Why Book Early??

There are a number of reasons why booking your tour early is a good idea.

We are a small company, just myself as driver and Susan as guide. This means that once we have accepted a booking for a date there is no more possibility of taking another tour the same day. There are a couple of weeks that are really popular with people visiting the Loire Valley - for instance, this year we had one weekend in September we could have sold four times over, and next year that weekend is booked already. In previous years May has been really popular, and we have had to disappoint people wanting to book at the last minute.

Another reason is that we need to ensure that at least one of our cars is ready to go at all times: being over 60 years old, both Célestine and Claudette need more attention than most. This means we have to schedule regular maintenance - if we are at a busy time of year this could mean that at least once a month one of the cars will need an oil change, greasing and a health check.

Booking early helps us to plan your perfect tour - we like our visitors to make suggestions about where they want to visit, and be involved in the planning. Of course, we will book the restaurants and plot the route, but we need time to make reservations (especially if we are visiting a popular restaurant) or research a restaurant if the location is new to us.

So - book early, and relax in the knowledge that your trip is being planned to give you a relaxing day discovering the treasures of the Loire Valley.

It's Wine Making Time!

In October when we visit wineries in the Loire they are very busy. The harvest is happening, and the winemaking is beginning for another vintage. Because we have forged excellent relationships with several wineries in the region, our clients are allowed in to see the magical transformation of the grape juice into wine taking place, and the winemaker is available to answer any questions you may have.

In the picture below, thewinemaker is checking the grapes as they are being gently pressed to release the juice that will make award winning wine. The underground cellar he is working in has been used for storing and making wine since the 17th century, and the cave has sections which date back to the 10th century. The variety of grape they are using here has been grown in this area since the 4th century.

If you visit at the right time, we may be able to sample the wine in its early stages of development, and gain an insight into which wines will be good for each vintage. If you would like to learn more about winemaking at a traditional family run vineyard in the Loire Valley, email us.

Gazing in Awe

This photo shows why travellers choose us to tour the Loire Valley. The clients booked at the beginning of the year and were travelling in July. They requested to see sunflowers.

Despite the year being a difficult one for farmers and their sunflower crops, we knew the area well enough to provide this magnificent view of sunflowers at the peak of perfection on the day. What's more they were located on a quiet side road where we could just pull over and stand admiring them for some time (there was also lots of taking photos and a certain amount of frolicking in the sunflowers...ahem...but we won't go into too much detail there...)

If your ambition is to see sunflowers in France, email us and let us know. We will make sure to include a 'sunflower stop' in your personalised itinerary.

PS You will have to visit in July or early August if you want to see sunflowers in bloom -- even we can't provide this sort of view all year round.