Trip+Itinerary

**Trip Itinerary**

 Jul 6, 2010 Overnight Flight Depart from the USA. Jul 7, 2010 Paris Paris greets you today. Meet your tour manager and begin to discover the best of France. (D) Jul 8, 2010 Paris  A scavenger hunt is the perfect way to discover Paris throughout the day. Join a local guide for a panoramic bus tour of city sights, with a photo stop at Les Invalides, where Napoleon is buried, and a visit to Notre Dame. Then discover the Île St-Louis and Île de la Cité to solve more scavenger hunt clues. This afternoon is free for you to explore the shops and neighborhoods that the locals frequent. In the evening, join your tour manager on a trip to Montmartre, an artistic and cultural neighborhood with a fabulous view of the city. (B,D)  Jul 9, 2010 Paris Begin your morning with a visit to St. Sulpice, the second largest church in Paris. Continue to the nearby Jardin du Luxembourg, where local experts will teach you how to play the traditional French game Pétanque, before you try your hand in a mini-tournament. Explore the Louvre in the afternoon as your tour manager presents you with a challenge involving some of the most famous works on display. You will also have some free time to walk through the Jardin des Tuileries, across the Place de la Concorde and up the famous Champs-Elysées if you choose. Tonight you may add an optional gourmet dinner at Le Train Bleu, which serves such French specialties as escargots and cuisses de canard. (B,D)

Visit Louis XIV's magnificent palace of Versailles this morning. Use the ACIS Audio Tour to discover the palace interior, including the famous Hall of Mirrors, before you enjoy a bicycle tour of the grounds. Journey to the Loire Valley for the evening. (B,D)
 *  Jul 10, 2010 Loire Valley

Jul 11, 2010 Loire Valley Experience the beauty of the Loire Valley today. Visit Chenonceau, the château of six women, built over the River Cher in an exquisite Renaissance design. See the chĊteau of Amboise, perched on a bluff above the Loire as you spend some free time exploring the town. Finally, discover mighty Chambord, the sprawling creation commissioned by François I, towering over its deer-filled park. (B,D)

Jul 12, 2010 Dinard Depart this morning for the Normandy coast for a visit to the lovely island monastery of Mont St. Michel. This medieval abbey, once an important pilgrimage site, is surrounded by water at high tide. Continue to the charming Breton fishing village of Dinard. (B,D)

Jul 13, 2010 Rouen Today learn important WWII history firsthand with a visit to the American War Cemetery at St. Laurent, overlooking Omaha Beach, and Visitor Center. Then stop in Normandy at a cheese factory for a cheese tasting of one of France's most famous products—Camembert. Continue to Rouen to learn about the bravery of Joan of Arc and visit the town's beautiful Notre Dame Cathedral, made famous in a series of paintings by Monet. (B,D)

Jul 14, 2010 Paris Return to Paris today, stopping en route at a traditional Guinguette on the River Marne. Guinguettes are a treasured French establishment dating from the early 1900's when workers were first given a day off on a Sunday. Enjoy a traditional French lunch at one of these riverside restaurants, and hit the dance floor to learn the steps to a Valse Musette. Continue to Paris for a trip up the Eiffel Tower and an illuminated evening boat ride along the Seine. (B,L)

Jul 15, 2010 Departure Depart for the USA. (B) **