Categories 3, 4, and 5 refer primarily to varying degrees of excellence in rooms .

Land Price in U.S. $, with 1 Euro = $1.35, does not include air fair

Seasons: Low (11/1 - 12/23, 1/4 - 3/31); High (4/1 - 5/10, 5/30 - 7/15, 9/1 - 10/31);
Peak (5/11 - 5/29, 7/15 - 8/31, 12/24 - 1/3)

Full land package is everything in the Basic package plus 2 full day guided group bus tours (the French Riviera and Provence) .

Number of days, venues, etc. can be changed as you prefer.

** Hotel availability on the Riviera becomes very limited for Easter, Cannes film festival, and Monte Carlo Grand Prix. If you select Hotel Le Cavendish from July 15 – August 31, the tour price will increase $180.

Single, triple occupancy or families and groups, please inquire.

If you prefer an intermediate rental car for 7 days, manual transmission, with detailed driving directions, delete the rail pass and private transfers and subtract $100 per person.

• Seven nights in first class, superior, or deluxe hotels, w breakfast
• 4 day 1st class Rail pass and 2 airport transfers
• Full day guided tour of Provence highlights including Pont du Gard, Antiques of St. Remy, Les Baux en Provence, the Luberon range, Rousillon, view of Gordes.,Abbey of Sinaque.
• Full day guided tour of the French Riviera including panoramic views of the Mediterranean and Nice, stops in: Eze, Monte Carlo, Antibes, St. Paul de Vence, and Cannes.
• Option: if you prefer a weekly rental of intermediate car with manual transmission, delete the rail pass and airport transfers and reduce the base package price by $100 per person. You will not need the guided tours if you have a rental car and we will include driving diretcions with your detailed daily itinerary.
• Trip Pack with detailed daily itinerary, vouchers, maps, guidebook, places to eat
• Extensive Pre-trip consultation

U.S.A. / France
Day 1
Depart U.S.A. for France.  Meals Aloft

Explore the area near the hotel this afternoon and, to adjust your body clock to the new time zone, try to discipline yourself to stay awake at least until 9 P.M. This evening, and each evening, we will make reservations if you wish at the type of restaurant that fits your mood and budget (extra cost).Meals Aloft   

Provence (Full day tour of Provence)
Day 3

 If you have chosen an Avignon hotel, your full day tour of Provence begins at the hotel. Otherwise, meet the tour at the Avignon TGV train station at 8:45 AM. On the outskirts of Nîmes, the first French city to be colonized by the Romans, you will see the 2,000-year-old Pont du Gard.  Representing superior Roman technology, this outstanding aqueduct once supplied Nîmes with 44 million gallons of water each day.  Continue to Les Antiques, a vast collection of Roman structures with a 60-foot-high mausoleum that is the best preserved—and one of the most outstanding—in the Roman world.  Arrive at the fortified village of Les Baux-de-Provence, once a proud fiefdom of feudal lords, with spectacular views of the surrounding plains from the rocky promontory on which it is situated.  

Drive eastbound to the medieval villages of the Luberon Range, many of them clinging to rock spurs at the foot of feudal castles surrounded by cultivated patches of olive trees, vineyards, and fields of grain and lavender.  Visit the picturesque village of Roussillon, perched on a rocky site and named after the ochre color of its soil, and from a scenic stop view Gordes with the ancient buildings rising in dramatic tiers over the edge of the Vaucluse Plateau. Late this afternoon, see the impressive Abbey of Sénanque, a fine example of Cistercian architecture, built beginning in 1148 A.D. in a desolate canyon from a type of limestone that changes color in the varying light of each day. 

Your entrance is prepaid at the Lavender Museum, where during the months of July to August, you can watch a demonstration of distillation during the harvest. You receive a small free gift before you leave the museum and you should not feel pressured to buy anything. B

Take an early train to Aix-en-Provence, made famous by the book A Year in Provence, and go immediately to the food and flower market at Place des Precheurs. "Market day" is a delightful experience, especially when everything is fresh. The remainder of the morning is at leisure to walk Aix-en-Provence’s narrow, cobblestone streets and browse in its charming boutiques. You will notice that the city is devoted to Cézanne”, the Impressionist master who lived and worked here until his death in 1906. You should visit the artist’s atelier, the Granet Museum, former priory of the Knights of Malta, where Flemish and Italian paintings and Avignon Primitives are displayed, as well as works by Cézanne and contemporary artists.

Depart Aix by train while there is enough daylight remaining to enjoy Avignon. En route to Avignon, observe the city’s legendary bridge of St. Bénezet, with the famous Papal Palace in the background. Avignon’s great moment in history came in the 14th century, when it was chosen to be the seat of the papacy.  During the next half-century, seven successive French popes reigned from the colossal fortified palace, built for them on the city’s most imposing site, and which you visit this afternoon. Then see the towering cathedral of Notre-Dame-des-Doms, home of the original 12th-century bishopric.  View the ruins of the historic Pont Bénezet before returning to the hotel. B

The roughly  90 miles from San Rafael to  Menton  is perhaps the most exciting stretch of coastline in the world ... the French (and Monaco) Riviera.  The steep, rocky coast is a sun-drenched land where cactus, eucalyptus, oranges, roses, and almonds grow in abundance.  Dominating the landscape are ancient villages and chậteaux, and well-known cities such as Nice, Antibes and Monte-Carlo.  Nestled in the hills sloping down to the sea are some of the most picturesque towns and villages to be found anywhere.

 If you are traveling in May, you likely will be arriving on the Riviera during the Cannes Film Festival or during the festivities surrounding the Monte Carlo Gran Prix. Give us sufficient lead time to arrange tickets for these events and we will do so.  You may have time this afternoon to explore the fashionable resort town of Cannes and browse in its elegant boutiques.    B

Eze is a medieval village with one of the most beautiful views of the Riviera. . Of course, if you chose to stay at a hotel in Eze, you will be driving down the Upper Corniche to start your tour. St. Paul du Vence, is perched on a limestone spur with a breathtaking view of the Mediterranean. Browse and have lunch in this delightful artists’ mecca (and famous tourist attraction). If this is market day in Vence, go as early as possible. Tourettes sur Loup is an ancient perched village with buildings dated to the 11th century.

The port town of Antibes is home to Chateau Grimaldi.  Picasso lived and worked at the Chateau Grimaldi in the mid-1940’s and he permanently loaned to the Chateau’s museum all of the work completed during his stay:  24 paintings, nearly 80 ceramic pieces, 35 drawings, 27 lithographs, two sculptures, and a tapestry.  Also on display are works by Léger, Calder, and other artists.  B

The Principality of Monaco, property of the Grimaldi family since 1297, remains staunchly independent to this day.  The town of Monaco, capital of the Principality, sits on a rock 200 feet above the sea and is home to the Royal Palace, government buildings, the Tropical Gardens and the Oceanographic Museum. A look at the opulence and size of the yachts in the harbor below will provide an indication of the popularity of this area among the rich and famous.  High above the port stands one of the most famous cities in the world, Monte Carlo, a playground for European royalty.  For years, life in Monaco has been centered on Monte Carlo and its famous Grand Casino, which you should visit one evening if only to gawk.  B

Take the train to Nice this morning. Surrounded by the Alps Maritime, Nice is nineteen miles from the Italian border, with a legacy dating to prehistory and ancient Rome.  The Riviera sun shimmers on the cobalt blue Mediterranean Sea coast, the Côte d’Azur, famed for its warm winters, colorful limestone cliffs, pine forests, deep fertile valleys and towering palms, an enchanting land of inspiration to poets and painters. This morning, take a walking tour of the Old Town of Nice, from the majestic Promenade des Anglais curving along the Bay of Angels and to explore the  baroque cathedral and the open-air market lined with boutiques of regional specialties.  The town’s popularity as a winter spa resort for the aristocracy in the 19^th century is evidenced by its “wedding cake” style architecture.

This afternoon, use the train system and return to your favorite spots or enjoy leisue time near the hotel. This will be your last night on the French Riviera. Choose the type of dining/night life you prefer for your last night and we will make the reservations if you wish.