France: Castles, Coasts & Croissants

Itinerary

• Day 1: Overnight flight

  Dream croissant dreams on your overnight flight to Paris.

• Day 2: Arrive in Paris

  Welcome to Paris, also known as the City of Lights. Cue the French café music and ready your appetite—it’s going to be magnificent.

  Today's highlights:

  • Meet an EF representative and fellow travelers as they arrive at the airport.
  • Transfer to your accommodation to check in and check out your room.
  • Enjoy a Welcome Dinner of local cuisine and drinks with fellow travelers.
• Day 3: Tour Paris + Optional Versailles Excursion

  Explore the city with a local guide by bus and by foot, an authentic introduction to Parisian life and culture.

  Free Time Suggestion:

  The Louvre: Visit the largest art museum in the world, with an astounding collection of art from around the world—from the Palace to the glass Pyramid to the Mona Lisa.

  Today's highlights:

  • Join a local guide for a full morning of exploring the best of the best of Paris.
  • Walk down the Avenue des Champs-Élysées, known for its theaters and cafes.
  • Take part in an optional tour of Versailles or take the afternoon to yourself and continue exploring the city.

  Versailles (extra cost)

  Walk through the landscaped gardens, and tour the living quarters of the famous over-the-top palace of Louis XIV. This is where French royalty reveled in their extravagant lifestyle in the decades before the Revolution.
  
  Please note: The Palace of Versailles is closed on Mondays. In the event that the itinerary day containing this optional lands on a Monday for your departure, the optional will take place the following day.
  
  This excursion is pre-book only; if your trip is less than thirty days away, please call 800-766-2645 to purchase.

• Day 4: Travel to Normandy coast via Rouen and Honfleur

  Today is no ordinary travel day—because what normal day consists of historic cathedrals, walking tours, and a French cheese tasting?

  Today's highlights:

  • Walk through Rouen, capital city of the Normandy region of France.
  • Gawk at the impressive Gothic architecture of Rouen Cathedral and the stunning stained-glass windows of St. Joan of Arc’s Church.
  • Explore the medieval harbor of Honfleur, then sample a variety of cheeses with cider, brandy, and other very French drinks.
  • Continue to your accommodation on the Normandy coast.
• Day 5: Explore beaches of Normandy

  Visit the beach that American soldiers landed on during D-Day, as well as museums and monuments that honor those who fought in World War II.

  Today's highlights:

  • Look out at the nearly 10,000 headstones at the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial.
  • Walk along Omaha Beach, where American soldiers landed on June 6, 1944.
  • See the Pointe du Hoc Ranger Monument and the 100-foot-high cliffs American soldiers scaled to defeat the Germans.
  • Enjoy lunch on your own in Arromanches.
• Day 6: Travel to Brittany Coast + tour Mont-Saint-Michel

  Today is between you and the majestic, magical, *looks-like-it-belongs-in-a-fairy-tale* island of Mont-Saint-Michel.

  Today's highlights:

  • Step onto Mont-Saint-Michel and watch as the sea levels around the island change with the tides.
  • Enter the church-turned prison-turned abbey.
  • Hop on the bus and continue on to your accommodation on the Brittany Coast.
• Day 7: Tour Saint-Malo

  Saint-Malo is as unique as they come—this walled, coastal city is quaint, historic, and has the highest tides in all of Europe.

  Today's highlights:

  • Stroll along Saint-Malo’s charming streets and ramparts with a local guide.
  • Check out Saint-Malo Cathedral, which underwent 28 years of restoration following a bombing in WWII.
  • Take the afternoon to explore the town on your own.
• Day 8: Travel to the Loire Valley

  Often referred to as “The Garden of France” due to its abundance of vineyards, the Loire Valley is a must-see. UNESCO seems to agree, as they named the region a World Heritage Site in 2000.

  Today's highlights:

  • Travel by bus from the Brittany coast to the Loire Valley.
  • Indulge in French cuisine during an included dinner with your group.
• Day 9: Tour Château de Chenonceau + Amboise

  With great vineyards and wine come great châteaux. The Loire Valley is home to over 300 castles of all shapes and sizes, two of which you’ll see today.

  Today's highlights:

  • Follow a guide through the castle and gardens of Château de Chenonceau.
  • Head to Amboise to walk the streets where Leonardo da Vinci once lived.
  • Behold Château d’ Amboise, home of the French monarchy during the 15th and 16th centuries.
• Day 10: Travel to Paris

  One last chance to do some shopping, one final wave to the Eiffel Tower, one more opportunity to eat as many crepes as you can find.

  Today's highlights:

  • Hop on the bus back to where it all began in Paris.
  • Get out and seize your last day in France.
  • Share some laughs (and maybe shed a few tears) at an included farewell dinner with your group.
• Day 11: Fly home

  Au revoir les amis!

  Translation: Goodbye, friends! Your next destination awaits—home. But this isn’t goodbye. It’s “See you later.” The only question is, where?