This once-in-a-life time adventure far exceeded my expectations!
France
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Jun 16 - Jun 26, 2025
This once-in-a-life time adventure far exceeded my expectations! All 7 of us had a wonderful trip, thanks to Sebastian and his kind and accommodating willingness to work with Pat K.
Every driver and/or guide was prompt, friendly, knowledgeable, and interested in knowing about us. Marlene gave us an interesting and efficient tour of Versailles. She was a hoot--what fun we had! We went through the streets of Montmartre with Sensei (sp?) who showed us all the hidden gems with lots of patience because it was crowded, noisy, and hot. He sprinkled his guidance with a sense of humor that was much appreciated. After leaving Paris for the Loire Valley, we were treated to 2 wonderful days at Domaine de la Tortiniere--what a gorgeous chateau where the breakfast buffet was outstanding! Camille was our guide at Tours, first to beautiful Chenonceau, then to wine-tasting at Clos de la Richardière. Camille made this day wonderful! She was a delight! On to Le Bayeux (room for 3 was too tight), where we self-toured a beautiful city and enjoyed the Bayeux Tapestry. Normandy, guided by excellent, knowledgeable, and friendly Emma was another highlight. It was an emotional visit and too much to write about here. A day and a half at Mont-St-Michel was overwhelmingly amazing, too! The Hôtel Lorette-Astotel is a beautiful hotel, though we couldn't take advantage of it because we were caught in the terrible storm as soon as we descended the Eiffel Tower. It took 1 1/2 hours to find our way back, but the staff gave us plastic bags for our soaking wet clothing. All transports--the Metro, trains, vans--were great throughout our entire time in France. Very impressive! Thank you so much for everything!
Hotel Reviews
What character this chateau has! Friendly staff and an excellent breakfast buffet. It was a treat to have the pool to ourselves for some time because it was so hot.
I can't give it 5 stars because 3 grownups were squeezed into a very small room. The beds were fine, but there was not enough space for our bags or enough room to move at all
Wow! The history alone makes staying here worthwhile. It was kind of noisy, and there are no screens to keep out the bugs (or pigeons!) One night was enough, but I'm very happy that we stayed overnight.
I wish we could have taken advantage of the amenities here, but we were caught in a storm. By the time we got back, to the hotel, we were sopping wet and just wanted warm showers and comfortable beds. We had both before we needed to be up at 4:15 AM to catch our ride to the airport.
Activity Review
The driver navigated the streets well after the previous night's terrible storm and destruction. He was the only driver who did not speak English. He did his job.
