Normandy & the Loire Valley are 2 regions of France you should not miss: the climate is mild, the people are very welcoming and history is around every corner.
We began planning this trip over a year before our departure date. We have done a lot of traveling but this trip was for our 25th wedding anniversary! Once we decided upon France …
We began planning this trip over a year before our departure date. We have done a lot of traveling but this trip was for our 25th wedding anniversary! Once we decided upon France as our destination all that was left was to get all the details taken care of. Based on previous adventures, we knew that we wanted to drive ourselves on a self- directed adventure. Extensive searching and research led us to France for You. Yes, Emilie and France for You had wonderful reviews but we needed/wanted to speak with her. Emilie is a great listener. My wife and I had each been France on our own, years before we had met and hadn’t been back since. We enjoyed a few conversations and exchanged many emails as the three of us discussed and planned our adventure. We thought we had arranged and thoroughly planned our 15 days. We never could have imagined how AMAZING this trip turned out to be, absolutely a trip of a lifetime!!! Emilie had come to know us well enough to understand exactly how to assist us in planning every detail of the trip. Emilie of France for You obviously does extensive research and stays current with every aspect of anything she suggests. Every aspect of our adventure was far above and beyond our expectations. I couldn’t more STRONGLY recommend working with Emilie and France for You!
#1 - A Gorgeous Mansion few minute walk to Monet's house & gardensStay downtown Giverny, in a beautiful BandB house
#1 - A Gorgeous Mansion few minute walk to Monet's house & gardensrelax in a cozy room
#1 - A Gorgeous Mansion few minute walk to Monet's house & gardensor in the guests living room
#2 - A beautiful countryside house near Bayeuxstay in a very quiet setting between Bayeux and the Landing Beaches
#2 - A beautiful countryside house near Bayeuxenjoy a comfortable room
#2 - A beautiful countryside house near BayeuxShare a delicious table dhôtes dinner with your hosts
#2 - A beautiful countryside house near BayeuxRelax in the guests living room or in the garden
#3 - A gorgeous castle near Mont Saint MichelA unique B&B...
#3 - A gorgeous castle near Mont Saint Michel...with a very delicate 18th century decoration...
#3 - A gorgeous castle near Mont Saint Michel...and spacious bedrooms
#3 - A gorgeous castle near Mont Saint MichelAfter an amazing breakfast...
#3 - A gorgeous castle near Mont Saint Michel..what about a stroll in the gorgeous park?
#4 - A charming townhouse in a lively townA beautiful place in a lively town
#4 - A charming townhouse in a lively townOn a sunny day, enjoy breakfast in the garden
#4 - A charming townhouse in a lively townThe town is lively, but once you pass the B&B door, it is very quiet
#4 - A charming townhouse in a lively townMeet with lovely hosts !
#4 - A charming townhouse in a lively townRelax in the small garden
Step by step
Giverny, Home of the Impressionnists
Your journey starts in Giverny. This tiny unchanged village takes you back to the 19th century when the great painter Claude Monet created a new art movement: impressionism.
Monet's gardens are beautifully maintained, exactly as they were when Monet painted them. We include in this itinerary cut-the-line tickets that enable you to avoid waiting at Monet’s house and gardens.
In Giverny, we have planned a 2-night-stay in a historical domain from the 13th century, which has been beautifully restored, only few minutes’ walk to Monet’s house & gardens. This will give you enough time to recover from jetlag and discover the Seine river valley.
Normandy: the Bayeux area
The second leg of your journey takes you to a peaceful countryside house, locatedbetween Bayeux's old town and the Landing Beaches. Your hosts travel a lot and will be happy to share stories with you around breakfast.
Spend 3 nights near Bayeux and jump into the local history: from William the Conqueror in the 11th century whose adventures are illustrated in the Bayeux tapestry, to the Battle of Normandy in 1944.
Many remains of the WWII landings are still visible and you can quickly access Gold and Juno landing beaches as well as the artificial port of Arromanches or the Caen Memorial.
To help you better understand the events of the Battle of Normandy and bring them to life, we have planned for a private guided tour with a specialist in WWII history. You will be shown all the main landing sites and learn in detail about what happened here on D-Day.
The Mont Saint Michel & Eastern Brittany
On your way to the Loire Valley, stop over for 2 nights near the Mont Saint Michel: this ancient beautiful abbey sits on top of a tidal island in the middle of Mont Saint Michel Bay. A wonder!
Stay in a gorgeous castle a30 minute drive across the bay from the famous village. This is a unique occasion to really feel what the "vie de château" truly is like!
Discover Mont Saint Michel unique village and its Abbey with a local guide who will explain you about its history and traditions. She will take you to many small streets to see places that tourist usually don't see.
The Loire Valley
The Loire Valley will welcome you with its renowned "sweet life", its Renaissance castles and gardens, and its famous gastronomy and wines.
You will stay here for 5 nights in a charmingly restored townhouse, in the heart of a very lively town in the Loire Valley. From here, you can walk everywhere included to Leonardo Da Vinci's final dwelling.
You are also perfectly located to discover all the marvels of the Loire Valley: the castles of Chambord, Chenonceau and Azay-le-Rideau, the old towns of Saumur, Chinon and Amboise.
Cruise along the Loire river as a passenger aboard a vintage sidecar : explore the little villages and enjoy the landscapes
History, culture, gastronomy, "the sweet life": this is France!
Activities included
Monet's House & Garden
Avoid wasting time standing in line, use the by-pass line to visit the house of Monet and its famous gardens. Follow in the footsteps of this painter and the American Impressionists in the small town of Giverny.
Private Guide on the WWII sites
Spend a half day with a private guide who will customize the itinerary to your wishes and interests. A must do to better understand what happened on D-Day.
Mont Saint Michel Private Tour
Discover this unique village and its Abbey with a local guide who will explain you about its history and traditions. She will take you to many small streets to see places that tourist usually don't see.
Vintage Sidecar Tour
Cruise along the Loire river as a passenger aboard a vintage sidecar : explore the little towns and enjoy the landscapes
We have just returned from a road trip around France and with Emilie's help, we had one of the best trips we've ever had. We travel extensively and I normally do my own research and bookings because we don't like using formal , organised tours and we were looking for advice on self driving holidays in France. Emilie's attention to detail is …
We have just returned from a road trip around France and with Emilie's help, we had one of the best trips we've ever had. We travel extensively and I normally do my own research and bookings because we don't like using formal , organised tours and we were looking for advice on self driving holidays in France. Emilie's attention to detail is outstanding. She listened to our likes and dislikes and put together the most amazing itinerary, with a personalised guide book, maps, iPhone, booked our car rental , booked B&Bs , advised on restaurants and suggested daily itineraries. We had all the information and yet all the freedom which is what we wanted. I would definitely use her services again and would highly recommend her to anyone thinking of doing a trip around France
Leslie & Family
Just returned from an amazing trip with our family, including 3 teenage boys. Emilie carefully listened to our request to focus on military history and arranged an itinerary with just the right balance of history, culture, art, and military history. We had incredible guides to Paris, WWI, and WWII sites plus unique B&Bs. So many memories!
Just returned from an amazing trip with our family, including 3 teenage boys. Emilie carefully listened to our request to focus on military history and arranged an itinerary with just the right balance of history, culture, art, and military history. We had incredible guides to Paris, WWI, and WWII sites plus unique B&Bs. So many memories!
Carol & Don
For our journey in the Loire Valley, we could not have hoped for more gracious, firendly and hospitable hosts. They made us feel like long time friends. It has been wonderful sharing this time with this French family and we hope we may meet again. The guidebook was totally professional and indispensable ! Aurevoir et merci beaucoup
For our journey in the Loire Valley, we could not have hoped for more gracious, firendly and hospitable hosts. They made us feel like long time friends. It has been wonderful sharing this time with this French family and we hope we may meet again.
The guidebook was totally professional and indispensable !
Aurevoir et merci beaucoup
