC2upezwuyguQ4SJADZG08vnPNbh99VC7eqQkNH7am0oKsA-Ti2sJzTANtQHKIScxoCH0Hw_wcB

Day 2:

Half day private guided tour of Paris

You will pass by The Opéra Garnier, the most famous Opera House in the world, and then the Place Vendôme (our most luxurious square) epitomized by its Jewelers, Fashion Houses & Hotels, and the Place de la Bastille; dominated by the Tour of July erected on the original site of the Bastille Fortress; stormed and destroyed during the French Revolution. Afterwards, you will arrive in the historical and religious heart of Paris: Notre-Dame Cathedral, famous worldwide for its gothic architecture and of course the backdrop for Victor Hugo’s most famous novel. You will then pass by The Louvre Museum, the world’s most famous museum thanks to its art collections, and Place de la Concorde (the place where Marie-Antoinette lost her head!). Then on to the Madeleine Church, before heading onwards and upwards to the quintessentially-Parisian Quarter of Montmartre, where you can visit the Sacré Coeur, notable for its eastern Byzantine architecture; unique for a church in Paris. Once you’ve experienced all of these places, you will be driven through The Champs Elysées, the world famous Parisian Avenue, considered by many as the ’most beautiful in the world’. Your « in-house » Driver-Guide will naturally have in mind your desire to take pictures and will schedule regular photo stops; however, feel free to ask him when you wish to take pictures, he will gladly stop (depending on traffic) for your souvenirs!

Enchanted, you will then head off to The Trocadéro, where you will enjoy a spectacular view of the Eiffel Tower (maybe take a picture of yourself holding it up with your fingertips!) And, last but not least, your driver will take you to The Eiffel Tower herself (The Iron Lady is one of her nicknames).You could then ask your « in-house » Driver-Guide to show you some other lesser-known, but nevertheless fascinating places; which, with your driver’s vast knowledge, will help you live a truly unforgettable experience of Paris.

Access To Eiffel Tower Summit, Skip The Line

Duration of tour: 2 hours

Get a fast-track access to one of the world’s most famous landmark: The Eiffel Tower. Your local expert will escort to the second floor the Eiffel tower with short amusing and interesting stories about this iconic tourist attraction and Paris. Then at your own pace you will visit the Eiffel Tower top floor.

Includes:  Eiffel Tower Skip the line with access to the Summit

Day 3:

3 hour private guided tour of Louvre Museum (meeting the guide at the Louvre, entrance fees included)

One of our expert museum guide in Paris will take you on a custom private tour of the Louvre. Your private tour of the Louvre museum, the world’s largest palace and museum, is home to the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, and other artistic treasures. Our Louvre private tours can be fully customized to meet your interests. Our travel specialist and Louvre museum guide will customize a private tour especially for you.

Pastry and Chocolate Walking Tour in Saint Germain District.

Duration of tour: 3 hours

Walking in the historic cobbled streets of Paris Saint-Germain, your confectionery guide will take you to some very special places. You will marvel at what can be done by Paris top chocolate makers, discover which amazing flavours can be combined together to create world famous Pierre Hermes macarons. Smell, touch and taste the most exquisite patisseries, gateaux, speciality Poilane bread, cakes and chocolates. For 3 heavenly hours, you will visit no less than 8 different artisans. Starting at La Maison du Chocolat, you will work your way from chocolates looking like jewels fashioned by artists, through macaron heaven to pastries almost too beautiful to eat. « It was like biting into a cloud » was how someone described a Pierre Hermes’s macaron. Don’t feel too guilty while you are being given all these goodies to eat, as you will be walking from place to place and burning off those extra calories! Your guide will amaze you with some insights into the French way of life and the historical and cultural background of the area! We like to keep this tour small and intimate so we limit the group size to just 8 people. In that way you have time to enjoy the generous tasting (all included in the price).

Includes:  Guided tour. Tasting of 3 pastries, 5 chocolates and several types of bread. Not included: workshop visit, we are not able to see the production in the visited shops.

Day 4:

Morning Versailles guided tour by minivan (4 hours) semi private 8 people max  – pick-up and drop-off at your hotel

After being pick up from your accommodation in Paris, our guide will then take you to Versailles for the morning. Retrace the history of this magnificent chateau with the guide. You will have a one-hour guided visit in particular the Great Apartments – The Queen’s Bedroom, the great Apartments, the Hall of Mirros and the Gallery of Battles. Throughout your visit, the guide will furnish you with the history of this magical place. You will also see some traces of Le Brun, Louis XIV’s favourite painter. Portraits of the former residents can also be found throughout the chateau.

Do take advantage of some remaining time to room the « A la Francaise » gardens.

At the end of the visit, our guide will drive you back to your accommodation in Paris.

Day 5:  Loire Valley for 3 nights

Pick up car in Paris Citroen Grand Picasso or similar Midsize Class – Automatic unlimited mileage CDW & theft included

1 superior double connected to 1 twin sup, breakfast & taxes included at Hotel Le Choiseul****

Located in Amboise on the banks of the river, Hôtel Le Choiseul is composed of 3 18th-century residences. Rooms have a view over the gardens or the Loire River and free Wi-Fi access.

Guests at the Hôtel Le Choiseul can benefit from access to a heated outdoor swimming pool. This is open from 01 May to 30 September.

At the hotel restaurant, overlooking the river or the gardens, guests can enjoy gourmet regional cuisine.

The hotel wine cellar holds many fine wines, especially from the Loire region.

You can also enjoy a number of FREE perks during your stay, like WiFi, parking and breakfast.

http://www.grandesetapes.com/en/castle-hotel-choiseul-amboise

Day 8:  Provence for 5 nights

1 double room + 1 twin room, breakfast & taxes included at Hotel de l’Image****

Located in the heart of Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, Hôtel de l’Image is situated in a 2-hectare garden looking out into the Alpilles. With a seasonal outdoor pool and a 1000 m² maze in the grounds, there is WiFi access throughout the property.

Air-conditioned guest rooms feature a flat screen TV with satellite channels. Superior rooms offer a terrace overlooking the garden and the Alpilles.

The hotel’s restaurant, Les Terrasses de l’Image offers seasonal meals served on the shaded terrace or in the hotel’s dining room. A cocktail bar is open during the summer offering a wide variety of drinks, tapas and musical entertainment.

A shuttle bus can take you to the 500 m² spa « La Maison d’Ennea », just 0.6 miles away. Guests can enjoy an indoor heated pool, a training pool with a counter-current, a hot tub, a sauna, a hamman and a fitness room. The spa is open 7 days a week and also features light therapy and chromotherapy treatments are also offered.

The hotel is ideally located just 5 miles from Les Baux-de-Provence and its castle. The Golf de Servanes golf course is a 10-minute drive from the property. Hôtel de l’Image offers free private parking.

http://www.hotel-image.fr/uk/hotel-luxe-saint-remy-de-provence-site-officiel.php

Day 10:

Cooking Class in Aix en Provence

Cook near Aix with Chef Gilles, a native of Provence who acquired his love for cooking from his mother and grandmothers! Your cooking day will begin at 9:30 with a visit of the old town food market of Aix-en-Provence. Gilles will tell you stories about the area and the town, and you will have a chance to meet some of his favorite producers. Having lived four years in California, Chef Gilles’ English is excellent. You will select ingredients for the day’s menu based on seasonal availability, and will then head back to Gilles’ home for your class. On the way there, stop by his favorite wine merchant to select wines for the meal, and at the local goat cheese maker’s ranch to purchase cheese.

Gilles’ large, 12-acre property lies just four miles outside of Aix. He will show you his organic vegetable garden before leading you to his kitchen, where you will participate in a hands-on cooking class in which he will teach you the skills and knowledge he has acquired over many years as a French family home cook. Your menu might include such tasty items as tapenade, savory tarts, Provencal mussels, Bourride, rack of lamb, potato gratin, poached pears, apple tart, or crepes. After the cooking course, you will enjoy what you have created in a leisurely lunch. Gilles’ philosophy is that food brings people together and allows them to share a common experience. What better way to spend a day in Provence than by spending a day in Gilles’ shoes and living the day as a Frenchman!

Day 13:

Drop off car in Marseille at the airport by 10 am

CONTACT

Operations & Reservations

3477 Rushbrooke street, Suite 302

Verdun, QC, H4G IS8 CANADA

Corporate Headquarters

107-27 71st Avenue, Suite 403

Forest Hill, NY 11375

Phone: 1-514-285-8758

Toll free: 1-866-285-8758

Fax: 1-514-285-9128

Email: info@eetvl.com