Is one of the highlights of your trip to France always the delicious pastries? Is your favourite the good old croissant? We like them too, and always know where the good ones can be found. Come on a tour with us and we can go hunting for that (not too) elusive best croissant experience together.
If you have specific interests please mention them to the guide before you book a tour. Freelance guides are often happy to customise tours to highlight aspects that will particularly interest their clients, and are often knowledgeable far beyond the obvious and most commonly presented tours.
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| An artisan made windvane on a private house in the Loire Valley. |
There are some advantages to visiting the Loire Valley in the winter. No crowds at the chateaux, for one, except during the school holidays (Christmas to New Year and two weeks in February). All the big name chateaux remain open throughout the year, and if you come in January you could have these places virtually to yourself. Think of the opportunities for fabulous photos! You can take them yourself, we can take them on your camera/phone or we can arrange for a professional photographer to meet us as part of your tour. Let us know what you'd like to do.
If someone in your group has mobility issues, please discuss what they can and can't do before settling on an itinerary with a guide. All chateaux have quite a few stairs and it is usually a 15 minute walk from the car park to the front door. I can still remember when I first moved to Europe from Australia more than 20 years ago what a shock the number of stairs in general there are here. Let your guide know if someone in your group will need frequent rest stops or will move slowly. That way the guide can suggest strategies for seeing the highlights and making sure everyone has a great visitor experience. Most guides are flexible about how they present tours, but it is always better if they are forewarned about issues that may require this skill.
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| 17th century staircase in Loches. |