Saut du Doubs waterfall, numerous spectacular lookout points, Cascade du Herisson waterfall, Annecy medieval town, Mont Blanc and glaciers, several scenic mountain passes, Puy en Velay, Puy de Dome, Clermont-Ferrand and Bourges fortress.
Before or after it I recommend our Paris tours and other tours in France.
Jura is a region in Eastern France and is neighbouring the beautiful French Alps, a particular favourite amongst the skiers of the world. You will get some absolutely stunning photographic opportunities within Jura and Alps.
If you are more of a city bug however there is still plenty to whet your appetite within this area of France. You have small, beautiful towns like the medieval Annecy.
within the area and have your accommodation booked and ready every step of the way. You really won't even have to lift a finger to plan your holiday.
Fontenay Abbey, Saut du Doubs waterfall, Jura, Nouailles Gorge, Ornans, Lons-le-Saunier, Cirque du Fer à Cheval, Herisson (Hedgehog) waterfall, Annecy mediaeval town, Talloires, Lake Annecy, Chamonix, Mont-Blanc, Galibier, Lautaret Pass, Valence, Tour-non, Puy en Velay, Château de Polignac, Puy de Dôme
Your A La Carte
France tour commences with your personal driver collecting you from your Paris accommodation or Paris airport and taking you to Fontenay Abbey. This Romanesque style abbey was one of the first French UNESCO monuments and exhibits a well preserved Abbey church, dormitory, chapter rooms, forge, dormitory and common rooms as well as surrounding landscaped park gardens. Continue from here on to Dijon, a city which dates back to the neolithic period and is home to a large number of historic churches, museums, and the luxury Ducal palace; a 14th century royal residence.
Overnight in Rochefort sur Nenon, a small tranquil village.
Today you will travel from the village of Rochefort sur Nenon towards Ornans. On your journey, your A La Carte France tours driver guide will take you to view a range of scenic landmarks including the magnificicent Saut du Doubs waterfall, picturesque views from the Cirque de Consolation lookout, and allow you to experience a luxury boat cruise at Viller-le-Lac. Continue on to view Noailles gorge, and visit the historic dwellings and 16th Century bridge of Vuilafans, then arrive in the small town of Ornans; birthplace of the French realist painter Gustave Courbet.
Two nights in Ornans area.
Today your trip through Jura will take you to view several interesting features of the natural landscape, including the Lison spring which can be found at the bottom of a unique cave formation at the end of a long subterranean passage. Nearby you can also see the iconic Sarrazine cave, the Pont du Diable and the Creux-Billard. From here, travel through the French commune of Arbois where you can see ancient houses lining the streets, then continue on to the spa town of Lons-le-Saunier where attractions include the Rue du Commerce, and the town theatre.
Second night in Ornans area.
Experience a personally guided A La Carte France tour of the Herisson (Hedgehog) valley and its 31 impressive waterfalls including the famous Eventail and the 195 feet tall Grand Saut. You can also visit the Maison des Cascades museum which provides a concise history of the geology and legends of this iconic landscape. Continue from here past the picturesque Chambly lake, and through the Faucille Pass; a site historically used for border information exchanges, and now home to the Tour de France stage. From here you can experience magnificent views over Geneva and Switzerland. Your limousine will then take you to your final sight for the day, the small town of Bellegarde which sits at the confluence of the Rhone and Valserine rivers.
Two nights in Talloires, near Annecy historic town.
Today your A La Carte France tours driver-guide will take you for a tour of Lake Annecy either by boat or car, and allow you to view the lake's clear, fresh, mountain stream water and the beaches, villages and mountains that line it shores. Take some time to explore the historic villages of this area on foot, including the Veyrier du Lac, the Menthon St Bernard (where visitors can walk through a castle), and the local shops at Talloires. You can also take an excursion to Mont Saleve for a spectacular view over Geneva and Jura.
Second night in Talloires.
Your trip today will allow you to take a ride by cable car to Aiguille du Midi in the heart of the alps. From Chamonix, your A La Carte France tours guide will accompany you as you travel to a height of 1.5 miles where you can stop at the Plan de l’Aiguille and enjoy views of the Mount-Blanc Glacier des Bossons, the Drus, the Aiguille Verte and the Aiguilles de Chamonix. Continue higher up the mountain to reach an altitude of 2.3 miles, rise above the glaciers and seracs and experience magnificent views across the whole mountain landscape.
Overnight in Chamonix.
Today you will travel with your A La Carte
France minivan tour to the Beaufort area where you can enjoy a local tasting of the towns famous cheese. You can also view the remains of the Beaufort castle (an 11th century fortress) and the 13th century castle of La Grande Salle. Continue on through the landscape and view the Mont Pourri glaciers and the Tignes Dam; a hydroelectric arch dam on the Isère River which displays a fresco of Hercules that was painted on its face in preparation for the 1992 winter Olympics.
Overnight in Bonneval-sur-Arc.
Enjoy an A La Carte France tours guided drive along one of the most famous mountain roads in France, through the Galibier pass and Lautaret pass. This area is a well known part of the Tour de France; the Col du Galibier is the highest point of the tour. Experience the stunning caves of ice amongst the glaciers and gorges of the Meije, and visit the town of Grenoble where you can see the 19th century facades of the old town, the local art museum, and the famous bubble telepherique cable cars which will take you across the Isere river to the Bastille fort where you can enjoy views over the valley and mountain ranges.
Overnight in Eybens.
Today your A La Carte France tours driver-guide will take you along a scenic mountain road through Vercors gorge. In this rugged plateau you can view the peaks, valleys, cliff, gorges and dales formed from limestone foundations that make up this complex geographic area. Key landmarks include the Hauts-Plateau, the Vercors Drômois, the Coulmes and the Quatre Montagnes. Continue on through the Cevennes mountains and view the basalt flows and flora that make up the volcanic landscape of Mont Mezenc.
Two nights in the Puy-en-Velay region.
Spend some time exploring the historic area of Puy-en-Velay where you can see the 12th century Cathedrale Notre-Dame du Puy which is striped in white sandstone and black volcanic breccia and can be reached by climbing sixty steps. See the Romanesque chapel on Saint-Michel rock, and the iron statue of the Notre-Dame de France which is made from 213 Russian cannons and stands overlooking the town. Your A La Carte France tour guide will also take you for a private visit through the remains of the 14th century Polignac castle including its ramparts, dungeon and tower.
Second night in the Puy-en-Velay region.
Your limousine journey through the Cantal area will allow you to see the massif mountains and ancient volcanoes that make up the landscape, and the Garabit Viaduct; a railway arch bridge that was built in the early 1880s by Gustave Eiffel. From here, continue on to visit the town of Dienne, where you can see the 19th century Castle of La Cheyrelle and the 12th century Romanesque Church Saint-Cirgues. Travel past the Saint-Vincent gorge towards the 16th century village of Salers where you can see turret topped houses built from dark lavastone.
Overnight in Salers.
Travel across the slopes of the Puy de Sancy - the highest mountain in the Massif Central and part of an inactive stratavolcano. Here you can admire the deep blue lakes, several cirques shaped by glaciers, and pine and beech forests that make up the landscape. Your A La Carte France personal guide will take you to visit the 3100 mile Puy-de-Dome area and experience nature walks, sights including the Lemptegy Volcano and Vulcania, and preserved archeological heritage buildings including renaissance chateaux, villas, and churches.
Overnight in the Puy-de-Dome area.
Travel to Clermont-Ferrand, the cultural capital of the Auvergne region and enjoy a A La Carte France walking tour through the city. Here your exclusive guide will show you sights of interest including the 12th century Romanesque Notre-Dame du Port church, the Gothic style Clermont-Ferrand Cathedral, and the Beaux-Arts museum. From here travel through the Forest of Troncais which is considered to be one of the most beautiful oak forests in Europe and contains many species of oak (including the 300-year old stebbing and sentinel oak species), as well as five picturesque ponds at its centre.
Overnight in Troncais.
On the final day of your tour, your driver-guide will take you to the city of Bourges by minivan. Here you can view an array of historic monuments including the former archbishop's palace, palace of Jaques Coeur which features a luxurious Gothic facade, and the medieval quarter; a well preserved medieval district at the foot of the Cathedral of Bourges. Following your A La Carte France tour through Bourges, you will be driven to Paris airport for your outbound flight. Au revoir et bon voyage, honores voyageurs.
to accept bookings for tours shorter than 10 days.
Boutique / Luxury price includes: private
driver-interpreter throughout the tour, private
local guides, transport (air conditioned
minivan or large sedan), all entrance fees
as per suggested itinerary, porterage,
accommodation in boutique / luxury
(best available) style small hotels and Bed
& Breakfasts (comfortable double room with
private bathroom), continental breakfasts,
light lunches (i.e. quiche, sandwich, soup),
dinners in fine cuisine restaurants (3 items to
choose freely à la carte) with best available
local wine (half a bottle per dinner per
person), all taxes and tolls. This price does
not include: optional tipping (not compulsory),
personal expenses, insurance, flights to and
from France, drinks other than mentioned
and optional activities.
no refund for cancellations received
later.
Situated between two volcanic hills, Le Puy-en-Velay offers one of the most extraordinary natural landscapes in France and is one of the country's most popular pilgrimage destinations. Not-to-be-missed sights are the Saint Michel fortress, the Romanesque cathedral of Notre-Dame-du-Puy with its oriental-styled bell tower, the Corneille fortress, and the colossal statue of Notre-Dame-de-France atop the Rocher Corneille. Le Puy-en-Velay has always been referred to as the City of the Virgin.
Annecy is in the Northern Alps and is probably the city that has best known how to preserve its oldest human traces. The story begins in the Gallo-Roman period, circa 50BC, when a vicus, or encampment, of about 2,000 souls quickly grew in the Fins Valley. This settlement was named Boutae, and traces remain so well intact that it is possible to make out the forum, basilica, baths, and the theather,
which has not yet been restored.
Among the gastronomic specialities of the Savoy region are its cheeses. They are the protagonists of many recipes, including raclette and tartiflette, and should not be missed. The most famous is reblochon, a DOC cheese of raw cow's milk. It is a small cheese, typically uncooked, made with the milk of Alpine cows of the Tarine, Montéliarde, and Abondance types. It is easily recognizable by its saffron yellow crust covered with a fine white skin that indicates ideal ageing,
and the cheese itself is ivory in color, velvety, and very tasty.
The church of Notre-Dame de Liesse was built between 1846 and 1851 on the site of a thirteenth-century sanctuary dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The construction was entrusted to François Justin, an engineer who was very familiar with the rules of neoclassical style. Despite the period's rigid rules he was asked to preserve the sixteenth-century bell tower, part of the south wall, and an interesting fifteenth-century Gothic window as a precious reminder of the early sanctuary, all of which he did quite successfully.
