This itinerary is designed for gourmet travelers who aim at discovering and learning more about French wines. Our tours also mix heritage, culture, nice walks, gardens, etc.
In this tour, you will stay in wineries, by vineyards & in wine towns. An absolute must for wine lovers !
We like to travel independently and Emilie was fantastic in providing us everything we needed to do so. We had wonderful information to read beforehand and received maps and GPS …
We like to travel independently and Emilie was fantastic in providing us everything we needed to do so. We had wonderful information to read beforehand and received maps and GPS coordinates to get us where we needed to go.This is a great service to use to set up your hotel and car arrangements along with suggested itineraries that can be modified. We will use her for another trip to a different part of France.
#1 - A Wine Estate in Saint EmilionThe winery team will make sure that you have a great stay
#1 - A Wine Estate in Saint EmilionTaste the wine...directly where it is made !
#2 - A restored historic home in the center of a lively townA historic home, in the center of a lively wine town
#2 - A restored historic home in the center of a lively townrelax in a large room
#2 - A restored historic home in the center of a lively town...in the courtyard or the guests living room
#2 - A restored historic home in the center of a lively townShare breakfasts with other fellow travelers
#3 - A winery in the heart of Beaune, BurgundyStay at a lovely couple who are also winemakers
#3 - A winery in the heart of Beaune, BurgundyEnjoy walking everywhere in Beaune (300 yards to the Hospices)
#3 - A winery in the heart of Beaune, BurgundyHave a nice rest in a very comfortable room
#3 - A winery in the heart of Beaune, BurgundyTaste your hosts wine with them...
#3 - A winery in the heart of Beaune, Burgundy...and why not having a bottle in the park ?
#4 - A comfortable B&B in a Champagne townYour hosts both come from the Champagne industry
#4 - A comfortable B&B in a Champagne townYour B&B is right next to Bollinger worldwide famous winery
#4 - A comfortable B&B in a Champagne townStroll along the famous Avenue de Champagne in Epernay
#4 - A comfortable B&B in a Champagne townAnd like Emilie, taste the local products
Step by step
This tour starts in the Bordeaux area, at the most convenient car rental pick-up for you. If you arrive in Paris, we can organize the TGV high speed train if needed.
Saint Emilion Vineyard
Start your trip with 3 nights is a Grands Crus Classés wine chateau. Experience Saint Emilion by staying at one of the places where everything happens, in the heart of the vineyards. Away from the crowds, you will enjoy what Saint Emilion wines have to offer.
Built along the banks of the Garonne river, the opulent merchants' homes are very specific to Bordeaux. You will find everything you need: from villages nestled into the Medoc or St Emilion vineyards, to the bustling night life in Bordeaux. Also, keep in mind that Bordeaux's Sainte Catherine Street is the longest shopping street in Europe!
Very near Saint Emilion, we have planned a private tour of a famous wine estate: after visiting the estate from the vineyards (to learn about the different grape varieties) to the cellars, you will enjoy a picnic lunch together with a tasting of 3 different wines.
On the 4th day, drive about 3hrs north to the Loire Valley.
The Loire Valley Wines
Spend the following 3 nights of your journey in the lively town of Chinon by the river, where Joan of Arc once met her future King of France. The B&B is at the foot of the medieval fortress and you will be within walking distance to the restaurants and wine bars.
Touraine is famous for its vineyards – Chinon, Bourgueil, Vouvray, Amboise and many more – you will visit a Chinon winery run by a charming couple who come from generations of winegrowers. Enjoy a commented tasting of the wines with some locally produced snacks.
Discover the marvels of the Loire Valley. We will make recommendations on how to visit Chambord or Chenonceau castles, away from the crowds.
We will also recommend a few smaller castles and hidden places in beautiful settings. These places are less well-known but are steeped in history and well worth escaping the crowds of tourist. If you like gardens, don’t miss Chaumont castle or wonderful Villandry.
On the 7th day, drive east from the Loire Valley to the Burgundy region.
Burgundy : La Bourgogne
In Burgundy, 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. Situated in the heart of Burgundy, this is the perfect place to learn about the local wines. Explore all major vineyards of the region and have a chance to taste red and white wines among the best in the world, directly at the winery!
Sébastien, a real passionate, will take you for half a day on a 4-wheel drive to tour around the Burgundy vineyards, following itineraries that no other tour can do. You will taste wines directly at the winery and ride over dirt roads in Nuits Saint Georges and Vosne Romanée. Sebastien is very friendly and you will feel like a relative with whom he wants to show his favorite places.
Discover Beaune, a beautiful medieval town that has been completely preserved from modern constructions. You should definitly try to be there on market day - the local products are truly delicious. Taste some local cheeses, the "Epoisse" at the cheese factory or uncover the mysteries of the French Kings in Dijon. Burgundy has a lot to experience.
Vive le Champagne !
End your wine trip in the area around Reims: the Champagne region.
You will stay in a Champagne town, in a house owned by a lovely couple: she spent her entire working life at Bollinger and he was a vineyard owner . . . so you are in good hands. From here, you are perfectly located to enjoy Champagne wines and tour the beautiful old town of Reims.
We plan for you to spend a half day with a private Champagne guide : the program can be customized to match your wishes, so don't hesitate to let us know what you like.
We will also recommend Champagne wineries you can visit on your own, as well as some local attractions including fossiles, belle epoque architecture, a lively food market and many restaurants from simple to 3 stars with the Michelin guide.
We plan for you to return the car to Paris CDG airport, which is only a 1hr30 drive, or near Paris - whichever is more convenient.
As we say in French....A votré santé !
Activities included
Tour a St Emilion Winery
Visit a wine estate near St Emilion with a private English speaking guide. After the tour, you will enjoy a picnic lunch together with a tasting of different wines from the estate.
A Winery Visit & Tasting in Chinon
Visit a Chinon winery run by a charming couple who come from generations of winegrowers.
Enjoy a commented tasting of the wines with some local-product snacks.
Burgundy Wine Tasting
Spend a half-day with Seb who will drive you in his 4WD in the back tracks and the dirt roads of Burgundy vineyards. He will take you like a friend would do to several wineries in some of the most famous vineyards in the world.
Private Champagne Tour
Spend a half-day with a private guide touring the Champagne vineyards and learn about the geography, visit intimate wineries and of course taste a lot of Champagne!
"France Just For You" is the BEST way to visit France If you want to go on a tailor made self drive holiday to France, there is no better way, but to ask Emilie and Laura from France Just For You, to arrange it for you. We have traveled overseas a couple of times already, but then you have to do a lot of homework before hand, and you never know …
"France Just For You" is the BEST way to visit France
If you want to go on a tailor made self drive holiday to France, there is no better way, but to ask Emilie and Laura from France Just For You, to arrange it for you.
We have traveled overseas a couple of times already, but then you have to do a lot of homework before hand, and you never know whether or not you are doing the right thing, because you have never been to the area which you want to visit.
After giving Laura an idea of what we wanted, she planned an itinerary to the finest detail, delivering over and above what we expected or could have imagined.
We realised this when we received our travel pack with a 450 page, personalized guide book, detailing each day what we should do. Prepaid access tickets and vouches, eliminating long waiting times in queues, and an App, which puts the guide book on your mobile phone, where you just click on the GPS link to where you need to drive to. Why could anyone not think of this before? You just click on the link and there you go. They even sent as an USB flash drive with French Music to listen to when we drive, to experience the French atmosphere.
Laura and Emilie's attention to detail made our holiday, stress- and hassle free, which made it possible for our family just to relax, and enjoy the ride.
Thank you for going the extra mile, you guys are the greatest. We will and have been recommending you to anyone who wants to visit France.
Like we say in South Africa "Viva, France Just For You, Viva!!!"
John
My wife and I recently engaged Emilie, of France Just For You, to plan a two week trip to Provence in the first two weeks of May. It was mid-March and we found Emilie during a web search of self-driving tours of France. What a find! Emilie responded within twenty-four hours with very specific questions, wanting to know more about us, our interests …
My wife and I recently engaged Emilie, of France Just For You, to plan a two week trip to Provence in the first two weeks of May. It was mid-March and we found Emilie during a web search of self-driving tours of France. What a find! Emilie responded within twenty-four hours with very specific questions, wanting to know more about us, our interests and preferences for things like accommodation, rental vehicle, activities, etc. and our budget. From there she took over, developed an outline of a suggested trip and after we agreed that we liked it, she developed it into a complete, and we mean complete, tour package. She booked Five Star B&B’s which lived up to their reputation; all hosts were fluent in English. She arranged an excellent rental car complete with an English GPS, first class tickets on the TGV from Avignon to Charles de Gaulle airport and overnight accommodation at CDG. Two weeks before our departure, Emilie couriered a package that included a 300 page book that contained a detailed daily itinerary of sight-seeing self-drive tours she recommended we do. This book included maps and GPS co-ordinates of every B&B, all points of interest, parking lot locations (most helpful!) and many recommended restaurants. It also contained a lot of very useful information for North Americans visiting France including material on food, wine, culture, driving and language.
Emilie knows France and will guide you to the places most tourists never get to see. Her thoroughness and attention to detail are impressive. She provided prompt responses to all our communication and was even available 24/7 while we were in France in case any problems arose. All our accommodations were top-notch. Emilie has extremely high standards and therefore, we have no hesitation recommending France Just For You.
Patty & Tim
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!
