I talk to stacks of people who really, really want to visit France but who, at the same time, are entirely overwhelmed by the entire idea.
They are more than a bit put off by things like a lack of French language skills, the challenge of finding decent accommodation and the whole issue of not knowing how to get around. And this is before they even get to the ‘everyday decisions’, like where a visitor might find great food and wine.
For these people, I always suggest they check out some guided tours, at least for their first visit – if not every visit.
Guided tours of France can help would-be travellers overcome so many of their concerns. And by selecting the right tour, they can get a real taste of what so many of us love about France.
But – here’s the thing – how do you choose the right tour?
The best advice I have in answering this question is research, research, research. Potential travellers need to check out as many tours as humanly possible – both big and small – in order to find the right tour for them. And ideally you need to be able to speak with the tour operator to get all your questions answered.
With this is mind, I am keen to share a tour I came across recently – and at the same time let you know about another French themed website I try to keep an eye on.
I initially discovered Jean-Marie and the team at Sydney based Our French Impressions via Instagram…which led to me finding about the fact that they are planning to run semi-regular tours of Provence.
Now, let’s be clear, I haven’t done one of the Our French Impressions tours, nor is Distant Francophile affiliated with them in any way. But I was fascinated by the fact that a small family team had designed a week long tour as a way to share their love of France with other francophiles – or first time visitors to France for that matter.
And the itinerary looks to be full of highlights, including some of my favourites. There is time spent in Avignon and L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue and there appears to be a tiny taste of St-Rémy-de-Provence. Tour activities include cooking classes and winery tours and it looks like there are many opportunities to sample the top class French food and wine.
If you are interested in researching this option and happen to be in Sydney on Saturday July 11, you might want to check out the Our French Impressions stall at the North Sydney Market On Miller. Otherwise all the details can be found here, on the Our French Impressions website.
And until next time – au revoir.
