Driving Vacations through the French Countryside

While Paris has so much to offer and is the  number one tourist destination in the world, it’s nice to take the road to explore France's countryside and experience much scenery and culture as you can. What better way than through an independent driving tour? After all, there’s truly nothing like driving amongst slopping and beautiful landscapes, windows rolled down, hair rustling in the fresh  countryside air. At Enchanted France, we strive to provide you with a truly unforgettable experience and driving tours are just that. 

When traveling within a new culture, you may be uncertain of which sights to see, which destinations to visit, and which direct to travel. Don’t miss out on the opportunity of seeing just as much as you can. With our selection of France driving holidays, you’re provided all you need to have a truly fabulous time, including a rental car, a personalized itinerary with map and directions, and accommodations within a luxurious hotel or chateau.

Explore France vineyards in Bordeaux, Burgundy or Champagne; View the majesty of the French Alps or Pyrenees mountains; or discover  the timeless beauty of the villages of Normandy or Provence, all from the comfort of your car. Traveling independently, either on your own or with a loved one, allows you to tailor the trip to fit your needs, stopping to see the sights, tasting the food and meeting the locals  along the way!  

So what are you waiting for?  Spring is a great time to take the road and explore the beautiful countryside of France.

Visit us online www.enchanted-france.com today to browse our complete selection of independent driving tours and plan your retreat today.

#France #driving tours# # France Travel Specialist # European driving tours

The Battle of Verdun One hundred Years Ago

On February 21, 1916 begun the battle of Verdun, considered to be one of the bloodiest battles and the most emblematic of the World War I conflict.  This battle lasted for 300 days and 300 nights of uninterrupted fighting (February 21 till December 18) between French and German forces.  Verdun is situated in Northeastern France on the bank of the river Meuse in the region of Lorraine.  The First World War had already begun a year and half earlier in August 1914 and battles had been fought in Flanders (Belgium), the  Marne, the Somme and Picardy regions of France involving on the Allied side: French, Belgium,  British and Commonwealth troops.

Fort of Douaumont

In the early hours of February 21, the German army undertook a sudden and brutal offensive attack, in the Verdun  sector which had been relatively calm until this time.  Unprepared, the French positions were attacked by a non-stop barrage of heavy  artillery (some one million and half shells fell in one day); four days later, the German captured the Douaumont fortress. As the French fought  back to hold onto their positions, the conflict became a bloody stalemate - soldiers fought in an area of 20 km2 to gain a few meters and then losing some. Total hell on earth.

Shell Craters of the Verdun Battlefield.
Wikipedia

It is estimated that there were 700,000 casualties (170,000 French and 150, 000 Germans died plus countless injured and those lost in action who could not be identified). Not mentioning the hundreds of thousands of horses who died in the battlefield.  About  40 million artillery rounds were expended in the course of the ten month battle making it one of the costliest in men, horses and material in the history of humanity.





Verdun Battlefield can be visited from Paris as a day trip by minibus tours or as a private guided or self-drive tour.  A visit of the Verdun battlefields should include:

• Fort of Douaumont- A heavily armed concrete fort built in the rock used as a system of defense.  You can tour 3 levels of galleries , observations platforms, gun turrets, barrack rooms. As a young officer,  Charles de Gaulle was stationed and fought at the Douaumont Fort.
• Douaumont Ossuary- It contains the remains of 130,000 unknown soldiers French, German and others. 
• Douaumont Military Cemetery-facing the Douaumont Memorial,  here lay over 16,000  French soldiers who died on the battle field making it the largest French military cemetery.
• Bayonets Trench Monument-symbolizing the soldiers who fought and died in the trenches.
• Verdun Memorial-newly reopened. It displays photos, memorabilia, armament, uniforms, and vehicles used during the batttle.
• Destroyed Villages - Nine villages in the fighting zone were totally razed during the battle of Verdun. All that remain are markers symbolizing the outlines of the houses and public buildings. These ghost villages  are moving memorials of the ravage of war. 
• Underground Citadel in Verdun- The logistic and command center during the Battle of Verdun.  After the war, it is in the underground citadel that the selection of the unknown soldier to be buried under the Arc de Triomphe took place.  On a tour of the Citadel, you can view a reconstitution of this ceremony. 

Images: Douaumont  Ossuary.


In 1984, French President Francois Mitterrand and German Chancellor Helmut Kohl, met at the Douaumont Memorial and held hand for a brief moment as a sign of European reconciliation and friendship.

To book your tour of Verdun and other WWI  battlefields, contact Enchanted France or call us toll free 866 313 2856.


#travelFrance #Verdun #tourVerdun #enchantedFrancetours #vacationinginFrance #historytours, #WWItours

In the Footsteps of Impressionist Paris -April 10-17

This spring come follow in the footsteps of Impressionist Paris, a unique tour custom designed by Enchanted France - April 10-17, 2016

Monet-Impression Soleil Levant

The Impressionist art movement was born in Paris in the third quarter of the 19th century.  The term impressionism was coined by art critic Louis Leroy in an article written in the daily paper  Le Charivari on April 25, 1874.  In it he tells of visiting an art exhibit staged by a  group  calling themselves Anonymous Society of Painters, Sculptors, Engravers etc. where he discovers the works of  Claude Monet whose painting Impression Soleil Levant he trashed and mocked. Undetered,  the group of artists that included Claude Monet, Pierre August Renoir, Alfred Sisley, Paul Cezanne, Camille Pissaro, Berthe Morissot and Edgar Degas adopted the term of Impressionism and went on to exhibit in eight successive independent salons held in Paris from 1874 to 1886.

Caillebotte-Pont de l'Europe

Artists of the Impressionist art movement rejected the traditional and conventional academic style of painting favored by the art world of the era instead they preferred a looser, brighter, more realistic and freer way to represent the world they perceived and lived in.  They took their easel and sketch books and went outside to depict city streets, cafe life, everyday people, bourgeois interiors, seashore and countryside.



Join us for a tour of Impressionist Paris and the Seine Valley including Rouen, Giverny, Moret sur Loing and Auvers sur Oise where we will follow in the footsteps of Renoir, Monet, Sisley, van Gogh and others.  Book Today. Space is limited.

Tour date: April 10-17

Highlights include:

van Gogh-Church in Auvers 

• Paris: Montmartre and other Parisian sites that inspired the Impressionists
• Visit the Orsay Museum where many masterpieces of Impressionism are on display
• Rouen: visit Notre Dame Cathedral, often the subject of
  paintings by Monet
• Giverny: visit the house and garden of Monet ; Also we will tour
  the special exhibit featuring Caillebotte
• Moret sur Loing and Barbizon: Visit the village often painted by Sisley ; as well as Barbizon, famous for its school of painting
• Auvers sur Oise: Van Gogh’s life ended in this little village
  outside of Paris ; we will visit the inn where he lived and the cemetery where he lays alongside his beloved brother Theo.

For more information and reservation, visit In the Footsteps of Impressionists or call toll free
866 313 2856.

#ParisTour #VisitFrance #Impressionism

Bonjour Carnival

Courtesy: Nice Office de Tourisme

King Carnival is back in sunny Nice on the French Riviera where he is welcome with his royal court for two weeklong fun-filled festivities (February 13-28) . While most of France is shivering in cold  February,  the Cote d'Azur enjoys balmy temperatures and sunny blue sky, perfect weather to celebrate  with parades the traditional Mardi Gras Carnival.

Nice Carnival tradition goes back to the Middle Ages.  It was first mentioned in 1294 in an account by Charles of Anjou, Count of Provence.  At the time it was a celebration leading up to  Lent where revelers celebrated the concept of transgression by dressing up, putting on masks and costumes.  The present day Nice Carnival begun to take its forms  late 19th century.  Nice carnival is unique in that it consists of parades of giant colorful figures made of papier-mâché and flower decorated floats.  Each year,  carnival centers around  a theme and  this year it is the  "King of Media" where freedom of expression, media in all its forms, the benefits medias bring and the excesses they create is celebrated.

Courtesy: Nice Office du Tourisme

The parades of flower bedecked floats accompanied by thousands of musicians snake along the coastal seafront on Promenade des Anglais and Avenue Massena, Nice's main avenue, loudly cheered by happy revelers.  Unique to Nice's carnival are the flower battles in which at top floats  young local ladies toss hundred of thousands of flowers to the happy crowds. Ninety percent of the flowers used at the parades are produced locally --jasmine, gladiolus, mimosa, daisies, carnations and roses --allowing  the region on this occasion to showcase its production.

Courtesy: Nice Office du Tourisme

At night a parade of illuminated floats snake up along the boulevards and on the last night of carnival (February 28)  fireworks display will light up the sky over the Mediterranean Sea.






For travel to Nice, the French Riviera, Paris and exciting destinations in France, contact www.enchanted-france.com  for custom itineraries.

tags: #FrenchRiviera, #NiceCarnival #travelFrance #Nice #Coted'Azur

Ten + One Reasons to Visit France in 2016

France is blessed with a profusion of natural beauty, historical and cultural landmarks as well as a variety of gastronomical delights making it a "must destination" on your bucket list if you are a  first time visitor and one to revisit time and time again.  Here are ten plus one reasons to make France your destination of choice in 2016 and Enchanted France 's offer custom packages to meet all travel tastes and interests.

1. Natural Beauty

Eze Viewpoint- Enchanted France

 France's landscape is quite varied for a  land the size of Texas.  It counts 5,500 km of coastline with access to the Channel, Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea.  There are seven mountainous regions: the Alps, Massif Central, Pyrenees, Vosges, Jura, Morvan  and Corsica. Its rivers and canal network is also quite extensive - the Loire, the Seine, the Rhone and the Garonne are its major rivers.




2. Authentic Villages

Saint Remy de Provence
Courtesy Enchanted France

The French countryside is dotted with thousand of medieval villages unspoiled by time and each with its own authenticity and charm. Visitors are delighted when discovering  their  well-preserved history, traditions, culture and art de vivre. Bastides of the Southwest, perched villages of Provence, geranium adorned timber-framed houses of Alsace, thatched cottage of Normandy they all invite visitors to linger and explore their century old cobblestone alleys.




3. Monuments

Mont Saint Michel-
Courtesy Atout France

France's history is long and colorful tracing it back to prehistoric times.  You can visit the cave paintings of Lascaux,  Roman's architectural imprint at the Pont du Gard and Maison Carre in Nimes, medieval fortresses like Carcassonne, Gothic churches, abbeys and monasteries as the Mont Saint Michel, Renaissance chateaux in the Loire Valley, the grandiose Versailles Palace and much more.  In all there are 32 cultural sites in France designated as UNESCO World Heritage.


4. Art

Musee des Beaux Arts Rouen
BF Lange

France is a mecca for those interested in art.  There are thousands of museums to visit located not just in Paris but throughout France.  Of course, when in Paris the Louvre and the Orsay are de riggeur, but other museums worth a visit can be the renovated Musee Unterlunden in Colmar to view the Isenheim Altapiece, Dijon museum des Beaux Arts to see the Tombs of the Dukes of Burgundy, Musee de l'Anonciade in Saint Tropez to view paintings by Fauvist artists like Seurat,  Musee Toulouse Lautrec in Albi for a full collection of the artists works and Fondation Maeght for contemporary art in Saint Paul de Vence.  You can also follow the footsteps of many artists by visiting the locales they lived in and where they found their inspiration like van Gogh in Provence, Picasso in the South of France, Matisse in Nice.

5. Festivals and Sporting Events

Nice Festival
Courtesy- OT Nice

Every year France is a host to numerous festivals and sporting events that attract visitors from around the world such as the ever popular Tour de France, Tennis Tournament in Roland Garros and 24 hours in le Mans car race.  In 2016 the Euro Championship Cup in football (soccer)  is hosted by France - in Paris, Bordeaux and other cities.  Besides sporting events, France attract large crowd of visitors to many popular yearly festivals including the  Nice Carnival,  Lyon Festival of Lights, Jazz in Juan les Pins, theater and performance art in Avignon and Aix en Provence, Celtic music in Lorient and so much more.



6. Food

Courtesy Enchanted France

French cuisine is distinctive and renowned the world over.  There are more Michelin starred restaurants in France than anywhere else in the world. Each region of France has its own specialities.
From Brittany comes the versatile crepe; foie gras is from the southwest, Bouillabaisse is dear to Marseille, Ratatouille hails from Provence, Beef Bourguignon comes from Burgundy and Tarte Tatin was invented by an absent-mided cook from the Sologne. By the way, France boasts more than 500 different cheeses.  Whether you eat in a gastronomic restaurant, a Parisian bistrot or country inn the food is always presented with class.


7. Wine

Courtesy D. Gallagher

France is one of the world's major wine producing nation dating back to when the Greek's first settled around marseille.  They are today 17 distinct wine regions in France - most notably Bordeaux, Alsace, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Champagne, Rhone Valley, Languedoc -Roussillon. Did you know that Cognac comes from the Charente, Armagnac from the Gers, Cointreau is produced in Angers and Benedictine liquor is from Normandy?



8.  Shopping and Savoir Faire

Courtesy Enchanted France

France is renowned for its savoir faire, in fact it is a leading exporter of luxury items from crystal to couture, perfumes and wines.  Paris is a mecca for shop-haholics with its wide selection of specialty boutiques and large department stores like Galleries Lafayette, Printemps and Bon Marche.  Luxury boutiques with brand names like Hermes, Chanel, Cartier can be found in Paris as well as in Bordeaux, Cannes, Lyon and other French cities.  For local crafts, food specialities and unique antique finds it is so much fun to head to the flea markets or the countryside outdoor farmers markets.  

9.  Looking for a little bit of adventure?

Courtesy Atout France

France is an amazing destination for active adventure.  It offers an assortments of sports from surfing on the Atlantic Coast,  biking along the country roads, hiking the pilgrimage road leading to St. James of Compostella,  skiing in the Alps, Vosges mountains or Pyrenees, river rafting in the Gorges du Verdon and horseback riding in the Camargue.  There are so many possibilities to suit everyone looking for an activity packed vacation.

10. Diverse and Unique Accommodations

Chateau de la Tortiniere

Where you stay can make a break a vacation.  France has a large selection of diverse lodgings.  From small boutique urban hotels to chateaux, monasteries, canal barges, apartment and villa rentals and even treehouses and gypsy-style caravan.  Enchanted France places a special emphasis on the selection of unique and comfortable vacation abodes to make your stay memorable.







11. Paris

Montmartre- Courtesy Enchanted France

Finally, leaving the best for last.  Paris is a destination to visit over and over again for its incomparable art, architecture, shopping and gastronomy. Whether you are traveling with your significant other, family get together, or a girl-friend getaway Paris has something for everyone and is exciting anytime of the year.

Make France your destination of choice in 2016.  For custom itineraries contact Enchanted France.  

#France #traveltoFrance #Paris 

Provence Santons

Musee des Santons-Enchanted France

Musée des Santons- Enchanted France

Li Calendo is the month long Christmas festival in Provence.    It starts on the Feast of Saint Barbe, December 4 and lasts to Epiphany, January 6.  One of the beloved traditions of Christmas in Provence is the setting of nativity scenes filled with the usual nativity characters along with santons.  These exquisite hand-crafted little clay figurines represent characters of the local village life-- the shepherd, the baker, the peddler, the farmer, the postman, etc.. 


 It is believed that the first clay santons were created in Marseille by sculptor Jean Louis Lagnel in 1797 during the French Revolution when churches were closed depriving the population of religious symbols like nativity scenes.  Lagnel, molded using local clay from Aubagne, little figurines representing various village characters which people took home to set up their own creches alongside the nativity figures.  Santons became a cherished Provencal Christmas tradition ever since and Santons making a family craft passed on from one generation to the next.  To learn more about Santons, visit le Musee des Santons in Les Baux de Provence.  Bon Nouvè ! Joyeux Noel!

Musee des Santons- Enchanted France

For your next custom trip to France, visit www.enchanted-france.com

#Provence #NoelProvence #France #Santons

Nice City Break

Nice, the capital of the French Riviera is a town  of great beauty and a convenient base from which to explore the wonders of the Riviera and beyond.  Earlier this past November,  I spent 48 hours in Nice and I would like to share here some memorable highlights. Not having at my disposal a car, I used the local transportation- tramway, buses and train.

 Friday afternoon-Arrival in Nice

 I arrived in Nice airport after a flight from Los Angeles with a connection in Paris.  Nice airport is small but modern and a short taxi ride (15  minutes) from the center of Nice. I stayed at Hotel Suisse, a small boutique hotel overlooking the Baie des Anges. The view from my hotel room was quite special as it overlooked the beautiful sweeping curve of the bay.  As  an added plus, the hotel was located   only five minutes walk from the picturesque Old Town where you can find many shops, art galleries, restaurants, cafes and the famous open-air market on Cours Saleya.  It was early November and the weather  could not have been better-- warm and sunny with temperatures in the upper 70's and  on this late Friday afternoon I went for a  leisurely stroll  along the sublime Promenade des Anglais.

Saturday- Monaco, Eze and Matisse

On Saturday  morning I joined a small minibus tour of Monaco and Eze .  Our first stop was at the perched village of Eze and our chauffeur/guide  scheduled our arrival just before the tour coaches' invasion.  It was before 10 AM and it was a treat to be able to explore the deserted hilly lanes of the popular village.  A walk to the top of the village led me to the Jardin Exotique (Botanical Garden ) where in the midst of a beautiful  collection of cacti and other mediterranean plant specimen you are rewarded with  stupendous views of the Bay of Villefranche.



The tour continued  on along the Middle Corniche (coastal road) to Monaco.  The tiny Principality's main landmark is the Prince's Palace and at 11:55 AM  I got to assist alongside an already packed and expectant crowd the Palace's Changing of the Guard.  Besides the Palace you can visit the cathedral where Prince Rainier and Grace of Monaco are buried and for those on a longer visit of the principality, don't miss the pride of Monaco-its Oceanographic Museum (Sea Aquarium).  The famous oceanographer Jacques-Yves Cousteau was its director  for more than 30 years.



After the old town, we visited Monaco's marina and Port Hercules in the Condamine district which were crowded with  multimillion dollar yachts and large cruise ships.  And of course we made the obligatory photo op in front of Monte Carlo's famed Belle Epoque Casino.





Since the tour ended back in Nice in the early afternoon, I decided to travel on my own with  bus number 15 to Cimiez hill, the residential neighborhood in the north of Nice to visit the Matisse Museum.  Henri Matisse lived in Nice from 1917 until his death in 1954. The museum is housed in a 17th century Genoese villa  and features the artist's personal collection of paintings, sculptures, drawings and even his color palette.  While in Cimiez, I had wished to visit the Chagall museum located down the hill from the Matisse museum but it was closed for renovation until December 2015.

Sunday -Market Cours Saleya and Villa Ephrusi de Rothschild

Early Sunday morning I took a stroll in the open-air market on Cours Saleya  where vendors of flowers, vegetables, fruits, cheese, freshly caught fish, and other tantalizing local specialities like pissaladiere and pain bagna crowd to create a feast for the senses.

I then traveled with bus number 81 along the coast to St. Jean-Cap-Ferrat to visit the gorgeous Villa Ephrusi de Rothschild. Located on top of a promontory on the peninsula of Cap- Ferrat, the villa was the early 20th century  creation of Baroness Beatrice Ephrusi de Rothschild.  A women of great means, she bought the land in 1906 after falling in love with the site while on the visit of the Riviera.  Starting in 1907, she endeavored to build a winter retreat in the  style of an Italian Renaissance palazzio; it took five  years to complete. As an avid collector she filled her pink Italian villa with exquisite and priceless

works of art- 18th century furniture and paintings, Aubusson and Savonnerie carpets, Gobelin tapestries and Sevres and Messein porcelains.  


No less spectacular than the villa, are the surrounding landscaped gardens created at the same time as the villa was built. There are nine gardens each with a  different theme-  the Spanish garden, Florentine garden, Japanese garden, exotic garden, Provencal garden, stone garden, rose garden and facing the villa is the magnificent French garden designed by Beatrice herself and shaped like the deck of a ship and adorned with ponds and a waterfall.


On returning to Nice in the evening, I watched a glorious sunset over the Mediterranean Sea.  This short but fully activity packed break in Nice left me wanting to come back soon to explore more of the treasures of the Riviera.

Contact www.enchanted-france.com for planning a custom vacation to Nice and other destinations in France. www.enchanted-france.com

#Nice #FrenchRiviera #Monaco