By: Sandy Fenton
Throughout the years, I’ve spent some time in France and always wanted to return and truly immerse myself in glamourous Paris and the glorious countryside – and what could be better than a small group, like-minded guided luxury journey from Paris to the French Riviera?
Obviously, I wanted to see all the important and iconic sights, but I really wanted to meet, eat, drink and chat with the locals – plus experience behind-the-scenes and private visits to off-the-beaten-path hidden treasures throughout the land. I wanted to indulge in famous French cuisine and wash it down with acclaimed local wines. I wanted to hear and learn the history of France with local experts – and to do all of this without spending hours on research or waiting in exhaustive lines or costing a fortune.
Several reputable tour operators offer itineraries throughout France – and based on your personal style of traveling, interests and budget – there is a wonderful French vacation waiting for you.
If this sounds like something you may also be interested in, talk with your trusted AAA travel advisor and ask about Trafalgar (affordable), Insight Vacations (premium) and Luxury Gold (luxury) escorted small group trips to France.
If this is to be a trip of a lifetime, a special celebration and a travel splurge - “Luxury Gold” may be a perfect match for you.
For our most recent trip to France, we splurged and from the moment we landed at Charles de Gaulle airport, “Luxury Gold” took care of everything – truly personalized service for all guests.
We began with a three-night stay at a lovely boutique hotel, on a tree lined neighborhood street - in the heart of Paris – an easy ten-minute walk to the city’s crowning jewel, the iconic Eiffel Tower. Our group of 16, plus our excellent & well-informed traveling concierge, kicked off the journey with a private, delicious and authentic French dinner (with wine, of course) along the Seine with up close views of the dazzling Eiffel Tower. A few of my favorite highlights in Paris included a gourmet foodie market walk with a local chef ; VIP entry into the Eiffel Tower (no lines) ; a privately-hosted French dinner at a local Parisian home eating & drinking & chatting with the family - and a private visit to Vaux-le-Vicomte Chateau & Gardens. Paris is simply beautiful and a magical city to walk about and discover the stunning architecture, charming neighborhood boulevards, and of course, the local cafes to relax & people-watch while eating & drinking and imagining being a local yourself. In the evenings - the City of Light comes alive with all the streets and bridges illuminated with a gazillion lights.
We left Paris, taking in the countryside views aboard the famous TGV train (first class) to beautiful Avignon where our luxury coach met and transported us to Arles (Provence) for the next three nights. We experienced so much, but I especially loved our behind the scene tours in historic Arles (Van Gogh lived and painted in Arles) ; group drinks at Pont du Gard’s ancient Roman aqueducts ; walking throughout the postcard perfect villages of Les-Baux-de-Provence , St. Remy-de-Provance and St. Paul-de-Vence ; a private group lunch at Michelin star - ‘Maison de Bournissac’ ; wine-tasting in Chateauneuf-du-Pape and strolling through Aix-en-Provance following the footsteps of Paul Cezanne.
Our final three nights were spent in dazzling Monte Carlo, Monaco with French Riviera hand-picked tours to the Royal Palace ; Eze hill village ; Nice and the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild. Our amazing waterside Farwell Dinner overlooked Monte Carlo’s harbor – and we were all depressed that our journey through France was over.
Our small “Luxury Gold” group traveled in comfort and style with all needs taken care of along the way. We stayed in luxury hotels within easy walking distance of historic landmarks, local cafes and popular attractions. We ate fabulous French food, drank delicious French wines and experienced more sights than you can imagine at a relaxed pace. (No getting up for 7:00am morning starts and every day we had time to explore on our own. Our days began with excited anticipation and a leisurely full-service breakfast. There was something new and exciting to experience during the day – and every evening was special. I still can’t get over how much was included in the price – we could never have put it all together on our own. What a memorable trip! “Luxury Gold” is a good value for your travel dollar and especially appealing to upscale travelers wanting an authentic and one-of-a-kind group itinerary (with a small group) to a specific destination.
“Luxury Gold” travels the world and its mantra - “Bringing Back the Golden Era of Travel” - is so true.
Contact your AAA travel advisor and ask about all “Luxury Gold” AAA member benefits plus special sales and promotions.
Let’s Talk Travel with AAA , hosted by Sandy Fenton”, is broadcast Saturday mornings locally on WHP580 & WRAW. You can listen anytime, anywhere you get your podcasts – just search for “Let’s Talk Travel with AAA, hosted by Sandy Fenton”.
