JEWELS OF FRANCE
Day 1 - Thu. BOARD YOUR OVERNIGHT TRANSATLANTIC FLIGHT. Day 2 - Fri. ARRIVAL IN PARIS, FRANCE. Check into your hotel. The rest of the day is free to explore the French capital. Tonight, meet your Tour Director and fellow travelers. Day 3 - Sat. PARIS One full day to explore the city that's known throughout the world for its fashions, art and museums, delicious food, and joie de vivre. Included sightseeing with a local expert starts with an inside visit to Notre Dame Cathedral. Then many of the best-known Parisian sights: La Sorbonne, Arc de Triomphe, Opéra, Madeleine, the Eiffel Tower, the Pyramid near the Louvre, the Invalides, and Champs Elysées. Optional excursions are also available to the Palace and Gardens of Versailles. (B) Day 4 - Sun. PARIS-GIVERNY-ROUEN-HONFLEUR-DEAUVILLE. Start the day with a visit to Giverny, home of painter Claude Monet. The famous water garden at Giverny was the inspiration behind some of Monet's finest work (gardens open from April onwards). Continue to Rouen to visit its great cathedral. Next, enjoy a stop in lovely Honfleur and then continue to the seaside resort of Deauville for an overnight. (B,D) Day 5 - Mon. DEAUVILLE-LANDING BEACHES-MONT ST. MICHEL. This morning visit the nearby legendary beaches of Normandy, where the Allied troops landed more than 60 years ago. The highlights are Arromanches and the American Cemetery at Omaha. Next to Bayeux, famed for its lace-making and the worldrenowned Bayeux Tapestry (included visit). Then southwards to the unique beauty of Mont St. Michel, which stands on an island reached by a causeway. (B) Day 6 - Tue. MONT ST. MICHEL-ST. MALO-RENNES-TOURS. Time to enjoy Mont St. Michel before driving along the coast to the fortified seaside resort of St. Malo to admire its cathedral and ancient walls. Continue to Rennes with its traditional colourful timber-framed houses. Later, reach Tours, also known as "le jardin de France" for two overnights. (B) Day 7 - Wed. CHÂTEAUX COUNTRY. A whole day to take advantage of the optional program of excursions: visit the Château of Cheverny, still inhabited by the family of Marquis de Vibraze; the huge Castle of Chambord built in 1519 by Francis I; view Château Menars; admire the beauty of the great Châteaux of Chenonceaux and Amboise. (B,D) Day 8 - Thu. TOURS-CHARTRES-PARIS. Drive to Orléans for a short stop to take your picture of the statue of Joan of Arc. Next is the highlight of the day - a visit to Chartres to admire the famous gothic cathedral. Reach Paris well in time to enjoy the optional cabaret show. (B) Day 9 - Fri. YOUR HOMEBOUND FLIGHT ARRIVES THE SAME DAY. (B) |
