From Paris to Toulouse, this trip will allow you to explore these unique regions by the backroads. Take the time to visit some of the hidden castles of the Loire Valley, enjoy duck confit in Dordogne, and discover the typical villages of the Basque Country.
Just returned from an amazing trip with our family, including 3 teenage boys. Emilie carefully listened to our request to focus on military history and arranged an itinerary with …
Just returned from an amazing trip with our family, including 3 teenage boys. Emilie carefully listened to our request to focus on military history and arranged an itinerary with just the right balance of history, culture, art, and military history. We had incredible guides to Paris, WWI, and WWII sites plus unique B&Bs. So many memories!
#1 - A 4* Boutique-Hotel in Saint Germain des PrésIsn't this street "typiquement Parisienne ?"
#1 - A 4* Boutique-Hotel in Saint Germain des PrésEnjoy a large room with a nice reading area
#1 - A 4* Boutique-Hotel in Saint Germain des PrésBreakfast is served in the comfortable lobby
#2 - A restored historic home in the center of a lively townA historic home, in the center of a lively wine town
#2 - A restored historic home in the center of a lively townrelax in a large room
#2 - A restored historic home in the center of a lively town...in the courtyard or the guests living room
#2 - A restored historic home in the center of a lively townShare breakfasts with other fellow travelers
#3 - A Perigord style house, in central DordogneStay only 15 minutes to Sarlat in the heart of the medieval Dordogne
#3 - A Perigord style house, in central DordogneEnjoy a fantastic dinner by the swimming pool or the fire place
#3 - A Perigord style house, in central DordogneThis medieval castle is walking distance from your B&B
#3 - A Perigord style house, in central DordogneYour lovely hosts know the region perfectly
#4 - A Charming Boutique-Hotel in the Basque CountryNestled in a very typical and lovely town of the Basque region
#4 - A Charming Boutique-Hotel in the Basque CountryEnjoy a room which mixes the charm of the old stones & the comfort of a 4*hotel
#4 - A Charming Boutique-Hotel in the Basque CountryYour lovely hosts also run the restaurant, on the "place du village"
#4 - A Charming Boutique-Hotel in the Basque CountryA very charming place
#4 - A Charming Boutique-Hotel in the Basque Country...to get a real feel for the Basque culture & traditions
#4 - A Charming Boutique-Hotel in the Basque Countryand with great views over the countryside !
#5 - A gorgeous B&B between Biarritz & St Jean de LuzThe house is nestled in a landscaped garden all made by your host
#5 - A gorgeous B&B between Biarritz & St Jean de LuzThe rooms are very comfortable and all open on to the garden
#5 - A gorgeous B&B between Biarritz & St Jean de LuzShare a glass of wine in one of the many terraces
#5 - A gorgeous B&B between Biarritz & St Jean de LuzRelax at the pool house
#5 - A gorgeous B&B between Biarritz & St Jean de LuzOr stroll around the pound...or to the sea which is 3 miles away
Step by step
Paris, for a great start
For the first 3 nights of your French trip, you will be living the Parisian life. Comfortably accommodated in an intimate 4* boutique-hotel in the lively Saint Germain des Prés, you will discover the French capital city’s must-sees and hidden beauties.
Being based less than a 5-minute walk from Notre Dame Cathedral, you can explore Paris on foot, by boat, or using public transportation with different and unique itineraries we have prepared for you. We also recommend our favorite restaurants and boulangeries in different districts of the city, so you’ll know where to take a break.
To get oriented in Paris, we plan for you to take a guided tour on a bike, following a Parisian guide. Those who are not interested in biking can also take a walking tour.
Youwill pick up your rental car in Paris and drive 3 hours to the gorgeous Loire Valley. The region and its people will welcome you to the renowned "sweet way of life", which includes itsRenaissance castles and gardens and its famous gastronomy and wines.
The Loire Valley: castles, gardens & wine
Spend the following five nights of your journey in the lively town of Chinon by the river, where Joan of Arc once met with her future King of France. The B&B is at the foot of the medieval fortress and you will be within walking distance of the restaurants and wine bars. One night you may also enjoy a romantic picnic on the river banks or at the guinguette restaurant.
Touraine is famous for its vineyards – Chinon, Bourgueil, Vouvray, Amboise and many more – you will 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.
Discover the marvels of the Loire Valley. We will make recommendations on how to visit Chambord or Chenonceau castles away from the crowds. We will also recommend a few smaller castles and hidden places in beautiful settings. These places are less well-known but are steeped in history and well worth the escape from the tourist crowds. If you like gardens, don’t miss Chaumont castle or the wonderful Villandry.
On the 9th day, drive south from the Loire to the Dordogne region.
Dordogne : a moving testimony of mankind's first steps
You will continueyour sightseeing expedition in theDordogneregion. In Black Perigord you will stay in a restored stone house for 5 nights and share a mouth-watering dinner cooked by your hosts.
Dordogne is famous for theprehistoric cavesin Lascaux, but we have planned a much more intimate visit to a 20,000-year-old cave for you. If you are interested in history or if you are a Jean M. Auel reader, this is a must! Visit the old city ofSarlatand feel the buzz of activity on market days.
There is a lot to do in Dordogne:medieval castlesto visit, wonderful food to taste - we'll tell you where to find themost typical goat cheeses- and if you like outdoor activities, you'll be in paradise.
On the 14th day, you will drive from Dordogne to the Basque Country, with a nice stop along the way.
The Basque Country: quaint villages & strong culture
From the Atlantic coastline to the rugged Pyrenees Mountains, from the peacefulness of the untouched Basque villages to the lively nightlife in Saint Jean de Luz, the Le Pays Basque will not disappoint.
Spend 3 nights in a lovely town nestled in the hills. This 4-star family boutique-hotel is a perfect place to be introduced to the Pays Basque and enjoy the beautiful countryside.
We will craft your days so you get a feel of everything the Basque culture has to offer, and there is a lot. You can taste the local Bayonne ham after strolling through a valley and learning about the traditional mountain pig farming, a practice which still thrives today. Get acquainted with the Basque weaving tradition, try to make your own Basque cake, or take a stroll though one of the many farmers markets.
End your trip with 3 nights in a gorgeous Basque Country villa. The B&B is located 3 miles from the beach but in a very quiet landscaped garden.
Follow a local guide in Biarritz by the ocean. He will give you the keys to his city and to the Basque culture. You will learn about the Basque language as well as the traditions and festivals, such as the Basque Force. You will end this tour at the covered market tasting some Basque specialties.
Some of the most beautiful villages in France will be on your scenic drives. Here, you may see locals playing the Basque game of pelote at the town’s fronton (the pelote court). Lovers of nature and the great outdoors will enjoy long walks and hikes in the Pyrenees mountains. For occasional walkers, we will recommend a relaxing walk along the beach, followed by a coffee on a terrace watching the local surfers.
On this trip you’ll experience the generosity of Western France and its inhabitants: gastronomy, architecture, wines, heritage . . .
Activities included
Paris Bike Tour
Spend about 4hrs with a Parisian who will have you discover his city on a bike, with a group of max.10 travelers. For those who don't like biking, you can also take a walking tour.
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.
Prehistoric Caves
Walk back on the prehistoric men footsteps, in 20,000 year old painted caves - access is limited to 40 person per day.
A Private Guide to introduce you to the Basque culture
Follow a local guide in Biarritz, by the Ocean. He will give you the keys to his city and to the Basque culture. You will end this tour at the covered market, tasting some Basque produces: cheese, hams and wines.
There are not enough superlatives, or kind words, to describe the level of service Emilie, with France Just for You, provided us from the moment we contacted her, throughout our trip, and even her thoughtful emails upon our return. We contacted Emilie with a list of all the places we wished to go, the things we hoped to do, and our budget. We …
There are not enough superlatives, or kind words, to describe the level of service Emilie, with France Just for You, provided us from the moment we contacted her, throughout our trip, and even her thoughtful emails upon our return. We contacted Emilie with a list of all the places we wished to go, the things we hoped to do, and our budget. We exchanged several emails (Emilie’s response time was always immediate) and, within a couple of days, Emilie created an amazing itinerary for our 2 week stay in France that allowed us to do everything we hoped for and several things we would not have thought about on our own. Emilie is an incredible listener which was very evident when we received our itinerary. She had arranged for everything including a French Smartphone with Google Maps, a rental car, skip-the-line tickets, a stay in a castle, wine tastings, etc. All of our accommodations were superb with hosts that spoke fluent English, were very knowledgeable about their area, and had great suggestions from restaurants to local “must do’s” and everything in-between. When Emilie says she has visited all of the accommodations in person, she means it. Each host talked very highly of Emilie and reminisced about her visits. From the moment we stepped off the plane in Paris, we knew we were in for a great experience. Emilie’s detailed notes (all in a spiral bound, 400+ page book with our itinerary, addresses, suggestions,etc.) on where to pick up our French Smart Phone (an absolute must and one of our best friends during our visit - loaded with our tailored book and several other great programs) and then our rental car, made the start to our journey very easy - relatively important to us since neither one of us spoke more than 10 words of French. We had the privilege of meeting up with Emilie in her hometown and she was just as delightful in person as we experienced with our email exchanges over the last few months. While the trains were sporadically on strike, depending on the day, Emilie was there to follow the schedule and be ready to make an alternative plan for us if needed. When we hit a small snag turning in our rental car, Emilie was right there to figure things out and get us on our way. We’ve traveled quite a bit, yet we both thought this to be our Best Trip Ever. Thank you Emilie and France Just for You!
Naomi
My boyfriend and I spent a week in Paris last month and we decided that we would do a couple of day-tours outside of the city during our trip. We really wanted to avoid the typical tour-bus day-tour and the crowds that come along with these kinds of tours – we wanted something more personalized that would allow us to go at our own pace. I found the …
My boyfriend and I spent a week in Paris last month and we decided that we would do a couple of day-tours outside of the city during our trip. We really wanted to avoid the typical tour-bus day-tour and the crowds that come along with these kinds of tours – we wanted something more personalized that would allow us to go at our own pace. I found the France Just For You website and the ‘Bayeux and World War II Sites in a Day’ tour seemed to be exactly the type of thing we were looking for, as we’re both really interested in history. On a personal note, this tour appealed to me because my grandfather fought in Normandy in World War II. I filled up the contact form on the website and Emilie got back to me the same day. She organized every little detail to make it the perfect tour for us: she booked our return train tickets from Paris, organized for us to spend the morning on our own in the picturesque old town of Bayeux, where we enjoyed exploring the cathedral and saw the famous Bayeux Tapestry. Emilie sent over maps and directions and recommended a fantastic restaurant for lunch. After lunch, our private guide Christophe met us at the agreed meeting point in Bayeux and took us to the Normandy landing sites. I had explained to Emilie that I specifically wanted to visit this site as my grandpa had fought for one of the American infantry divisions that landed in Normandy in 1944. Christophe was extremely knowledgeable (and very patient with all of my questions!) and took us to the sites where my grandpa’s battalion would have fought. It was a very moving experience, especially when I thought back to the stories that my grandpa used to tell me about the war.
I really couldn’t have chosen a better tour option. It was perfectly customized to the preferences that I had given to Emilie, and she was very thorough and asked all of the right questions to help her plan the perfect day for us. We knew how to contact her in case there were any problems on the day (which there weren't), and the fact that everything was planned for us meant that we could just focus on enjoying the day. Thank you so much, I wouldn’t hesitate to book with you again!
Sheena
My friend and I decided to do a trip to Paris and then drive down to Nice. I was initially going to plan it however I got busy with work and did not have the time. This is when I found, France Just for You, and read the amazing reviews on Trip Advisor and decided to book. Emilie was great! She was thoughtful and paid great attention to detail. We …
My friend and I decided to do a trip to Paris and then drive down to Nice. I was initially going to plan it however I got busy with work and did not have the time. This is when I found, France Just for You, and read the amazing reviews on Trip Advisor and decided to book.
Emilie was great! She was thoughtful and paid great attention to detail. We thought everything was well organized, and easy to follow. This was from making the initial payment, to working together to make our itinerary and budget work. The guidebook was great for a little history lesson, and great attractions.
Overall the trip was well planned and all we literally had to do was pack our bags and follow our guidebook. Emilie had our tour maps dated and it was beyond easy to follow. We also knew that Emilie was available had we any questions. There was a personal touch to every place we visited. Emilie's warm and friendly personality seemed to be felt even in the hotels/BnB's we stayed at.
There was a lot of thought, consideration and attentiveness that was put into the planning that made the trip extremely special. We truly enjoyed our time in France, and we want to thank you again for such a great trip!
