information she imparted to us about France, France culture, France politics, etc. Chris shared a great deal of French history,politics and culture with us which made our sightseeing more meaningful. The castle-building at Guedelon was fascinating and the Loire valley châteaux were beautiful. I tell everyone we are not"Tour people" but Rick Steves'tours has made us devout RS tour travelers.Your tours continue to be magical. It was humbling and quite moving. "Mont St. Michel was definitely a highlight for me, and the tour was so perfectly timed and organized, I feel we saw the very best of it. Create custom playlists with more than 400 educational clips featuring the best of European history, art, culture, and experiences (plus topics beyond Europe) . End in Sarlat-la-Canéda or a nearby riverside village (sleep in Sarlat or nearby), Day 8:  If it's market day in Sarlat, start there (early), then take a relaxing canoe trip and tour a prehistoric cave. Loved the little side stops for tastings and quick lunches. Above all, I believe the timing of everything involved was terrific. Michel and the Normandy beaches. I had a pretty negative attitude thinking everyone will be unfriendly and snobby. However, Mont-Saint-Michel was truly a highlight. We had a great group of people that just clicked. I can't choose between them: Driving around Paris and seeing the beautiful architecture and landmarks, walking on Omaha and Utah Beaches, seeing Giverny (I'm a gardner), seeing Leonardo Divinvi's home and inventions. My least favorite of seven tours. So much to see, so little time. "Mont St Michel in the early morning was awesome ?? If possible, I would recommend getting to Paris several days early, as there is so much to see and do there. Great tour! Virginie More is an excellent tour guide, and a lovely person as well. Our tour guide, "Arnaud", really made the tour entertaining. A super new moon created higher than usual water levels and an amazingly fast advance of the water lit by the reflected fortress wall illumination.". We are RS groupies so we love the tours and can't wait to do another. Most days are moderate to strenuously paced with 2–8 miles of walking, including hilly terrain and lots of stairs. It was quite literally breathtaking (and a little vertigo inducing).". On our free morning, I went up the 400 steps and found myself completely alone on the roof with a 360 degree view. Once we arrive, we'll wander along the cobbled lanes and medieval half-timbered houses on a walking tour with a local guide. It was wonderful!". Mt St Michel when the tide came in and breached the front gate in evening; I loved the peaceful beautiful sunrise next morning. Get this from a library! Chris was everything your site said she'd be and more. Overall, excellent. It delivered, starting with our guide,Arnuad, the consummate of his profession, perfect. The tour packed in a lot for the 11 days. I also loved learning all about medieval castle building at Guedelon.". This was our first time in France and we really enjoyed our visit. about French life and all the towns/attractions we visited. Our tour guide leader was always available for assistance with questions or extra needs. Hit France's can't-miss art, sights, and bites in two weeks or less with RICK STEVES BEST OF FRANCE!Inside you'll find: Strategic advice from Rick Steves on what's worth your time and money It's a breeze to reach Paris' airports by taxi, shuttle, or public transportation. Absolutely amazing ~ I truly enjoyed this tour. There was also a wow momment when we had our first good view of Mont St. "Every meal was so delicious. This was my 3rd Rick Steves Tour, and it was everything I knew it would be! ", "My favorite wow moment was when we reached the beaches of Normandy. We thought the activities, hotels and meals were all well selected. All of the hotels were centrally located to the town for great access to all local attractions. "It's hard to pick, but here are a couple: I love visiting Sainte-Chapelle in Paris. They are multilingual, calm, knowledgeable, and attentive. This tour had a little too much togetherness and schedule. Accomodations were always very comfortable and nestled in great locations, some particularly scenic. Musical experience was limited to Virginie's recordings over the bus P.A. Waited 57 years to see Mont St Michel since first seeing picture in high school French textbook. This has been on my bucket list for years so I had some pretty high expectations - and they were all met/exceeded! Each day brought a variety of different experiences from museums, chateaus, and cathedrals, architecture, gardens, food, and exploring various towns and cities. The resonance and acoustics in the Abbey are phenomenal. I know how challenging it is to make a full day feel un-rushed. ", "Bourges was a pleasant surprise -- an attractive, walkable town with an impressive cathedral, Gallo-Roman wall and picturesque half-timbered houses. Most importantly, I was simply amazed by the history, beauty and charm of France! This was our first trip to France and our first RS Tour. It was a touching sobering experience which made me really appreciate the sacrifice of the many soldiers who died or were wounded while fighting for our freedom.Arnou". The bountiful vineyards, classic villages, and hearty cuisine of eastern France are legendary. Steve Smith is the co-author of the Rick Steves France guidebook. Our guide was outstanding. At first I had another date all picked out and deposited, with a quick phone call from your office that there was only one spot left. The gigantic Chambord Chateau with its many rooms and beautiful landscaped grounds. The treasures of the Louvre were astounding. I appreciated the mix of group time and free time to explore on our own. It was a great introductory tour- now there are things that I know about that need more time. Colorful Rick Steves Pocket guidebooks like Rick Steves Pocket Paris are perfect when you have a week or less. We spent extra days in Paris before meeting the group.Glad to say it was an easy-going group and our tour guide, Rebecca, was superb. This was our fourth tour, we are already registered for our fifth (Sicily) and soon sixth (Scotland). We loved our guides and their passion for French history and culture. Overall this was an outstanding tour. "We had several "wow" moments, but at the top of the list, Mont St-Michel with the impressive views, and of course the very moving D-Day beaches. The 75th anniversary, which rated it a best of all the.... Group experiences was ideal and every day! `` rick steves best of france, however, left a lot of the Rick Classroom! Enough items left over on `` must do '' list that I was literally saying wow times. 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