Liz Chreist

Our Favorite Hotel of the trip! Located in the heart of the charming Village of Beaune. L'Hôtel de Beaune was comfortable, beautifully appointed with a lovely restaurant, and friendly attentive staff.

Our room was spacious and well appointed with views of the Louvre, Musee d' Orsay, Hotel Invalides and the Eiffel Tower. Perfect location for sightseeing in Paris.

Charming historic hotel with a lovely courtyard for relaxing. Easy walk to restaurants and castle through the charming streets of Amboise.

Courtyard is reliable and comfortable. Located close to Charles de Gaulle airport, this hotel is a great pick for the final night before a long flight home.

Our apartment was in an annex building across street, so we don't feel we experienced the charm of this hotel as The apartment was spacious with 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms and a full kitchen. Yet, the decor appeared to be a mixture of used furniture and IKEA. Not sure how we ended up in this room. We feel a room in the former school overlooking the courtyard, would have given us the charming Normandy feel. We did enjoy the spaciousness, but it felt more like an Air B&B than a quaint historic hotel.

We enjoyed a countryside drive from Bayeux to Amboise with a must-see stop at Mont Saint-Michel. Our guide, Theo, gave an informative tour of this amazing site, efficiently navigating us around the crowds and through the corridors. We enjoyed some generous free time allowing for a relaxing lunch and a walk through the charming village. We walked through a sheep filled pasture with amazing views of Mont Saint-Michel on our way back to the van. From there. we continue on to Amboise.

The Palace of Versailles is an amazing place. The opulence is over the top even off putting but pretty incredible. The history of the palace is an interesting tale. Highlights were the Hall of Mirrors, the Gallery of Battles, Petit Trianon (Marie Antoinette's Private Residence), and the Queen's Hamlet (portrayal of an English village). We met our guide and fellow tour guests, a friendly group, at the TRIP office and travelled together to Versailles. Our guide was a wealth of information but a but dry and a little curt. We were not impressed with the Versailles gardens, not as pictured in brochures. They seemed a bit tired and needing TLC. The fountains were not running either (possible because of a summer drought). Glad we visited Versailles.

Monet's Gardens and Giverny was a wonderful stop on our way from Paris to Bayeux. The garden's are amazing. Wonderful to see the inspiration for many of Claude Monet's paintings. We thoroughly enjoyed walking through the colorful gardens, with Dalias aplenty, and to the Lilly pad ponds and Japanese bridge. The surrounding countryside made for a very enjoyable drive.

Honfleur is a delightful port village with so much interesting history. Our guide navigated us to some hidden gardens, shared some town highlights as we toured. We especially enjoyed free time for lunch and coffee. Beuvron was a charming stop, brief (as it's tiny) but worth the stop. A nice surprise was how thoroughly enjoyed the Calvados tasting tour, a wonderful tour of the Calvados distillery on palace grounds. Calvados, however, is a bit strong for our tastes. Our driver & guide was friendly and conversational. We enjoyed experiencing the charm and traditions of Normandy.

The guide shared some interesting facts about Bayeux. However, I think we would have preferred exploring Bayeux on our own also allowing for more time to visit the Museum of the Battle of Normandy. The Bayuex Tapestry was in London at the time of our visit. When it returns an the remodeled Bauex Museum is complete, The Tapestry would be a must-see.

Our guide was knowledgeable and passionate about Paris and the religious history. We probably didn't need a guide to visit the Exterior Notre-Dame & Sainte-Chapelle. Our guide shared interesting facts about Sainte-Chapelle but really shared very little about Notre Dame (maybe because he knew we had already walked through the inside). He walked us through the Latin Quarter and gave us context about the area. The Latin Quarter is where our tour ended (30 minutes early ??), a perfect place to explore. From there we enjoyed walking by the Pantheon and wandering to Luxembourg Palace & Gardens. The gardens are magnificent. So enjoyed relaxing in the gardens watching families enjoy a Saturday morning launching mini boats in the sailboat pond.

A Seine River Cruise was a great intro to Paris. Our guide highlighted the many landmarks along the Seine. The weather was a bit misty, so not the ideallic setting we had hoped for, but alt least it didn't pour.

We loved this museum and a self-guided tour with audio is the perfect way to visit this museum. Timed entry is key as well. We enjoyed a wonderful lunch in Cafe Company under the iconic clock.

Hôtel des Invalides was a great stop. Self-guided with audio was perfect for us. Napoleon's tomb and the surrounding rooms were an impressive display, one of a kind for sure. The cathedral is beautiful, too. Gardens are quite nice. We spent more time in the war museum than we had expected. The collection of weapons and armour were remarkable. The 20th century wars were presented very well, a great lead in to our upcoming D-Day tours.

Château Chenonceau is an amazing Château. The grounds are stunning. Lord that fresh flowers from the grounds adored many of rooms. What a beautiful way to bring an ancient structure to life bringing warmth and color whereas many old structures are drab and cold. Built across the river makes Château Chenonceau so unique. The Corridor served as a hospital during WWI, and we had recently learned that a relative of ours worked in the hospital at that time. We loved the river cruise seeing the château from this unique vantage point. Would highly recommend for others to add the boat ride to this tour. Our guide was excellent & informative. Afterward we were dropped at a 5 star hotel restaurant for lunch. Atmosphere was lovely, food was great, but extremely expensive (most expensive meal of our entire trip), unnecessary for afternoon meal.

We enjoyed this tour and a chance to experience the Jewish Quarter on a lively Saturday afternoon. Our guide was a wealth of information. She shared the awful plight of the Jewish people during the time of German occupation. and took us past several historical landmarks honoring those who perished or acted heroically. This was a simple tour. In some respect, not much to it, bot on the other hand, this was information we would not have happened upon on our own. So we were glad we dd this tour. This tour was 30 minutes shorter than listed in description.

Malcom is a passionate historian and war enthusiast. We could not image a better guide. He was amazing, a wealth of knowledge and wonderful storyteller. we were fortunate to spend two full days with Malcom, visiting the British and Canadian Sector one day and the US Sector on the second day. The flow was brilliant as we were able to explore the full 50 miles of D-Day operations. Malcom made the D-Day story come to life as he shared personal accounts , described the difficult conditions, and highlighted failures and successes of that fateful day. A powerful and moving experience. We wish we would have scheduled a third day in order to visit a few museums.

Malcom is a passionate historian and war enthusiast. We could not image a better guide. He was amazing, a wealth of knowledge and wonderful storyteller. We were fortunate to spend two full days with Malcom, visiting the British and Canadian Sector one day and the US Sector on the second day. The flow was brilliant as we were able to explore the full 50 miles of D-Day operations. Malcom made the D-Day story come to life as he shared personal accounts , described the difficult conditions, and highlighted failures and successes of that fateful day. A powerful and moving experience. We wish we would have scheduled a third day in order to visit a few museums. As Americans, this day was especially powerful. In additional Omaha, Point du Hoc, and Utah Beach, we visited the US National Cemetery, a beautiful resting place and memorial for all who gave their lives for freedom sake. We were privleged to witness the daily ceremony singing of the US , playing of taps, and the laying of flowers at the foot of the statue :"The Spirit of the American Youth Rising from the Waves". Very powerful ceremony & honored to witness.

This tour was cancelled, without opportunity to reschedule. This was probably for the best as this allowed us time to explore Beaune on our own. Most especially, this enabled us to visit the Hospices de Beaune, very impressive and well preserved. Had we done the walking tour. We do enjoy some unstructured time, so this worked out well. We do anticipate a refund for this cancelled tour.

Château de Chambord is an incredible structure. The stuff of fairy tails. Crazy, the opulence of the Kings and Queens of the day, for a hunting lodge no less. E-Bikes added a little something extra and was a great way to experience the grounds and nearby forest. Lunch was lovely though a four course meal was a bit much for lunchtime. The tour was not as describe. We expected to go to a Biscuiterie tasting. That did not happen. Maybe they were closed that day? Something that we would expect the guide or Kimkim to know in advance. There was not really an explanation. Our just asked if we would like to ride bikes a bit longer before returning to the van. We didn't understand until after the tour that the extra bike time was instead of the tasting.

Laura , our guide, was wonderful. The Louvre is an incredible space. House within this amazing palace is the most extensive collection in the world. Loved that our tour was at night when the crowds were fewer. The place is massive, yet our guide helped us navigate through seamlessly. Laura brought the art to life with stories of their relevance. From Roman ruins discovered underneath to the modern pyramid entrance, and everything contained therein, the Louvre is a must-see. Very glad we had a guide for this one! At the end of our tour, Laura helped us make dinner reservations and even walked us to the restaurant.

We enjoyed a leisurely, unstructured afternoon exploring Montmartre. At the base, Montmartre was so peaceful and quiet. We started to explore by ascending the steps to the Bascilica du Cacré-Coœur for what we thought would be a quiet time overlooking Paris from the Basilica steps. Once we reached the top, it was as if we had entered a time warp. The top was abuzz with throngs of people celebrating grape harvest with a wine festival. The Basilica steps were packed with everybody enjoying the beautiful afternoon with a glass of wine in hand. So festive. Everyone was having a great time, so we join in for a glass on the steps as well. Just a short walk from the crowds in a quiet courtyard, we were entertained by a young singer and the onlookers danced. Our evening culminated with a delicious dinner at historic La Maison Rose. A wonderful day!

The tour was fine, just not necessary at this point in our trip. After 17 days, we could have done without a final day of visits to small villages (Mostly empty and shuttered due to off season). We did enjoy a unique lunch experience at a farmers co-op restaurant. The town was literally desolate with shutter buildings and empty streets. Then we opened the restaurant doors and it was absolutely packed inside, with locals and families on school break. A delightful experience. We also visited a large Abbey which was interesting. However, for this, our last day after many, many tours, I think we would have preferred a leisurely day experiencing charming Beaune visiting shops, tasting some cheese and enjoying a leisurely lunch before transporting to Dijon to catch the train to Paris.

This sidecar tour was a fun way to see the Burgundy landscape up close learning a bit about the region along the way. Gilles, a retired air traffic controller, was a splendid host treating us to his family Sunday drink, Chardonnay with Black Currant and his wife's homemade cheesecake puffs. Winding our way past vineyards and nearby villages, the weather threatened our day but we enjoyed our time even with mist and sprinkles.

Nicoli was so engaging and knowledgeable. This was wine tasting experience interesting for us as Nicoli talked more about the region and the subtleties in climate and soil that make each wine unique. Wine tastings we've done in California focused more on the grapes and the barrels. We were fascinated how different the wine can be from plots so close in proximity to each other with just a small elevation, tempera or soil difference. We enjoyed learning about the process to become a Sommelier. We know very little about wine, yet thoroughly enjoyed this experience.

This was the perfect hotel to start the trip. It is located in the pleasant hustle and bustle of Marseilles within easy walking distance to the port area for restaurants and people watching. The room was pretty, comfortable, and decent sized, and the breakfast was a delicious start to each day. The staff was very friendly and kindly let me try out my rusty french. The other guests appeared to be young professionals and happy explorers.

The hotel is located on a quiet street not far from the Palais des Papes within the walls of Avignon. You can happily explore many untouristy areas of Avignon from here, but it is close to the highlights as well. The host is a very hospitable man who took time to explain how to get places, where to park, what to visit, etc. The room kimkim had arranged was not a good one for us since the raked ceiling beams made it impossible for my husband to stand upright, but the manager recognized this this next morning and moved us to a very comfortable room while we were out for the day. There are lots of stairs with no elevator to get to the rooms in which we stayed if that is an issue. The breakfast was quite good and there were not many other options for breakfast in the area. The Tourist Bureau is nearby which was convenient since our group and private tours started there.

We were in a very small, poorly lit room on the first floor. Some rooms opened onto a little balcony, but we had only a door and poor ventilation. The desk manager didn't even look up when we came in at night. The breakfast was good. It is about a 20 minute walk to the main area of Aix - not convenient except by car which is about 10 minutes to the underground parking next to the pedestrian area. There is a garage onsite. I believe if you call ahead, some of the parking is free. We didn't know to reserve ahead and so paid for parking. There are other hotels more conveniently located for exploring Aix, but fine if you are just traveling through.

Fascinating and tranquil historic hotel outside of Arles. You can only get there by car - it is about 15 minutes from the periphery of the main tourist areas. The large, comfortable rooms are colorfully decorated and painted, and the decor around the hotel is kind of exotic drawing from its 500 year history. There is a swimming pool and nooks for reading or relaxing. Delicious breakfast. I wish we had stayed an extra night.

A very comfortable and welcoming hotel. The room was clean, fresh and good sized, and the staff was very helpful. There is an elevator! The neighborhood is walkable and pretty, not far from the Rhone and a few blocks from the Saone. Lots of young people in the cafes at night and good restaurants nearby. We liked the hotel a lot, but the location requires either Uber or lots of walking along the beautiful Saone river to get to the old area of Lyon or other typical tourist sites. I am glad we stayed there or else we would have missed this more authentic part of Lyon. One great thing is that the hotel is minutes away from the transit system hub which will also get you all around the city.

We had a large, light filled room with a pretty view over the street toward the Palais. The hotel is minutes away from the Palais des Ducs which is the focal area of old Dijon. The friendly staff was helpful with stashing luggage and giving directions. There is an elevator. Dijon is very walkable. We had to park overnight a ways away in public parking, but the walk back was through interesting streets, past the big food market, and lovely parts of Dijon.

Needed more time. I would have liked to go into Gordes. Maybe see another town. I feel like we drove far enough from town that it would have been worth seeing other towns if they, too, are charming. I know we weren't there during lavender season, but I have read of other towns that also seemed worth a visit. This was a half- day from 9 to 2, so I understand the limits.

Great location, user friendly, clean, just perfect!

Loved this hotel!! It was so different and interesting, a mix of modern and old

Our guide was very knowledgeable and well informed. She made the best of our weather that day. The ebikes were very easy to ride. The Lynch was excellent!

This was a fun day trip, not too long, not to short, had a nice break at a park, the view was awesome.

Thus was a fun tour, tried lots of food, and the atmosphere was interesting

There was more history here than food and wine I would say, which was interesting, but maybe woupd have skipped on the same day as the market tour

All the exhibits were in motion causing me to feel slightly nauseous. Somehow it did not live up to the pre excitement.

We LOVED this hotel. The rooms were comfortable, the afternoon tea perfect, the breakfast outstanding, and everyone that worked there always had a smile on their face. The location was perfect for us as well.

Great location! Very quaint hotel but our room was very small and the ‘courtyard’ that our windows opened to was a 4 walled area that only let in the smells of whatever the restaurant below was frying -ugh. Breakfast was fair.

The grounds were beautiful. The rooms were very comfortable. Quiet. The breakfast was great

Great vibe! Welcoming staff. Great location for being close to the airport and on the shuttle route (minimal fee)

Our guide was incredible. So enthusiastic and engaging. Learned so much

A fun easy way to cover a large area of Paris. The guide was very knowledgeable and personable.

Learned so much!

We booked a cheese tasting and tried to do a couple of museums. We had done some larger museums before this day so we were getting tired. We also had a WWII Paris guided tour on this day in the morning that was not included in the tour list -it was wonderful! The guide was very enthusiastic about including everything that happened in Paris during WWII -I highly recommend this tour!

Excellent tour! The guide was very enthused about teaching us everything she knew which was a lot! And we were happy to learn from her.

A great tour of the area Honfleur is a beautiful town near the water. We first went to the inn where Monet would stay as well as other impressionist painters. It was nice driving around the country roads to the calvados tasting and Bevron was another very very old quaint countryside village.

The Eiffel Tower is amazing but our tour guide was mediocre especially compared to other guides we heard all around us

Our guide, Theo, was amazing!! Knew everything one could know about Mont Saint Michel!

Excellent location in Lyon. Very good breakfast and helpful staff. Good value for the price.

Centrally located, a short distance from old-town attractions and restaurants with a very good breakfast. Small but comfortable rooms.

Excellent guide who had a deep knowledge of the history of the city and historic spaces.

We spent most of the day in Arles because we had been to St Remy the previous day. Our very knowledgeable guide walked the town with us and discussed the history of the town and its association with Van Gogh.

Excellent day spent learn g about this city. Our guide was quite knowledgeable and spent the day teaching us the history and culture. We spent two hours on a tour of Lake Annecy that was highlighted by a fondue lunch on the water. There was a festival in town on the day we were there, so there was a lively and crowded atmosphere.

The guide was extremely knowledgeable and friendly. The description of this day did not quite match up to our experience but what we did experience was very good.

Loved seeing the smaller towns and small alley streets.

Coming from someone who isnt really a foodie, this was probably one of my favorite tours! Learning about the French food, how it is sourced and grown was so eye opening! Especially coming from America, where it is all processed for it to be shipped out quickly and made with all kinds of ingredients that really are not for the good of our population. Not only is the food good it is about enjoying the food and each other as you sit down for a meal. Nothing is quick and at your fingertips, hence the reason for the freshness of it all! Our Guide, was so knowledgable, friendly and made everything seamless. we tried chocolates, croissants, and es cargot at the end.

Wonderful full day of learning all about the Beaches of Normandy. This has been on my list for a long time! My Grandfather was there and learning more of his experience was very moving . Our Guide Carlyle was wonderful and very knowledgeable . We were able to go inside bunkers , the museum was so enlightening!

Even though it rained our driver was able to cover the sides so we didn’t get wet. Our guide Adriana was so sweet. She led us around so many places that we probably would never see in foot. She would stop at locations to let us take photos. She was very knowledgeable and helpful with any local questions we had. We had a really fun morning and a great way to start our trip!

This was our last big tour. We knew it could be overwhelming to see but having Felix walk us around to some of the major exhibits made it all the more memorable. We didn’t get overwhelmed and each exhibit he gave us the whole story and background and very knowledgeable about them! He led us to places that weren’t as crowded , which we really appreciated and once again able to walk right in without waiting in line, expect to check bags, which was very quick. I am not even a museum person but having a private guide and being engaged with us was fantastic!! Highly recommend the way to see the Louvre! Also should watch the DaVinci Code before going !

The renovated room was very nice but there wasn't a view as promised. The location was great. Breakfast was great.

Brian was an exceptional host. The room and artwork was fabulous!!. The food was amazing. Brian provided commentary about the food for each guest table which was great to get to know him. The mosquitos were a bit much despite having spray at dinner time.

Our room was very large and had a great view of the Promenade. The shower drain kept clogging. We called maintenance about it once. The location was great. The lavender painted walls and draperies were fun! The breakfast was delicious.

Felix was knowledgeable and tailored the day to us. We were disappointed we did not get to go into Notre Dame. An external tour was not the same. The Louvre was spectacular with Felix as our guide. He pointed out the best parts and kept our interest. Felix spoke fantastic English. Is Felix ever goes out on his own, pick him!

Tessa was a great guide! She was very knowledgeable about the city.

A guide is a must and Felix was the best!

The food was terrible and the waiter was rude. There was a great view of the Eiffel Tower from the boat. There was no commentary about the buildings or sites we were passing on the river. Pass on this one!

Great to get the tour guide to show us the market and taste some of the foods. Michael was a great guide! He peddled fast but we could easily keep up. We could have had a better lunch spot than on the faded grass by the restrooms, but it worked!

The first winery we visited had a great history but the lady was a bit distracted and didn't seem happy we were there. Our guide did a great job of explaining all about the vineyards and the popes.

The Captain (I can't remember his name) was awesome! The private boat was better since we could tailor the trip to our needs. The snorkeling was fun. Our Captain was very knowledgable about the coastline and the boats in the harbors. It would have been nice for him to have provided drinks or had time for lunch when we stopped at Cap Ferrat.

Cyril was amazing! He spoke very clear english and knew all about the villages we visited. The group was a bit larger than we thought but it was nice to meet the other guests. The restaurant had a great food. The train was clean and nice to ride thru the Alps and see the scenery. Cyril did a great job narrating along the way.

Our guide was knowledgeable but didn't do a good job talking to the group with information. She was great one-on-one but didn't talk to the group.