Best of France Tour Magic Moments
Real experiences from our tour members
Our goal as tour organizers: to pack your trip with "magic moments.” Here are just a few of the many magic moments our gangs experienced on a Rick Steves' France tour last year. For the inside scoop on all of our tours, check out our uncensored tour member feedback page.
Paris & the Heart of France
Our tour guide, William, was flexible enough to get us into Paris, checked into our hotel, and still get us to the final stage of the Tour de France. It was a real treat to experience the 100th running of that exciting race.
— Alan in Seattle, WA
Jul 17, 2003
Paris & the Heart of France
Mont St. Michel: I've waited 40 years to see this magnificent site. As we slept right on the island, I was able to spend 45 tranquil moments at the crack of dawn, sketching Mont St. Michel before the daily crowds arrived.
Jul 17, 2003
Paris & the Heart of France
I had gone a day early and booked a Hotel near Rue Cler. I was walking down the street for the first time and was thinking — this is just like what I saw in the Rick Steves' TV show and just then I saw Rick sitting at a sidewalk cafe. I rushed over, tour book in hand, and began chatting. Quite unexpected.
— Robert in Bellevue, WA
Jun 26, 2003
Paris & the Heart of France
We arrived in Paris the day before the scheduled start of the tour. The air traffic controllers had been on strike the previous day, and many other means of transportation were in a slow down. After spending almost three hours getting from the airport to the train station, we learned it would be another three hours before a train departed for Rouen. An elderly French couple noticed our exasperation and introduced themselves. After apologizing for our travel difficulties (!), they suggested a drink at one of the cafes at the station. The gentlemen then offered to give us a tour of the area around the station. Afterward, they rode the train to Rouen with us, pointed us in the right directions, and said au revoir. What a delightful introduction to France and the French. They could not have been more gracious.
— Christine in Norristown, PA
May 15, 2003
Provence & the Riviera
*When I remembered how to ask the woman selling cheese in Sarlat to write the name of each cheese I purchased on each package in French.
*When two 20 year-old French men moved to a different table for us so we could all sit together in Sarlat. Then they wanted to know if Americans really dislike the French as much as their media portrays....Sounds familiar!
*Meeting Isabella and Alain in Nice. They want to visit the US but Alain is afraid of all the anti-French sentiment, so he is not sure now. Again, sounds familiar. My experiences just underscored that no matter how different cultures may be, people are the same wherever you go, with the same hopes, dreams, and fears. Travel does a much needed service by connecting us.
— Stephanie in Freeland, MI
May 13, 2003
Provence & the Riviera
Patrick and Angie, our tour guides, poured champagne as we toasted on a pedestrian bridge overlooking Carcassonne at night. The weather was perfect, the view was too! Sante!
Oct 1, 2002
Village France
I have been to Europe at least 20 times (this is my 6th ETBD tour)and I have traveled extensively in the Eastern hemisphere. That said, this was my favorite trip EVER. The entire three weeks were WOW! I can't think of anything that wasn't great fun. Frankly, I was amazed at the variety of sights and activities our France tour offered.
— Bill in Spokane, WA
Sep 8, 2003
Village France
This was the best ETBD tour yet for us. The hotels were good and the food spectacular. There were many great times. One of my most unusual was hearing a loud "whoosh!" out our window in Rocamadour. It was a hot air balloon being launched below us in the valley. The balloon climbed and went down the valley below our room level. Got some great pictures of it.
Jun 24, 2002
Check out everything that's new in the 2004 edition of Rick's guidebook to France and more details on our 2004 Tours!