France has been the World’s #1 Tourist Destination for over 10 years, offering something for every traveler. From the prehistoric caves of Lascaux in the Périgord to the Ancient Roman sites of Provence to the exquisite Romanesque, Gothic, and Baroque churches, a visit to France is a walk through history.
Home to Van Gogh, Cézanne, Monet, Renoir and countless other world renowned artists, it is no wonder the country hosts a multitude of excellent art museums. The Louvre Museum is visited by more people than any other museum in the world. Photos of the picturesque countryside and villages cannot reproduce that special light these artists found in Normandy, Provence, and the Riviera. You must experience it with your own eyes. The wines and cuisine of France require no introduction. And even if the global economy brings these French products to the USA, why is it that the taste is more intense when experienced in the country of origin?
Paris is incomparable, warranting a stay of several days. Most of our tours include a day at leisure in the “City of Lights” to pursue individual interests since the city is visitor friendly with an efficient and economical public transportation system. Branching out from Paris, a traveler can visit nearly the entire European continent while staying within the borders of France: Brittany where the names of the towns and the dialect spoken in Quimper and other towns would lead you to believe you are in Wales. Alsace on the eastern border that was under alternating German and French control for two hundred years maintains a pleasant mix of the two cultures to be seen in the half-timbered architecture and heard in the Alsatian dialect.
Although Provence was for hundreds of years occupied by Ancient Rome, it is a soft Spanish influence that is felt there with bullfighting events happening in the remains of the Roman coliseums of Arles and Nîmes and the brightly-colored traditional costumes brought out for the numerous annual festivals. The people of southwest France feel very strongly about the Basque and Catalan cultures and maintain the language and traditions also followed just across the border in Spain. Encircling the French “hexagon” are miles and miles of beautiful shoreline.
And all of these sights, smells, tastes, and traditions are to be found in an area 2/3 the size of Texas, allowing for a tour of incredible diversity with limited bus hours and more time to soak up the local culture!
Be sure to visit the website of the French Government Tourist Office: us.franceguide.com
We can create a tour around your group’s passion and ensure it is enriched by all the unique venues France has to offer! Just look for your special interest, under Tour Ideas.
