Packing for A Taste of France

A word to the wise: bring two sets of clothing on this tour. Wear your regular size when you begin your trip and bring a larger size for your trip home. Do not miss any of the great food and wine!

Woderful Trip to France

I found this tour to be very well planned. It took us to parts of France that are perhaps not on the usual itinerary. It was fun and informative. The only negatives: not enough bathroom stops on the days we traveled by bus and the hotels weren't the greatest. I would be willing to pay a little more for better hotels. The location of the Paris hotel was not the best. The Lyon Hotel was dirty.

A Taste of France--little bites

The Taste of France tour covered Burgundy and Champagne well but quickly. We were able to briefly explore Lyon, Dijon, Reims and Paris. The side trips to Chantilly, Chablis, Cormatin Chateau were very nice. I felt like I was able to have a "little bite" of all the areas in order to decide if there were areas I would like to visit again on my own for an in-depth exploration. Suggestions for the future: arrive at overnight hotel with a bit more time before the included dinner; extend tour days to allow 3 nights in each venue which really only means 2 whole days in the city--that would give time for the included tours/activities but also would allow for more time on our own to explore the city before moving on. The food and wine included was delicious but I was a bit disappointed that the "tasting" at the Mercier Champagne cave really only included one glass of one champagne. I might have purchased more champagne if I could have tried several vintages. I loved especially the tasting of Beaujolais at Morgon and our first included dinner in Lyon (even though we were very tired from our overnight flight). Our tour director, Jean- Jacques was excellent! I especially appreciated his willingness to give us a tour of Pere Lachaise cemetery in Paris and to find quaint bistros for folks who wanted to dine together while in a city. I cannot imagine anyone going to Paris for the first time and not opting for the 2 night extension. Without it, I feel you really wouldn't have enough time to "experience Paris" (arrival Friday evening, Saturday morning bus tour, Saturday night farewell dinner and departure on Sunday morning). I didn't mind using the Metro at all but would have loved to stay in an arrondissment closer to the main sites of Paris. The tour pace was tiring...up most mornings for an early start, not much opportunity for down time and introspection and assimilation of explored areas until the tour was over. I highly recommend this tour for first-time European travelers and/or those who don't really like independent traveling.

Burgundy and Champagne

Pleasant trip in the Burgundy area.

Not A Good Taste Of France

Trip plan was good. Nice cities visited but included meals were very inferior.

I finally experienced France

Enjoyed much of the tour, especially the food, wine and our fellow travelers. I found the bus a bit too tight for my 6' 1" frame, especially on the longer drives. I also found the Air France flight to Atlanta (9 hours) torture. This was my first tour and first trip to Europe, so I don't have a lot with which to compare it. Cruises are more comfortable, but not nearly as interesting in terms of sights and food.

taste of france

Very enlightening experience of France's variations. The offerings at the included restaurants and those we chose ourselves were quite different from pre conceptions of French food. The menu of different wines offered at the various cellars was likewise an eye opener as to what is available. Lyon and Dijon and Reims had wonderful walking centers and the local guides gave useful outlines for exploration. The tour guide was above average in his overall mastery of his tasks

Great trip

We had a great time on the trip. The pace was just right. We saw many wonderful places and things throughout the journey! It was wonderful.

could have been better

Tour Director, while friendly, did not provide any commentaries at all. A Burgundy tasting should be included on a tour titled Burgundy and Champagne.

Tour of France review

Wonderful trip and guide was ourstanding (Jean-Jacque) as well. Covered alot of territory, vinyards, cities, et all and was a wonderful time. The only issues are the quality of the included meals that needs to be addressed (on all GoAhead tours I might add...been on 4). Charge slightly more and go 4 stars at least for the dinners. Balance...keep doing your thing..great.