The Best of France

Day 1 – Paris

Bienvenue en France! Your TSA Tours guide will meet you at the airport and transfer you to Paris for a guided Paris City Tour. See the majestic Eiffel Tower, the world-famous Champs-Elysées, the Arc de Triomphe, the quays along the Left Bank, the historic Latin Quarter, and visit Notre Dame Cathedral, one of the supreme masterpieces of French art.

Day 2 – Paris

Bienvenue en France! Your private bus and driver will transfer you to Paris for a guided Paris City Tour. See the majestic Eiffel Tower, the world-famous Champs-Elysées, the Arc de Triomphe, the quays along the Left Bank, the historic Latin Quarter, and Notre Dame Cathedral, one of the supreme masterpieces of French art.

Day 3 – Paris

Travel to the Palace of Versailles, home of Louis XIV, the Sun King. See the magnificent Hall of Mirrors, where the Treaty of Versailles was signed, ending World War I. This evening, discover the best of illuminated Paris on a Bateaux Mouches cruise along the romantic Seine. Multilingual commentaries point out all the monuments and give the history of the sights.

Day 4 – St. Malo

Transfer to Normandy and St. Malo, the “City of Corsairs,” situated on a rocky Atlantic island in northwestern France. Visit the Bayeux Tapestry Museum to see the extraordinary 11th century work of embroidery that portrays the Norman conquest of England in 58 episodes. This magnificent piece of work is accompanied by a fascinating film that explains its historical background.

Day 5 – Loire Valley

Tour Mont Saint-Michel, the former Benedictine abbey set up on a huge mount surrounded by sand and sea, often called a “Wonder of the Western World.” Then journey to the Loire Valley, site of châteaux and gardens unlike any other place on earth.

Day 6 – Loire Valley

Visit the lovely Château d’Amboise, where Leonardo da Vinci worked and is buried. Stop and explore the 16th century Châteaux Chenonceau, considered to be one of the most beautiful castles in the world. Also see Chartres Cathedral, where the sublime architecture is surpassed only by the sensational stained glass windows.

Day 7 – Nice

Transfer to the capital of the French Riviera for a Nice City Tour, which includes a trip to the independent principality of Monaco with its palace perched on The Rock (Le Rocher) and a tour of the Musée Océanographic. The museum contains an aquarium and important scientific collections including items contributed by Jacques Cousteau and specimens of marine and animal life.

Day 8 – Nice

Travel to picture-perfect Eze Village to stroll its narrow lanes with numerous workshops producing craft articles (pottery, pewterware, olive-wood carvings), all situated on a crag crowned by a ruined castle. Visit a perfume factory near the hilltop village, then continue back to Nice, where you’ll soon appreciate why the beaches here are world famous. Take a walk on the Promenades des Anglais, a lively seafront promenade, lined with magnificent palms, or visit the Flower Market in the old part of town.

Day 9 – Depart

Jet home with wonderful memories of your week in The Best of France.