in Loire Valley, Dordogne, Carcassonne & French Riviera
Wine Tasting
Towns & Villages
Art & Museums in France
Explore French culture and historyin three of its most representative regions: the Loire Valley, Dordogne and the Riviera, with a nice stop in Carcassonne.
This is the third year in a row that we have traveled to France, as part of a two country vacation. Because of our positive experiences with Emilie's help in the past, and our …
This is the third year in a row that we have traveled to France, as part of a two country vacation. Because of our positive experiences with Emilie's help in the past, and our desire to be relatively independent, we chose to have her craft our French trip again this year. In a word, she is incredible! We have such a high level of confidence in her that we will not consider any other agency. She creates an itinerary for you that is faithfully based on your interests. The personalized book she prepares for each traveler is legendary, and presents an easy, chronological, and thoughtful guide and resource for the relevant history, points of interest, lodging and restaurants. The B & B's she uses are personally screened for you, and truly delightful. We know from our hosts, that Emilie is very highly regarded by them, because the clientele she attracts are curious, respectful, independent, and desirable. Emilie personally has inspected the lodging she has arranged to be sure it is first rate, and maintaining it's excellence, over time. Although all of our prior communications have been by internet, the highlight of our trip this year was meeting Emilie in Tours. We wish her continued, well deserved success!
Castles, Caves & Coves
tour
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Your accommodations
Pictures of the specially selected accommodations
#1 - A 14th century house in the Loire ValleyA charming house, nestled in a lovely hamlet
#1 - A 14th century house in the Loire ValleyRelax in a cozy room, after a day sightseeing.
#1 - A 14th century house in the Loire ValleyYour lovely hosts will take good care of you...
#1 - A 14th century house in the Loire Valley...and will take you to their vaulted cellar for the apéritif.
#2 - An elegantly restored perigourdin farm in DordogneA 19th century farm...
#2 - An elegantly restored perigourdin farm in Dordogne...with a traditional sheep farming borie outbuilding.
#2 - An elegantly restored perigourdin farm in DordogneStay in a very comfortable room...
#2 - An elegantly restored perigourdin farm in Dordogne...and enjoy a delicious home-made dinner.
#3 - A charming Boutique-Hotel in a 17th c. Bastide houseStay 3 miles from Carcassonne Medieval Town in a quiet ambiance
#3 - A charming Boutique-Hotel in a 17th c. Bastide houseYour lovely hosts are happy to share many tips or help with restaurants
#3 - A charming Boutique-Hotel in a 17th c. Bastide houseRelax in a welcoming suite-room
#3 - A charming Boutique-Hotel in a 17th c. Bastide houseenjoy a drink or a plancha in the garden
#3 - A charming Boutique-Hotel in a 17th c. Bastide houseor refresh in the pool !
#4 - A mansion, full of artwork on the RivieraEnjoy the comfort of a very spacious suite room...
#4 - A mansion, full of artwork on the Riviera...in a lovely typical town of the Riviera hinterland
#4 - A mansion, full of artwork on the RivieraYour lovely hosts will share many tips and hints
#4 - A mansion, full of artwork on the RivieraArt is everywhere in the this house...even at the breakfast table.
Step by step
The Loire Valley
Spend the first 5 nights of your trip in the outbuildings of a disappeared monastery dating back to the 14th century. Your charming hosts know this region very well and will be happy to share some tips with you. One night, you will share a delicious home-cooked dinner, prepared by Monsieur. Do not miss the aperitif in the underground vaulted cellar - an out-of-time experience!
Feel the real French "good life" strolling aroundpeaceful villages on market days. Included in this itinerary is an electric bike rental for a day. You will explore, at your own pace, the nature, villages and castles along the river. No worries, the path along the Loire river is totally flat!
Visit a Chinon winery run by a charming couple who come from generations of winegrowers. Enjoy a commented tasting of the wines with some very local specialties.
Dordogne
In Black Perigord, you will stay in anold stone Perigord style house for 5 nights. One afternoon, you will enjoy a cooking workshop with your hosts - followed by a mouth-watering dinner shared with Nat & her husband and fellow travelers.
Dordogne is famous for its amazing prehistoric caves. If you are interested in history or if you are a JM Auel's reader, visiting one is a must! There is a lot to do in this region:medieval castlesto visit, wonderful food to taste - we'll tell you where to find themost typical goat cheeses- and if you likeoutdoor activities, you'll be in paradise.
We have selected the best section of the Dordogne river for you to canoe down,enjoying the wonderful views of the medieval castles perched high above you.
Carcassonne & the Cathar Country
Carcassonne and the Cathar country are the perfect stop over on the way to Provence. Carcassonne's medieval “Cité” will amaze you by its size and conservation.
Stay at a 3 mile drive from Carcassonne Medieval Fortress, in a charming and quiet Boutique-Hotel, owned by a lovely couple. After Carcassonne day crowds, you can relax in the comfortable suite-room, reading in the garden or at the swimming pool.
On the 12th day, you will have the longest drive of the itinerary: 4hr30 drive to reach Nice on the French Riviera.
The French Riviera
In theRiviera hinterland, you will have the opportunity to discover some of the most beautifulhandicrafts in France, particularly ceramics, sculptures and paintings. For art lovers the manyart museumsof Nice and its surroundings will amaze you with masterpieces by Chagall, Matisse and Picasso.
You will end your journey with 4 nights in the heart of a lively hilltop village in the back country, 7 miles – 11kms to the beach. Enjoy a peaceful atmosphere – away from the crowds - having a drink at a table at an outdoor cafe or strolling around a farmers market. Enjoy staying in a luxury B&B house, full of artwork and with lovely hosts - a very unique place.
In one of the most famous perfume houses, be introduced to the perfume making technics and make your own fragrance, which you will keep as a great souvenir!
But the Riviera is even more than all this. The “Cote d’Azur” is a marvel of fabulous 19th century villasand sapphire water coves. From Antibes to Monte Carlo, seaside resorts will satisfy all your shopping desires during the day. At night you can rely on the Riviera bars, seaside restaurants and discos to entertain you.
After this trip, you will definately want to come back . . .
Activities included
A Winery Visit & Tasting in Chinon
Visit a Chinon winery run by a charming couple who come from generations of winegrowers.
Enjoy a commented tasting of the wines with some local-product snacks.
Biking day in the castle's country
Spend a day on an Electric Bike at your own pace and discover many castles nestled in the nature. Enjoy a nice picnic with wine. We have tested several itineraries so you can chose depending on your mood and what you would like to see.
Cooking Class & Dinner
Spend a late afternoon with your hosts making dinner together like friends would do. Then you'll enjoy a convivial and savory dinner with your hosts & fellow travelers.
Riviera Perfume Workshop
In one of the most famous perfume houses, be introduced to the perfume making technics and make your own fragrance - which you will keep as a great souvenir!
We are independent travelers, and usually I do extensive research on Tripadvisor and other websites, and plan our own itinerary. I started doing this for our France section of our trip, and came across Emilie's France Just for You website. End of research ! After an initial inquiry, Emilie totally customised our Normandy and the Loire Valley trip …
We are independent travelers, and usually I do extensive research on Tripadvisor and other websites, and plan our own itinerary. I started doing this for our France section of our trip, and came across Emilie's France Just for You website. End of research !
After an initial inquiry, Emilie totally customised our Normandy and the Loire Valley trip, based totally on our requirements regarding the things we like to do. For seven days we held tightly onto our own little travel book, as we read every page and experienced in person everything on our itinerary. What a unforgetable experience !
Emilie is the most professional travel consultant that I have ever dealt with. Her wealth of knowledge of France is exemplary. I have no hesitation, after visiting Europe on three separate occasions, of giving France for you the highest recommendation possible.
Leslie
There are not enough superlatives for our experience with Emilie. Prompt correspondence and thorough questions led to the perfect vacation for my family. Her choice of hotels in Paris and Provence were exactly what I would have chosen on my own. Her tour guide recommendations were spot on. The fact that she arranged all of our transfers, train …
There are not enough superlatives for our experience with Emilie. Prompt correspondence and thorough questions led to the perfect vacation for my family. Her choice of hotels in Paris and Provence were exactly what I would have chosen on my own. Her tour guide recommendations were spot on. The fact that she arranged all of our transfers, train tickets, and rental cars was priceless. I was happy to begin with, but when we received our tour book, I was amazed. It is a bound, personalized several hundred page book of everything from French customs and phrases to personalized walking tour suggestions, to GPS coordinates for points of interest. Pictures of our hotels and hosts, small maps in the book, large maps for each day we ventured out. Even Paris metro tickets to get us started. We were a group of 8, ages 12 to 75 and it could not have been more seamless. For all of this personalized service, her fees were very reasonable. Next time we travel to France, we will surely use France Just For You again. Merci beaucoup!
Elizabeth from the US
An amazing trip through Southern France! This is the second trip we have booked with Émilie and her talented team at France Just for You and we couldn’t be happier. Based on our inputs, they designed an excellent trip for my husband, myself, my sister and sister-in-law using the Southern France from West to East as a template. We added several days …
An amazing trip through Southern France!
This is the second trip we have booked with Émilie and her talented team at France Just for You and we couldn’t be happier. Based on our inputs, they designed an excellent trip for my husband, myself, my sister and sister-in-law using the Southern France from West to East as a template. We added several days to the itinerary to explore more of Provence and I am so happy we did. We stayed in an hotel that had been in the same family for several generations, B&Bs and a traditional Provençal mas all hosted by warm, delightful, helpful and friendly hosts. We enjoyed several pre-booked activities such as city tours, a private winery tour with picnic and bottles of wine on the lovely grounds of the estate, a private day tour with a local guide in Carcassonne to ancient fortresses, a truffle hunting adventure, a day riding an e-bike (including a picnic lunch and wine) through several villages in the Luberon in Provence. They also provide a personalized travel packet with maps and a spiral bound travel guide. We have taken several other self driving tours in Europe and none compare to France Just for You.
Merci Émilie, Laura and Clelia for an amazing trip through a beautiful part of France,
