Paris
6 days / 5 nights
Paris-Somme-Normandy – The Loire Valley
Paris-Somme-Normandy-The Loire Valley
17 days / 16 nights
Paris -Somme-Normandy – The Loire Valley
of special interest for ART and HISTORY.
This 17-day tour has been designed especially for students with a particular interest in art and/or in history, but they can be perfecty adapted to seconday school wishing to have just a clearly educational and cultural tour in France.
During this tour, you will discover the main historical and artistic mouments in Paris, such as the Sainte Chapelle, the Catacombs, the Arc d Triomphe, the Eiffel Tower, the Invalides, Montmartre, the Versailles château, as well as the museums – the Louvre, Orsay, and Rodin.
You will then travel to Giverny to see Monet’s house and garden, the historical centre of Rouen and its association with Joan of Arc, the Battlefields of the Somme and Normandy and their importance in the two World Wars, the Mont St Michel, and the famous Bayeux Tapestry.
You will then visit some of the most beautiful and historically interesting chateaux of the Loire Valley.
Duration
17 days / 16 nights
Accommodation
included, in youth hostels
Meal plans
Half board
Our programme
Day 1 – Arrival at CDG AIRPORT. Welcome by France Heritage Travel team
- Morning : Coach transfer to hostel in historical centre of Paris for 6 nights.
 Organized group breakfast. - Afternoon : Walk to the Ile de la Cité. Booked entry to La Sainte Chapelle, the absolute jewel of 13th century Gothic architecture. (Map and Notes).
Walk past  Notre-Dame cathedral  to see it as it is being renovated.
Discover the Latin Quarter , the Palace and the gardens of the Luxembourg (Map and Notes).
Dinner and night in hostel
Day 2 - Paris
Matin : Morning : Booked entry to Les Catacombes (they were the old Roman quarries used to build Lutèce (Paris) and in the Middle-Ages were used to store the bones dug up from cemeteries).
Afternoon : Booked entry to l’Arc de Triomphe.            Â
Time to discover the Champs Elysées.Direct métro to Place de la Concorde to see the perspectives and the architecture, the Assemblée Nationale and on the other side the rue Royale and the Madeleine church (Map and Notes).
Dinner and night in hostel.
Day 3 - Paris
Morning : Booked entry to the Eiffel Tower.
Later in the morning  to the Château de Versailles.Afternoon : Booked entry and audioguides to visit the Château.
Time to visit the gardens.
Rest of the afternoon free for shopping : shops and stores do not close before 19h30.
Dinner and night in hostel.
Day 4 - Paris
Morning :
-For Art students : booked entry to the Musée Rodin
-For History students : booked entry to the Invalides (close by).Afternoon : Go to St Denis and visit St Denis Cathedral (first gothic church and burial site of the kings of France. Important for architecture and History) (Map and Notes).
Dinner  night in hostel.
Day 5 - Paris
Morning : Booked entry and guided visit to the MusĂ©e du Louvre – Important for both Art and History.
After the visit take the group to have a look at « La Comédie Française » and « Les jardins du Palais Royal »  (Map and Notes).Afternoon : Visit of Montmartre (Important for both Art and Historystudents). (Map and Notes)
Early dinner.
Evening  Cruise on the Seine. Â
Night in hostel
Day 6 - Paris
Morning :
– For History students : Discovery of the quartier du Marais with focus on the 15th century, 17th century, Revolution and WW2. (Map and Notes).
– For Art Students : visit either the MusĂ©e de l’Orangerie or the MusĂ©e Marmottan-Claude Monet.     Â
Afternoon : Booked entry and guided visit to the Musée d’Orsay.
Dinner and night in hostel.
Day 7 - Amiens
Morning : Leave Paris with by bus for your 10 day tour.
By coach to the Auberge de Jeunesse d’ Amiens for 2 nightsAfternoon : Guided visit of Amiens cathedral  (world heritage) : the largest gothic cathedral in France.
Dinner and night in hostel.
Day 8 - Whole day with specialist guide
Morning :
All the nations who took part in these endless battles have very moving and unforgettable monuments and cemeteries. They are very numerous and important for the British, for the Canadians in Vimy, the South Africans in Longueval have a memorial and a museum, Newfoundland has a very moving park and museum in Beaumont-Hamel, the Indians in Neuve-Chapelle, the Irish in Hamel.
For the Australians :  Welcome to Le Musée Franco-Australien, Villers-Bretonneux.
Though many New-Zealanders fought and are buried in the Somme on D9 New-Zealand groups could go directly to be welcomed in Le Quesnoy (town twinned with Cambridge New Zealand) and then via Arras to visit the tunnels dug by New Zealanders and then go direct to the hostel near Caen. (Instead of visiting Giverny and Rouen).
Dinner and night in hostel.
Day 9 - Amiens - Giverny - Caen
Morning : Leave Amiens by coach for Giverny and visit Monet’s house, beautiful garden and water lilies.
Afternoon : Guided visit of the historical centre of Rouen, important for both History and art students (famous for flamboyant gothic architecture).
By coach to hostel in Bernières-sur-mer near Caen (4 nights).
Dinner and night in hostel.
Day 10 - Normandy
- Whole day : The Normandy landing.( with specialist guide) D Day 6th June 1944 from Utah and  Omaha to Juno and Sword beach.
End afternoon : Cinema 360° in Arromanches.
Dinner and night in hostel.
Day 11 - Normandy
Whole day : Coach  drive along the Normandy « côte fleurie « through Deauville, Trouville which provided the inspiration for a number of celebrated paintings, then to Honfleur.
Visit the old town and the harbour with its memories of Boudin, Monet, Jonkind, Sisley, Pissarro and others. (Map and Notes).Booked entry to visit the Musée Eugène Boudin.
Dinner and night in hostel.
Day 12 - Mont Sainn Michel
Morning :  Leave by coach for Mt St Michel.
Booked entry for guided visit of the Mont St Michel. Not only one of the most famous World Heritage sites in France but unforgettable because of its architecture and spectacular setting.Afternoon : Return via Bayeux.
Visit the Bayeux Tapestry (audioguides). Made in 1070 to celebrate the conquest of Britain by William the Conqueror in 1066 (68 metres long/50 cm wide).
Dinner and night in hostel.
Day 13 - Caen
Morning : Luggage in coach and to Caen, the Norman capital of William the Conqueror. The walls of his castle are still impressive so are the Abbeys built by his wife Matilda and himself.
Important for both History and Art students.Guided visit of the town of Caen.
Afternoon : To the Loire Valley.
Auberge de Jeunesse d’Amboise (4 nights).
Dinner and night in hostel.
Day 14 - Whole day coach tour
- Morning : Booked entry to visit the Château de Chambord.
2 hours bicycle ride on the grounds. - Afternoon :
Booked entry to visit the Château de Cheverny inhabited by the same family since it was built.
Famous for inspiring Hergé, who created Tintin when he drew Capitaine Haddock’s château, and especially for its magnificent furniture.
Dinner and night in hostel.
Day 15 - Whole day coach tour to Saumur and Fontevrault
Morning : The historians will visit the excellent Musée des Blindés (tank Museum) in Saumur.
While the Art students will visit the superb Château and its Musée des Arts Décoratifs.
Afternoon : visit of the Abbaye de Fontevrault : great interest for both groups.
Dinner and night in hostel.
Day 16 - Chenonceau
Morning by coach : visit of the Château de Chenonceau with booklets.
Afternoon in Amboise. Visit of the Clos Lucé (Leonardo da Vinci’s last home).
Visit of the Château d’Amboise (Da Vinci’s tomb in the chapel).
Dinner and night in hostel.
Day 17 - Back to Paris
Morning : Leave hostel with luggage for Roissy-CDG Airport.
Your made-to-measure quote
France Heritage Travel offers made-to-measure and personalized tours.
Service
The quote includes
- 1 teacher FOC for 10 students
- Half-board in hostels
- All transport in France
- Guided visits
- Reservation of places to be visited
- Documentation on the tour
The quote does not include
- One light meal a day
- Personal expenses
- Insurance
- Journey to and from France
