In this itinerary, you will experience the "sweet life" in Touraine and Burgundy, stopping over in little villages to savor local cheeses or taste amazing wines. Take the time to relax in rose gardens, or to enjoy the traditional cuisine in many small restaurants frequented by the locals.
My wife and I had our travel plans created by Emilie at "France Just For You," a personal travel planner, Our trip was seamless as everything was prepared by FJFY: car rental …
My wife and I had our travel plans created by Emilie at "France Just For You," a personal travel planner, Our trip was seamless as everything was prepared by FJFY: car rental pickup, B&B #1, detailed maps and activities, B&B 2, train to Paris, hotel, tours . . . . it was simply amazing!
FJFY creates a customized tour book for your entire trip, it comes with maps, activity suggestions, restaurants. Our B&B's were beautiful and the hosts were kind and helpful. It was fun to meet others at the B&B's, people who have come back to the same place year after year because of the hospitality.
Paris accommodations were located in a nice area and within walking distance of many locales and train stops. We had a guided tour of the city and tickets to the Louvre all taken care of by FJFY.
The only bad part about FJFY is the challenge of deciding on the many itineraries, all are enticing so I MUST go back to France. When we return I will be seeking Emilie's expert advice once again.
The Loire Heritage & Burgundy Cuisine
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Your accommodations
Pictures of the specially selected accommodations
#1 - A winery in the heart of Beaune, BurgundyStay at a lovely couple who are also winemakers
#1 - A winery in the heart of Beaune, BurgundyEnjoy walking everywhere in Beaune (300 yards to the Hospices)
#1 - A winery in the heart of Beaune, BurgundyHave a nice rest in a very comfortable room
#1 - A winery in the heart of Beaune, BurgundyTaste your hosts wine with them...
#1 - A winery in the heart of Beaune, Burgundy...and why not having a bottle in the park ?
#2 - A comfortable B&B in the Kings' countryYour BB in the Loire Valley
#2 - A comfortable B&B in the Kings' countryEnjoy a very cozy room, with a nice view over the park
#2 - A comfortable B&B in the Kings' countryRelax at the swimming pool, playing billiards or in a nice living room
#2 - A comfortable B&B in the Kings' countryand meet with a lovely family
#3 - A Very Unique Site in Southern LoireStay in the former royal stables...
#3 - A Very Unique Site in Southern Loire...of a magnificent medieval castle
#3 - A Very Unique Site in Southern LoireFeel like Queen & King
#3 - A Very Unique Site in Southern Loireunwind in the garden
#3 - A Very Unique Site in Southern LoireWhat a view!
#3 - A Very Unique Site in Southern Loirestroll the grounds...which are just for you once the day visitors have left
Step by step
Burgundy: Wine, Gastronomy & Heritage
FromParis downtown or CDG Airport, get your rental car and drive about 3 hours to Burgundy. We will recommend you a very nice stop on the way, so you will enjoy this day traveling to the first B&B.
In Beaune, you will reside for 3 nights, 3 minutes on foot from the famous Hospices, right next to Beaune's ramparts,at a lovely couple who also owns a wine estate. Monsieur will be happy to organize a wine tasting for you to discover the different wines they produce. Situated in the heart of Burgundy, this is the perfect place to learn about the local wines.
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. Dijon has kept a lot of ancient monuments and houses, yet it is a modern city very lively.
To discover the Burgundy vineyard trails, we plan for you to spend an afternoon on a bike to discover Burgundy wines. You will make several stops on the way to taste wine at smaller wineries.
The Loire Valley beauties
Your trip continues with 4 nights in a very pleasant family house which is located half-way between Blois and Amboise, in the heart of the "castle country." Also, a Michelin-star restaurant is only 1.5 miles away . . . a great opportunity to plan for an extraordinary dinner !
From here, you will explore the Loire Valley's most famous sites: Chambord or Chenonceau, Chaumont gardens and if you want to do some shopping, you may enjoy Tours.
Touraine is also famous for its vineyards and we plan for you to relax on a typical boat on the Loire river, while enjoying a commented old-vintages wine tasting.
You will also wander into tiny villages dotted along the Loire river and get a taste of French gastronomy in restaurants and local markets we have tested for you. Feel the real French "good life" strolling around peaceful villages on market days.
We also plan for you to enjoy a delicious cheese and wine apéritif right at a family-run goat farm, for an authentic taste of local life and Loire Valley flavors.
Last night in a Castle
Spend your last night in the former royal stables of a magnificent medieval castle, now an intimate 4-star boutique hotel where historic interiors, contemporary art and views over the grounds create a truly distinctive setting. Once the daytime visitors have left, step into the gardens for a peaceful evening stroll and you can feel like a Queen & a King!
On your last day, you can drive back to Paris (3hrs) ot to CDG airport (3hr30). We will arrange car drop off in the most convenient location based on your next destination. For those who don't want to drive, we can also arrange TGV high speed train.
Charm is definitely the best word to qualify Burgundy and the Loire Valley and you won't miss a piece of it!
Activities included
Burgundy Wine & Bike Tour
Spend an afternoon with a guide who will take you wine tasting in Côte de Beaune famous vineyards...and wineries of course.
Wine & Boat Tour
Relax on a typical boat on the Loire river, while enjoying a commented old-vintages wine tasting.
We also plan for you to enjoy a delicious cheese and wine apéritif right at a family-run goat farm, for an authentic taste of local life and Loire Valley flavors.
France Just for You made our trip to France a very wonderful experience! Emilie asked what we'd like to do and she did all of the work. From booking charming, cozy hotels and b&b's to creating itineraries tailored toward our interests. The book she created for us included directions and suggested hikes in Paris, Bayeux, Honfleur and Giverny. We …
France Just for You made our trip to France a very wonderful experience! Emilie asked what we'd like to do and she did all of the work. From booking charming, cozy hotels and b&b's to creating itineraries tailored toward our interests. The book she created for us included directions and suggested hikes in Paris, Bayeux, Honfleur and Giverny. We were even given suggestions on where to eat along with detailed directions. We would definitely use this company again! Thank you Emilie!
Mervyn
My wife and I and two friends decided we would like to visit France and by chance I found Emilie's website and initiated an online conversation with her over a year ago. We really did not know what we wanted to do, nor where we wanted to go and so our planning became a moving feast, most ably supported by Emilie. How she ever put up with our …
My wife and I and two friends decided we would like to visit France and by chance I found Emilie's website and initiated an online conversation with her over a year ago. We really did not know what we wanted to do, nor where we wanted to go and so our planning became a moving feast, most ably supported by Emilie. How she ever put up with our changing demands remains beyond me. The speed with which she responded to our requests was nothing short of amazing, she must never sleep !! We together finally put together a truly wonderful programme that met our every expectation. We saw provincial France over 17 days, starting in the Cote D'Azur and culminating in Paris, visiting Provence, Burgundy and the Loire. The accommodation arranged by Emilie was delightful, her suggestions on activities, routes, restaurants, sights to see and visit were outstanding.
Travelling from Australia to France is not for the fainthearted at any time, let alone making an unescorted self drive tour such as we have done over the past month. I doubt we could have done it without Emilie's very professional support.
We would recommend her services to anyone. Thank you Emilie
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.
