France Family Vacations & Tours

This vacation trip in France for my wife and me was during the first two weeks of April, 2023.  It was springtime, with colorful flowers by the bunches in their prime everywhere we looked.  Trees and vineyards were just starting to green out for the coming season.  We initially contacted Zicasso in late-2022 about the possibility of this trip.  Zicasso connected us with the travel agency and our travel agent, Laurence for planning and arrangements.  She was responsive and good to work with as we exchanged itinerary ideas that converged to a plan.  She arranged to personally meet us at our Paris hotel at the beginning of our trip and that was a personal touch we appreciated.  Laurence was flawless throughout our trip in her arrangements for a car and driver every time we needed it such as taking us from CDG after the long flight to the boutique hotel near Luxembourg Garden.  She got us tickets for our visit to Musee d'Orsay, the beautiful and historic Chapel at Sainte Chapelle, and reservations for a couple of nice restaurants within walking distance of the hotel.  After a couple of days in Paris, she had a car for us to drive to Giverny and the Normandy Coast where her guide gave us a memorable, all-day, private tour of the D-Day beaches.  The next day, another private tour guide led us through Mont St Michel.  Spectacular!  Terrific tour.  Then, on to the Loire Valley where another of Laurence's private tour guides took us through the large Royal Chateau and Clos Luce where Leonardo da Vinci spent his final years.  We were also able to visit Chateaus Chambord, Chaumont and Chenenceau.  Wow!  We also got the opportunity for a bicycle tour along the river.  To our surprise, that tour guide arranged to have a table set up for us under a shady tree in the middle of a vineyard where we enjoyed tasting really good local wines.  Then, our plan took us via the high-speed TGV train to Avignon in Southern France.  Laurence got us very nice, roomy accommodations in a B&B inside the city walls and within walking distance of the many historic sights and restaurants.  Tour guides took us sightseeing in nearby, beautifully preserved historical cities and villages including Arles, Nimes, Luberon, Goult, Pont du Gard and more.  We were busy.  More importantly, visiting the French countryside was a wonderful, unforgettable opportunity.  Given the quality of this trip, I highly recommend this travel agency and Laurence for planning such trips.  Excellent, excellent in every way.

Dan Hogan

We decided on this trip with a very short planning time. Zicasso’s travel agent was still able to put together a wonderful trip, taking all of our interests into account and proposing a few things we had not considered. She was delightful to work with. Proposing guides throughout and eliminating the need for a rental car was a wonderful idea, as was adding the stop in Lyon.

Our guide in Lyon was a lot of fun, with a good sense of humor and knowledge of Lyon. She had a good plan for our walking tour and was full of interesting information on local customs and food.

Our other guide was quite entertaining and made for many fun days. She went out of her way to be sure we were having a great time, taking interesting detours in search of poppy fields, beautiful views, and historic sites. She had extensive knowledge of Avignon, Aix-en-Provence, and Marseilles, and showed us great villages and local specialties in between.

The market shopping, wine tasting, and cooking class were wonderful and well placed on our last full day in Aix.

All the transfer drivers were great, with the exception of the Lyon train station, as no driver showed.

The hotel in Lyon was our favorite, with a small sitting area and very comfortable bed. The hotel in Avignon had the most comfortable beds, but the rooms were quite small, with no place to sit other than the bed. We upgraded to a suite for an extra 75 euro per night, which was worth it. The hotel in Aix-en-Provence was nice, but the bed was the least comfortable and we considered a slightly larger room. The hotel in Paris was luxurious and quite large; perhaps a little too grand for our last night as we arrived at 9pm and departed the next day, with little time to explore.

      Absolutely superb travel experience!  My first trip to France was in May for our 25th wedding anniversary (2 years late),  for 10 days/8 nights.  I usually plan our travel, rather meticulously, but I didn't know where to begin to plan a trip to France.  My husband found Zicasso, and this travel agent and her company, and conveyed our preferences and information, and she magically concocted the perfect trip!  The driver in Paris was waiting at the CDG airport as we exited, very jet-lagged, so it was marvelous having someone lead us to a car and practically carry us into our hotel.  He was wonderful, polite and efficient, and spoke perfect English.  He also drove us from Paris to the Loire Valley for the end of our trip, which made the journey so easy and pleasant for us.  A travel company representative was waiting at our hotel when we arrived, with our itineraries, tickets, maps and information.  She was very helpful and welcoming.                                                                                                           

I was nervous to have someone choose a Paris hotel for us, but the hotel in the Latin Quarter was absolutely perfect for us!  It is in a charming historical neighborhood that was easy to walk.  The hotel is top-notch and staff is great.  They have a beautiful courtyard garden to relax, and I will forever miss their amazing breakfasts!  The room was large and beautiful, and had everything we could want, plus charming gifts and treats.  The bathroom was fantastic, with a big soaking tub as well as large shower.   It was quiet and comfortable, the way we like it.  And it was so easy to walk to metro stations and zip away to every part of Paris.                                                                                                                                                                               

Our Paris guide was a joy to be with.  We were so comfortable with her, as she walked around the Latin Quarter and showed us historical sights we would not have found.  She took us on the metro for our first ride, and helped us buy 5-day tickets--a great decision.  After that, we had no trouble navigating the metro system.  Our guide was an extremely valuable guide through Le Louvre.  She highlighted wonderful pieces throughout that we might have missed, giving us an overall tour before leaving us to explore on our own.  She is a true gem.  We were so blessed to have her help.                                                                                                                           

Our visits to L'Opera Palais Garnier, Le Louvre, and the top of the Eiffel Tower were all well-planned for us, and we skipped the lines to all.    We picked up our tickets to the Eiffel Tower a few blocks away and were led as a small group by a guide, directly through the checks and gates, right to the walkway to the elevator.  That saved a LOT of time.    The van trip to Versailles was slick and easy.  However, there was not much time allowed for viewing before we had to meet for the trip back.                                                                                                                     The dinner cruise on the Seine was wonderful.  We were well-pampered with excellent food, drinks, and views Paris at night.   We highly recommend it.                                                                                                  

We were driven approx. 2 hours to Amboise in the Loire Valley to finish our trip.  Again, I could not have chosen a better place to stay, it was absolute perfection.  The grounds, garden and buildings are gorgeous and decadently comfortable.  The food was incredible and service fantastic, especially the agent at the front desk.  We had a fabulous, large room, with everything we could have hoped for.  I only wish we had planned to stay at least several days longer there, there was so much to enjoy simply by staying at the hotel.  It was short walking distances to everything, including the fabulous Chateau d'Amboise Royal.  This castle is not to be missed, and sits atop Amboise.  You have no idea from below all that awaits above, not least the burial place of Leonardo da Vinci.  Da Vinci's house and gardens are down the road from the castle and is another destination to spend most of the day.  The wine caves visit was really interesting, with wonderful wines.  And we had another great guide drive us to Chateau Chenonceau and Chambord with a few other people.  It was so much better than taking a big bus tour or trying to get their on our own.                                                                                                                                                                                                   

The trip was so much more enjoyable by utilizing this travel agency.  It was so relaxing, knowing we had reliable transportation (especially during the numerous transit strikes) and English-speaking guides.  I hope we can do this again very soon!