Our trip to Paris, Normandy and the Lore Valley could not have been more enjoyable thanks to all the personalized attention that Emilie gave our requests! She even delivered on the …
Our trip to Paris, Normandy and the Lore Valley could not have been more enjoyable thanks to all the personalized attention that Emilie gave our requests! She even delivered on the perfect weather we asked for! All of the accommodations were very comfortable and the hosts were so friendly, helpful, and fluent in English.
Although I am not usually a wine drinker, I really enjoyed the wine tasting Emilie arranged. The advance purchase tickets to Giverney
saved us hours standing in line. It was a dream come true excursion for us, all made very easy by Emilie's expertise and attention.
#1 - 5 minute drive to Mont Saint MichelA 17th century farm
#1 - 5 minute drive to Mont Saint Michelwith a nice old-stone ambiance
#1 - 5 minute drive to Mont Saint Michel...and very comfortable rooms
#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 Mansion on the hill above Giverny townStay away from the crowds only 2 miles to Monet's house and gardens
#3 - A Gorgeous Mansion on the hill above Giverny townRest in a spacious room, lavishly decorated...
#3 - A Gorgeous Mansion on the hill above Giverny town...or in the welcoming living room
Step by step
Mont Saint Michel
On your first day you can pick up the rental car in Paris, CDG Airport (with about a 4hr drive) or in Rennes city which is closer (1hr drive).
You'll spend the first 3 nights of your journey in a charming Bed & Breakfast, just a 5 minute drive to Mont Saint Michel ! Your welcoming Hosts will be happy to answer your questions or explain your about their region. They have a typical Norman stone house, surrounded by a nice garden.
A place you won't want to miss is obviously THE Mont Saint Michel: this sumptuous abbey standing on a tiny island in the middle of a bay is truly the “8th wonder of the Western world” and is well worth a visit. For you to avoid the "up and down walk" on the crowded street on Mont Saint Michel, you'll follow a local English speaking private guide who will help you discover this amazing village and abbey off the beaten path.
You will also spend a day in the very near & typical Brittany: Saint Malo, Dinan will give you a great taste of this special region of France.
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.
Deauville and Honfleur are within driving distance and the Normandy countryside might be less famous but is certainly worth a detour: the typical half-timbered villages, the Cider road, the beautiful English style gardens, the apple brandy traditional manufacturers . . . and of course the cheeses. A trip to Normandy would not be complete without tasting Camembert or Livarot cheese!
To get familiar with Norman gastronomy, we have planned for you a cooking class with Brigitte. She will welcome you in her home where you’ll prepare a 3 course meal that you will savor for lunch. A fun experience!
Giverny : Monet's town
Your journey ends in Giverny, for an overnight stay in a gorgeous mansion, 2 miles from Monet house, in the orchards. 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 a cut-the-line ticket that enables you to avoid the wait at Monet’s house and gardens.
You are only a 1hr drive to Paris car return or to CDG Airport, very convenient to end your trip or for a next step.
What a week !
Activities included
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.
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.
Norman cooking Class
Spend a morning with Brigitte who will teach you how to make a real norman meal. Then you'll enjoy the lunch in her welcoming dining room or in the terrace.
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.
We worked with Emilie to craft a 10 day trip that customized one of the trips on their website and were wonderfully pleased with our whole experience. The b&b hosts and various guided events we participated in all treated us wonderfully and were clear that Emilie had visited & vetted each property (and even rooms!) The personal tour book we …
We worked with Emilie to craft a 10 day trip that customized one of the trips on their website and were wonderfully pleased with our whole experience. The b&b hosts and various guided events we participated in all treated us wonderfully and were clear that Emilie had visited & vetted each property (and even rooms!) The personal tour book we received to follow allowed us to choose our activities in each area (Paris, Normandy & Loire Valley), but gave us Emilie's thoughts on her favorites - she has excellent taste! We highly recommend working with France Just For You and would do it again ourselves in a heartbeat!
Steve
Emilie, set up an outstanding itinerary that met all our desired needs, created a wonderful schedule with built in flexibility to handle planned and unplanned changes. Her suggestion for special sites to see and foods to sample were right on and an enhancement from the normal tourist recommendations. The attention to detail was greatly appreciated …
Emilie, set up an outstanding itinerary that met all our desired needs, created a wonderful schedule with built in flexibility to handle planned and unplanned changes. Her suggestion for special sites to see and foods to sample were right on and an enhancement from the normal tourist recommendations. The attention to detail was greatly appreciated and affirmed the fact that she had actually visited and tasted the recommendation. If the opportunity is afforded in the future we will again use "France Just For You".
Candy
Wherever possible we prefer to travel on our own as opposed to going on a tour package. With France - Just For You, they arranged for a vehicle and booked us into a couple of lovely B&B’s and a great Boutique Hotel in Paris and booked a couple of activities that we were interested in. Besides that, they put together a book for us with everything we …
Wherever possible we prefer to travel on our own as opposed to going on a tour package. With France - Just For You, they arranged for a vehicle and booked us into a couple of lovely B&B’s and a great Boutique Hotel in Paris and booked a couple of activities that we were interested in. Besides that, they put together a book for us with everything we would need for a safe and hassle free trip. This included general information about France, common French phrases, suggested daily itineraries, recommended restaurants, etc, etc.
It was a wonderful holiday with the flexibility to see and do what you wanted at your own pace.
I would not hesitate to recommend France - Just For You. Truly amazing!
