My husband and I prefer to travel independently not on tours but I am getting tired of doing all of the planning. Emilie did an excellent job of planning the trip. I gave input on …
My husband and I prefer to travel independently not on tours but I am getting tired of doing all of the planning. Emilie did an excellent job of planning the trip. I gave input on the type of hotels and the places that we wanted to see and she took care of the details. The hotels that she picked were outstanding. All but one day we followed her itinerary and were pleased. One day my husband wanted more WWII stuff and me were able to change plans at the last minute.
Normandy's Seaside & Hinterland
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#1 - 5 minute drive to Mont Saint MichelA 17th century farm
#1 - 5 minute drive to Mont Saint Michelwith a nice old-stone ambiance
#1 - 5 minute drive to Mont Saint Michel...and very comfortable rooms
#2 - A beautiful countryside house near Bayeuxstay in a very quiet setting between Bayeux and the Landing Beaches
#2 - A beautiful countryside house near Bayeuxenjoy a comfortable room
#2 - A beautiful countryside house near BayeuxShare a delicious table dhôtes dinner with your hosts
#2 - A beautiful countryside house near BayeuxRelax in the guests living room or in the garden
#3 - A Gorgeous Mansion on the hill above Giverny townStay away from the crowds only 2 miles to Monet's house and gardens
#3 - A Gorgeous Mansion on the hill above Giverny townRest in a spacious room, lavishly decorated...
#3 - A Gorgeous Mansion on the hill above Giverny town...or in the welcoming living room
Step by step
Mont Saint Michel
On your first day you can pick up the rental car in Paris, CDG Airport (with about a 4hr drive) or in Rennes city which is closer (1hr drive).
You'll spend the first 3 nights of your journey in a charming Bed & Breakfast, just a 5 minute drive to Mont Saint Michel ! Your welcoming Hosts will be happy to answer your questions or explain your about their region. They have a typical Norman stone house, surrounded by a nice garden.
A place you won't want to miss is obviously THE Mont Saint Michel: this sumptuous abbey standing on a tiny island in the middle of a bay is truly the “8th wonder of the Western world” and is well worth a visit. For you to avoid the "up and down walk" on the crowded street on Mont Saint Michel, you'll follow a local English speaking private guide who will help you discover this amazing village and abbey off the beaten path.
You will also spend a day in the very near & typical Brittany: Saint Malo, Dinan will give you a great taste of this special region of France.
Normandy: the Bayeux area
The second leg of your journey takes you to a peaceful countryside house, locatedbetween Bayeux's old town and the Landing Beaches. Your hosts travel a lot and will be happy to share stories with you around breakfast.
Spend 3 nights near Bayeux and jump into the local history: from William the Conqueror in the 11th century whose adventures are illustrated in the Bayeux tapestry, to the Battle of Normandy in 1944.
Many remains of the WWII landings are still visible and you can quickly access Gold and Juno landing beaches as well as the artificial port of Arromanches or the Caen Memorial. To help you better understand the events of the Battle of Normandy and bring them to life, we have planned for a private guided tour with a specialist in WWII history. You will be shown all the main landing sites and learn in detail about what happened here on D-Day.
Deauville and Honfleur are within driving distance and the Normandy countryside might be less famous but is certainly worth a detour: the typical half-timbered villages, the Cider road, the beautiful English style gardens, the apple brandy traditional manufacturers . . . and of course the cheeses. A trip to Normandy would not be complete without tasting Camembert or Livarot cheese!
To get familiar with Norman gastronomy, we have planned for you a cooking class with Brigitte. She will welcome you in her home where you’ll prepare a 3 course meal that you will savor for lunch. A fun experience!
Giverny : Monet's town
Your journey ends in Giverny, for an overnight stay in a gorgeous mansion, 2 miles from Monet house, in the orchards. This tiny unchanged village takes you back to the 19th century when the great painter Claude Monet created a new art movement: impressionism.
Monet's gardens are beautifully maintained, exactly as they were when Monet painted them. We include in this itinerary a cut-the-line ticket that enables you to avoid the wait at Monet’s house and gardens.
You are only a 1hr drive to Paris car return or to CDG Airport, very convenient to end your trip or for a next step.
What a week !
Activities included
Mont Saint Michel Private Tour
Discover this unique village and its Abbey with a local guide who will explain you about its history and traditions. She will take you to many small streets to see places that tourist usually don't see.
Private Guide on the WWII sites
Spend a half day with a private guide who will customize the itinerary to your wishes and interests. A must do to better understand what happened on D-Day.
Norman cooking Class
Spend a morning with Brigitte who will teach you how to make a real norman meal. Then you'll enjoy the lunch in her welcoming dining room or in the terrace.
Monet's House & Garden
Avoid wasting time standing in line, use the by-pass line to visit the house of Monet and its famous gardens. Follow in the footsteps of this painter and the American Impressionists in the small town of Giverny.
We were overwhelmed by the wealth of information available when attempting to plan our 6 week self drive holiday in France. Never having been to France before we found the task daunting and sifting through forums full of information only confused us. We have traveled in New Zealand using a New Zealand based travel adviser and decided to look into …
We were overwhelmed by the wealth of information available when attempting to plan our 6 week self drive holiday in France. Never having been to France before we found the task daunting and sifting through forums full of information only confused us.
We have traveled in New Zealand using a New Zealand based travel adviser and decided to look into using a similar company for this trip.
So glad we did. We found France Just For You and felt as though we were on the right track. After lots of communication with Laura we came up with an itinerary that proved to be terrific. Our accommodation was all fantastic, suggestions of things to do and places to eat, rental car was organised even down to the all important places to park.
We had an unforgettable holiday made so much better on the recommendations of France Just For You. We highly recommend this company if you are wanting guidance for your holiday in France.
Janet
We have traveled in Europe a dozen times. Our trip to France, the Loire Valley and Normandy was one of the very best. Their custom self-guided tours are based on places and activities that interest you. Emelie listened to what we wanted and created an itinerary that was just what we wanted as well as some suggestions for other things we might try …
We have traveled in Europe a dozen times. Our trip to France, the Loire Valley and Normandy was one of the very best. Their custom self-guided tours are based on places and activities that interest you. Emelie listened to what we wanted and created an itinerary that was just what we wanted as well as some suggestions for other things we might try. Emelie created a spiral bound book with information about traveling in France as well as detailed information about the B & Bs, maps, directions and all the places we planned to visit. The B & Bs were lovely old stone buildings with modern comforts. A private cooking class, a private tour of an ancient church in the mountains, and a guided tour of Normandy were features we really enjoyed. The chateaus and gardens [my personal favorites] were magnificent. Normandy was so moving. I am glad that we had a guide who spent the entire day with just us. We learned and saw so many things we would have missed on our own. We would urge you to consider France Just for You. We loved our trip and would use them again. GPS was a life saver.
Tonya & Bob
We did 2 weeks May to June to Normandy, Loire Valley and Paris and had a wonderful time. We gave Laura our list of must see and do items and our budget and she took care of the rest. From arranging our auto rental to providing suggestions to the French smart phones, everything was taken care of and good not have been easier. When our car got a flat …
We did 2 weeks May to June to Normandy, Loire Valley and Paris and had a wonderful time. We gave Laura our list of must see and do items and our budget and she took care of the rest. From arranging our auto rental to providing suggestions to the French smart phones, everything was taken care of and good not have been easier. When our car got a flat tire Laura was available to us every step of the way translating for us and making arrangements for a new car to be delivered. We loved her suggestion for a French cooking lesson and had a great time with our hostess making a meal in her own lovely home. The wine tasing in troglodyte cave was another wonderful suggestion of her. Wonderful memories we made!
