Itinerary

Day 1 Amboise

Today a small market town, Amboise was once home of the French royal court. The city is famous for the Clos Lucé manor house where Leonardo da Vinci lived (and ultimately died) at the invitation of Francis I of France, whose Château d'Amboise dominates the town.

Includes Car Rental for the day.

Enjoy your drive south west to Amboise (via Tours), in the Loire Valley. Approximate driving time is 3 hours and you may also like to stop off in Orleans or Blois en route.

On your way to Amboise, visit the troglodyte wine cellars and enjoy a commentated wine tasting of red, rose and white wines from the region at the Caves des Producteurs in Vouvray. Visit the magnificent castle of Chenonceaux, built over the Cher river with stunning architecture and extensive grounds. The interior is magnificently furnished with renaissance furniture, a vast ensemble of XVIth and XVIIth century tapestries and a great number of masterpieces. Arrive in the picturesque town of Amboise (your home for tonight) in time for a relaxing drink or a stoll before dinner.

A welcome package with your vouchers, a city map, train tickets (if relevant) and any other touristic information that we deem you may find useful will be waiting for you upon your arrival at your first hotel on your trip.

The Choiseul, a charming manor from the 18th century set in a valley between a hillside and the Loire river, offers 32 elegantly decorated and extremely comfortable rooms and suites. At the château you can visit the Caesar Granaries, make use of the restaurant, the out door swimming pool. In the vicinity: an 18-hole golf course (30km), shooting and fishing, horseback riding, tennis, archery, planes, helicopters, hot-air balloons.

Overnight at Le Choiseul (4*).

Day 2 Amboise

Includes Car Rental for the day.

Enjoy a day excursion exploring another area of the Loire valley in your hired car with the help of your GPS. The first stop is the medieval village of Loches. Potentially poscessing the most impressive fortress in the whole of the region, a visit to this town is essential. Take time to wander around the citadelle and soak in the atmosphere. Visit the impressive 16th century moated Azay-le-Rideau chateau, which has the combined charm of a French-style château with the majesty of an Italian palace. The interior can be visited at leisure. Continue north, skirting the Chinon forest on quiet, country roads to the Chateau Villandry – another jewel of the many castles in the area. There are magnificent landscaped gardens on the property, which rival some of the best in the world. Return to Amboise and your hotel at leisure. (No entrances to any sites are included).

Overnight at Le Choiseul (4*).

Day 3 Mont St Michel

Mont Saint-Michel (English: St Michael's Mount) is a rocky tidal island in Normandy, France. It is located approximately one kilometer off the country's north coast, at the mouth of the Couesnon River near Avranches. The mount gained strategic significance in 933 when William "Long Sword", Duke of Normandy, annexed the Cotentin Peninsula. Ducal patronage financed the spectacular Norman architecture of the abbey in subsequent centuries. The Mont Saint-Michel and its bay were added to the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites in 1979.

Includes Car Rental for the day.

Depart Amboise in your hired car and make your way to the fortified coastal town of St Malo in Brittany. Along the way, you may like to stop off at Chinon, a picturesque town in the region. Avail of the walking tours of town run from the Information centre in town on Saturdays and Sundays, indulge in a wine tasting at Pierre Plouzeau’s wine cellar in the centre of town or opt for an enjoyable sail in a traditional boat from the town of Candes St. Martin further upriver. Continue on to Saumur, another town of interest, on your way to Mt. St. Michel. Driving time from Amboise to Mt St Michel via Chinon and Saumur is approximately six hours. (No entrances to any sites are included).

La Mere Poulard (3*) hotel and restaurant is ideally located on the mont itself, just a few steps from its entrance gate. In the only setting of its kind in the world, nestled in the middle of the medieval city of Mont Saint-Michel, La Mère Poulard offers guests charm and comfort in its hotel, tradition and quality in its restaurant, and warmth and conviviality in its piano-bar: an unforgettable moment in this magical place full of history.

Overnight at La Mere Poulard(3*).

Day 4 Deauville

With its racecourse, harbour, international film festival, marinas, villas, Grand Casino and sumptuous hotels, Deauville is regarded as the "queen of the Norman beaches". Since the 19th-century, the town of Deauville has been a fashionable holiday resort for the international upper class.

Includes Car Rental for the day.

Meet your English speaking guide for a private, 2 hour tour of the UNESCO site of Mt St Michel at the entrance to the village. Dating from 708, the abbey was one of the major pilgrimage destinations in medieval Christendom. The architecture is stunning, the location, magical, and the village, one of the most quaint in the country. After leaving your guide, stop and have an omelette in the well known restaurant on the main street, Madame Poulard's, and admire all of the stars and celebrities who have been here before you. (Entrances to abbey not included).

Leaving Mt St Michel, take the coastal road all the way to Deauville, stopping along the way at museums and the landing beaches from WWII. A strategic point between Utah and Omaha beaches, Pointe Du Hoc was a point of attack by the United States Army during the Battle of Normandy in World War II. Arromanches 360 - This evocative film in a circular cinema depicts the landing of the allied forces onto the beaches in Normandy and is made from archives and contemporary film. The Landing museum in Arromanches explains, using a scale model and a film, how the formidable technical challenge of the Arromanches artificial harbour was managed. Pegasus Bridge – this museum tells the story of 6th (Airborne) Division on 6th June 1944 - D Day. Inside are many artifacts, uniforms, weapons and vehicles connected with the fighting, as well as an excellent film. Walk across the original Pegasus Bridge, which is preserved in the grounds of the museum. Take a break from WWII history and visit the 230ft long tapestry from the 15th century, in Bayeux, depicting the events leading up to the 1066 Norman invasion of England. The historical town is worth a stroll around.

The Normandy Barriere (5*) Hotel is located in the centre of town overlooking the sea and opposite the casino. Comprised within several traditional, norman-style buildings, it also hosts a very good sports and health complex with a beautiful indoor swimming pool. It is an excellent, palace-style hotel with all amenities, set in a very good, central location.

Overnight at Normandy Barriere (5*).

Day 5 Paris

Includes Car Rental for the day.

Depart from Deauville at leisure to drive to your hotel in Paris. (Approximate driving time is 3 hours).

Drop off your hired car at Charles de Galle Airport in Paris.

Depart from International Airport. End of itinerary.

Overnight at Depart (Int`l Airport) (standard).

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