We feel lucky that we found Emilie online! Usually, we like to plan our own trips, but we did not have the language capabilities or confidence to plan this vacation alone. Emilie …
We feel lucky that we found Emilie online! Usually, we like to plan our own trips, but we did not have the language capabilities or confidence to plan this vacation alone. Emilie to the rescue! She listened to our concerns and wishes and planned the perfect trip. Loved the small boutique hotel in the perfect part of Paris, and all the bed and breakfasts throughout the rest of our trip. Appreciated the tips for seeing non touristy villages. Loved all of our guides and special activities, especially the cooking lesson in Avignon. It was great knowing Emilie or Guillaume were just a phone call away if we needed them during the trip.
#5 - A cozy house by a castle in the Loire ValleyStart your day with a delicious home made breakfast.
#5 - A cozy house by a castle in the Loire ValleyEarly Birds will have the windows opening onto the castle
#6 - A 4* Boutique-Hotel in Saint Germain districtA charming place run by the same family for several generations
#6 - A 4* Boutique-Hotel in Saint Germain districtStay in a comfortable superior room and enjoy walking everywhere in Paris
#6 - A 4* Boutique-Hotel in Saint Germain districtRelax in a cozy salon
#6 - A 4* Boutique-Hotel in Saint Germain districtRely on the friendly staff to make your stay even more enjoyable
Step by step
Southern Provence near Aix
Start your trip with 4 nights in the heights of Aix en Provence, still inside the town of Aix, but in a very quiet setting surrounded by water. You will be comfortably settled in a typical “mill house”, surrounded by a lush garden with a swimming pool.
From the B&B, you will explore the landscapes which inspired so many painters including Cezanne, stroll Aix en Provence's little streets and why not spend a day by the sea in Cassis and the surrounding creeks?
One day, enjoy a fun Petanque class in one of the loveliest towns in Provence, with Jean Marc, who was born and raised there. A very Provençal experience!
Central Provence in a Castle
Then, drive towards North and the Avignon region where you will stay for 2 nights in a gorgeous 18th century castle surrounded by vineyards. This romantic and magical setting includes a peaceful garden, lavishly decorated salons and a very tastefully decorated room which combines antique furniture and all modern conveniences.
You will discover the Roman heritage in Provence: Orange arch, Pont du Gard bridge and enjoy the scenic drives in the Luberon & Vaucluse hills.
Biarritz & the Basque Country
On the 7th day, you will drive all the way to the South West of France and reach the Atlantic coast. You will stay for 5 nights in a lavishly decorated former farmhouse, between Biarritz and Saint-Jean de Luz.
We will craft your days so you get a feel of everything the Basque culture has to offer, and there is a lot! Taste the local Bayonne ham after strolling a valley and discovering the traditional and still alive mountain pig farming, get acquainted with the Basque weaving tradition, try to make your own Basque cake or stroll one of the many farmers markets.
Several “most beautiful villages of France” will be on your scenic drives – and you may see some locals playing the Basque Pelote game at the town’s fronton. Nature and outdoors lovers will enjoy endless walks and hikes in the Pyrenees foothills.
Dordogne: prehistory, fortresses & ducks
In Black Perigord, you will stay in an old stone Perigord style house for 5 nights. One night you will share a mouth-watering dinner with your hosts Nat & her husband as well as fellow travelers.
Dordogne is famous for the prehistoric caves in Lascaux and we'll recommend to you a much more intimate visit: we plan for you to step back to the prehistoric time, in a 20,000-year-old painted cave - access is limited to only 40 people per day.
There is a lot to do in this region: medieval castles to visit, wonderful food to taste - we'll tell you where to find the most typical goat cheeses - and if you like outdoor activities, you'll be in paradise. Also, visit the old city of Sarlat and feel the buzz of activity on market days.
The Loire Valley: castle & king country
Spend the next 5 nights in a lively town between Saumur and Tours, along the Loire River, across the street from a gorgeous middle ages castle. At night, you can walk to one of the best restaurants in the whole region, relax in the house's patio or at a bistro terrace. Your hosts have restored the house very tastefully and they will make you feel at home.
Travel through small villages lost between rolling hills, stop over for wine tastings or to wander about outdoor markets and savor local specialties.
Explore all the marvels of the Loire Valley: the castles of Chambord and Chenonceau, Chaumont gardens and the historic city of Amboise. You will also explore, at your own pace, several villages and castles such as Langeais and Villandry gardens.
Touraine is also famous for its vineyards – Chinon, Bourgueil, Vouvray and many more – and we have planned a special wine tasting. You will have the opportunity to taste different wines - in a privately owned 16th century castle - accompanied by some local snacks.
Ah . . . Paris!
On the 22nd day, you will drive back to Paris and return the car by the ring road (to avoid driving inside the city).
Experience living the Parisian life. Comfortably accommodated for 4 nights in a charming boutique-hotel in Saint Germain, by the Luxembourg gardens, you will discover the French capital city’s must sees and hidden beauties.
We plan for you to get oriented with a Parisian guide for a half-day, discover Paris most famous buildings along the Seine river and get to learn a lot about French culture and history while having a lot of fun.
Being based 10-minute walk to Notre Dame Cathedral, you can explore Paris by 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.
We will do our utmost for you to have the best time in our country !
Activities included
Pétanque Class in Provence
Enjoy a fun Petanque class in one of the loveliest towns in Provence, with Jean Marc - who was born and raised there.
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 Wine Tasting in a castle in the Loire
Visit a family-owned 16th century castle and winery surrounded by over 100 acres of vineyards and forests.
Enjoy a commented tasting of the wines with some local-product snacks.
Paris Orientation Tour
Discover Paris most famous buildings along the Seine river and get to learn a lot about French culture and history...having a lot of fun.
I can echo everything that has been said in the previous three reviews. The personalization of this entire trip was incredible and Emilie communicated quickly and completely, both in the planning of the trip and after we were in France. My husband and I were spending four weeks in France in celebration of our 50th anniversary. We were a little …
I can echo everything that has been said in the previous three reviews. The personalization of this entire trip was incredible and Emilie communicated quickly and completely, both in the planning of the trip and after we were in France. My husband and I were spending four weeks in France in celebration of our 50th anniversary. We were a little reluctant to take a trip this long and do this much driving but Emilie's planning and suggestions were so great that we never had any problems. And she arranged the best bed and breakfasts possible. All of the hosts were wonderful and we had some very good dinners around a table with many people from other countries, which was one of the reasons why we wanted to stay at bed and breakfasts. Our tour guides were amazing and at two different places Emilie had left personal notes and gifts. That is just the type of person she is. We asked Emilie if we could meet her and we were fortunate enough to be able to do that in her hometown of Langeais. She is just was delightful as you would expect her to be and she spent over an hour with us. It was one of the highlights of our trips. Every day we had to pinch ourselves that we were doing all of these fabulous things from Paris, to Normandy, to Brittany, to the Loire Valley, to Burgundy, to Provence and to the French Riviera. As you can see, we covered a lot of territory because of Emilie's willingness to customize our trip so that we could see a lot of France. We agree with the suggestion to go with your own GPS. It certainly helps to know how to use it before you arrive. We also suggest that you book your trip well in advance so that Emilie has time to arrange the best bed and breakfasts and the best tour guides. We certainly felt like we had that and we booked our trip seven months ahead. And read your tour book(s) before you go. You will still refer to them each and every day but there is so much general information in the books that we found very helpful. We have NEVER had a better trip and it's because of Emilie. Thank you, Emilie, for truly giving us the trip of a lifetime. We have memories that will last forever because of you.
Wendy
Celebrating my daughter Kelsey's Doctorate - Emilie planned the PERFECT / made to order itinerary for us! Serendipity led us to France Just for You - and has spoiled us for any other way to travel abroad. Perfect trip start to finish....there was no detail overlooked. The personal guidebook is to be treasured - a fabulous reference material and …
Celebrating my daughter Kelsey's Doctorate - Emilie planned the PERFECT / made to order itinerary for us! Serendipity led us to France Just for You - and has spoiled us for any other way to travel abroad. Perfect trip start to finish....there was no detail overlooked. The personal guidebook is to be treasured - a fabulous reference material and cherished keepsake! What a wonderful way to truly experience a foreign country....and Emilie is the perfect ambassador for the country she so obviously loves! (As much as we enjoyed each and every B&B on our itinerary - her parents / Les Bournais is not to be missed! Salt of the earth people....Phillipe and Florence are national treasures!) We will be singing the praises of Emilie / Guillaume and their labor of love for the foreseeable future....heartily recommend to one and all! Truly a Bon Voyage!
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!
