Name: Best of Rome and Paris Itinerary
Brand: Zicasso
Price: 358 USD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.9 (28 reviews)

View of the Tiber and St. Peter's Basilica at sunset, Rome, Italy

What to expect on this itinerary

Paris and Rome bring the legends alive as you journey through the cities’ neighborhoods to find treasures of all sorts on hidden away on cobbled lanes and ancient walkways that have stood for millennia. With everything from marketplaces to private galleries, catacombs to chocolatiers, it is the little bit of everything that gives these cities their endless possibilities. Handcrafted to include ten nights spent in these two cities of quintessence, you will incorporate the famous icons but focus on the authentic experiences best known best to locals.

Countries Visited

France, Italy

Places Visited

Rome, Ostia Antica, Paris, Fontainebleau

Suggested Duration

11 Days

Day 1

Rome – First Impressions in the Heart of Ancient Rome

As you land in Rome, you will find so many impressions right within footsteps of your hotel. Sounds fill the air as the church bells echo above the hum of footsteps and laughter. Aromas such as coffee drifting from a terrace and the sultry heat of a sunbaked boulevard. Sights as well of course, memoirs to ancient Rome all around, suggestive of a time when life was different to now. You will be greeted at the airport and transferred through the city traffic to your hotel, which is in a mostly pedestrianized part of Rome as streets are too old and too narrow for modern vehicles here. Rome is all about your impressions meeting reality, and today is a chance to soak them all up as you feast all your senses into the Eternal City.

Transfer

Accommodation

Day 2

Rome – Caravaggio Private Art Tour and the Colosseum Through the Ages

Rome is all about the lens you use. Walk the same streets twice, and you will uncover something different depending on the lens you use. Today it is Caravaggio, with his artistry woven into the city’s mysteries. Start at Palazzo Barberini where Judith Beheading Holofernes is the first of the masterpieces entrenched in Italian art history. Continue on foot, through neighborhoods of enchantment to Santa Maria del Popolo, where The Martyrdom of Saint Peter stretches out before your eyes. Villa Borghese has a superb collection of lesser-known works, and it is a tour that takes you into Rome’s hidden places to give you a different take on some of the streets you will have walked yesterday.

Return to the hotel for before a tour of the Colosseum later in the afternoon. With special glasses on, you can stand in this world wonder and get an idea of how it changed through the ages. Remove the glasses, and you walk across the ancient floor, up some stairs and beyond the rope on the third tier for a chance to see parts of the Colosseum without crowds. This is Rome’s most iconic landmark, and with your private guide, you will separate myth and fiction as much of this wonder has been created by folklore. But while there may be amphitheaters and Roman structures around the world, none are on the scale and detail of this.

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Breakfast

Day 3

Rome – Hidden Gems of Rome in a Vintage Fiat 500

An old Fiat 500 will be your iconic vehicle to settle into the driving seat and head off, convoy-style, through the streets of Rome, the car becoming part of a fabulous riot of color and history. Stop in a neighborhood for coffee as you drive past legends from the past, and then grab some food at a market that overflows with fresh aromas. Your vehicle is small and nimble enough to navigate Rome’s old neighborhoods, and by traveling in a convoy, you will miss a lot of the traffic problems associated with Italy’s capital. Spend four hours driving and stopping at your leisure as you get to know the Eternal City and come to understand how it has built out around the heart of Empire. The rest of the day is free for some time on your own to experience every part of Rome.

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Breakfast

Day 4

Rome – Trastevere Food Walking Tour and Crypts and Catacombs

Food is another wonderful lens from which to discover Rome, particularly the old neighborhood of Trastevere. Start in a beautiful market and go in search of the world’s finest artichokes, always found among other delicacies. Visit a bistro, and your wine is paired with little treats from all around the city. Walk through Trastevere and inhale the smells, following them to a little coffee spot and maritozzo, Rome’s cream-filled buns. It will be a tour for eating and experimenting, but also one for the seeing parts of the city that others might miss. Along the way, you can admire decaying townhouses, cobbled streets overflowing with color and surprise around every corner with grand squares unfiltered by time. And at some point, you will come across one of the many millennia-old churches that are gilded in gold and excess.

There will be no need for lunch after this tour as you will have been nibbling for hours, so in the afternoon, you can disappear beneath the ground and into haunting catacombs and crypts. More than 2,000 years of bones are piled up here, found in great chambers of musty smells. Stories come with these bones, narrated amid the aromas of history. No other city has old catacombs on such a vast scale, and exploring them will give you a keen sense of how ancient Rome really is. The evening will be free, and there are so many superb restaurants to try across the city, and your guide will be able to provide very trusted recommendations based on your tastes.

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Day 5

Rome – Ostia Antica and Old City Wonders

Wake to spend your morning in an ancient seaside village with amphitheaters and marketplaces bringing you into antiquity. As a salty sea breeze ruffles past your ears, you can find baths, temples, streets and so many other places untouched by time. While Ancient Rome now stands amid a modern cosmopolitan city, Ostia Antica stands proudly alone, so visiting this seaside village is a great contrast to the temples and ancient sights that are close to your hotel. You will be back in the heart of Rome by mid-afternoon, and the rest of the day will give you a chance to complete your own wish list of Rome experiences. That could be taking photos by the Spanish Steps and Trevi Fountain, finding a quiet square for watching the world or simply walking the streets to 2,000-year-old monuments.

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Day 6

Paris – Relaxing Along the Seine

Fly from capital to capital, straight into the heart of another majestic city. Transfer to your hotel along the River Seine and choose which side to explore. On one bank, you will see the legendary sights with beautiful pieces of history that excite the eyes. Move to the other bank to find small neighborhoods and places to explore without a map. Look one way down the Seine, and you will see the Eiffel Tower, an icon that was hated when first built, its incongruence with other architecture clear to see. Look out the other way to cafes and street corners to find so many places where you could hang around for an hour and watch Paris roll by. The day is left free so that you can sink your feet into the city and relax into the artisanal rhythm.

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Day 7

Paris – Exploring the Food of Parisian Neighborhoods

Paris isthecity for foodies, and it is also a city that can turn anyone into a foodie with so many amazing delicacies on every backstreet. Paris is also a city that can be understood through its food, as shown on today’s tour of Parisian neighborhoods. Start at a market, sampling and celebrating produce from across the country, and then continue to a chocolatier in Saint-Germain for tasty morsels and macaroons to try. Pair cheeses with wines from across France, and enjoy a variety of sausages from across the country. With food as a lens, you have a reason to travel down Parisian backstreets as well, where there is so much that entertains. You’ll be eating for hours, enough to keep you full into the evening, where one of Paris’s famous restaurants could provide a contrast to the day’s tour.

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Day 8

Paris – Best of Paris Private Art Tour

There is so much more to Paris’s art scene than the Louvre and Mona Lisa. That famous portrait is behind glass and usually behind a crowd of hundreds with too muchnoisefor you to get a real feel for its beauty. But there are other rooms in the Louvre that hardly see any visitors, where grand masterpieces cover entire walls. Musee d’Orsay is also a real treat for art lovers, taking you on a journey through so many legendary painters, many of whom once lived in Paris’s bohemian Montmartre suburb. But why restrict yourself to two, in a city with many dozens of galleries?

You will be guided by an art historian, a Parisian that will know the ins and outs of the city’s art scene. Your tour will be customized, and you will visit at least one of the Louvre and Musee d’Orsay as these galleries provide a backdrop and overview to art through the ages, in France and elsewhere in Europe. The other one or two galleries chosen will be based on your interests, and usually includes a private gallery. These stops will take you into the details and allow you to explore a specific thread from Paris’s world-famous art scene. It will be a relaxed tour, informative but laid-back and not too serious, all about admiring the masterpieces rather than getting hung up on historical squabbles around which style is the truer art.

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Breakfast

Day 9

Paris – A Day Out in Fontainebleau

Versailles is the classic day tour from Paris, and there is no doubting the wonder. You might even choose to go there tomorrow, as the challenge with Versailles has always been the crowds – even by skipping lines it is hard to appreciate all the glory. Chateau de Fontainebleau is also a World Heritage Site and former home of royalty, yet it is surprisingly missed by most. Evocative and enchanting, the chateau takes you through the opulence of yesteryear, oil canvases covering the walls and chandeliers dangling down. On a day tour, you can travel by train to Fontainebleau and head straight to the chateau with your local guide illuminating flashy corridors and rooms.

From this grandeur, you will find another slice of tradition, taking a walk through the thrice-weekly market on Fontainebleu’s square. Farmers come from across the region to sell here, beneath the gaze of the old church. You can have lunch in the town square, the weather hopefully allowing you to be outside on the market-side. For the afternoon, you have France’s largest forest, a lovely place to breathe in the fresh air and enjoy some serenity away from the city. It is an hour back to Paris and another night in the City of Lights, perhaps fine dining down the Champs-Elysee, maybe finding a four-table restaurant tucked away down a cobbled street.

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Day 10

Paris – Free Day in Paris

Paris is packed with iconic sights and experiences, everything from famous designer stores to back-street bakeries. This day is left free so that you can explore the Paris of your own imagination. Shopping, eating, wandering around small neighborhoods or escaping to sights beyond Paris. You may choose to rest and relax with a coffee and a croissant in view of the Eiffel Tower or Arc de Triomphe. You can also walk down the River Seine, listening to street musicians by the bridges, using the water to navigate Paris’s old glories. This being Paris, there will be countless options for a one last vacation dinner, as Paris can always take visitors on a new culinary journey.

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Breakfast

Day 11

Paris – Departure

Trip Highlights

Walk the cobbled streets of Trastevere to explore the markets and the Italian bars that hide down alleyways
Spend a day in Fontainebleau, where a chateau and forest stand majestically just outside Paris
Disappear beneath the ground to discover Rome’s crypts and catacombs
Take an unfiltered private tour through Paris’s art scene to see both the famous paintings and the lesser-known galleries
Drive around Rome in a vintage Fiat 500, a timeless way to see the sights
Immerse yourself in Parisian food with a neighborhood walking tour that will include bistros, markets and confectionaries
Explore ancient Rome at Ostia Antica and go behind the ropes with exclusive access to unseen parts of the Colosseum
Wander along the River Seine and soak up the Parisian dining scene
Discover the world of Caravaggio on a private Rome art tour
Stay in the heart of famous cities, just footsteps away from some of the world’s most recognizable icons

Detailed Description

Icons likely ignite your imagination when you think of Paris and Rome, and there are too many to mention as they range from that famous tower along the Seine to places of ancient gladiatorial conflict. These are two of the world’s most visited cities, and there is a fairly standard route that rushes between the famous attractions. This handcrafted tour will take a different approach as your centrally located hotels will enable you to visit any of the major icons you deem unmissable, but there will then be a selection of tours that unravels the intimate and the authentic. It is hard to go entirely off the beaten path in such renowned cities, but you can undoubtedly escape to places loved by the locals for something much more unique.

You will spend five nights in each city, and five-star boutique hotels have been chosen both for their services and for their locations, so that you will be just footsteps from the icons. Most of your tours will be private and led by insiders who want to share their city with the curious. There will be something different every day, ranging from art to chocolatiers and catacombs, plus one day trip away where you can breathe the country air beyond the cities. Paris and Rome are cities that can take months to explore completely, but with five days, you can uncover some mysteries, discover the styles of contrasting neighborhoods, and feel the atmosphere of places known mostly just by the locals.

Start with your hotel in the heart of ancient Rome, and a Caravaggio art tour will take you straight into offbeat places the very next morning. This will be followed by the most unmissable of the city’s icons, the Colosseum, and you will step beyond the ropes to see parts of the world wonder unfettered by crowds. Drive around Rome the following day in a vintage FIAT 500, and your vehicle will give you a complete overview of the city. Move next to Trastevere and other nearby neighborhoods for a foodie walking tour before you go underground to the crypts and catacombs. Spend the following day on the seaside as ancient Ostia Antica is a place that evokes the secrets of past centuries.

And then it is off to Paris, where you will stay alongside the River Seine and will have time to discover those parts of the city you might have always imagined. Food is a great lens from which to explore Parisian neighborhoods the next day, while a customized art tour can take you in many directions the following. Fontainebleau is just an hour south of the city, a magnificent forest and chateau part of the experience, a traditional food market the other. That leaves a free day to go shopping and searching for the postcards, or just to wander the Seine and drink coffee on terraces. Just like in Rome, there will be such beauty to the quiet moments, when you watch the world go by amid millennia of history and heritage.

Starting Price

$4,000 per person (excluding international flights)

Your Zicasso trip is fully customizable, and this sample itinerary is a starting place for your travel plans. Actual costs are dynamic, and your selection of accommodations and activities, your season of travel, and other such variables will bring this budget guideline up or down. Throughout your planning experience with your Zicasso specialist, your itinerary is designed around your budget. You can book your trip when you are satisfied with every detail. Planning your trip with a Zicasso travel specialist is a free service.

What's Included

Accommodations
In-country transportation
Some or all activities and tours
Expert trip planning
24x7 support during your trip

Your final trip cost will vary based on your selected accommodations, activities, meals, and other trip elements that you opt to include.

4.9

Verified Traveler Reviews

Based on 28 reviews

Review: Italy Family Tour, Milan, Rome, Venice, Florence, Tuscany, Vatican, Ostia Antica, Pizza Making, Perfume Class

Our Italy travel company organised a 12 day trip for us throughout Italy. When we were first looking at this trip we received various proposals from different companies based on our suggested itinerary. This company was by far the most comprehensive, best value for money and most helpful. Apart from this what definitely sealed the deal was the fact that at our first destination a package would be waiting for us that included a mobile phone. This allowed us to contact them at any time if we had any questions, to allow us to Google addresses and especially if we arrived at a destination and the pre-organised guide or driver didn’t show up. After the trip was planned I even asked them further questions about accommodation before we arrived in Italy and this was no problem for them to refer and book as well.

Now that sadly our trip is over I have nothing but praise for this company and our agent. We had other goodies waiting for us in our welcome package apart from the phone which was a lovely surprise. Our agent phoned us occasionally to see how everything was coming along and all the accommodation, transfers, drivers, tour guides and experiences were on-time and of the highest calibre. If we were organising this ourselves I would never have thought of doing something like a Perfume Masterclass in Florence. But it was a great idea and so much fun to do. We came home with our own unique fragrance. I had visited some of the sites before but doing them with a private, experienced guide was amazing. How many people can say they saw Ostia Antica with someone that spent 5 years doing archaeological digs there and that some of the pieces she discovered are in the Museum! Also to have a driver that will answer all your crazy questions as you go along and know the answers makes the trip so much more memorable.

Travel Review: Memorable Vacation to Italy, Florence, Tuscany, Siena, Antinori Winery Tour, Rome, Vatican Tour

Giuliana of this Italy travel company guided us every step of the way and created one of our most memorable vacations. The most impressive thing at the outset was how quickly she responded to our initial inquiry. We had never been to Italy, had not done a great deal of research, and had only a general idea of what we wanted beyond the dates (mid-May) and the cities we wanted to visit (Florence and Rome). Within a day, Giuliana submitted a detailed proposed itinerary based on a recent client request similar to ours. The proposal included various options that provided a great starting point for further discussion. She asked many questions, including our hotel preferences (small boutique, high-rise, how many stars, etc.) and suggested a number of venues that would expose us to Italy’s remarkable history and culture. The result was a vacation specifically suited to our personal tastes and interests. We spent four days in Florence and three in Rome. In Florence, we stayed at the Hotel Lungarno on the Arno River, a lovely small hotel in the heart of the city within walking distance to everything of interest, including the Uffizi and Academy museums, and the famous Duomo. It rained two nights, but we didn’t have far to go for a great dinner. The hotel restaurant was superb. One of the highlights of the Florence leg of the trip was a day tour of the Tuscany wine region that included a stopover in the historic town of Siena. We had lunch at the Osteria di Passignano, a restaurant at the Antinori vineyards where we were treated to a four course lunch and wine tasting and a tour of the winery. Fabulous. In Rome, we stayed at the Hotel Saint George. Another small, well appointed, boutique hotel, centrally located near the Tiber River, it provided access to all the essential venues, including the Vatican, Coliseum, Spanish Steps, etc. As in Florence, everything was in walking distance, including fine dining restaurants, pizzerias, espresso bars, and gelateria—and lots of places to shop. The hotel was comfortable, attractive, with a friendly and efficient staff, but we would not recommend the hotel restaurant. It was nice enough (although too brightly lit) but was virtually empty the night we were there and the food was just O.K. That wasn’t Giuliana’s fault since the hotel restaurant was not on her recommended list. We were just tired (it was our first night) and thought we’d give it a try. The hotel concierge made up for it, however, by recommending two great nearby restaurants for the remaining two nights. Neither was on Guiliana’s list, but they were terrific. A word about the logistical aspects of the trip: we viewed this as critical to the success of a customized tour with multiple venues and connections. We couldn’t have been more pleased. On arriving at Rome’s Fiumicino Airport, we were greeted by Aldo who drove us to the high-speed train to Florence. After sharing an espresso with us in the station café, he made sure we got on the right train, helped us with our bags, and took us to our seats. Similar service greeted us at every connection point during the trip. Our personal tour guides, Enza (Florence), Andrea (Tuscany), and Sylvia (Rome), were exceptionally knowledgeable, personable, and fluent in English. Giuliana telephoned us at several points during the trip to confirm that we had arrived at our destination, that the drivers were on time, and that the accommodations met our expectations. Very reassuring to know she was keeping such close tabs on things. In short, all elements of transportation and personal service were impeccable. Would we visit Italy again? Without doubt. The trip simply whetted our appetites. Would we use this company? We wouldn’t consider any other service. Next time, however, we’ll make more of an effort to visit the restaurants recommended by Giuliana.

Travel Review: Luxury France Trip, Paris, Saint-Tropez, Monaco, Aix-en-Provence, Marseille, Bordeaux, Toulouse, Caen, 1-Month Trip

Hello Mario,

First let me say that Betty and I had a great time in France. Your service before and while we were on the trip was excellent. Any time we had an issue or potential issue you responded in a timely manner and were able to correct the things you could. Also, all of our drivers were excellent. Too much use of Vans rather than cars but no big deal. And your rep in Paris was also excellent, sorry I don’t remember her name .So what follows is our detailed assessment of the tour. I’m going to try to break it down into categories, Hotels, Hotel Location, Tour guides, activity and grade each.

Paris:

Hotel – ( A+, 5.5) This hotel was excellent. It set our expectations for the rest of the trip. The hotel was beautiful and so was the room. We had a view of the Eiffel Tower, as we requested, but unfortunately had to position ourselves in different areas of the room to see it. It would have been nice to wake up and have a view from the bed, however this was not possible from either suite we had at the hotel. I think it may have been possible from other mini suite tower view rooms.

Hotel location (A, 5) Close to attractions, louver (right across the street), Orsey, and dining. Also close to Metro station to get around Paris.

Day 2 – Seine river boat ride – (A, 5) – Very nice boat, delicious food (maybe the best we had in France as far as Steak goes) and great atmosphere. Only issue was finding the pier. No guide.

Day 3 – VIP Guided tour of Paris (B, 4) – I don’t know if we saw everything that you had listed in the itinerary but we definitely saw a lot. I know we are in total control of most of our tours but we have to rely on the guides to make decisions as we don’t know what is going to happen. That being said, there was a lot of walking on the tour, 7+ hours. We did take breaks and had a lunch break and also took the metro, I think once. But we walked up to the Sacré-Cœur and then down after visiting. It was quite a chore considering we have already been walking so much. I didn’t know at the time but the guide should have taken the funicular up and pointed out the things he did on the way walking down.

Guide – (A, 5) – Very nice, interesting and knowledgeable. Selected a nice restaurant for lunch.

Day 4 – Day trip to Versailles (B, 4) – The tour was excellent, about 6 couples in the morning and just Betty and me in the afternoon for the gardens/grounds. The reason for the B rating is again because of all of the walking. After walking around the Chateau and close in gardens all morning we had another 4 hours of walking around the rest of the splendid gardens and grounds. It was disconcerting to see that golf carts were available to rent to visit the grounds but we didn’t have one. So I must say after two straight days of almost nonstop walking we were exhausted.

Guide – (A, 5) As with most of the guides, nice, friendly , interesting and knowledgeable. Also pick nice restaurant for lunch

Day 5 – Free day – (B, 4) – Not really a free day per say, you booked us in the Louvre so we spend a good portion of the day WALKING around the louvre. Can’t remember if we did anything else that day.

Day 6 – Free day (A, 5) Again not a real free day, you booked the Tower. The Tower tour was again excellent. It was with a group of 4 couples with the guide.Guide - (A, 5) - nice, friendly , interesting and knowledgeable.

Day 7 – Day Trip to Champagne & Reims – (A, 5) – Excellent tour, both Reims and the Champagne wineries. Also very good lunch

Guide – (A, 5) - Again, nice, friendly , interesting and knowledgeable. Also pick nice restaurant for lunch. Went over and above.

Day 8 – Paris Catacombs – (A,5) – Very good tour, very very interesting and different.

Guide – (A, 5)- Again top notch

Day 9 – pastry & Chocolate tour in Le Maris - (D, 1) – Paris trip derails! This could not be booked as a pastry and chocolate tour. We went into ONE chocolate and ONE pastry shop. We got to sample one small piece of chocolate and ½ pastry each. Yes, we had to split a pastry. Did a lot of walking around Le Marais which we had already toured on Day 3 guided tour.

Guide – (D, 1) – The one guide that we had who did not come close to the others. She spent the first 1 hr. talking about baguettes and croissants and how they’re made after purchasing one of each at a bakery. Never mentioned the preparation of the pastries or chocolates. This was not supposed to be a bread tour. We’ve already eaten untold numbers of baguettes and croissants. Felt like she pocketed the budget for the tour, if there was a budget. Very very disappointing. It was just me, Betty and the guide.

Day 10 –Moulin Rouge Show and dinner – (A, 5) – Show was superb and dinner was excellent. Could have had a driver return us to the hotel.

Day 11 – train to Saint Tropez – (A, 5) – high speed train. Don’t know why but it was the only high speed train we took on the entire Trip.

Hotel – (B, 4) – Nice room but bed almost on the floor, very low. Had the only room in the small hotel without a back patio. Very pretty hotel and breakfast was good. Staff very friendly.

Location – (C- , 2.5) – This is a two part location answer.

First, the hotel was in the middle of nowhere, at least 2.5 KM from anything, on an unlit road. Really too far to walk into town or to a beach. Taxi fare to either was 30 euros. We did make a mistake and walked to the nearest beach, 45 minutes? The beach was a disaster, one of the ugliest, dirty (with sea debris) beaches I have every been on. I say it was a mistake because we had to walk back to the hotel in total darkness and it was very nerve-wracking to say the least. On our subsequent tour we saw many beautiful beaches but they were far from the hotel. After that experience we opted for a taxi into town for diner and back (60 euros for a 7 minute trip each way).

Second – St. Tropez should not have been the base to tour the French Riviera. It is on an extreme side of the Riviera too far for a tour starting point. The town itself is nice but doesn’t compare to others we saw on the tour or to “high end” harbor towns we have visited elsewhere. Maybe a stay in Cannes with two ½ day Riviera tours, one to the east and one to the west.

Day 12 – French Riviera tour (B, 4) – It was a very pleasant drive however we didn’t stop very often to see the sites. Stopped at one beach, the “second” Normandy invasion location and Cannes. I guess we drove through Antibes and St. Maxime. We really did want to see and spend so time in Monaco. On the phone before the trip you told me that your guide said it may not be possible because of road work. The real reason was that it was much too far away from St. Tropez to get there on a day trip. Quick tour and lunch in Cannes were very good.

Guide – (A, 5) - Again, nice, friendly , interesting and knowledgeable. Also pick nice restaurant for lunch. Don’t know if we could have seen more.

Day 13 – Free day

Day 14 – Taxi to Aix-en-Provence (B+ , 4.5) – We used a lot of Vans instead of cars. Even though most were Mercedes they don’t drive like a car and are not as comfortable.

Hotel – (A, 5) – nice hotel, Room was excellent, breakfast good and staff very nice.

Location – (A, 5) – Couldn’t have been better. Central to everything.

Guided tour to Aix – (A, 5) – Very good tour of a very nice city

Guide – (A, 5) – Just like all the other A, 5 guides. Friendly, knowledgeable, interesting.

Day 15 – Guided tour of Marseille – (A, 5) – Visited all the sites of Marseille, Not the prettiest city in France.n way too much graffiti. Tour should have included lunch, it was from 10 to 2. Most tours run a little longer and you can’t get lunch in France after 3 PM.

Guide – again (A, 5)

Day 16 – free time

Day 17 – Train to Toulouse (B, 4) – was not high speed train. Made at least 10 stops took 4 hours for maybe a 2 ½ hour trip.

Hotel 1 – (D, 1) – Don’t know how this hotel maintains it’s 4 star rating unless we had the absolute worst room in the place. The room had an odor, was so small I had to move the TV every time I walked past, Don’t know if I would have fit in the toilet room (closet), Had a view of a brick wall and trash cans. If you go to the web site, the patio they show is now a trash dump. Please do not use this hotel again.

Hotel 2 - (A, 5) – This was a great hotel. Almost came up to the one in Paris. This should have been the original hotel for the tour. More centrally located and head and shoulders above the first one.

Location – (A, 5) – Very centrally located next to the very lively square.

Guided tour of Toulouse – (A, 5) – Saw all the major site of the city

Guide – (B+ , 4.5) – not as personable as the other guides. Knowledgeable, interesting.

Day 18 – free day (only full day of rain for the entire trip)

Day 19 – Train to Bordeaux (B+ , 4.5) – Should have been high speed if available. This is true for all trains

Hotel – (A, 5) – nice hotel nice room. Breakfast not that good because they brought everything in and hot food was lukewarm at best. Good selection and great Brownies for snacks later on.

Location (A,5) – close to Tram and walkable to old section of city.

Guided tour of Bordeaux – (A, 5) – Great tour of all the sights. Tour could have been longer. Bordeaux was our second faverote city after Paris.

Guide – (A, 5) – As all the other 5’s. She also met us at the restaurant where we were having lunch instead of the hotel. Saved us a fifteen minute walk back and forth.

Day 20 – Free Day

Day 21 – guided tour of St. Emilion – (A, 5) Great tour, great town. I think we had 5 people total plus the guide.

Guide – Can’t recall his name – (A, 5) – Another 5 guide.

Day 22 – free day

Day 23 – Train to Tours – (B, 4.5) – Again not high speed. I don’t know if there were high speed trains available but is seems like there should have been at least on some of our train rides besides the first to ST. Tropez. Also don’t know why we went to St Pierre des Corp, 25 – 30 minutes away, when there is a station in Tours 5 minutes from our accommodations. We left Tours from that train station.

Hotel – (B+ 4.5) – Not really a hotel but bed and breakfast. Innkeeper was very nice, breakfast was good. Room was also very nice but on the third floor with no elevator. While I didn’t have to carry our 48 and 30 pound luggage up the stairs I did have to lug them down three flights. The innkeeper insisted on taking them up and I’m sure that was a chore.

Location (A, 5) – good location to visit Tours and restaurants.

Day 24 – Guided tour of Loire Valley Castles (C -, 2.5) – This should have been a highlight and to some extent it was. It gets a C- rating for a number of reasons. I am not giving a separate line for guide since there was no guide and our driver was on the nasty side. So, #1 no guide. They gave us “information pens” that we had to hold next to our ears that explained what we were going to see. This was while in the NON AIRCONDITIONED Ford van. It was hard enough to hear the silly thing with open windows but the driver and front seat French passenger decided they were going to have loud conversations which made it more difficult. I had to tell them to be quite. We also could not take the device out of the Van. #2. As mentioned, the driver was obnoxious for any number of reasons. #3. The drive to the castles was excessive and took the majority of the tour time. I don’t know if there is a town closer to the Castles to stay in but if so it would have been better. Tours is nice but not a must see. #4. Time at each castle was insufficient to take in the splendor and enjoy a once in a lifetime opportunity. You couldn’t stop for a second so there was no time to read anything in the castles. #5. Lunch was a joke. Why we drove all the way back to Tours for lunch just to have a very rushed substandard lunch is beyond me. Maybe too much packed into one day, should have been divided into two.

Day 25 – Guided Vouvray Wine tour – (A, 5) – Interesting tour with lots of information. Only one other couple and the driver. We may have been a little “wine toured” out by this point. We had already been on quite a few.

Guide – Again I can’t recall his name – (A, 5) – Another good one.

Day 26 – Train to Caen – (b+, 4.5) - Not high speed

Hotel – (A, 5) –I’m giving the hotel a 5 because it was a nice hotel with nice room and good breakfast but I felt a little second class as our room seemed to be in an annex of the hotel. You had to walk through the bathroom area in a hall way area that was dark until you walked in and then open another door to take a different elevator, that didn't service the main building, to the room. It was a very strange set up.

Location – (B+, 4.5) – very centrally located in Deauville. Deauville is a very beautiful city but extremely far from the Normandy beaches. I think it took us 2 hr. to drive to them. I know you said you liked Deauville better than Bayeux but Bayeux is one hour closer to the Normandy beaches, the reason for the visit.

Day 27 – D-Day beaches tour – (A, 5) – Quite a moving experience. Would have liked to see a little more

Guide / driver – (A+, 5.5) – wish I could remember his name. He was excellent, one of the best if not the best.

Day 28 – Train to Paris – (B+, 4.5) – Not high speed. Again I don’t know why we came into Caen when there is a train station in Deauville. I guess the connections weren’t there.

Hotel – (A, 5) – Top of the line

Location – (A, 5) – great location as note before

Day 29 – free day but you booked the Orsay

Day 30 – Taxi to Airport – au revior France. Don’t know why the driver never told the doorman he was there. I think he was worried about the parking but shouldn’t have been.

So as I said when I started this, we had a great time in France. We were a little tired after the long flight and the first few days of a lot of walking but we made it. Giving equal weight to each graded activity the final score is 4.5. Now the trains may have brought it down a little and unfortunately I don’t know if there were high speed connection between our destinations but I would have thought there should have been at least a few. I would have to give your personal score an A+ 5.5. As I said your service before and while we were on the trip was exceptional. However that doesn’t change the total score from a 4.5. The two poor tours, which both should have been highlights, the trains and the first hotel in Tours really affected the score.

ThanksJoe & Betty

France, Spain, UK Tour Review: Normandy, Dordogne, San Sebastián, Bilbao, Palomas, Santander, Plymouth, London, 1 Week

We had a very complicated itinerary retracing our honeymoon 45 years ago. We arrived at Charles de Gaulle Airport, rented a car, drove to Normandy to visit with friends, then wound our way down to the Dordogne, then San Sebastián, Bilbao, Palomas, and Santander. We then caught a ferry to Plymouth to visit with more friends, then returned home to New York from London.

So many things could have gone wrong, but the hotels/restaurants/guides were all top-notch. Our Zicasso agent was very helpful (need I say patient?) as we worked out the details and reviewed various suggestions for hotels and restaurants. He found great guides for touring paleolithic caves, river kayaking, and pintxo bars. When there was a problem with the car rental in the UK, he came through.

France Vacation Review: Nice, Avignon, Provence, Cote d'Azur, Carcassonne, Food & Wine Tastings

The owner tried very hard to customize our trip and we were satisfied with his plan. Small group tours and all ground transportation were perfect. However, the 4 star hotels were somewhat disappointing- the locations were excellent but the 3 hotel rooms we had in the 3 destinations had significant deficiencies like a very noisey alleyway, a rock-hard mattress and a ground floor room with only a sheer drape next to the street. Overall, we really enjoyed Avignon and Nice very much and will have many fond memories.

Travel Review: Luxury Tour of France, Paris, Bayeux, Amboise, Normandy, Versailles, Louvre, Tapestry Museum, Villandry Gardens

My wife and I enjoyed two wonderful weeks in France. Our trip was excellently planned by our travel agent at this France travel agency. In Paris, we stayed at a very nice, small hotel with the perfect location. The hotel was surrounded with streets filled with stylish boutiques and outstanding restaurants and cafes.The hotel staff was most considerate of our needs. We visited just about all of the major attractions. We particularly enjoyed our excursions to Versailles and the Louvre Museum. We stayed three nights in Bayeux, an ideal location to explore the Normandy invasion sites, museums, and cemeteries. Bayeux is a very walkable city and filled with its own treasures such as the Tapestry Museum. Our comfortable B&B was minutes from the museums, Cathedral, and fine restaurants.We spent our last four nights in Amboise, a great base to explore the castles, chateaux, and wineries in the Loire Valley. We stayed at a wonderful B&B that had its own beautiful gardens and served superb breakfasts.Our accommodations throughout our trip were excellent. The hosts, guides, and drivers provided by our travel agent were dedicated to making our vacation special and memorable.

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Best of Rome and Paris Itinerary

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Rome – First Impressions in the Heart of Ancient Rome

Rome – Caravaggio Private Art Tour and the Colosseum Through the Ages

Rome – Hidden Gems of Rome in a Vintage Fiat 500

Rome – Trastevere Food Walking Tour and Crypts and Catacombs

Rome – Ostia Antica and Old City Wonders

Paris – Relaxing Along the Seine

Paris – Exploring the Food of Parisian Neighborhoods

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