French Grandeur

That famous joie de vivre will envelope you on this vacation to the Provence, where a grand château adds to your experience.

Day 1 (Sat.) Board your overnight transatlantic flight.

Day 2 Arrival in Paris, France. (Sun.) Time to relax or have your first taste of Paris. Then meet your tour director and fellow travelers for a welcome drink and snacks at 6 p.m. Evening at leisure.

Day 3 Paris—TGV—Marseilles-Aix-en-Provence. (Mon.) This morning your included sightseeing with a local expert shows you the main sights of Paris. You will be able to take pictures from the second floor of the EIFFEL TOWER, before boarding the fastest high-speed train in France to Marseilles, where you will arrive late afternoon. Your tour director will show you the main sights of this cosmopolitan port before you arrive at your château in Aix-en-Provence. (FB)

Day 4 Aix-en-Provence. (Tue.) After a walking tour of this beautiful artists’ city with your tour director, the rest of the day is yours to explore its maze of tiny streets, the many shops (don’t forget to try the calissons, the local confectionery) and the many fountains. You can also just relax and enjoy the excellent facilities at your château. (FB)

Day 5 Aix-en-Provence. Excursion to Pont du Gard and Avignon. (Wed.) Today a full program has been prepared for you: the first visit is to the famous Pont du Gard, a Roman aqueduct built by general Agrippa in the 1st century B.C. In Avignon you can take pictures of the Pont d’Avignon and the Palace of the Popes, or sit on a terrace and enjoy a typical lunch, watching people and street musicians. Before returning to Aix, a WINE TASTING has been included in one of the cellars of world-famous Châteauneuf-du-Pape. (FB,D)

Day 6 Aix-en-Provence. Excursion to Arles. (Thu.) All morning is dedicated to Arles, on the northern edge of the Camargue alluvial plain, where your tour director will take you around the main sights and into the 1st-century ROMAN AMPHITHEATER. This afternoon you will be back in Aix; why not visit one of its many museums such as the Granet Museum of Paul Cézanne’s Atelier? (FB)

Day 7 Aix-en-Provence at Leisure. (Fri.) A whole day at leisure to fill in as you wish. Wander through Aix, enjoy your château or join your tour director on an half-day optional outing to Les Baux-de-Provence, formerly known as a court of love perched high atop a rocky spur, and St. Rémy de Provence, where Van Gogh spent his last days in the hospital. Tonight you will enjoy a special dinner on your last night at the château. (FB,D)

Day 8 Aix-en-Provence—Nice. (Sat.) This afternoon you will be at the Côte d’Azur, where you can stroll along the famous Promenade des Anglais or take a dip in the Mediterranean Sea. Why not join an optional excursion to Monte Carlo tonight to try your luck at the Casino? (FB)

Day 9 (Sun.) Your homebound flight arrives the same day. (FB)

Château de la Pioline

A beautiful home in a French garden. This 15th-century château was extended and embellished during the 15th and 16th centuries. Fully restored, it is now a prestigious hotel where the charm of the past lives harmoniously with the demands of modern living. Amenities include a park, swimming pool and nearby 18-hole golf course and tennis courts.

Meals: Welcome drink and snacks, 7 full buffet breakfasts (FB), 2 dinners (D)

*Airfares are based on departures from New York.

Departures/arrival taxes and fares from other cities will be advised at time of booking.

Single room supplement: $ 454

Triple not available