• Medieval Carcassonne
• Market town of Albi, including Toulouse-Lautrec Museum
• Cliffside village of Rocamadour
• Caves at Lascaux IV
• Dordogne River cruise
• Chateau at Chenonceau
• Medieval Mont-St-Michel
• Bayeux Tapestry
• Tours of Normandy’s Landing Beaches and D-Day sights
• American Cemetery overlooking Omaha Beach
• Memorial Museum, Caen
• Monet’s gardens at Giverny
• Paris city tour

Day 1: Depart U.S. for Toulouse, France

Day 2: Arrive Toulouse After arriving in Toulouse in the Midi-Pyrénées today, our time is at leisure until we meet our tour director this evening for a welcome dinner and a ­briefing about the journey ahead. D

Day 3: Toulouse/Carcassonne Today we tour nearby Carcassonne, the quintessential medieval town with the longest city walls in Europe. Sitting atop a hill overlooking vast green plains that stretch all the way to the Pyrénées, Carcassonne boasts battlements and ramparts dating to the 1^st-century Romans. We return to Toulouse mid-afternoon for time at leisure. B

Day 4: Toulouse/Albi/Sarlat We travel today to the historic market town of Albi in the Midi-Pyrénées. Hometown of Belle Époque artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Albi was built with rose-colored bricks that cast a warm glow over the medieval streets and ramparts. Our city tour here includes the medieval Cathedral and Palais de la Berbie, an ancient fortress now a museum of works by Toulouse-Lautrec. Leaving Albi, we travel to the rugged, unspoiled countryside of the Périgord region and the Dordogne Valley. We continue on to Sarlat-la-Canéda, one of France’s prettiest villages and one of Europe’s best preserved medieval gems, with more registered historic sites than anywhere else on the continent. We’re in the land of the truffle and foie gras, so bon appétit! B,D

Day 5: Sarlat/Lascaux IV This morning we tour the International Center for Cave Art at Lascaux IV, showcasing reproductions of the orig­inal pre-historic cave paintings found nearby. After lunch at a charming local inn, we spend the afternoon on a leisurely cruise along the Dordogne River, life-blood of this fertile region and redolent with history. As we pass cliff-top castles and fortified medieval towns, the historical region of Aquitaine comes to life – this is where beloved Eleanor of Aquitaine reigned in the 12^th century. We return to Sarlat, where dinner tonight is on our own. B,L

Day 6: Sarlat/Rocamadour This morning we take a brief walking tour then have time at leisure to visit some of Sarlat’s museums or art galleries – or simply to wander the atmospheric cobblestone streets. After lunch on our own we visit nearby Rocamadour, a revered pilgrimage site and medieval village whose three tiers cling almost impossibly to a sheer limestone cliff. We take a guided walking tour then enjoy some free time before we return to Sarlat mid-afternoon and dine together tonight. B,D

Day 7: Sarlat/Le Dorat/Saumur This morning we depart for the Loire Valley, stopping in the small market town of Le Dorat for lunch at a local restaurant. From here we travel on to picturesque Saumur and our hotel, a converted 18^th-century mansion on the banks of the Loire River. B,L

Day 8: Saumur We visit a local winery this morning then the day is free to enjoy this town of half-timbered houses and cobblestone streets as we wish. Options include exploring the town’s old quarter; visiting the Cavalry Museum; or tasting the renowned locally made sparkling wine at Maison du Vin. B,D

Day 9: Saumur/Chenonceaux We’re in chateaux country, where England battled for control of France; where Joan of Arc triumphed; and where a great opu­lence reigned during the 16^th century. Originally built as fortresses to keep intruders out, the Loire Valley’s grand chateaux now welcome visitors from around the world. We tour a most impressive one today: Chenonceau, the Renaissance masterpiece considered the most romantic chateau of all. Lunch today is at a local restaurant. B,L

Day 10: Saumur/Mont-St-Michel/CréponCrépon Traveling north this morning, we stop at Mont-St-Michel, Normandy’s famed Gothic abbey that sits atop a 264-foot-high rock formation at the edge of the sea and was constructed between 1017 and 1521 of granite hauled stone by stone from Brittany. After a guided tour and some free time for lunch and to explore on our own, we return to our hotel for time at leisure. Tonight, we dine together at our hotel. B,D

Day 11: Crépon/Bayeux/Caen Miraculously spared wartime bombing, medieval Bayeux is our first stop today. Here we visit the Tapestry Museum, home of the 1,000-year-old Bayeux Tapestry depicting the exploits of William the Conqueror. Later we visit Caen’s Memorial Museum devoted to “history for peace.” Time permitting, we may visit Arromanches late this afternoon. B,D

Day 12: D-Day Landing Beaches A poignant, inspiring day is ahead as we travel to the very places where Allied forces overcame overwhelming odds to alter the course of World War II. We visit Pointe du Hoc, where American Rangers scaled towering cliffs to establish a beachhead; Utah Beach; and Ste-Mère-Eglise, where the 82^nd Airborne Division successfully parachuted on June 5, 1944. We end the day at the American Cemetery overlooking Omaha Beach in Colleville. It’s a particularly moving site; row upon endless row of white marble crosses and Stars of David honor the nearly 10,000 American troops who lie here. B,L,D

Day 13: Crépon/Giverny/Paris This morning we visit the village of Giverny and the home and gardens of Impressionist artist Claude Monet. Here we see the familiar lily pond and wisteria-covered Japanese footbridge of Monet’s paintings, as well as his home, now restored to its original design. Then we travel to Paris, reaching our hotel late afternoon. We are free for dinner on our own in this culinary capital. B

Day 14: Paris Paris Today we get acquainted with one of the world’s great cities, seeing the highlights on this morning’s city tour, including a visit to the renowned Louvre Museum (or the Musée d’Orsay of Impressionist artwork, depending on availability). This afternoon is free for independent exploration, perhaps to spend additional time at the museum, take a boat ride on the Seine, or to stroll the Champs Elysees. Tonight we gather for a farewell dinner to bid “adieu” to France. B,D

Day 15: Depart for U.S. This morning we depart for the airport and our connecting flights to the U.S. B

Please note: This trip involves considerable walking up hills or stairs, and on uneven or cobblestone streets. You should be in good physical condition to enjoy the tour to its fullest.

B = Breakfast included L = Lunch included D = Dinner included

• Round-trip air transportation from listed cities
• 13 nights’ accommodations in Superior First Class, First Class, and unrated hotels
• 25 meals: 13 breakfasts, 4 lunches, 8 dinners
• Extensive sightseeing as described, including all entrance fees
• Services of an Odysseys Unlimited Tour Director
• Private motorcoach transportation throughout your trip
• Luggage handling for one bag per person
• Gratuities for local guides, dining room servers, airport and hotel porters, and all drivers
• $100 frequent traveler credit towards your next Odysseys Unlimited tour ($200 after 3 tours; $300 after 10 tours)

2023 Tour Dates & Prices
including international airfare and all taxes, surcharges, and fees

Please call if your city is not listed or for land only prices. Prices are per person based on double occupancy and include airline taxes, surcharges, and fees of $602, which are subject to change until final payment is made.

Single travelers please add $1,195. Your $475 deposit is fully refundable up to 95 days prior to departure. All 2023 tour prices above (excluding airline taxes, surcharges, and fees) are guaranteed.

Accommodations: Days 4-6: ^Plaza Madeleine Sarlat (Dordogne); Days 10-12: *Ferme de la Rançonnière (Crépon), ⁺Grand Hotel du Luxembourg (Bayeux)

Airline upgrades (subject to availability) on round-trip Trans-Atlantic flight: Business Class – $3,595 per person; Premium Economy – $1,595 per person

2024 Tour Dates & Prices
including international airfare and all taxes, surcharges, and fees

Please call if your city is not listed or for land only prices. Prices are per person based on double occupancy and include airline taxes, surcharges, and fees of $602, which are subject to change until final payment is made.

Single travelers please add $1,195. Your $475 deposit is fully refundable up to 95 days prior to departure. All tour prices above (excluding airline taxes, surcharges, and fees) are guaranteed.

Accommodations: Days 10-12: *Grand Hotel du Luxembourg (Normandy)

Airline upgrades (subject to availability) on round-trip Trans-Atlantic flight: Business Class – $3,795 per person; Premium Economy – $1,595 per person

Paris – On Your Own

3 days/2 nights for $495 total price
Single Supplement: $345

Savor the City of Light on your own time, at your own pace.

Your Tour Price Includes

• 2 nights’ accommodations at Hôtel Château Frontenac (Superior First Class)
• 2 meals: 2 breakfasts
• Transfer to airport

Please see the Accommodations tab for hotel information.

Ina Caro
The Road from the Past, Traveling through History in France
Time travel through France by way of its finest castles, chateaux, cathedrals and monasteries. This unusual travelogue is an invaluable companion for traveling in Paris, southern France, the Dordogne and the Loire Valley, combining personal observation with large doses of well-presented history.

Mary Gordon
Joan of Arc
In elegant, insightful prose, novelist Gordon meditates on the courageous and complex young girl and the iconic status she has acquired.

William Rodarmor (Editor)
France, A Traveler’s Literary Companion
This collection contains literary gems from all corners of France by a select group of 20th-century French writers from Colette to Simenon.

Eyewitness Guides
Eyewitness Guide France
This superb guide to all of France features color photography, dozens of excellent local maps and a region-by-region synopsis of the country’s attractions. Handsome, convenient and up-to date, this is the guide to carry.

Michelin
France Map
A colorful, accurate and up-to-date map of France at a scale of 1:1,000,000.

Mike Gerrard
DK Eyewitness Top Ten Paris
A compact, illustrated guide in the popular series, featuring favorite attractions. With handy pullout map.

Marie-Helene Girard, Anny Monet
Lonely Planet French Phrasebook
This handy phrasebook focuses on pronunciation, basic grammar and essential vocabulary for the traveler.

Waverly Root
The Food of France
An evocative and beautifully written survey of French food. First published in 1958 and revised in the mid-1970s, the book covers the important regions of French cuisine by dividing them into domains of Butter (northern France), Fat (Alsace) and Oil (the south).

Stephen Ambrose
D-Day June 6, 1944
Written by the best-selling historian Stephen Ambrose, this well-researched narrative draws together interviews and government documents to tell the gripping tale of D-Day.

Joan Dejean
How Paris Became Paris, The Invention of the Modern City
A vibrant chronicle of how Parisian rulers transformed the city into a cosmopolitan metropolis.

Amy Kelly
Eleanor of Aquitaine and the Four Kings
A spirited, meticulously researched chronicle that recreates the life and world of Eleanor of Aquitaine in 12th-century Europe. A Harvard University Press Classic, first published in 1950.

Eric Sander (Photographer), Adrien Goet
Monet at Giverny
Illustrated with photographs from all seasons, this profile of Monet’s home in Normandy takes readers into the artist’s life and sanctuary. Adrien Goet explains how the home and gardens were designed, where Monet spent his time and much more.

Henry Brooks Adams
Mont Saint Michel and Chartres
First published at the turn of the century, this classic work is a meditation on the medieval world as reflected through its most famous religious structures.

Jean-Benoit Nadeau, Julie Barlow
Sixty Million Frenchmen Can’t Be Wrong
Two Canadian journalists tackle the contradictions and complexities of the French character, paying particular attention to the question of why the French resist globalization.

Carola Hicks
The Bayeux Tapestry, The Life Story of a Masterpiece
Art historian Hicks investigates the production and politics of the Bayeux Tapestry, tracing its survival from medieval times through the present day.

Stephen O’Shea
The Friar of Carcassonne
O’Shea (The Perfect Heresy) turns the tale of Friar Bernard Delicieux and a city that stood against Pope Boniface VIII, Machiavellian French King Philip the Fair and grand inquisitor Bernard Gui into a thrilling tale of resistance in medieval Languedoc.

Gregory Curtis
The Cave Painters
In this tale of art, paleontology and discovery, Curtis introduces the masterworks of cave art in France and Spain, visiting Altamira, Lascaux, Les Trois-Freres, Cosquer, Chauvet and others.

Adam Gopnik
Paris to the Moon
Gopnik writes with candor and humor about Paris and Parisian ways in these charming reflections on adapting to life in glorious exile.

Ernest Hemingway
A Moveable Feast
A treasure for anyone interested in Parisian cafe society and its luminaries circa 1925. Hemingway includes sharp portraits of Gertrude Stein, Ezra Pound, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ford Maddox Ford and others who idled on their way to greatness.

Mort Rosenblum
The Secret Life of the Seine
After losing his Paris apartment, Rosenblum, a born storyteller, takes to a houseboat moored on the Seine. The result is this entertaining tour of the places and people he encounters during his explorations along the river.

Stephanie Cowell
Claude & Camille, A Novel of Monet
You can practically smell the paint in Stephanie Cowell’s lyrical novel — peopled by not just Claude Monet and the love of his life, Camille, but also by his friends Bazille, Renoir, Pissaro and Manet.

Michelle Wan
Deadly Slipper
Wan crafts a suspenseful, elegant tale of food, romance and murder out of a search for a long-lost woman in the Dordogne.

Shaun Whiteside (Editor)
Paris Stories
Flaubert meditates on humanity, Fitzgerald revels in “la vie belle” and many other great writers explore Paris in these classic stories. Part of the Everyman’s Pocket Classics series.