From bright lights to lavish châteaux, see France from all angles.
Few countries offer such an enticing combination of history, scenery, and mouthwatering food and drink. Immerse yourself in World War II history on the beaches of Normandy. Visit iconic landmarks, such as the Eiffel Tower and Mont-Saint-Michel. Sample the sauvignon blanc and feast on coq au vin. From the sights of Paris to the scenery of the Loire Valley, this is the France you’ve read about—now yours to discover.
Your tour package includes
9 nights in handpicked hotels
9 breakfasts
5 dinners with beer or wine
1 cheese & cider tasting
7 sightseeing tours
Expert Tour Director & local guides
Private deluxe motor coach
Included highlights
Eiffel Tower photo stop
Normandy coastline
Rouen
Honfleur harbor
D-Day beaches
Mont-Saint-Michel
Saint-Malo
Château de Chenonceau
Itinerary
Overnight Flight1 night
Day 1: Travel day
Board your overnight flight to Paris today.
Paris2 nights
Day 2: Arrival in Paris
Included meal: Welcome dinner
Welcome to France! Tonight, meet your Tour Director and fellow travelers at a welcome dinner.
We handpick every hotel to strike the balance of comfort, location, and local charm. Specific accommodations will vary based on your departure date, but these are frequently used hotels for this tour and we're confident you'll be satisfied.
This chic hotel is located in the 17th arrondissement of Paris. Guests enjoy the private garden area, Jazz Club, and fitness center. Nearby you'll find the Arc de Triomphe, Bois de Boulogne, and many restaurants.
Hotel Mercure Cabourg Hippodrome
This contemporary hotel is located in downtown Cabourg. Guests enjoy a fitness center, pool, and bar. Nearby you’ll find the Hippodrome de Cabourg, Plage de Cabourg, and Pavillon Charles Bertrand.
Hotel Mercure Saint Malo Balmoral
This modern hotel is located in front of the TGV station of Saint-Malo. Guests enjoy free Wi-Fi, air-conditioned rooms, and a bar. Nearby, you’ll find Château de Saint-Malo, Fort National, and Fort de la Cité d’Alet.
Novotel Amboise Hotel
This modern hotel is located in the heart of the Châteaux de la Loire. Guests enjoy the bar, outdoor pool, and tennis court. Nearby, you’ll find some of the region’s most famous châteaux.
Round-trip flights are one more thing we handle to make your journey as smooth as possible. Our team of travel experts will find the best flight itinerary for you at a competitive rate, thanks to our partnerships with top airlines.
Add our airfare and you’ll get:
Round-trip flight for your tour
Airport transfers at your destination
A great price locked in today
24/7 support from our dedicated service team
Options for arriving early, staying longer, or requesting an upgrade
Flexible rebooking options if your tour itinerary changes
In order to enter France, U.S. and Canadian citizens need a valid passport with an expiration date extending at least six months beyond the date of reentry.
We recommend having at least one blank passport page for entry stamps.
Beginning in 2025, U.S. and Canadian passport holders must register for an ETIAS travel authorization in order to enter many European countries.
Passport holders from over 60 visa-exempt countries (including the U.S. and Canada) will need to apply for an ETIAS travel authorization in order to visit 30 European countries. That means that even if you’ve previously traveled to any of these European countries without a visa, starting in 2025, you’ll need to get ETIAS authorization to visit them again. If you’re traveling to multiple countries with this requirement, you only need to complete the form once. All Go Ahead travelers are responsible for obtaining their own ETIAS travel authorization before departure. For more details, please visit our Help Center.
If you are not a U.S. or Canadian citizen, you must contact your destination country’s consulate for your specific entry requirements.
You can see the most up-to-date entry requirements for the destination(s) you’ll visit on tour by going to goaheadtours.com/entry-requirements and searching the code PND.
You will walk for at least 3 hours daily across mostly flat terrain, including paved roads, cobblestone streets, and sandy paths, with some hills.
Travelers should be healthy enough to participate in all included walks without assistance. Adding optional excursions may increase the total amount of walking on your tour.
You should feel comfortable managing your own baggage at times.
Go Ahead Tours and the Tour Director who accompanies your group are unable to provide special, individual mobility assistance to travelers on tour. The responsibility of the Tour Director is to ensure the group as a whole enjoys a relaxing and informative journey, and he or she cannot be relied upon to provide ongoing, individualized assistance to any one traveler.
If you have any mobility concerns or physical restrictions, please contact our Customer Experience Team.
Round-trip flights booked through Go Ahead Tours arrive in and depart from Paris. A representative from Go Ahead Tours will meet you at the airport and take you to your hotel. Please remain in the arrival lounge, as the representative might be escorting one of your fellow travelers to the bus at the time of your arrival.
Transfers to and from the airport at your destination are included for travelers who have purchased their flights through Go Ahead Tours. Travelers who purchase their own flights may request airport transfers with Go Ahead Tours for an additional cost.
All other included transportation on this tour is by private motor coach.
Please note that our travelers are limited to one checked bag and one carry-on bag per person due to storage limitations on motor coaches and other transfers, which may include train connections or flights.
Contact your airline(s) for baggage size and weight restrictions for your flights, which may include on-tour flights in addition to your round-trip flights to and from tour. Please note that your included on-tour flights may have more restrictive baggage limits.
Some airlines may impose additional charges if you choose to check any baggage or exceed baggage size and weight restrictions. Be advised that you are responsible for any baggage fees incurred on all flights.
Make sure you label your baggage and keep valuables, medication, and documents in your carry-on bag.
We recommend packing lightweight, loose-fitting clothing that can be easily layered to accommodate varying temperatures, as well as a light jacket or rainwear.
A sturdy pair of walking shoes or sneakers is recommended for sightseeing.
You may want to pack dressier attire if you plan to visit a high-end restaurant or attend a special performance.
It is preferable not to visit churches or other religious sites with bare legs and shoulders (and entrance may be denied on this basis).
At least 60 days prior to departure, check with your doctor or healthcare provider for the latest updates and entry requirements, or visit the Center for Disease Control and Prevention website at cdc.gov.
If you have medication that you take daily, be sure you have enough for each day of the tour as well as any possible delays encountered.
If you have dietary restrictions and/or food allergies please notify Go Ahead Tours at least 30 days prior to departure by logging in to your account and updating your traveler info. To update this information closer to your departure date, please call our Customer Experience Team.
You can see the most up-to-date entry requirements for the destination(s) you’ll visit on tour by going to goaheadtours.com/entry-requirements and searching the code PND.
For a picnic with French flair, stop at a small grocery store for cheeses, pâtés, cured meats, fresh-baked bread, and fruit. In the cities, sidewalk vendors are known for their steaming crepes, while mouthwatering pastries and hot café au lait beckon from cafes. In restaurants, the prix fixe option is a popular way to enjoy a set three- or four-course menu for a good price.
Although lunch is generally served from noon until 2pm in France, dinner is served from 7:30pm onward. Those wishing to eat earlier can stop at a cafe, where light entrées and sandwiches are available throughout the afternoon and evening.
Cuisine in the Normandy region of France is known for its fresh flavors. Chicken, rabbit, and duck are staples, and you can find fish and shellfish in its coastal towns. The abundance of dairy farms throughout the region means many dishes are accompanied by cheeses and creams. Normandy is also famous for its apples, which are used to create cider and Calvados, or apple brandy.
France operates on the European standard 220-240 volts and uses Types C, E, or F plugs with two small, round pins.
We recommend packing a universal adapter, as well as a voltage converter if you plan on using your own hairdryer or other electrical device without a built-in converter.
The majority of the hotels on this tour will have air conditioning. The strength of the air conditioning in European hotels is often not as strong or as cool as what you might be used to in the U.S. or Canada. When air conditioning is available, it is usually regulated seasonally and controlled centrally by the hotel.
Your hotels may provide hairdryers, irons, and other small appliances. However, these amenities cannot be guaranteed.
Wi-Fi is available in most hotels, though some charges may apply.
There is no Wi-Fi on any of the motor coaches.
Please contact your mobile service provider for information on roaming charges.
France is one hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) and six hours ahead of Eastern Time (ET).
When it’s noon in New York, it’s 6pm on tour.
You will use the euro on this tour.
Better rates of exchange are usually available overseas, although it’s worth ordering some currency from your local bank to use when you first arrive.
We strongly advise that you take debit/bank cards and credit cards, which can be used to withdraw cash at local banks as needed.
You can use most debit/credit cards at ATMs on the international networks Cirrus and Plus, but make sure to check with your home bank about withdrawal fees.
Inform your bank and credit card company of your travel plans so that they won’t confuse your international purchases for fraudulent charges.
International banks and businesses primarily accept debit and credit cards that work with the EMV chip system. If you do not already have at least one debit or credit card with a chip in it, we strongly recommend requesting one from your bank prior to your tour.
At the conclusion of your tour, it’s customary to offer your Tour Director and driver a gratuity in local currency. Please keep current exchange rates in mind.
We recommend tipping the equivalent of $10USD to $12USD per person per day for your Tour Director and the equivalent of $3USD per person per day for your driver.
If applicable, we also recommend the equivalent of $2USD per local guide.
Tips can only be paid in cash.
Most optional excursions will be available for purchase while you are on your tour.
Your Tour Director will only accept cash (in USD only), Visa, or MasterCard as payment for optional excursions.
Please be advised that if you pay for an excursion by credit card while on tour, it may take up to three months for your card to be charged.
Some optional excursions may only be purchased in advance. See page four of your tour itinerary for more information.
Our tour guide Thierre was very nice & explained in details what we would be doing from beginning to end. The 1st hotel & last hotel we stayed weren't as nice as the other three. Four of the hotels we stayed were a little hot but not too hot & we couldn't figured out how to...
EF Go Ahead Tours
Thank you for sharing your feedback from your recent tour, and we're pleased to hear that you had a good overall experience with us. We're...
Trip
5 out of 5 stars
1st-time traveler Gary, traveled in Jun 2024
Excellent tour director(Terry) , bus driver and tour directors of venues very good. Hotels excellant
Great
5 out of 5 stars
1st-time traveler Anna, traveled in Jun 2024
I had a wonderful time. Everything was excellent.
Normandy
5 out of 5 stars
5th-time traveler Jean, traveled in Apr 2024
Excellent tour. My bucket list item was Normandy and I was not disappointed.
Lots of walking but lots of adventures
5 out of 5 stars
2nd-time traveler Lucee, traveled in Jun 2024
My husband and I loved being able to see Normandy, Giverny and the beautiful countryside of France. This country is more than just Paris although Paris is magical all by itself! Be ready to climb stairs and do some good walking on cobblestone roads.
Our Trip To France
5 out of 5 stars
13th-time traveler Chris, traveled in May 2024
As usual this was a great trip! We like to go early and that's what we did getting to Paris a few days before the tour started. Go Ahead took care of the pre-tour stay putting us in the same hotel the tour started from. Having those extra days in Paris was nice and I really...
