The European Collection: Normandy to Basque country

Day 3: Private VIP Tour to Versailles

Enjoy a full-day wonderful private VIP tour to Versailles and the Petit Trianon. The palace and gardens of Versailles count among the most prestigious monuments of the world’s artistic heritage, and are certainly the finest and most complete achievement of 17th-century French art.

During this full-day tour you will see the best that Versailles has to offer without having to wait in line. We will take you back to the Golden Age of France to the former residence of the ‘Sun King’ Louis XIV; a sumptuous royal palace which was home to three of France’s most illustrious Kings for over 100 years. The tour of the palace includes the State Apartments of the King and Queen, Royal Chapel and Hall of Mirrors, a richly decorated gallery which boasts 357 mirrors, French bay windows and crystal chandeliers.

After having been dazzled by the splendors of the château, you will discover the famous gardens à la Française. Savour your three-course lunch in “La Flotille” restaurant located at the foot of the Grand Canal, a majestic setting which allows you to appreciate the beauty of the estate.

After lunch your guide will take you to the Petit Trianon, a small château in the grounds of Versailles used by Marie Antoinette for festivities and to escape the overwhelming court etiquette. You will also discover the Queen’s Hamlet, a stylised Norman village and farm built for Marie Antoinette where she retreated with her closest friends to enjoy an intimately rustic life. Completed just a few years before the Revolution, the Hamlet remains a testament to the Queen’s desire for a simpler life over the cold marble vaults of the main palace.

Day 4: Private Guided Tour of the Louvre Museum, Paris

Private guided walking tour of the Louvre museum which is home to the Mona Lisa and many interesting collections. After an introduction to the building and its different functions, the palace and the museum, you will skip the line to enter the museum.

For you this is a tailor-made visit, with a private licensed guide, in order to understand the evolution of the art through four thousand years of man’s history and see the highlights of one of the greatest art collections exposed in a museum. You can select the historical period you prefer; it is possible to tell us the piece of art you want to see when booking this tour. Of course, rarely are forgotten the masterpieces of the Italian renaissance painting like the Mona Lisa from Leonardo Da Vinci, famous Greek sculptures like the Venus of Milo and the Samothrace Victory. You can also visit of Napoleon III apartments in the Richelieu wing of the Louvre. The other classical wings of the museum that you will see are: Sully with the medieval Louvre and Denon with the traditional Italian and French paintings.

Enjoy a fabulous lunch cruise with a welcome glass of Champagne on arrival, a memorable gastronomic experience along the Seine in an intimate setting over Paris.

Day 7: Private Tour Exploring the Sights of Normandy

Full day private chauffeured tour to Omaha Beach and the Normandy American Cemetery. You will begin with a visit to Omaha Beach and the Normandy American Cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer.

The day continues with a trip to Pointe du Hoc, where Rudder’s Rangers ascended the steep cliffs to take out the long-range artillery firing on the landing beaches. During the day, relax with free time for lunch in a local restaurant (lunch not included). Explore Utah Beach; stop at the monument near Brecourt Manor, site of Easy Company’s famous assault on a German artillery position. Take time to visit the newest Normandy war museum, the Overlord Museum-Omaha.

The afternoon features Utah Beach, Sainte-Mere-Eglise, where John Steele got caught on the steeple of the church, and the Airborne Museum. The day ends with a visit to Dead Man’s Corner Museum in St-Come-du-Mont. In the late afternoon, travel back to your hotel.

Day 8: Discovering Pegasus Bridge and British Beaches

Full day private chauffeured tour to discover Pegasus Bridge and British Beaches. The day begins at Pegasus Bridge, the scene of the first actions of D-Day, where Airborne troops stormed the position from gliders and held on until the linkup with ground forces from Sword Beach was made. See where the gliders landed, the Gondrée Café – arguably the first house liberated on D-Day – and visit the Memorial Pegasus Museum where the original bridge is located. In Ranville, see the Airborne graves.

After lunch, proceed on to the British landing beaches, starting at Sword Beach. Visit the Juno Beach Centre which explains the story of the Canadian role in the Battle of Normandy, and at Gold Beach, see where some of the heaviest casualties were suffered by British troops storming the tough defences at Asnelles. We end the day at Arromanches, where the Mulberry Harbour was constructed, much of which is still visible out to sea. In the late afternoon travel back to your hotel.

Day 11: From Normandy to the Loire Valley

Today depart on a full-day private chauffeured tour in the Loire Valley visiting historical châteaux. Discover the Château du Bois d’Orcan, a joyous architectural celebration of the 15th century built by Julien Thierry, Finance Superintendent to Anne de Bretagne, and contemplate the works of the sculptor Etienne Martin. Enjoy a local specialities lunch.

After lunch, admire the Château d’Angers, the biggest one in France, with its ramparts that extend over a kilometre and its 17 towers. In the 14th and 15th centuries, the dukes of Anjou held court here and these enlightened princes were patrons of art and architecture. You can also admire the famous tapestry of the Apocalypse made at the end of the 14th century. Your chauffeur will drop you off at your five-star château in the Loire Valley.

Day 12. Full Day Private Loire Valley Wine Experience.

The Loire Valley is undoubtedly the most diverse and extensive of all France’s classic wine regions. During the day you will discover the typical climate, soil and grape varieties such as Chenin, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir and Sauvignon to make Loire wines. You will taste different kinds of Vouvray in an exceptional troglodyte cellar and have the chance to discover the ancestral savoir-faire. The royal Château at Amboise is a château located in Amboise, in the Indre-et-Loire department of the Loire Valley in France.

After enjoying a traditional French lunch in Amboise, you will continue to Chinon. The tour of the Val de Loire vineyards will end with the visit of one of the most beautiful private castles of the region, located in the middle of the Forêt de Chinon. The family first bought this castle in 1636 and the wine they produce is widely appreciated by those who taste it. Later in the afternoon your guide will chauffeur you back to your accommodation.

Day 15: From Bordeaux to San Sebastián

Private transfers to San Sebastián. Stay two nights in a four-star boutique hotel, a historic building and one of the best hotels in San Sebastián city centre. Overlooking La Concha Bay, this grand 19th-century building is set next to the beach, on San Sebastián’s seafront promenade. Free time to explore San Sebastian.

Meet your local guide for an amazing Pintxos tour (Basque tapas). Pintxos are offered at every bar in San Sebastián’s famed Old Town, but knowing where to find the best ones is an art. Dive straight into the culinary heart of the city for a night of eating and drinking unlike any you’ve ever experienced. From fresh prawns to line-caught baby squid to perfectly charred steak, the pintxo hunt changes nightly but always features a range of traditional spots and chic, avant-garde bars as we’ll be pairing each pintxo with the perfect pour, from cider to local whites and reds. It really is a superb gastronomic experience!

Day 16: Private French Basque Countryside Tour

Enjoy a full day’s wonderful private chauffeured tour in to the French Basque countryside with an English-speaking guide. The beautiful and charming town of Saint Jean Pied de Port (Donibane Garazi in Basque), on the foothills of the Pyrenees, is your first stop on our tour. With its beautiful cobbled streets that run downhill across a quaint old bridge over the river Nive, the town is renowned for being the starting point of the most popular route of the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela on The Way of St. James (Camino de Santiago).

After a short stroll through the town, following the footsteps of the pilgrims, we will continue our tour through the small town of Saint Étienne de Baïgorry. Deeper into the French Basque countryside, we will head towards the picturesque town of Espelette, famous for its dried red peppers that are hung to dry during the summer from its houses and shops. We will get the opportunity to stroll through the colorful streets of Espelette and do some Basque-produce shopping. Free time for lunch in a quaint local Basque village (lunch is not included).

You will then continue your tour into the small village of Ainhoa. Standing just three kilometers away from the Spanish border, this tiny village of just one street is the typical French Basque village, with its bright red and green houses, a church, a graveyard, and a fronton. Late afternoon transfers back to your hotel to relax.