For independent travelers who want to thoroughly explore la belle France - from Paris, through the vineyards of Burgundy, the charming landscapes of Provence, and on to the sunny Riviera!
When planning my 60th birthday celebration, my sister and I stumbled upon France Just For You, which saved us from the potential nightmare of traveling with 40 strangers on a bus …
When planning my 60th birthday celebration, my sister and I stumbled upon France Just For You, which saved us from the potential nightmare of traveling with 40 strangers on a bus. As a result, my sister and I, along with our husbands, experienced a trip of a lifetime! From the beginning, Emilie was extraordinarily responsive, informative, and more than accommodating to our wishes, both before and during the trip. For example, my sister and her husband experienced travel delays, and Emilie immediately offered to arrange alternative travel from Paris to our first destination in the Loire Valley. Before our travels began, Emilie sent us keepsake book, detailing our daily itineraries, replete with scheduled activities, restaurant suggestions, and optional excursions.Traveling through the Loire Valley, Normandy, and Paris for 12 days, each day was more spectacular than the previous one. The B&B near Chenonceau was a fantastic introduction to quintessentially French hospitality, charm, food, wine, and culture. From there we experienced true luxury in a serene setting in a chateau, where unexpectedly dinner was served (complete with vegetables from the castle's organic gardens). The B&B in Normandy was most memorable for the genteel hospitality of our host, Comte, who shared tales of his family through the centuries, including the arrest of his father in the foyer of the chateau due to his resistance activities against the Gestapo during WWII. The Count's son and his girlfriend served us a lovely meal around a stone fireplace in their charming apartment on the gorgeous chateau grounds. Thinking we had already experienced the best that France had to offer, we were blown away when we arrived at the B&B near Bayeux, warmly and creatively appointed. Finally, while less extravagant, the Hotel in Paris was equally as charming as our previous accommodations, located in a neighborhood teaming with cafes and shops in close proximity to all of the amazing sites that Paris has to offer! All of our hosts were extraordinarily gracious, serving us homemade French delicacies each morning and offering us helpful suggestions for making the most of each day. All in all, due to Emilie's fastidious planning, the trip was beyond perfect and exceeded our wildest dreams of a French vacation.
#1 - A 3* Boutique-Hotel in the heart of Le Marais districtA unique place, in the very center of Paris
#1 - A 3* Boutique-Hotel in the heart of Le Marais districtStay in a cozy room...
#1 - A 3* Boutique-Hotel in the heart of Le Marais district...less than 10 minute walk from Notre Dame Cathedral
#2 - A family house right between Dijon and BeauneA beautiful mansion in the Burgundy vineyard
#2 - A family house right between Dijon and BeauneWith spacious and comfortable rooms with a view over the park
#2 - A family house right between Dijon and BeauneEnjoy meeting with your very friendly hosts
#2 - A family house right between Dijon and Beaune...and having breakfast outside on a sunny day
#3 - A Typical Mas House, in a hidden valley in ProvenceStay in wilder Provence, at the foot of Mont Ventoux
#3 - A Typical Mas House, in a hidden valley in ProvenceEnjoy a comfortable room
#3 - A Typical Mas House, in a hidden valley in Provence...and many spots in the garden, or by the swimming pool.
#4 - A comfortable house in Southern ProvenceStay in Aix-en-Provence heights
#4 - A comfortable house in Southern ProvenceEnjoy fresh nights in a peaceful setting away from the crowds
#4 - A comfortable house in Southern ProvenceWalk on painter Cezanne footsteps
#5 - A charming Boutique-Hotel in NiceArt Deco Style hotel in the heart of Nice
#5 - A charming Boutique-Hotel in NiceEnjoy a very comfortable suite room with a kitchenette...
#5 - A charming Boutique-Hotel in Nice...and a nice reading room area with a great view
#5 - A charming Boutique-Hotel in NiceYou are just 2 blocks - 3 min walk to Promenade des Anglais and the beach
Step by step
Paris Landmarks
Start your French journey living the Parisian life for 4 nights! For a smooth arrival, a private driver will meet you at the airport and drive you to the hotel.
Comfortably accommodated in a charming boutique-hotel in a quiet street of the bustling Marais district, you will discover the French capital city’s must sees and hidden beauties.
Being based less than 10 minute walk from Notre Dame Cathedral, you can explore Paris by foot, by boat or using public transportation with different and unique itineraries we have planned 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.
Burgundy Wines
On the 5th day, you will pick up your rental car near the hotel and drive about 3 hours to Burgundy. You will reside for 3 nights in a beautiful mansion, surrounded by a vast park in the Côtes de Nuits vineyards.
Situated in the heart of Burgundy, between Dijon and Beaune, you will be perfectly located to do all the Burgundy sightseeing. Explore all the major vineyards of the region and have a chance to taste red and white wines among the best in the world. Your hosts are very welcoming and you will feel like friends in their comfortable B&B. You will also enjoy a delicious dinner at their table.
Let Alex, a local guide, take you on a nice walk in the vineyards of Meursault to better understand Burgundy wines from the vine culture to the glass. You will end this afternoon with the visit of a family-owned winery you could not visit on your own, and taste 5 of their wines.
Burgundy is much more than the vineyards: winding roads leading to tiny timeless villages - some of them "Most Beautiful Villages of France" - will give you a real feel for this region.
Dijon has kept a lot of ancient monuments and houses, yet it is a modern city that is very lively and full of charm. Taste some local cheeses, the "Epoisse" at the cheese factory or stroll around Beaune from the cellars to the remparts.
Provence Sweet Life
On the 8th day, you will drive 3h30 to Northern Provence. For 4 nights, you will reside in a very typical Provençal mas, in a hidden valley, at the foot of Mont Ventoux. There, you will enjoy the farniente and be perfectly located to explore Provence away from the beaten paths.
So many things to see in less than an hour's drive from your B&B: beautiful Avignon, also referred to as “the City of Popes”, where you can visit the Palace of the Popes, the well-preserved ramparts and the famous “Avignon Bridge”.
Enjoy hilltop villages on market day, walking in the footsteps of famous painters such as Cézanne or Picasso. We will also tell you about some hidden jewels - off the beaten track villages where you will stroll around charming streets or have a drink at a provencal café with locals.
For gourmets, we can also recommend a farmer’s market and wine cellar for each day of the week!
Southern Provence from Aix-en-Provence
On day 12, you will head to Southern Provence and stay for 4 nights in Aix en Provence, in the heights of the city, on the slopes of the Sainte Victoire Mountain. You will be comfortably settled in a typical “mas house”, surrounded by a lovely garden with a swimming pool.
From here, discover the beauty of southern Provence as you visit picturesque little villages in the Luberon or bigger cities such as Marseille and Aix-en-Provence. Tour the salt marshes of the Camargue, take an easy hike in the calanques near Cassis or visit the Alpilles region, where you will find beautiful Saint Remy de Provence and Van Gogh's favorite landscapes.
We will tell you where to buy the best olive oil or lavender products.
Travelers interested in history, should not miss the Roman ruins at Orange and the Pont du Gard. We will also take you to smaller sites – less famous and much quieter. Also, We plan for you to spend about 3hrs with a private guide to explore the amazing city of Arles and its Roman theaters.
The Riviera away from the crowds
On day 16, after about a 3hr drive, you will arrive in the French Riviera,right in the beating heart of Nice, in a charming boutique-hotel inspired by the Années Folles. You will walk everywhere in Nice. The famous Promenade des Anglais is just 2 blocks away and you can see it - and the sea - right from your suite-room. You are also very central to drive along the French Riviera to Menton, Monaco and Cannes.
In the Riviera hinterland, you will have the opportunity to discover some of the most beautiful handicrafts in France, particularly ceramics, sculptures and paintings. You might be tempted to step into a glassblower's shoes and make your own “chef d’oeuvre”.For art lovers, the many art museums of Nice and its surroundings will amaze you with masterpieces by Chagall, Matisse and Picasso.
In Nice, your lovely guide will take you to her best addresses in the old city to discover the history of the town via the Niçoise food & wine specialities.
But the Riviera is even more than all this. The “Cote d’Azur” is a marvel of fabulous 19th century villas and sapphire water coves. Wander about the narrow alleyways of the old city of Nice and visit the many famous art museums. Go shopping and enjoy views of the Mediterranean in seaside restaurants from Monte Carlo (Monaco) to Antibes.
To save time and energy, we recommend that our travelers fly out of Nice or Marseille International airports. If not possible, we will be happy to assist in finding the right transportation to your next destination.
A perfect trip for France lovers: gorgeous sceneries, the best of the French gastronomy & wines, local culture and great people!
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.
Burgundy Vineyards with a Private Guide
Let Alex, a local guide, take you on a nice walk in the vineyards of Meursault to better understand Burgundy wines from the vine culture to the glass. You will end this afternoon with the visit of a family-owned winery you could not visit on your own, and taste 5 of their wines.
Arles Guided Tour
Walk on Vincent Van Gogh footsteps with a private guide in Arles. Your guide will also take you to the Roman theater and amphitheater. A great introduction to Provence history & art !
Riviera Food & Wine Tour
Let your lovely hostess take you to her best addresses in the old city to discover the Niçoise food & wine specialities.
Emilie, You have created for us the most outstanding well planned vacation possible. We have thoroughly enjoyed following your suggestions each day-- each choice well selected specifically for us. And even when things didn't go perfectly-- like a flat tire on the rental car or a pilot's strike which resulted in the cancellation of our light, you …
Emilie,
You have created for us the most outstanding well planned vacation possible. We have thoroughly enjoyed following your suggestions each day-- each choice well selected specifically for us. And even when things didn't go perfectly-- like a flat tire on the rental car or a pilot's strike which resulted in the cancellation of our
light, you still remained by our side and managed the process until a solution was reached.
We can't thank you enough for your remarkable service. Our vacation to France would have been entirely different and not as interesting without you. Thank you
for everything,
Joey
We found France Just For You on Trip Advisor as we were beginning our plans to visit France. All of the TA reviews raved about quality of service and planning by Emilie so we decided to have Emilie plan our 3 week trip to France. Now we know why all the reviews of France Just For You are "excellent". We spent time in Paris, Dijon area, Loire Valley …
We found France Just For You on Trip Advisor as we were beginning our plans to visit France. All of the TA reviews raved about quality of service and planning by Emilie so we decided to have Emilie plan our 3 week trip to France. Now we know why all the reviews of France Just For You are "excellent". We spent time in Paris, Dijon area, Loire Valley and Normandy. From the start, Emilie was extremely helpful in arranging our itinerary so that we got to do/see all that we wanted to. All of the B&Bs, Restaurants, Activities and Tour Guides Emilie recommended were excellent. The Tour Books were customized for our itinerary and were full of very useful information. The pre-trip information Emilie gives you makes sure you arrive in France well prepared to handle all of the unique differences when one visits France. Emilie responded promptly to any of our email enquiries before and during our trip. When we had to change the dates of our entire trip, she handled that quickly with no fuss. The entire trip was fantastic and much of the credit for that must go to Emilie and her careful planning etc.
Dan
I communicated directly with Emilie who is very serious about their business of providing self guided tours. She prepared a proposal that matched what I had requested. Payment arrangements were easy. We really got to visit with local people. We rarely saw a tour bus. France - Just For You arranged visits with guides (wine tasting day in St. Emilion …
I communicated directly with Emilie who is very serious about their business of providing self guided tours. She prepared a proposal that matched what I had requested. Payment arrangements were easy. We really got to visit with local people. We rarely saw a tour bus. France - Just For You arranged visits with guides (wine tasting day in St. Emilion area and visit to Les Combarelles & Font de Gaume---small historic caves) to places we would never have found on our own. The guides were passionate and knowledgable. The personalized guidebook was essential as most commercially available guidebooks tell you want the author thinks is important which may not be what the reader is interested in. More than once I said ”What does Emilie's book say?” The book is laid out with more suggestions than you can do in one day. This is good because for example it was easy to adjust our plans on the day the weather turned bad. The whole package started at the airport with a car ready as promised and ended with easy car rental return. The B&Bs were exactly as described with enthusiastic hosts who were conversational in English.
