Tours
Guided, escorted, specialty, and packaged tours to France
Leave the planning to the experts and the background research to a trained guide with a tour—whether the classic motorcoach trip, a more active trip by horse, bike, or foot, or an educational tour or study trip.
In this section you'll find information on all the ways to see France with someone else doing the planning and taking care of all the details. That means resources for finding and booking tours in all of the following categories:
Guided tours let you sit back and enjoy yourself while someone else does the driving and an expert guides you around the top sights
Tours for women, gays, the disabled, seniors, pilgrims, families, and students in France
Escorted tours
- Viator.com - Offers a multitude of multi-day trips, from two, three, or four days exploring Normandy from Paris, to two days of Loire Valley castles, to a four-nigh bike tour of Burgundy, to a week-long culinary tour of Provence.Partner
- intrepidtravel.com -
Intrepid Travel is one of only two only major tour outfits I know (along with G Adventures) of that makes a concerted effort to travel like real independent travelers—small groups (usually a max of 8 or 12 people), staying in mom-and-pop accommodations and getting around by public transport rather than a big tour bus.
Partner
This fantastic Australian company marries an independent travel style with the expertise of truly knowledgeable guides and a focus on the cultural experience of travel.
Intrepid really does run a different breed of group tour. Let me put it this way: When my parents—who travel widely and on their own and normally would never have even considered taking a group tour—suddenly found themselves with airfare to Japan but no time to plan a trip, I suggested they try booking with Intrepid. They did—and they've raved about it ever since. (They stayed in touch with their guide via email for years.) - Gadventures.com - G Adventures boasts 1,000 trips in 100 countries, from the more tour-like Comfort and Original trips to the gnarlier Active and Overland ones. No airfare (yet), and quoted prices are not as inclusive as some others (read the fine print to find out about on-the-ground costs, often including most meals). Partner
- Realadventures.com - This is not a tour operator or travel agency, but rather a clearing house for independent tour operators, local adventure outfitters, and vacation agencies to offer their trips and tours direct to consumers. As such, it offers a potpourri of trips around the world, from single-day experiences to two-week tours, and they run the gamut from ballooning or biking to dude ranches, snow-shoeing, sailing, cooking schools, eco-tours, and much, much more.Partner
- Ricksteves.com - PBS superstar Rick Steves runs a highly successful tour company that really tries to highlight all the best of the independent travel style espoused in his books and TV show in a group format. I've bumped into several of his tour groups in Europe over the years, and the participants always gush about what a great time they're having. He also keeps his groups smaller than most (24 to 28 travelers versus the 40 to 60 many big companies cram onto the bus), and the smaller the group, the more authentic the experiences each member is going to have (to say nothing of more room on the bus). (Disclosure: I know Rick, but have recommended his product long before that, even if we were once guidebook competitors!)
- Friendlyplanet.com -
Excellent company offering inexpensive group tours to destinations around world, from Europe and cruises to exotic locales and safaris. If you want to sample some place like China, Peru, Morocco, the Galapagos, Kenya, or Southeast Asia while someone else takes care of all the planning, logistics, transport, meals, and local guides, this is probably the best place to go for the best prices on escorted tours. (In the Small World department, after recommending them for years, I discovered that Friendly Planet is based in tiny Jenkintown, PA, one town over from the equally tiny town where I grew up.)
- Gate1travel.com - Another of the best-priced general tour operators out there, offering escorted tours, group tours, and vacation packages to just about every popular country around the world. Like Friendly Planet, it is a generalist agency, geared to people who want to see foreign destinations but do so in comfort and with a guided tour experience. Also like Friendly Planet, the company turns out to have a personal connection I feel compelled to point out, but you should not feel compelled to read, so feel free to skip the next bit in parentheses. (In yet another quirk of fate, Gate 1 used to be from Glenside, PA—which was on the other side of the town where I grew up—and it is now based in Fort Washington, which is next to the town where I currently live. However, as with Friendly Planet, I was recommending Gate 1 long before I had any idea it was a neighbor—in fact, I discovered both companies while I was living in New York. None of this has anything to do with booking your trip, but it makes me wonder what was in the water in Montgomery County that made so many of us locals go into the travel business.)
- Sceptrevacations.com - Escorted and custom group tours in many parts of Europe, plus many great vacation packages (their self-guided air-car-and-B&B deals are hard to beat).
- Roadscholar.org - The travel company formerly known as Elderhostels (and, briefly, Exploritas) is devoted to "Adventures in lifelong learning," and aimed at travelers 50 and over. These are educational trips, often coordinated by universities, and your days are packed with seminars, lectures, field trips, and sightseeing, all led by academics or expert tour guides. Programs range from one to four weeks. They also offer cruises, intergenerational trips (i.e.: bring the grand kids), and outdoors adventures.
- Abercrombiekent.com - One of the best tour companies in the world—with prices to match! If you can afford it, you will love it.
- Oattravel.com - This soft adventure tour operator hits all the exotic hotspots, but without as many hard-core activities. Aimed at a slightly older (40s-60s) crowd (their sister company, Grand Circle Travel, specializes in standard tours for mature travelers). Bonus: GET $50 OFF your trip if, when you book, you give them my name and customer number: Reid Bramblett, customer #1545945.
- Contiki.com - Tours aimed at younger travelers.
- STA Travel - Tours aimed at students and other young travelers.
- Backroadstouring.com - British-based tour company devoted to getting off the beaten path and avoiding the highways.
- Tripmasters.com - Another good generalist tour and package company.
- Smartours.com - Good, basic tour company with a smaller roster of carefully crafted tours at decent prices.
Vacation packages
- Go-today.com - Hands-down the cheapest and best packager of air-hotel vacations out there (along with fly-drive packages). They seem to operate under a "we will not be undersold" attitude, and their exceptionally low rates on basic, (largely) six-night city breaks reflect that. I used them once for a family trip to Paris, and everything went pretty smoothly. One drawback: it's Net-only; you have to pay extra for customer service on the phone
- Gate1travel.com - One of the consistently cheapest tour providers around. They cover the entire world and offer a range of travel "products" from air-hotel packages to escorted tours.
- Sceptrevacations.com - Among other packages, does excellent air-car-lodging week-long escapes in France—one combiningParis with Monaco, the other mixing four nights in Paris with a three-night château stay.
- Untours.com - Sort of like the Platinum Edition of a vacation package, taking care of all the major costs, details, and logistics but leaving you to plan your daily sightseeing and travels. For one price, you get airfare over there, some form of transport (rental car, city transit pass), an apartment, and a local contact who will help you get settled in, show you the ropes, then be on-call to help with questions. You also usually have one activity during the course of the week when all other "untour" participants in your area are invited to get together.
Active tours
- RealAdventures.com - This is not a tour operator or travel agency, but rather a clearing for independent tour operators, local adventure outfitters, and vacation agencies to offer their trips and tours direct to consumers. As such, it offers a potpourri of trips around the world, from single-day experiences to two-week tours, and they run the gamut from ballooning or biking to walking holidays, cooking schools, and much, much more.Partner
- Infohub.com - Not a tour company, rather a kind of aggregator of trips offered by tour companies. it casts one of the largest nets over the industry, listing some 14,000 tours offered by 4,000 operators in more than 100 categories—everything from artists' workshop to llama trekking, nudist resorts to biblical tours, language schools to personal guide services. InfoHub's search engine returns results listed by trip rather than by company. Still, I guess if you could care less the name of the outfitter and are just looking for a selection of 10-day bike tours across the Dordogne, or Mont Blanc hikes, this is the best way to do it. You don't book trips directly. You are essentially sending away for a brochure (or a contact) from the actual tour companies.Partner
- Viator.com - Best place to search for one-day active and outdoor adventures (along with a few mutli-day treks)—from hiking and biking to kayaking, surfing, fishing, caving, whitewater rafting, rock climbing, sailing, skydiving, off-roading, and more.Partner
- Rei.com - America's greatest co-op chain of outdoors gear stores also offers active vacations. They hit all seven continents, and are better than most at offering a variety of domestic adventures. They also run shorter, 3 to 4–day trips for long-weekenders. It tends to be pricier than most, but with impeccable credentials, and is ideal for those for whom being active is as important as the destination.
- intrepidtravel.com -
Intrepid Travel is one of only two only major tour outfits I know (along with G Adventures) of that makes a concerted effort to travel like real independent travelers—small groups (usually a max of 8 or 12 people), staying in mom-and-pop accommodations and getting around by public transport rather than a big tour bus.
Partner
This fantastic Australian company marries an independent travel style with the expertise of truly knowledgeable guides and a focus on the cultural experience of travel.
Intrepid really does run a different breed of group tour. Let me put it this way: When my parents—who travel widely and on their own and normally would never have even considered taking a group tour—suddenly found themselves with airfare to Japan but no time to plan a trip, I suggested they try booking with Intrepid. They did—and they've raved about it ever since. (They stayed in touch with their guide via email for years.) - Gadventures.com - G Adventures boasts 1,000 trips in 100 countries, from the more tour-like Comfort and Original trips to the gnarlier Active and Overland ones. No airfare (yet), and quoted prices are not as inclusive as some others (read the fine print to find out about on-the-ground costs, often including most meals). Partner
- Djoserusa.com - Perhaps since they're Dutch (and Europeans get longer vacations), Djoser offers longer trips and looser schedules, admirably not trying to pack too much into too short a time. You get to pick your group style: travel with other North Americans or with an international group (some conducted in English, others in Dutch and English).
- Sierraclub.org/outings - Yes, the premier outdoors network of the USA also plans lots of trips abroad, including ones in Europe.
- Exodustravels.com - Adventure travel and trips, including self-guided walking adventures around the world.
- Activegourmetholidays.com - Mixing active pursuits—walking and biking, mostly, with some golf and yoga—with one-day cooking classes, longer cooking courses, wine tasting, and other culinary adventures. Nifty idea—Though far from the cheapest out there.
Family tours
- intrepidtravel.com - One of my favorite tour companies offers several family itineraries. They make a concerted effort to travel like real independent travelers—small groups (max of 12 people), staying in mom-and-pop accommodations and getting around by public transport (trains, local buses, bikes, feet) rather than a big tour bus. Aimed at a slightly more adventurous, slightly younger crowd, and close to true, independent travel. Partner
- Gadventures.com - Similar to Intrepid, but based in Canada. G Adventures offers a variety of adventure trips, including many hiking, trekking, and multi-sport active vacations—and many Family Adventures as well.Partner
- Smithsonianjourneys.org - The Smithsonian run highly regarded, rather expensive educational and adventure trips specifically designed for the whole clan—including an "Exploring London and Paris" family journey and "Cruising the Rhine: A Family Journey."
- Vacationkids.com - Not a tour company, but an outfit that will hook you up with a travel agent to arrange your family vacation.
- Ricksteves.com - PBS superstar Rick Steves runs a highly successful tour company—with both general tours and family-specific tours—that really tries to highlight all the best of the independent travel style espoused in his books and TV show in a group format. I've bumped into several of his tour groups in Europe over the years, and the participants always gush about what a great time they're having. He also keeps his groups smaller than most (24 to 28 travelers versus the 40 to 60 many big companies cram onto the bus), and the smaller the group, the more authentic the experiences each member is going to have (to say nothing of more room on the bus). (Disclosure: I know Rick, but have recommended his product long before that, even if we were once guidebook competitors!)
- Journeysinternational.com - This outfit started as a families-only tour company, and they still cater largely to that crowd.
- Learningjourneys.com - This educational-trip offshoot of the famous Perillo Tours has plenty of family adventures.
- Familyadventures.com - Thomson Family Adventures forcuses on adventurous family trips to mostly exotic locales—Alaska, Baja, Belize, China, Costa Rica, Egypt, Galapagos, Morocco, Panama, Peru, Portugal, Tanzania, Thailand, and Turkey. They do also offer Europe, though (Italy, Ireland, Croatia, Scotland, Swizterland, Turkey, and the Azores).