All travelers that book a trip with France Just For You receive a unique personal guidebook (in both printed and digital formats) that is 100% customized for your trip. If you’ve visited France on a self-drive tour with France Just For You, you will probably still have your personalized guidebook as a lifelong souvenir.

France Just For You guidebook
France Just For You guidebook
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France Just For You

We mail out the printed edition to you a month before the start date of your trip, and it contains a wealth of information. This includes:

  • Your unique itinerary based on your interests and our expertise
  • Information and tips about cultural and social specifics of the French people
  • Books you might enjoy reading and movies you might like, relating to France and/or to the theme of your trip or the regions you’ll be visiting
  • Essential French phrases to help you during your trip
  • Maps and directions to your accommodation and places of interest

This video tells you more about the France Just For You guidebook.

Newly printed France Just For You guidebook
Newly printed France Just For You guidebook
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France Just For You

We also thought you may be interested to know how each guidebook is produced! 

We work with local printers Éditions La Simarre here in the Loire Valley, where we’re based. It’s a family business composed of a small team of three: Jean-Christophe (the owner), Laurent and Babeth (the employees - also husband and wife). Laurent and Babeth have been working there since Jean-Christophe’s parents were running the company. Jean-Christophe’s mother continues helping out.

Our trip planner, Clélia, went to visit them recently to find out more about how they work.

Laurent explained that all their clients are treated the same, whether they’re individuals or big companies. They give the same care and attention to detail to every job.

He also explained the different steps involved in getting each France Just For You guidebook printed:

1. When he receives the digital version of the guidebook from us, he sends specific high-quality printing instructions to a huge printer.

The printers receive the digital version of the guidebook
The printers receive the digital version of the guidebook
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France Just For You

2. Before the printing starts, Laurent always ventilates the block of paper so the sheets don’t stick to each other. It’s a real technique that can’t be improvised!

Ventilating the pages of the guidebook
Ventilating the pages of the guidebook
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France Just For You

3. The book pages are printed 4x4 on a big format paper

4. When all pages are printed, Laurent trims them to size, a process we call “massicotage”. He uses a different, even bigger machine for that. By now, Laurent knows the France Just For You guidebook measurements by heart, since he personally has already made 150 books for us!

Laurent using a machine to cut the pages of the guidebook
Laurent using a machine to cut the pages of the guidebook
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France Just For You

5. Once cut, all the pages have to be bound together (“le reliage”) and that’s Babeth’s job, which she does by hand. First she makes two holes with a hammer in the front and back cover. Then she has to make small holes in every page (there are up to 450 pages per book) with a special small machine, before linking them together with a metallic spiral that she presses hard to close. She finishes by adding the elastic that holds the book closed.

6. Babeth wraps each book in craft paper for delivery.

Babeth binding the guidebooks together
Babeth binding the guidebooks together
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France Just For You

7. Clélia goes to La Simarre printers twice a week during high season to pick up the books.

8. Back at the office we add the books to the travel packs and then mail them to our travelers about a month before they arrive in France.

Senior Trip Planner Laura adding the guidebook to a travel pack
Senior Trip Planner Laura adding the guidebook to a travel pack
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France Just For You

 

Clélia said of her experience: “I have to say, I was impressed by the tailor-made nature of the work they do to print the guidebooks. It’s very similar to what we want to deliver to our travelers when planning their trip.”

Handmade, tailor-made, a local company, a family business... it all sounds a lot like France Just For You, doesn’t it?!

If you like the idea of having us plan your self drive tour of France - just for you - we warmly invite you to browse our sample France package tours. All of these can be customized to suit your interests and preferences!

France Just For You

Experts in self-drive tours in France

Travelers Reviews

5.0
Jena
Our trip was exactly as expected, planned perfectly with so many amazing tips on where and how to get around like a local. 25 days, with lots of driving and so much to see. Paris, Versailles, Normandy, Loire Valley, Sancerre, Dordogne and Bordeaux. We were warmly welcomed at all B&Bs and felt that we really got a local feel everywhere we went. All …
Liz & Bruce
We definitely experienced a new way of traveling : out-of-the-way places, local markets and quaint little restaurants. We met a lot of French people and other travelers and always had a great time ! We had already gone to France twice in the past, but thanks to Emily and Guilaume we rediscovered this fabulous country in a whole new way. We are …
Lynne & Jeff
In 2013 I had 2 big reasons to plan a trip to France: a new grand baby boy in Avignon, and I wanted to surprise my husband with a trip to Normandy. He absolutely loves anything and everything he can find to read or watch that is related to WWII. So, I started exploring online for a custom tour designer that could put together a great itinerary for …
Phil & Pat
Just a quick word of admiration and thanks for well planned and executed vacation for us. Every hotel, Chateau, B&B was clever, different and fun. Guides were outstanding and your recommendations without a flaw. I know we would enjoyed this vacation more because of your efforts Our time in France ends tomorrow and we have memories to carry us to …
Peter
We wanted my spouse's birthday trip to France to be special and we could not have expected such a perfect time. From initial communication with Emilie by email right up to having a driver meet us in Paris CDG airport, it was a stress-free vacation. Emilie provided first class service throughout and tailored our desire to see Paris, the Loire Valley …
Craig & Ginette
France Just For You, made going to France a seamless experience. They took care of all the arrangements: train, and car travel, tours and stays. The bed and breakfasts were hosted by delightful people who took an interest in you and had met and praised Emilie. Emilie tailored the trip to our specifications. Her organizational skills are unmatched …