Paris & Environs

Paris is an icon built around the River Seine and home to more than a few iconic districts or arrondissements. The Marais, Ile St Louis and Ile de la Cité, Saint Michel, Saint Germain, Montmartre, Montparnasse, Bastille, the Champs-Elysees and Pigalle are stand-outs in the center. Paris is a wonderful blend of Roman origins, Gothic era landmarks, Haussmann blocks, and an art and food focused culture which if done well - still feels like the Paris of the Golden Age.

LOIRE VALLEY

The Loire Valley was once the vacation spot for every wealthy noble in France. As a result it is filled with the greatest collection of chateaux and castles anywhere in the world. Many of these chateaux have private vineyards and gardens that are worth the trip in themselves. A few of the most breathtaking are Chenonceau, Chambord, Cheverny and Chaumont.

PROVENCE

Provence is divided into two main areas for most visitors: the glamorous beach towns of the Cote d’Azur (Nice, Cannes, Monte Carlo) along with their medieval town centers and satellites; and the smaller inland towns to the west north of Marseilles (Avignon, Arles, St Remy, Aix). In one the focus is on the finer things, beach and boat time and relaxation. In the other it is the Cote du Rhone, the artistic heritage of the region and the blend of North African and Southern French cultures that exist within.

NORMANDY

For many people, Normandy's identity is synonymous with World War II and the battles that took place in the Allied attempt to retake Europe from the Nazis. Today much of that identity is still in place with memorials, museums, remnants of every battle and the vast cemeteries that hold our heroes at rest. Caen, Le Havre, Bayeux, Deauville, Honfleur, the D-Day Beaches and many more sites are where to revisit the trials of the greatest generation. Normandy is also home to great cultural sites like Rouen, Mont St Michel and Monet's Giverny.

LANGUEDOC-ROUSSILLON

Languedoc-Rousillon may not be as familiar by name to many travelers as other French regions, but it is home to the medieval walled city of Carcassonne, the ancient Roman ruins of Nimes and the famed Pont du Gard as well as the Cote du Rhone wine region.

BORDEAUX/ BASQUE & BILBAO

Bordeaux is a global center for wine and viticulture while closer to Spain, Biarritz remains a world-renown beach resort. On the Spanish side of the border the Basque resort town of San Sebastian is one of Spain's most visited spots. A bit further on stands Bilbao, a city thrust into the global artistic consciousness by its Frank Gehry designed Guggenheim edition. You can expect a blend of good living, good wine, art and beach in this French-Spanish part of the world.