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Booking Deadline - 1 February 2009 |
Space Available |
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$4681 25% Moderate TOUR INCLUDES: - Services of WTT Tour Leader and local guides - Activities as noted on the itinerary - TGV high speed train from Paris to Toulouse - Breakfast daily, 3 dinners, 2 lunches - Transportation as noted on the itinerary - Departure Airport transfer - Time to explore on your own - Hotels: Primarily 3 star properties (or better) centrally located in each town. __________________
Air Information
Arrival Airport:
Early Arrival: $225 dbl / $430 sgl
Special Notes Regarding this Trip: - A valid passport is required for this trip. Passports must be valid for at least 6 months after the last date of travel- - Activities on this tour may require a significant amount of walking - Some walks may be on uneven or non-paved surfaces
Not Included in the Price of this Tour: - Air to and from your home - Arrival Transfer - Meals and activities not specified in the itinerary - Any personal expenses and any guide/driver gratuities - You will be responsible for your own airport transfer(s) if you arrive or depart at times or dates other than specified above when transfers are provided. - Transfers are not provided for early arrival or late departure. |
France has been, and continues to be, one of the most expensive places in the world for travel; Paris leads the way. Exasperating the situation is the weak dollar, high fuel prices, and high food prices. As of this posting (19 August 2008) WTT has been unable to get firm prices from our French suppliers for 2009. Therefore, we have taken our best guess and estimated what we believe the costs will be in an effort to get this tour posted. Please see additional notes about cost at the end of this itinerary.
Thursday, June 4: Arrive Paris, Welcome Dinner Arrive at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris. After checking into our hotel, the rest of the day is at leisure. Our tour leader will be available to assist with things to do. We will meet this evening for dinner. (D) Friday, June 5: Guided tour of Paris and free time to explore We will take a morning tour of the famous sights in Paris, regarded as one of the most beautiful cities in the world. This afternoon and evening are free for you to explore the city as you wish. (B) Saturday, June 6: TGV Paris-Bordeaux-Toulouse, Free Time We will travel by TGV (high-speed train) from Paris to Bordeaux and continue to Toulouse, sometimes called "the City of Violets" because of its violet plantations. The city of Toulouse has a dual personality. It is the alternative to Paris as an artistic and intellectual center and it is also the home of the French aerospace industry. Upon arrival, you will have some time to walk around the historical city center of Toulouse. (B) Sunday, June 7: Day Trip to Cordes-sur-Ciel and Albi Considered one of the most beautiful villages in France, Cordes-sur-Ciel is also one of the most popular. It is a medieval hilltop town with a charming covered square dating from 1352. Our next stop is Albi, an ancient river town of redbrick houses and the birthplace of artist Henri Toulouse-Lautrec. The Palais de la Berbie houses the Toulouse-Lautrec museum with the most complete collection of his works in the world. Next to the Toulouse-Lautrec museum is the Cathedral of St. Cecile, one of the best existing examples of a fortress church. This impressive church has a beautiful stonework interior and is said to be the largest brick building in the world. (B,L)
Monday, June 8: Toulouse to Avignon with stop in Carcassonne Our first stop today is Carcassonne, a perfectly preserved walled town and the largest walled city in Europe. It is one of the most impressive examples of medieval France with towers, dungeons, moats and drawbridges. We will continue our journey to Avignon, known as the city of the popes. In 1309, Pope Clement V moved the papal court from Rome to Avignon and commissioned the construction of the Palais des Papes that now houses original 14th-century wall paintings and beautiful tiles. (B,D) Tuesday, June 9: Avignon City Tour, Free Time The city's old town has narrow streets, belfries and towers. Highlights include the 12th-century St. Benezet bridge, Doms Cathedral (where Pope John XXII is interred) and the Calvet Museum with it's display of paintings and wrought-iron work. You may want to spend some of your free time walking around Villeneuve les Avignon, a delightful medieval village with many extravagant mansions built by cardinals in the 14th century. (B) Wednesday, June 10: Aix-en-Provence; Frejus Our drive from Avignon to Aix-en-Provence is through the countryside that inspired Cezanne. With its tree-lined cobblestone streets, Aix is charming with stately houses and best know as the birthplace of Impressionist painter Cezanne. Sights include the King's Gardens (Les Jardins du Roi) and the Bourg St. Sauveur with its roman and medieval architecture. We will continue the day's journey to the French Riviera. (B,L) Thursday, June 11: Day Trip to Nice, St Jean Cap Ferrat, Monte Carlo Our day begins in the historic old town of Nice and continues to St-Jean-Cap-Ferrat and the elegant Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild with its outstanding art collection and lovely gardens overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. The house has dozens of lavishly decorated rooms and there are nine different gardens, ranging from a Spanish garden to a rose garden to a Japanese garden. For a spectacular view of the Mediterranean, we will continue to Monte Carlo via the famous Corniche Road. (B) Friday, June 12: Day trip to Grasse and Cannes, Farewell Dinner This morning we will visit Grasse, considered the perfume capital of the world. The remainder of the day will be in Cannes where you are free to explore on your own. Cannes is well known for the Cannes Film Festival but it is also a picturesque city with casinos, beaches and museums and a great place to people-watch. (B,D)
Saturday, June 13: Return Home from Nice Today you will depart for Nice Airport for your flight back home. Make your return flight for 10:30am or later. Two transfers will be arranged; one for early flights and one for the later flights. (Individuals with flights earlier than 10:30am will be responsible for their own airport transfer.) (B)
Important Notes France has been, and continues to be, one of the most expensive places in the world for travel; Paris leads the way. Exasperating the situation is the weak dollar, high fuel prices, and high food prices. As of this posting (19 August 2008) WTT has been unable to get firm prices from our French suppliers for 2009. Therefore, we have taken our best guess and estimated what we believe the costs will be in an effort to get this tour posted. Women Traveling Together reserves the right to apply a surcharge to the price of this tour should the 2009 prices be worse than anticipated or other factors further weaken the US Dollar against the Euro. Should a surcharge be necessary, Women Traveling Together will notify those travelers already signed up for the tour. In the event that the surcharge is greater than 5% the traveler will have the option to pay the surcharge or to cancel their booking with a full refund.
Should the 2009 prices be better that anticipated or the US Dollar value strengthens significantly against the Euro, Women Traveling Together will pass on the savings in the form of a discount at time of final invoicing.
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All previous information has been superseded.
