Normandy, Brittany, Paris and the Loire Valley

•   24 meals (12 breakfasts, 4 lunches, 8 dinners); service charges, gratuities to local guides, admission fees, taxes and porterage

Day 1: Welcome to France!
A transfer is included from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport to Trianon Palace & Spa in Versailles. If you wish, you may take an included independent visit to Château de Versailles that can be arranged through the hotel concierge. Meet your traveling companions for this most intriguing of Normandy tours at a welcome reception and dinner this evening at 6:00 PM at the hotel.
Overnight: Trianon Palace & Spa, Versailles, France
Meals Included: Dinner

Day 2: Ancient Chartres and Langeais
Travel from Versailles to Chartres. Watch a demonstration of the time-honored art of creating stained-glass at the International Stained-Glass Centre, then see some of the world's greatest examples of the art – more than 27,000 square feet of it, created by artisans of the 12th and 13th centuries – inside Chartres' famous Gothic cathedral, among the most impressive in all of Europe. After touring the town of Chartres, continue on to Langeais in châteaux country; spend the next two nights at Château de Rochecotte, once the private estate of diplomat Prince Tallyrand and the Duchess of Dino.
Overnight: Château de Rochecotte, Langeais, France
Meals Included: Breakfast, dinner

Day 3: The Loire Valley's châteaux country
Experience the charm of the Loire Valley on visits to two stately châteaux... and then some. First, take a guided tour of Le Cadre Noir du Saumur, France's national riding school, followed by a private visit to the vineyards of Le Moulin Bleu in Bourgueil for lunch and a wine tasting. Later, visit Château Villandry – reputed to have the most spectacular gardens in all of France. Tonight, enjoy an immersive Loire Valley experience at Château de Champchevrier, a private country estate, where you'll meet the Baron and his family, enjoy a reception and dinner, and witness a hunting hound demonstration in full regalia.
Overnight: Château de Rochecotte, Langeais, France
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 4: Angers, Guerande and Port du Crouesty
In the midst of the wine-growing area of the Loire Valley lies the 13th-century Château D'Angers, home to the famous Apocalypse Tapestry, the longest tapestry in the world. After a visit to this medieval fortress and its celebrated tapestry, experience the salt marshes of Guerande, where fleur de sel (flower of salt) is harvested by hand. Continue on to Port du Crouesty to enjoy a two-night stay in the elegantly furnished and quite unusual Miramar Crouesty.
Overnight: Miramar Crouesty, Port du Crouesty, France
Meals Included: Breakfast, dinner

Day 5: The Golfe du Morbihan and Rochefort-en-Terre
Tauck's most delightful of France and Normandy tours continues with a sightseeing cruise among the islands of the scenic Golfe du Morbihan, followed by an excursion to Rochefort-en-Terre. This lovely village has earned a reputation as one of France's top floral towns thanks to a century-long tradition, begun by painter Alfred Klots, of blanketing the town with pink and red geraniums each spring.
Overnight: Miramar Crouesty, Port du Crouesty, France
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch

Day 6: From Vannes to Josselin to St-Malo
Brittany's medieval history reveals itself as you take a walking tour, view the Cathedral and meander along the Promenade de la Garenne in Vannes. Visit the ancient town of Josselin and explore its castle, Château Josselin, one of the oldest châteaux in western France and the residence of the aristocratic Rohan family. Your guided tour reveals the castle's turbulent history and includes a collection of rare dolls in its Doll Museum. Wind your way through idyllic villages to St-Malo, where you'll spend the next two nights.
Overnight: Le Grand Hôtel des Thermes, St-Malo, France
Meals Included: Breakfast, dinner

Day 7: A day in medieval St-Malo
Once the infamous base for French corsairs, the medieval port town of St-Malo offers much to discover on a guided walking tour of its atmospheric walled center, La Ville Intra-Muros, with your Tauck Director. The remainder of the day is at leisure to explore as you wish or indulge in the hotel's spa.
Overnight: Le Grand Hôtel des Thermes, St-Malo, France
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch

Day 8: Magnificent Mont-St-Michel, Bayeux and Honfleur
Considered to be one of the Western civilization's premiere achievements, the impressive Abbey of Mont-St-Michel was once totally unreachable at high tide. Discover the range of architectural styles it embodies – with lots of walking up and down hills. Head across the countryside on this most satisfying of Normandy tours to the coast, and view the famous Bayeux Tapestry. Continue on to pretty Honfleur for a private visit to Manoir d'Apreval, a family-operated Calvados distillery, including a tasting and dinner. Arrive in the seaside resort town of Deauville and your accommodation for the next two nights, a spectacular 5-star Anglo-Norman country mansion that is the epitome of Belle Époque.
Overnight: Royal Barrière Deauville, France
Meals Included: Breakfast, dinner

Day 9: The beaches of D-Day
A poignant moment in all Normandy tours is a visit to the beaches on which Allied forces landed on June 6, 1944 to begin the World War II liberation of Europe and the long march to Berlin. A scenic drive along the region's Yellow Roads leads to the Pegasus Bridge Museum, where your visit includes an introduction by a local historian; to Arromanches to view a 360-degree-film and what's left of a "Mulberry" artificial harbor; and to Pointe du Hoc – the 100-ft. cliff taken by the 2nd Ranger Battalion on D-Day – Omaha Beach, and the American Military Cemetery. Your explorations at sites connected to "the longest day" make for a day you'll never forget.
Overnight: Royal Barrière Deauville, France
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch

Day 10: Rouen, Giverny and on to Paris
Depart Deauville and travel to Rouen for a tour of this ancient city with a local guide, including a stop at the Church of Ste. Joan of Arc – a modern structure dedicated to the French heroine and saint who was burned at the stake here in 1431. Continue on to Giverny to tour the home and gardens of Impressionist painter Claude Monet, and see a special exhibition of his works at the Musée d'Art Américain. Your final destination today is legendary Paris – where your home for the next three nights is the city's first Art Deco hotel, set in Saint-Germain des Prés on the Seine's stylish Left Bank.
Overnight: Hotel Lutetia Paris, France
Meals Included: Breakfast, dinner

Day 11: Sights and sounds of remarkable Paris
Check out such famous Parisian landmarks as the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe and the glamorous Champs-Élysées on a morning city sightseeing tour, then explore the "City of Lights" as you please for the remainder of the day and evening. 
Overnight: Hotel Lutetia Paris, France
Meals Included: Breakfast

Day 12: The Musée d'Orsay and a dinner cruise on the Seine
Immerse yourself in the soft beauty of the works of the Impressionists during a locally guided visit to the famous Musée d'Orsay, whose great collection of art is displayed in the restored Gare d'Orsay, a former railway station built around 1900. Exchange memories with your new friends this evening as you glide along the River Seine during our farewell dinner cruise, bidding Paris adieu as your most fascinating of France and Normandy tours draws to a close.
Overnight: Hotel Lutetia Paris, France
Meals Included: Breakfast, dinner

Day 13: Journey Home
Tour ends: Paris. A transfer is included from the Hotel Lutetia Paris to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport. Allow a minimum of 2 1/2 hours for flight check-in.
Overnight:
Meals Included: Breakfast

Don't miss our current specials: Tauck Tour Deals Traveling with a group of friends or family can add to the joy of any journey. Book a group of 10 on any Tauck land journey or cruise and the 11th guest travels FREE. Book a group of 8 on any Tauck Bridges family adventure and the 9th guest travels FREE Tauck Single Specials For those seeking singles tours, we are pleased to offer special values on select departures to our guests who choose to travel solo. You can travel with peace of mind, knowing that you are among like-minded travelers and will have all the day-to-day details handled for you! While everyone is welcome, on these select dates we offer special arrangements to those traveling solo at a reduced cost. Tauck Single Specials in North America Best of the Canadian Rockies Michigan's Lakes & Mackinac Island Charleston/Savannah Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia San Fransisco, Sonoma & Napa Valleys Tauck Single Specials in Europe A Week in Ireland A Week in Spain Mediterranean Discovery Istanbul and the Black Sea Treasure of the Mediterranean Cruising Mediterranean Shores The Blue Danube Holland Belgium in Spring Strasbourg to Prague Serenade The Rhine and Moselle Budapest to Amsterdam by Riverboat Budapest to the Black Sea Classic Italy Bellissima Northern Italy Italian Lakes, Venice, Florence and Rome A Week in Paris and Provence Tauck Singles Specials in Latin America Panama Canal & Costa Rica
Touring Date	Land Only	Land + Air	Single (Land Only)	Single (Land + Air)
8/8/2010 - 8/21/2010	$4,990
8/22/2010 - 9/4/2010	$4,990
9/5/2010 - 9/18/2010	$5,190
9/12/2010 - 9/25/2010	$5,990
9/19/2010 - 10/2/2010	$5,190
9/26/2010 - 10/9/2010	$5,190
10/3/2010 - 10/16/2010	$5,190
Airfare Disclaimer A NOTE ABOUT AIRFARE: We encourage you to buy your airfare from the tour operator, because if your tour cancels then your airlines tickets will be covered. Purchasing flights separately at a lesser rate and incorporating it with a Non-Guaranteed Departure Date can result in loss of total cost of your flight investment. Depending on the fare rules, flights may be Non-Refundable and/or Non-Transferable. Neither the tour operator and/or Atlas Cruises & Tours will be held responsible for loss if a tour is cancelled for Lack of Participation. If you would like to check for discounted fares on Guaranteed Departures or for competitive pricing on air and hotel packages, we invite you to follow this link. Documents TRAVEL DOCUMENTS: Necessary Travel Documents such as Passports and Visas is the responsibility of the traveler. Passports must be valid six months from your return travel date.

Versailles ~ Rouen ~ Deauville ~ Normandy Beaches ~ Mont-St-Michel ~ St-Malo ~ Dinan ~ Josselin ~ Vannes ~ Pont-Aven ~ Angers ~ Loire Valley ~ Paris ~ Giverny

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Tauck Single Specials

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