Discover French gastronomy in three regions famous the world over for their food and wines. Burgundy and the Loire Valley are actually arguing about where Coq au Vin was first invented. Burgundy is famous for wine sauce and the Loire Valley for river fish, fruits and goat cheese. And of course Paris is heaven to gourmets! You’ll find the best boulangeries in the world in Paris, and the food markets are amazing.
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 …
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!
#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 beautiful house nestled in a lovely town near BeauneStay in a gorgeous valley, in the Burgundy countryside
#2 - A beautiful house nestled in a lovely town near BeauneIn a very typical town
#2 - A beautiful house nestled in a lovely town near BeauneYour charming hosts will turn breakfasts into a very special moment of your trip
#2 - A beautiful house nestled in a lovely town near Beaune..let's not forget about this host as well !
#2 - A beautiful house nestled in a lovely town near BeauneSpend very quiet nights, in a relaxing room
#2 - A beautiful house nestled in a lovely town near BeauneEnjoy a delicious dinner cooked by your host who used to be a Chef
#2 - A beautiful house nestled in a lovely town near Beaune...in a very nicely decorated room
#3 - A charming townhouse in a lively townA beautiful place in a lively town
#3 - A charming townhouse in a lively townOn a sunny day, enjoy breakfast in the garden
#3 - A charming townhouse in a lively townThe town is lively, but once you pass the B&B door, it is very quiet
#3 - A charming townhouse in a lively townMeet with lovely hosts !
#3 - A charming townhouse in a lively townRelax in the small garden
Step by step
A Few Days in Paris
Start your French journey living the Parisian life for 2 nights! For a smooth arrival, a private driver will meet you at the airport and drive you to the hotel.
This itinerary starts in Paris but if you wish, we can easily turn it around. 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.
For a half-day, follow a private guide in the heart of Paris to get oriented and learn more about the history, art, culture or architecture. We will taylor-make your program based on your wishes.
Ideally based less than 10 minute walk to Notre Dame Cathedral, you will 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 patisseries in different districts of the city so you’ll know where to take a break.
Burgundy Gastronomy
On the 3rd day, you will pick up your rental car at the closest agency from the hotel and drive 3 hours to Burgundy. We will recommend a gorgeous castle on your way.
In Burgundy, you will reside for 3 nights in in a beautiful house, nestled in a lovely village of the Burgundy countryside. Situated in the heart of Burgundy, between Dijon and Beaune, you will be perfectly located to tour the region and taste its wines. One night, enjoy a delicious dinner prepared by your host who used to be a Chef !
Explore all the major vineyards of the region and have a chance to taste red and white wines among the best in the world, directly at the winery!
On day, Alex will take you on a private walking tour of Beaune starting by the famous Hospices...and the exploring the historical rampart town, enjoying local gourmet products : cheese & wine tasting, gougères, pain d'épices....the local gastronomy & history won't have any secret for you !
We will provide you with all detailed itineraries to discover the authentic and charming Burgundy. This region 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. Taste some local cheeses, the "Epoisse" at the cheese factory or stroll around Beaune from the cellars to the ramparts.
The Loire Valley Castles & Gardens
On the 6th day, you will drive for 4 hours to the Loire Valley where you will spend the last 4 nights of this itinerary. Stay in a charmingly restored townhouse, in the heart of a very lively town in the Loire Valley. From here, you can walk everywhere including to Leonardo Da Vinci's final dwelling.
Discover the marvels of the Loire Valley: we will give you tips for visiting Chambord or Chenonceau castles away from the crowds. We will also recommend smaller castles and hidden places, less famous and with a lot of history and beautiful settings. If you like gardens, don’t miss Chaumont or Villandry.
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 specialties.
You will also wander off the beaten path into tiny villages and get a taste of French gastronomy in restaurants and local markets we have tested for you.
On your last day, you can drive 3hrs back to downtown Paris or 3hr30 to CDG Paris International Airport.
Strong or lighter wines, cow and goat cheeses, pastries, chocolate, farmers markets . . . this itinerary will delight food lovers!
Activities included
Paris Private Walking Tour
For a half-day, follow a private guide in the heart of Paris to get oriented and learn more about the history, art, culture or architecture. We will taylor make your program based on your wishes.
Beaune with a Private Guide
Alex will take you on a walking tour of Beaune starting by the famous Hospices...and the exploring the historical rampart town, enjoying local gourmet products : cheese & wine tasting, gougères, pain d'épices....the local gastronomy & history won't have any secret for you !
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.
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.
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.
Andrea
My husband and I had a full week to spend in southern France before an event we were attending in Cahor. We found France Just for You and got the best care and the best itinerary for those days. We arrived on the day of a strike and Emilie took care of us. She found alternate means of transportation and stayed with us by phone and email throughout …
My husband and I had a full week to spend in southern France before an event we were attending in Cahor. We found France Just for You and got the best care and the best itinerary for those days. We arrived on the day of a strike and Emilie took care of us. She found alternate means of transportation and stayed with us by phone and email throughout our trip. The B&B's she found were exquisite. We had such a wonderful experience. She booked tour guides, drivers, cooking classes, dinners and hikes. It made our trip so very easy and enjoyable. I would not go to France again without contacting her first.
