You will be traveling from Bordeaux and its world famous vineyards to the fabulous Perigord, renowned for its gastronomy, historical heritage and amazing landscapes.
We enjoy drive yourself travel and located Emilie's France Just For You online. How fortunate we were. In September and early October we traveled 17 days in Loire, Bordeaux …
We enjoy drive yourself travel and located Emilie's France Just For You online. How fortunate we were. In September and early October we traveled 17 days in Loire, Bordeaux, Dordogne, Carcassonne and Provence. All the accommodations were in historic B&Bs. Our hosts were invariably gracious and helpful. At every stop Emilie included a home cooked meal which were all delicious multi-course events with good wines. A car and French phone were included as were winetours, truffle hunting and a canoe trip. Also included was a 500 page guidebook of the areas we visited with restaurant recommendations and itinerary suggestions including points of interest. Emilie made everything convenient and easy. Emilie was on top of the few minor problems of our own making that we encountered. I have organized self-drive trips myself before and Emilie saved me a lot of work with a result I never could have achieved If you like drive yourself travel you could not possibly find a better was to see France. The cost was reasonable and the trip exceeded our expectations.
Wines & Gastronomy of the SW of France
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Your accommodations
Pictures of the specially selected accommodations
#1 - A typical Bordeaux house, in the heart of the cityA Bordeaux classical architecture
#1 - A typical Bordeaux house, in the heart of the cityMixed with modern touches - which makes the place very special
#1 - A typical Bordeaux house, in the heart of the cityThe rooms are much larger than usual, being downtown a major city
#1 - A typical Bordeaux house, in the heart of the cityYour lovely hosts are multilinguals. Your host comes from a winemaker family
#1 - A typical Bordeaux house, in the heart of the cityEnjoy the views of Bordeaux roofs !
#2 - A Perigord style house, in central DordogneStay only 15 minutes to Sarlat in the heart of the medieval Dordogne
#2 - A Perigord style house, in central DordogneEnjoy a fantastic dinner by the swimming pool or the fire place
#2 - A Perigord style house, in central DordogneThis medieval castle is walking distance from your B&B
#2 - A Perigord style house, in central DordogneYour lovely hosts know the region perfectly
Step by step
Bordeaux Region : Wine & Heritage
You may plan to arrive to Bordeaux airport or train station to start this itinerary (or we can help you get there if needed).
Start your journey with 3 nights downtown Bordeaux Unesco city and enjoy discovering this lively city being within walking distance from the different historical districts.
Built along the banks of the Garonne river the opulent merchants' homes are very specific to Bordeaux. The rise of colonial trade together with the growth of the wine industry contributed to the amazing expansion of the Gironde region during the 18th century.
You will find everything you need: from villages nestled into the Medoc or St Emilion vineyards, to the bustling night life in Bordeaux. Also, bear in mind that Bordeaux's Sainte Catherine Street is the longest shopping street in Europe!
In a famous wine estate in Medoc, we have planned a special tour for you: after visiting the estate from the cellars, to the vats, passing by the vineyards to understand the different grape variety, you will play the sorcerer's apprentice and make your own wine (your own blend) to match different chocolates. You'll see that it's not that easy!
Dordogne : quaint villages & gastronomy
Continue your sightseeing expedition in the Dordogne region. In Black Perigord history is around every corner. In the lush river valley, you will spend the following 4 nights in a beautifully restored stone house.
Your lovely hosts will cook a delicious dinner inspired by local traditions. We'll tell you where to find the most typical goat cheeses - and if you like outdoor activities, you'll be in paradise.
Spend a special day with Bea: a private guide in Dordogne. She will take you back to the prehistoric and medieval times . . . away from the beaten paths. Dordogne is famous for the prehistoric caves in Lascaux and we'll recommend you a much more intimate visit, in a 20,000 year old cave. If you are interested in history or if you are a JM Auel reader, this is a must! Visit the old city of Sarlat and feel the buzz of activity on market days.
Another day, let a passionate villager take you on an unforgettable search for the black diamond: Perigord truffles. Nestled in a typical Dordogne hamlet, the view on the surrounding valley is gorgeous. This is an experience you'll remember!
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.
In Dordogne "to be le Roi Carotte" means that you are the happiest man on earth - we hope that you'll feel like being Le Roi Carotte.
Activities included
Bordeaux Wine tasting & blending
Visit a Medoc wine estate with an English speaking guide: from the vineyards to the wine storehouses. After the tour, you'll make your own blend with different varieties and pair wines with 3 chocolates.
Private Guide in the Dordogne
Spend a special day with Bea in Dordogne. She will take you back to the prehistoric and medieval times...away from the beaten paths.
Truffle Hunt
In Dordogne, spend a memorable time looking for truffles with a passionate professional and his truffle hound.
We have recently returned from our second trip to France arranged by Emilie and Guillaume. The itinerary was created by Emilie to include our particular interests and everything ran smoothly from start to finish. We look forward to exploring another part of France in the future arranged by France Just For You.
We have recently returned from our second trip to France arranged by Emilie and Guillaume. The itinerary was created by Emilie to include our particular interests and everything ran smoothly from start to finish. We look forward to exploring another part of France in the future arranged by France Just For You.
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.
Roger
For my wife and me, Emilie planned three weeks of wonderful experiences. She was quick to respond to questions and crafted an itinerary which suited us. The selection of places to see, things to do, and where to eat were superb. Emilie added a charming personal touch. As it was our 30-year anniversary, she arranged for an accommodation to welcome …
For my wife and me, Emilie planned three weeks of wonderful experiences. She was quick to respond to questions and crafted an itinerary which suited us. The selection of places to see, things to do, and where to eat were superb. Emilie added a charming personal touch. As it was our 30-year anniversary, she arranged for an accommodation to welcome us with a lovely bouquet of red roses and at another, we were greeted with a nice bottle of local wine. In the Loire Valley, she arranged a personal wine tasting at which we tasted and received an excellent bottle of Vouvray, Val de Loire, 1987, the year of our marriage. I try not to write in superlatives but I can say, we have never had such great service and personal attention. Thank you Emilie and family!
