Tours in the provinces of France. The Other France: A Journey Through the Provinces
KMP Group – tour operator in France, having over 27 years of experience with this popular destination tourism.
We offer you a large selection of tours along this amazing country, annually attracting hundreds of thousands of tourists from all over the world. Today, France is the most visited country in the world by tourists. The number of tourists coming here is more than 86 million people a year. Rich history, special atmosphere and French sophisticated style are the main reasons for such popularity.
Besides, France is a country of high fashion, exclusive cuisine and winemaking. Once you visit Paris, Nice, Marseille, Lyon or Bordeaux, you will definitely want to come back here at least again.
Location and climate: The northern and western regions of France are occupied by low mountains and plains, the snowy Alps rise in the southeast, the center, east and southwest of the country are occupied by mountains. The geographical location of France allows tourists to visit regions with completely different climatic and cultural characteristics. The southern Mediterranean regions - the Côte d'Azur, Provence and Occitania are one thing, and Norman, Brittany and the central regions of the country are quite another. And it’s very difficult to see all this within one tour of France! Each region is so unique and gives so many new emotions and impressions that any traveler wants to stay here longer. We will help you choose from this variety exactly those tours that will be most interesting to you.
Climate of France also varies significantly by region. In the central regions it is sea, moderate and quite mild, which allows you to comfortably travel around the country almost all year round. Southern regions Mediterranean Sea are located in the subtropical zone. In the eastern regions of France the climate is continental. In January average temperature: 1-8°C, July average temperature: 17-24°C;
The most favorable time to visit Paris is May and September-October, the Riviera is September. Mountain areas have their own microclimate, characteristic of high-altitude areas. The best months to visit Corsica are May to June and September to October.
Capital: Paris
Time: Time in France is 2 hours behind Moscow
Currency: The national currency is the Euro
Official language: The main language of communication is French, but throughout France it is possible to communicate in English language. In addition, German is spoken in Alsace, and different provinces have their own dialects of French.
Tour operator in France KMP Group offers not only excursions, but also wine and wedding tours, with visits to ancient castle hotels, and holidays on the beaches Cote d'Azur and much more.
Popular resorts
France is one of the first countries that people dream of as a travel destination. Holidays in France are magnificent palaces, and museums where the originals of the greatest works of art are stored, and streets that are described in the works of classics, and with which the most important events of European and world history are associated. These are the most prestigious ski resorts, and first-class seaside resorts on the Cote d'Azur, where the most influential people in the world relax. Holidays in France are a combination of modern French luxury, the charm of small cozy restaurants with gourmet cuisine and the modest French province.
When purchasing tours to France, most tourists first go to Paris. Take a walk through the streets of Montmartre, try real French coffee, sit and savor the wine, praised by many connoisseurs. You will definitely meet lovers on the numerous stairs and bridges of Paris - believe me, it is impossible not to fall in love here. There are more than 200 museums here, including the Louvre, the Picasso and Rodin museums and the Paris Wine Museum. The heart of Paris is Notre Dame Cathedral, from which distances to other cities are measured.
When planning a trip to France, be sure to plan a visit to Disneyland Paris - this is a whole world of exciting adventures that will delight your children. You can’t get around all the attractions of this legendary Disneyland in a whole day.
You can also choose the Moulin Rouge, Crazy Horse or Lido cabaret. Or admire the views of the capital of France from Eiffel Tower, and then have dinner at the famous restaurant “Altitude 95” (“58 Tour Eiffel”), from the windows of which a beautiful panorama of the Seine and Trocadéro Square opens.
Tours to France are in great demand among tourists, most tourist routes invariably pass through this country. We have developed for you the most interesting routes and excursions to all the significant attractions of Paris and other regions. Choose the most suitable tour for you and call - we will be happy to help you visit the most alluring and romantic country in the world!
Today, tours to the provinces of France are offered by many travel agencies. However, we can recommend that you create your own route. Not always ready-made tourist programs include what will be of interest to you. Therefore, we recommend that you take a trip around France by car with your family. To organize your trip, you will need a map of France with provinces and our portal. We will try to tell you about everything interesting that this country has. Stay with us, it will be interesting further.
In modern France there are no official divisions into French provinces. The political and administrative structure of France involves dividing the country into departments. However, the historical provinces of France are still actively used not only by historians and archaeologists when conducting research, but also by ordinary citizens of this country. If you ask how you can get to Champagne, then the explanation will be quick and simple. Tourist tours to the provinces of France are also particularly popular. After all, most of them are built on an educational principle. During such a trip, you can not only study the history of the country, but also get acquainted with the ancient customs and traditions of France.
The historical provinces of France included 39 territories. The most famous of them are Normandy, Bordeaux, Champagne, Provence, Burgundy, Ile-de-France, Corsica, Nice, Alsace. This territorial structure of France remained until March 4, 1790. During the French Revolution, it was decided to abandon the French provinces and switch to dividing the country using departments. Thus, the role of the provincial centers of France was diminished and the power of Paris was elevated.
The modern structure of France includes 96 departments with a population in each of them from 500 thousand to 1,000,000 people
Which French provinces are the most attractive to visit?
It is not possible to answer this question unambiguously. All French provinces are quite attractive for tourists. It all depends on what purpose you are visiting. this country. For example, if you are interested in the history of Napoleon Bonaparte, then you should start your trip from the island of Corsica. The historical province of France also has the same name. Here you can study in detail the entire biography of Napoleon and his life path. Corsica offers all the possibilities for this.
For a culinary trip, Provence and Champagne are more suitable. Here you will find the most exquisite dishes of French cuisine, world-famous wines and amazingly delicate French cheese. All this will be flavored with the aroma of Provencal herbs and dressed in a romantic Provencal style.
For lovers of active sea holiday We can recommend visiting the French province of Nice. On the Atlantic, its prototype is Brittany and Aquitaine. These historical provinces of France today provide maximum comfort for tourists during the summer months of the year.
For history buffs, we can recommend the French province of Normandy. You can add Burgundy and Bordeaux to it. Well, you won’t be able to miss the central province, on the territory of which Paris is located today. For ski lovers, we recommend the Alpine provinces and the Pyrenees.
Southern provinces of France
All southern provinces of France are tourist resort destinations and agricultural entities. Here you can combine pleasant stay on the Mediterranean Sea and excellent French cuisine. According to statistics, most tourists prefer to visit the southern provinces of France.
These include Nice, Corsica, Provence, Toulouse, Avignon. The tourist and service infrastructure is developed here. Organized daily for guests a large number of familiarization and educational tours of castles, architectural monuments and historical places.
Northern provinces of France
The northern provinces of France are better known to us as ski resorts and sites of major historical battles. We recommend you visit Lorraine. This northern province of France is famous for many military battles. There are a large number of historical memorials and monuments here. Experienced guides will help you understand the history of modern France and feel the freedom-loving spirit of this people.
The northern provinces of France Savoy and Dauphine are areas French Alps. World famous ski resorts are located here. It is best to plan a visit to these lands during the winter months of the year.
We offer excursion tours to France in 2020. Here you will find weekly tours to Paris with departures from Moscow and other cities for a week or a weekend. We also offer a variety of excursions in and around Paris. But our main difference is that we specialize in excursion tours around the provinces of France.
Here you will find weekly excursion tours "Visit to Paris" and the author's tour "Paris - Normandy - Brittany" (on Saturdays and Sundays), the author's tour "Exclusive trip to Normandy - Brittany" (several times a year), wonderful sightseeing tour"Paris - Champagne - Burgundy - Alsace" (held once a month), as well as the author's tour "Colors of Provence" and other interesting tours in the South of France.
On our tours you will find the Provinces of France: Normandy, Brittany, Provence, Cote d'Azur, Languedoc-Roussillon, Aquitaine, Burgundy, Champagne, Alsace.
Our tours in France are designed for tourists from different cities. In each tour, in the "Transport" section, there is information on flights and transfers.
In the South of France we offer a tour "Colors of Provence"- a region that we know and love well, there is a wonderful exclusive program “Travel to the Southern Provinces of France” for 8 days and its older brother "A great trip to the Southern provinces of France + Colors of Provence" for 12 days. It's really big Adventure, full of impressions, but not tiring, despite the duration and abundance of cities and attractions visited. All tours, of course, can be combined with an extension of stay in Nice or a holiday in other resort towns Cote d'Azur France.
Perhaps it is worth mentioning one more program "Spain - France - Catalonia". It is good to combine it with a holiday on the Spanish Costa Brava.
The programs are carried out on our comfortable buses with experienced drivers and guides. Our transport allows us not only to provide a high class of service, but also to guarantee all stated tour dates. We wish you bright impressions from your travels in France.
First 2 weeks of September 2008.
Tour operator "DSBV"
Nice-Avignon-Pont du Gard-Nîmes-Carcassonne-Bordeaux-Cognac-Angoulême-Saint-Emilion-Arcachon-Sarles la Caneda-Rocamadour-Toulouse-Arles-Marseille + holidays in Nice
The trip was simply wonderful, very interesting and educational, although very difficult. Moreover, the flight was to Genoa (Italy), and then by bus to Nice. The tour was simply about endurance, because in the intense heat (it was more than +30) we had to walk almost 10 km with our legs almost every day, and even along mountains, steps, and abbeys. We must pay tribute, all the hotels along the route were from “3+” to “4 stars” with buffet breakfasts, i.e. with a hot buffet, which is very cool and a rarity for a tour of France. I liked Nice, however, the dominance of Russian speech, you feel like in Sochi, and I went specifically to speak French. From Mount Chateau there is an incomparable panoramic view: the Bay of Angels, the Promenade des Anglais, palaces, parks, shops, restaurants. Bright sun, blue sky, turquoise sea. And all this is poetically called the Cote d'Azur! But personally I for beach holiday I would never choose Nice. The beach is large pebbles, it hurts your feet very, very much. And the equipped beach is no different: just a sun lounger - 20 euros, a soft mattress - 5 euros, an umbrella - 5 euros, and entering the water is just as stupid. I had to buy special swimming slippers.
Next we move to Avignon, famous for its bridge over the Rhone River, the Papal Palace and the Notre Dame de Dome Cathedral. The Rhone is wonderfully beautiful, its banks are simply buried in lush vegetation, and the emerald waters rush in a stormy stream. In one of the restaurants in the center of Avignon, a waiter approaches us, a purely Russian boy from Samara, whose mother married a Frenchman. Now he is French too. We eat amazingly tasty fish and wash everything down with rose wine. Mmm... How lovely! From Avignon we are taken to a wine tasting at Chateau Laurent Charles Brotte. These chateaus used to be castles, but now the chateau is an estate with outbuildings and endless vineyards. The tasting is conducted by the young owner himself and even with a guided tour. Of course, we buy 3-4 bottles of wine at a price of 20 to 50 euros each, remembering that the suitcase on the way back should weigh no more than 20 kg. From Avignon we move to a place called “Pont du Gard” (literally, “bridge over the Gard River”). Roman legionnaires also left their legacy here. A magnificent, several-tiered aqueduct, which was built not by slaves, but by the Romans themselves with a good technical education. And a quiet village nearby. You can clearly see how the river is teeming with fish, and herons stand decorously along the banks. If I were an artist, I would immediately sketch this landscape! Next we go to the city of Nimes. He's not small at all. His coat of arms includes crocodiles. Residents are still fighting with the La Coste company, which allegedly stole their crocodiles. The city is decorated with huge arenas reminiscent of the Roman Colosseum. By the way, bullfighting is still held here, but bulls are not killed. So many beautiful squares and fountains, from the most ancient to the super stylish and modern. Everyone is allowed into the city hall; the doors there simply do not close. The canal itself along which we are walking is beautiful. We go into the “Garden of Fountains”, admire the Temple of Diana, no one knows in what century it was erected. It’s hot, the sun is strong, no less than +33, and it’s already the month of September. But the photos will turn out great.
Then we move to medieval city-Carcassonne fortress. As the French say sité, i.e. its central part is fenced with fortified walls with loopholes. The beginning of its construction dates back to the 15th century. I was there with my husband 6 years ago; we drove to Carcassonne from Spain. Nothing changed. Everything is just as beautiful, there are several museums: schools, ghosts and the Inquisition (the latter, by the way, is very interesting). And now about the town itself. It is located on very convenient routes, so everyone wanted to get their hands on it. He was besieged very often. And according to legend, during a long siege, Madame Carcass began throwing pigs from the fortress walls. By this she wanted to show the besiegers that the besieged inhabitants still had a lot of provisions. The siege was lifted... Since then the city has been called Carcassonne, and on the Narbonne Gate there is a bas-relief of Madame Carcasse. By the way, this is where the film “Robin Hood” starring Kevin Costner was filmed. Wonderful little town. But we lived outside the walls of the site, in a simple city, however, also very old. Our hotel was called Terminu. Simple 3 stars +, the only hotel of this level, all the rest were normal European “fours”. I didn’t like the hotel, the reception desk looked like a train station in the design plan, but the hotel had a swimming pool and a jacuzzi. The rooms are tiny, between the sink and the bathtub directly to the toilet itself I made my way sideways and exhaled air!!!
After Carcassonne we move to Bordeaux. Surprisingly hiking trails Very little passes through this town. However, I didn't really like him. A large industrial city, very modern. And the wide and very dirty Garona River flows through it. True, it is dirty not from industrial waste, like our Moscow River, but from clay banks. I only liked the long embankment with a fountain, all in flowers, but it should have been called “Customs Embankment”! We live in Bordeaux for 3 whole days, going on excursions and returning to it. Here we have a very decent 4-star hotel of the Novotel chain. The room is large, spacious, with a luxurious bathroom and separate toilet. Which one then good restaurant This hotel, one might say, has gourmet delights! We drink wine a little at a time, but at breakfast, before lunch, at lunch, before dinner, at dinner, and after dinner. And we don't even get drunk. The wines are incredible!
Next we move to the city of Cognac, which stands on the most beautiful river Charente. Marvelous beautiful bridge, all entwined with flowers. I can't resist taking pictures. The castle itself (chateau) belonged for many years to Baron Otar, who specialized in the production of cognac. Here the cognac is real, but everywhere else there is only brandy. And several centuries ago, the chateau belonged to Francis I himself. He was an extraordinary man for those times. Tall, healthy, with sloping shoulders and bent horseshoes with his hands. But he really loved the female sex, which is why he died prematurely. He had a mistress, Belle Froniere, and her husband could not forgive her for being the king’s favorite. He “awarded” his wife with syphilis, and she gave the king. The sad result is that all three died prematurely... But Francis did not forget about his wife, who bore him 7 children. We go into the chateau. The tour is conducted in Russian by a simple Ukrainian girl, who has lived and worked there for a long time, wearing a simple long dress stylized as a peasant woman. But we see mannequins in medieval clothes. Bah! Yes, this is Francis the First himself with Claudine of France and his retinue. I can't resist taking pictures! And then we are led through the vaulted halls and down into the cellars, shown the storage facilities, and told about the distillation system. And... finally, tasting. They pour little and little, and only 2 varieties. Of course, we also buy Otar cognac, the price ranges from 20 to 240 euros per bottle, depending on the V.S.O.P. or X.O.
Next we move to Angoulême. A medieval town, the old part of the city is again located high, high on the mountain. Oh, I'm crawling up! My poor legs, they are just buzzing with fatigue! The beautiful ancient St. Andrew's Cathedral, a modern theater, parks, squares, absolutely tiny and narrow streets. It seems that the city is sleeping, there are almost no tourists. And then there’s a very beautiful and ancient castle, now it’s the mayor’s office of Angoulême, surrounded by a stunning square with bright flowers and right there a monument to Margaret of Angoulême, the most educated woman of her time, by the way, the sister of Francis the First. In our free time, we sit right in a restaurant near the Hotel de Ville (city hall) and, while drinking aromatic coffee, meditate, i.e. We are transported to the atmosphere of the Middle Ages. Then we move to Saint Emilion. It is because of him that we chose this tour. Here are the best vineyards in France, here, not in Bordeaux. For information: in Moscow restaurants, a bottle of high-quality collection wine from the Saint-Emilion region costs from 5 to 10 thousand rubles apiece. The town is also very old, the cathedral is high on the mountain, and in its chapel there is a clock with such a melodious chime that you can’t help but listen to it, and the spire of the chapel soars high, high into the sky. There are apparently no liquor stores. And they offer free tasting in any of them. I buy one single bottle, but... for 155 euros. Oh, and my husband will kick me out of the house for SUCH a gift!!! Next we go to Arcachon, which is famous for its sandy beaches and oyster plantations. The beaches are indeed sandy, although not equipped. But there are plenty of seafood restaurants. Well, how can you deny yourself this? This is how our purely sightseeing tour also develops into a gastronomic one. We order a huge plate of seafood, only 24 euros, and wine too! There is a huge dune in the city, its height is 115 meters, it gives the impression that you are in the desert. But the town is very nice, a real resort town and there are pine trees all around!
I really liked the city of Sarlat-la-Caneda (absolutely ancient), and we also went to the festive Saturday fair, where local farmers bring their products: excellent cheeses, smoked meats, fish, seafood and foie gros (goose liver pate). The province of Perigo is famous for this particular product. I really, really liked it here. Very old houses, but a modern, vibrant rhythm of life! Then there was tiny Arles, where Van Gogh lived and worked. Next, our path lies in the city of Rocamadour. On sheer cliff, Rocamadour Abbey is located high, high. When I heard that we were going there now, I almost fainted. “With your legs again?!” - a phrase involuntarily escaped from me, directed to the guide. It turned out that everything was simpler, we were taken to the very top by bus, and from there, gradually downwards, along serpentine paths we went down to the town itself. The abbey is very old, it dates back to the 11th century, but everything is very beautiful, measured and calm.
And then Toulouse. Very Big city. A mixture of antiquity and modernity, an abundance of squares, parks and fountains. And there are a lot of Muslims, black people and homeless people. While we were relaxing at the Merkur Hotel in the very center of the city, it was in Toulouse that they tried to rob our bus at night. They knocked down a window near the driver's seat and got inside, but they stole little, some candy and cookies, apparently some teenagers got in. But the province of Languedoc has always been considered very, very rich. Remember Geoffrey de Peyrac, Count of Toulouse, who was richer than the king himself, from “Angelique - Marquise of the Angels” by Anne and Serge Gollon? Apparently Toulouse is not so rich now...
And then Marseille with its famous islands (Castle d'If and Frioul). We ate the famous bouillabaisse soup in Marseille. A plate for 38 euros, but nothing special, fish soup made from pureed lentils with fish, however, cooked according to a special, secret and time-consuming recipe. But most of all I didn’t like the fact that French is the second language in Marseille, the first is Arabic. There is a very large Muslim population. It was in vain that Charles de Gaulle allowed them into France in such a rank. And finally, the most famous cathedral, Notre Dame de la Garde, on top of which rises the golden Virgin Mary, stretching out her arms to the sea and protecting the peace of the inhabitants of Marseille. We ourselves, on a pleasure boat, go first to the island of If (remember the Count of Monte Cristo?), and then to the island of Frioul. All this is very close to Marseille. Honestly, I thought that in Marseille I would see drunken wandering sailors embracing whores. This is a huge port. But I didn’t see anything like that. And then again to Nice, to our 4-star Excellur hotel.
From Nice we went to the Principality of Monaco, beautiful and respectable. All Rolls-Royces, Lambarginis and Porsches. Wonderful gardens of Albert the First and the princely palace itself. Even now everyone is allowed into it. And then to Monte Carlo, which is part of the city of Monaco. We also visited the famous casino. The entrance ticket is personalized, issued only if you have a passport and costs 10 euros. They don't allow you to take photographs there, which is a pity. Just a gorgeous palace with stucco moldings and huge crystal chandeliers. Yes... I won’t be a lady. And although by Moscow standards everything is fine with my money, it was there that I strongly felt and realized HOW poor I was! And HOW far I am from this world. However, this did not upset me. I didn’t play in the casino, I just don’t know how, I “rooted” for our men! And now a little about the French in general: they eat a huge amount of bread and croissants, while remaining not just slender, but dry as a roach. There are a lot of expensive branded clothing stores in Nice; a friend bought a blouse for 270 euros for her student daughter in the Sonia Rykiel brand store on rue Paradis. Don't go to this street. The most expensive stores, the prices in which are incredibly “off the charts”. Sizes of fashionable clothes are mainly from 1 to 3 sizes, i.e. from 40th to 46th. And on the pedestrian street Massena there are the best restaurants. We especially liked the restaurant "Le Mirador", the seafood and marinated mussels served right in the shells are very good there! In general, I really liked the measured way of life of the French. They are never in a hurry at all, they enjoy and savor life according to full program. Everyone is obsessed with their body. In the morning, be sure to jog, bike or roller skate, and then aromatic coffee with a pile of croissants and the morning newspaper. They are actively fighting smoking; in restaurants they don’t even provide ashtrays, but put them on the street, on open verandas. And they themselves smoke a lot, a lot! The ticket for 15 days cost almost 2 thousand euros (price as of August 2008), I spent even more than 2.5 thousand euros there. All in the amount of more than 4.5 thousand euros. But she remained incredibly pleased. I plunged into the atmosphere of the Middle Ages, breathed in the real aroma of France, had a hearty conversation with the French, learned a lot of new things, and swam a little and sunbathed. Yes, the tour was very difficult, but since I survived, it means that it is accessible to everyone. I highly recommend this tour to lovers and deep connoisseurs of France.
Day 1 Moscow - Nice: Arrival V Nice.Detailed information on recommended flights from Russian cities and transfers is presented in the “Recommended Flights” section under the tour description. Transfer and hotel accommodation. We also organize transfers from Genoa. Free time.
After noon walking tour of Nice , founded by the ancient Greeks, which turned into a popular seaside resort for the European aristocracy in the 19th century. Many artists have linked their fate with Nice. IN Matisse Museum there is one of the largest collections of paintings by the master. IN Marc Chagall Museum presents works by the famous artist on biblical themes. Free time.
Day 2 Nice - Verdon Gorge - Moustiers Saint Marie - Roussillon - Marseille: Departure for a journey through the south of France along picturesque national roads. Visit on the way Verdon Gorgewith a stop at Lake of the Holy Cross. Then You will stop at a mountain village Moustier Saint Marie(~ 140 km), then you will have a stop at Roussillon(~100 km), which is a member of the Association of the "most beautiful villages France", with a short excursion and his famous natural park with ocher hills. Free time for lunch.
Then you will go to Marseille (~ 95 km). Accommodation at a hotel in Marseille. Free time. While in Marseille you should definitely tryBouillabaisse - Provencal fish soup, which is usually prepared for 2 - 3 people and which will cost about €50 - €60. You can try Marseille Bouillabaisse, for example in a restaurant Les Miramar at Quai du Port 12.Alternatively, you can also have a nice dinner in a restaurant Toinou at Cours Saint-Louis, 3 , located near the Old Port. Here you can try almost everything that local fishermen catch: oysters, shrimp, crabs, mussels, scallops, snails, which are delivered here 6 times a day!
Day 3 Marseille - Avignon: Sightseeing tour of Marseille, a port city in the south of France, founded by Greek traders in the 7th century. BC. At the top of the city is the Romano-Byzantine-style Basilica of Notre-Dame de la Garde, which offers magnificent views of Marseille and is included in a city tour. The most famous modern buildings are the Radiant City complex, designed by Le Corbusier, and the CMA CGM Tower skyscraper by architect Zaha Hadid.
Free time. We recommend visiting Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilizations- a building in the form of a huge black cube near the Old Port. The roof of the museum offers beautiful views of the Mediterranean Sea and the old port, and the building itself is connected pedestrian bridge with Fort Saint-Jean - St Jean of the 17th century. There is a good restaurant with original cuisine on the roof of the museum. Le Môle Passédat- address Quai du Port, 201. Lunch according to the “formula” will cost ~€20 here. Moving Avignon(~105 km). Hotel accommodation.
Day 4 Avignon - Pont du Gard - Nimes:Avignon walking tour - medieval city, famous for the Papal Palace of the 14th century. Papal Palace- historical and architectural monument, object World Heritage UNESCO and one of the largest palaces in Europe. Avignon hosts an annual Theater Festival. Free time in Avignon. We recommend visiting Papal Palace, where you can walk with an audio guide in Russian. If you climb to the very top, you will be able to see a beautiful panorama of Avignon overlooking the famous Avignon Bridge and the Rhone River. Free time for lunch.
In the afternoon, a trip to the monument of the Roman era - the aqueduct bridge Pont du Gard(~25 km). The Pont du Gard is the highest surviving ancient Roman aqueduct with a length of 275 meters and a height of 47 meters. UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Then excursion to Nimes(~ 30 km) with a tour of the ancient Roman Arena for 23,000 spectators, built under Caesar, and the Maison Care Temple, erected under Emperor Augustus. We recommend visiting the Arena inside - it is still used for concerts - the acoustics are amazing. Free time. Return to the hotel in Avignon (~ 44 km)
Day 5 Avignon - Orange - Beau de Provence: Excursion trip to Provence. First you will go to the city Orange(~30 km). Orange, which was one of the most prosperous centers of Roman Provence under Emperor Augustus, is famous today mainly due to Ancient Roman theater, in which in the summer months are held music festivals. This horseshoe-shaped theater has no equal in terms of its state of preservation: the rear wall is more than 100 meters long, and in the central niche stands a 3.5-meter high statue of Emperor Augustus. Next to the theater there is a wonderful museum dedicated to the history of Ancient Rome.
Transfer to a picturesque village Beau de Provence , which is included in the Association of “the most beautiful villages in France”, leads serpentine roads (~ 60 km). We recommend climbing to the very top of Beau de Provence, visiting the fortress and looking at the magnificent landscapes of Provence from above. The excursion day will end Wine tasting in Chateauneuf du Pape*. Return to Avignon.
Day 6 Avignon - Gordes - Senanque - Aix-en-Provence: Moving to a medieval village Proud(~50 km). A short stop. Medieval buildings dating back to the 12th century have been preserved here. Many people remember Gord from the movie " Good year". A short stop at Abbeys of Senanque(~ 5 km), located against the backdrop of lavender fields.
Moving to Aix-en-Provence(~75 km) is a university town in Provence, where the famous post-impressionist artist Paul Cézanne was born. The city is also known forEuropean Academy of Music and many art festivals. Excursion around Aix-en-Provence. Free time. Accommodation at a hotel in Aix-en-Provence.
Day 7 Aix-en-Provence - Arles - Camargue - Carcassonne: Moving to Arles(~80 km). Hiking around the city of Arles, one of the historical cities in the south of the country associated with history ancient Rome. Moving to Camargue(~12 km) regional natural Park South of France. Moving to Carcassonne(~228 km). Hotel accommodation in Carcassonne.
Day 8 Carcassonne - Bordeaux:Walking tour of the fortified city of Carcassonne, one of the most beautiful fortified cities medieval Europe: double ring of fortress walls, 52 towers with a length of fortifications of 3 km. It was here that Kevin Costner starred in the film “Robin Hood”, for which the walls of this famous fortress served as the backdrop. Free time for lunch. Moving from Carcassonne to Bordeaux(~340 km). Accommodation at a hotel in Bordeaux.
Day 9 Bordeaux - Cognac - Angouleme: Walking tour of Bordeaux. A trip through the picturesque surroundings of Bordeaux with a visit to the city Cognac(~125 km). You will learn all the secrets of Cognac production technology and will be able to take part in a small tasting. You will learn what "Angel's Share" is. Then the city awaits you Angouleme(~47 km) with its famous cathedral. In the evening return to the hotel l in Bordeaux.
Day 10 Bordeaux - Saint-Emilion - Rocamadour - Narbonne: Moving to Saint-Emilion (~ 50 km) - delightful medieval town on a hilltop above a valley of vineyards on the right bank of the Dordogne river.
Moving to Rocamadour(~ 180 km) - a medieval city on the top of a cliff overlooking the Dordogne Valley, with an amazingly beautiful scattering of medieval houses, churches and terraces, a place of pilgrimage for believers and tourists, one of the three most visited attractions in France. Excursion to Rocamadour. Free time for lunch. Moving to Narbonne(~320 km). Hotel accommodation.
Day 11 Narbonne - Sigean - Nice: Walking tour of Narbonne. Moving to the safari park Sizhan(~22 km). Sigean Safari Park is considered a unique African wildlife sanctuary in France. Sizhan is interesting because here you cannot see the usual enclosures in which their inhabitants huddle closely. All collected animals are in conditions close to their usual habitat and roam freely around its territory. Entrance fees are payable on site: 35 euros. Transfer to Marseille (~ 280 km). Free time for lunch. Transfer to Nice (~ 200 km) - the capital of the Cote d'Azur of France. Hotel accommodation.
Day 12 Nice:
"EXTRA PACKAGE NICE"
Day 12 Nice: Free time in the morning. After noonExcursion to Monaco On the way, stop at the medieval the village of Eze, rising at an altitude of 427 meters above the peninsula of Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, from where beautiful views to the Cote d'Azur, with a visit Perfume factory and perfume museum. During your free time in Monaco, we recommend visiting the magnificent aquariums at the Oceanographic Museum and the Garden of Exotic Plants. Fans of vintage cars will be interested in the Prince of Monaco Automotive Museum. Return to Nice.
Day 13 Nice: Excursion trip Cannes - Grasse with a visit to the perfume museum. Cannes- the venue of the famous Cannes Film Festival and the city Grass- the capital of French perfumery, located 20 km from the seashore, has retained its provincial charm. You will see a picturesque Old city, on the streets of which ancient perfume shops still operate.
Day 14 Nice: Free time. Transfer to Nice airport.
