Your Holiday Itinerary

14-Day Break

• Day 1 – Local departure then onwards to the Caen area for a two night stay.
• Day 2 – Deauville, Trouville and Honfleur (optional). A day at leisure in Caen or why not join our optional excursion exploring the beautiful Normandy coastline. We travel to Deauville and Trouville, both favourite seaside resorts for the Parisians. Deauville is more glamorous with its casinos and yachting harbour. Stroll along the Promenade des Planches and admire the golden sands, or try some shopping. Trouville’s charm is its long beach lined by beautiful buildings and its traditional working fishing port. We continue to Honfleur, a harbour town and one of the most photographed in northern France with its 17th century Old Dock, or Vieux Bassin. The town was always a favourite for artists and still is – have your camera at the ready. B,D
• Day 3 – Mont St Michel and St Malo (included). On our way to Vannes, we travel south through Normandy this morning to visit the so called “wonder of the west”, the picturesque island site of Le Mont St Michel with its impressive Abbey, then into Brittany to spend some time at the fortified town of St Malo, with its huge ramparts and city walls which you can walk around. Explore the old centre, and the maze of streets, steeped in history, and perhaps try one of the famous “crêpes” B,D
• Day 4 – Tours (included). Wine tasting in Vouvray (optional). On the way to our hotel in the Loire valley area we visit the major city of the region, Tours, a smart “bourgeois” town with an appealing centre, and at one time capital of France. Perhaps you might like to join our optional wine tasting in Vouvray, home of some fine white and sparkling wines. B,D
• Day 5 – Loire Valley (included). Enjoy a full day excursion exploring the lovely countryside and seeing the imposing châteaux of the Loire Valley. Please note that the reasonable entrance charges to the châteaux are at extra cost. We begin at the leafy village of Azay-le-Rideau with its small, but incredibly beautiful château, which some claim was used as a model for Sleeping Beauty’s Castle. Then to the huge, beguiling edifice of Chenonceau, which spans the River Cher, before admiring Amboise, the home of many French kings. B,D
• Day 6 – Oradour-sur-Glane and Limoges (included). A day of complete contrasts as we visit the remembrance village of Oradour-sur-Glane, scene of an insane massacre of the villagers by the German SS in 1944. The village has been left exactly as it was during the war. We also visit the porcelain town of Limoges en route to our hotel in the Dordogne. B,D
• Day 7 – Rocamadour and the Dordogne (included). We spend a morning at leisure in Rocamadour, the important pilgrimage site, perched high on a limestone cliff overlooking the gorge of the River Alzou in the heart of the Dordogne. Visit the wine producing town of Cahors. B,D
• Day 8 – To Carcassonne. B,D
• Day 9 – Carcassonne, Beziers and the Grotte de Clamouse (included). Enjoy a morning at leisure exploring the majestic fortified city of Carcassonne. You can enjoy splendid views of the surrounding countryside and new town from the walls of the old city. We will later call at the medieval town of Béziers, where the Canal du Midi crosses the river by means of an aqueduct. We then continue to the famous Grotte de Clamouse (included), where we tour the cave and see the famous calcite and aragonite formations. We then continue on to our hotel in Aix-en-Provence for three nights. B,D
• Day 10 – Bormes les Mimosas, Fréjus and St Raphael (included). To the coast and the Côte d’Azur. Bormes les Mimosas is probably the most florally decorated resort in France. The old houses are covered with pink tiles, the streets are lined with flowers and the medieval village is a delight. Then to Fréjus and St Raphael, two striking Riviera resorts, both with charming old centres, fine beaches and home to the rich and famous – indeed St Raphael is one of the richest towns on the Côte d’Azur. B,D
• Day 11 – Gorges du Verdon (optional). Spend a day in Aix-en-Provence or perhaps our optional tour to one of the most impressive natural sights in Europe might tempt you. This dramatic gorge, created over millions of years is a sight not to miss as the pretty River Verdon flows through this precipitous valley. This spectacular natural canyon divides the Alpes-de-Haute- Provence, and the Var. We enjoy a scenic drive through part of the gorge, stopping to admire the breathtaking views. B,D
• Day 12 – Ardèche Tour (included). On our way north to Valence we explore a region of France which boasts incomparable delights. Wild, rugged yet intensely beautiful scenery abounds in the Ardèche and we will see quaint villages clinging to the hillsides as well as the famous Gorges de l’Ardèche, where the steep cliffs carved after millions of years of erosion are stunning as well as the Pont d’Arc, a natural limestone bridge over the river created by the elements. B,D
• Day 13 – To northen France for overnight stay B
• Day 14 – To Calais, then return home. B

B=Breakfast D=Dinner