La Grande France Tour
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Overview
Highlights
- Stay 3 nights amongst the glorious chateaux of the Loire Valley, see mighty Chambord and visit elegant Chenonceau, the incredible Gardens of Villandry, Fontevraud Abbey and Da Vinci’s Clos de Luce
- Explore Amboise, Tours and Chinon, and visit the Troglodytic cave site of Lascaux II and tragic Oradour-sur-Glane
- In the Dordogne, stay 3 nights in perfectly preserved Sarlat-la-Caneda, play pétanque in La Roque Gageac, cruise on the river Dordogne to Domme, explore ancient Rocamadour and visit the incredible caves of Gouffre de Padirac
- Sleep for 2 nights in le Château des Ducs in the Cathar countryside of Languedoc Roussillon, visit Carcassonne and intriguing Rennes-le-Chateau, and Castelnaudary before cruising down the Canal Du Midi
- Stay 3 nights in Provence, relax in ancient Nimes, visit Aigues-Mortes set in the salt pans of the Camargue, Avignon and the Roman Pont du Gard, experience the Carriere des Lumiere sound and light show in Les Baux and enjoy dinner in St Remy
- Visit the pretty harbour town of Cassis and enjoy a dramatic Calanques coastal cruise
- Relax over 3 nights in the Cote d’Azur, explore Nice, Cannes and Monte Carlo, plus visit a perfumery in Grasse
- Visit exclusive Saint-Jean Cap Ferrat, enjoy afternoon tea in Villa Ephrussi – home of the Rothschild family, plus experience a farewell dinner in the artisan village of Saint Paul de Vence
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Details
Travel Themes
Destinations
Attractions
Activities
Trip includes
- All excursions, scenic drives and sightseeing (as per the itinerary)
- Fully escorted by our experienced Tour Manager
- Travel in a first class air-conditioned touring coach
- End of tour tips to Tour Manager and Driver, tips for local guides
- 14 nights authentic, specially selected hotel accommodation
- Hotel porterage (1 bag per person)
- Welcome drink Loire Valley
- Breakfast daily
- 9 dinners including welcome dinner, and 5 local restaurant dinners – Loire Valley, Dordogne, St Remy, Nice, St Paul de Vence
- Entrances: Chateau du Clos Lucé, Chateau Villandry Gardens, Lascaux II Museum, Gouffre de Padirac, Carcassonne ramparts, Nimes Amphitheatre, Pont du Gard, Carriere des Lumiere art show, French perfumery, Villa Ephrussi
- Entrances with audio guides: Chenonceau Chateau and Gardens, Abbey of Fontevraud, Oradour-sur-Glane, Villa Ephrussi
- Local guides - Lascaux II Museum, Sarlat/Dordogne, Gouffre de Padirac, Carcassonne, Nimes
- Pétanque lesson and game, River Dordogne barge cruise, Canal du Midi cruise, return petit train rides in Domme and Cassis, Calanques sea cruise, Villa Ephrussi afternoon tea
- Personal audio system whilst on tour
- Free WIFI available on most coaches and at hotels
- Complimentary Albatross Tours PhotoBook on your return home
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Itinerary
Meals: Dinner
Accommodation: Clarion Hotel Chateau Belmont
Your tour commences mid-morning in Paris. After meeting your Tour Manager we board our coach and make our way south-west to the verdant Loire Valley where, during the 15th and 16th centuries, th...
Meals: Breakfast
This morning we enjoy a visit to the magnificent Chateau Chenonceau, spanning the River Cher on a series of graceful arches. Possibly one of the most photographed of the Loire chateaux this was the former home of Diane de Poitiers and Catheri...
Meals: Breakfast and Dinner
Our first stop of the day will be to visit to Royal Abbey of Fontevraud. Built nearly 1,000 years ago, this is the largest abbey in Western Europe. The romanesque abbey church with its royal tombs and the renaissance cloister, have a...
Meals: Breakfast and Dinner
Accommodation: Hotel Meysset
This morning we make a poignant visit to the ‘ghost village’ of Oradour-sur-Glane. In June 1944, without apparent provocation, soldiers from the 2nd Waffen-SS Panzer Division massacred all the inha...
Meals: Breakfast
A guide joins us for the whole day. First we explore the medieval, architectural time capsule village of Sarlat. Noted for its gourmet food, cheeses, pate and foie gras, Sarlat is also famous for its beautifully preserved old town with its café...
Meals: Breakfast and Dinner
This morning we will visit the ‘pilgrimage town’ of Rocamadour. Incredibly picturesque, this town sits on a tributary of the Dordogne. High above the old town are churches and monastic buildings, whilst below is an old town dating ba...
Meals: Breakfast and Dinner
Accommodation: Château des Ducs de Joyeuse
Driving south we reach the town of Castelnaudary. After time to explore the picturesque old town, we then board a canal boat to enjoy an afternoon cruise down the famous Canal du Midi...
Meals: Breakfast
This morning we are joined by a local guide as we explore the ramparts and old town of Carcassonne. This medieval castle, with its gigantic double walled fortifications and 53 watchtowers, is the 2nd most visited site in France outside of Paris...
Meals: Breakfast and Dinner
Accommodation: Hotel Imperator
Crossing over to the Mediterranean coast we enjoy a morning stop in ancient Béziers, which is located on the Canal du Midi, and dates back to pre-Roman times. Dominating the town is the majestic ...
Meals: Breakfast
This morning a local guide will take us on a walking tour of this remarkable city. Dating back to the bronze age, the central part is traffic free and right in the middle you’ll find the Maison Carrée Roman temple, and the giant Arena of Nimes ...
Meals: Breakfast and Dinner
A leisurely morning in Nimes. Do as much or as little as you wish. Mid afternoon we journey to the crumbling castle and once deserted village of Les Baux to discover the craft shops and cafés scattered throughout the ruins. Set on th...
Meals: Breakfast and Dinner
Accommodation: Hotel Masena
First stop today will be in the old fishing village of Cassis, on the Cote d’Azur. From here we enjoy a morning cruise to explore some of the incredibly picturesque Calanques. These rugged inlets wi...
Meals: Breakfast
First stop this morning will be in the hill town of Grasse where we will enjoy a visit to a local perfumery. Then, dropping down to the coast, we will stop in the extravagant sea-side resort of Cannes. Famous for its movie stars and the Cannes...
Meals: Breakfast and Dinner
Your morning is entirely free in the elegant resort town of Nice. Take time to stroll and shop amongst the winding streets and perhaps enjoy lunch in one of the attractive seaside restaurants. Nice also boasts a number of art museums...
Meals: Breakfast
Sadly, your La Grande France tour ends this morning after breakfast.
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Dates & Availability
Check Current Availability, prices, specials with Albatross Tours.
The total tour cost includes the tour price (regular or promotional) and the compulsory local payment. The promotional price is subject to change. Check directly with the operator for the latest price offer. The tour operator requires you to pay only the tour price to purchase your travel. The compulsory local payment will be paid when you join the trip. All prices are based on double, twin or triple share occupancy. Solo passengers will be accommodated in a double, twin or triple room according to availability with a passenger(s) of the same gender. Single supplement only needs to be paid if the passenger does not want to share and requests their own room. Discounts can only be applied at the time of booking and cannot be added at a later date, regardless of any changes made to the original booking.
Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.
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This trip was fantastic from the accommodation, experiences, food and company
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Disappointing
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Tour Operator
In 2015 Albatross Australia will be celebrating 20 years operating European escorted tours. Since then, thousands of Australians and New Zealanders have travelled with us discovering a much better way of touring Europe. In fact, many of our past travellers have joined us again and again because they love the style of our tours.
Established in 1995 by Euan Landsborough, Co-owner, Managing Director and Tour Designer of Albatross Tours, we are based in Brisbane, Australia and are a division of the award winning global travel company – The Albatross Group.
As a global company we handle in excess of 5,000 European tour groups every year, with offices in Australia, Europe and the United Kingdom.
With Albatross Tours you are in experienced hands. Our sole focus is the design, creation and operation of European tours for Australians and New Zealanders. Our 20 years of European touring experience enables us to provide you with a better and more fulfilling experience.
When you travel on an Albatross European tour, you are looking at value for money, genuine inclusions and better itinerary designs. Why would you choose to travel to Europe with anyone else!
Discover a better way to explore Europe
- Leisurely 2, 3, 4 and even 7 night stops
- Small groups, with a more personal style of touring
- Genuinely inclusive, with no additional 'on tour' optional extras
- Tours designed for Australians and New Zealanders
- Stay in character hotels in superb locations
- See more and experience more of Europe
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Logistics
What's excluded
- International Flights
- Visas
- Airport taxes
- Port taxes
- Security charges
- Airport transfers
- Items of a personal nature
- Laundry, drinks and consumables.
Accommodation
All cancellations must be received in writing.
If cancelled outside of 60 days prior to travel a cancellation fee of the deposit applies.
If cancelled after final payment but prior to 45 days before travel a cancellation fee of 50% applies.
If cancelled later than 45 days prior to travel a cancellation fee of 100% applies.
14 Breakfasts and 9 Dinners
Insurance
It is a condition of travel that each passenger is adequately covered by a proper insurance cover. Please also check the contingencies of your prospective insurance cover and ensure you are aware of its conditions and omissions. We strongly advise travel insurance from time of booking to provide full cover.
Guaranteed Group Departures
All Albatross programmes offered are group touring programmes. The term‘ group tour’ is defined as having a minimum of 10 and a maximum of 40 passengers travelling (on ANZAC Day tour departures) and a maximum of 28passengers travelling (on European Summer tour departures). Once Albatross Tours confirms 10 deposited passengers travelling, it guarantees that the group tour will depart. In the event of only 9 passengers or less booking and travelling on that specific departure we are unable to operate that departure as a group tour and that departure will be\ withdrawn. In rare instances such as this Albatross Tours guarantee to advise all parties concerned of the withdrawal of the tour at least 90 days prior to its scheduled departure date.
Transportation
When group sizes are considered too small to use a full sized coach we reserve the righto use a smaller coach. Smaller coaches and any vehicles used for local transfers and occasional day excursions may not have toilet facilities on board. Individual country and EEC laws regarding coach transportation will be abided by at all times.
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