Based on our own experience and the many tips we have received from enthusiastic holidaymakers, we have put together a trip featuring the most impressive sights and World Heritage Sites of Normandy, Brittany and Flanders for you!
Flight to Paris. Our friendly professional, English-speaking tour guide will meet us at the airport. Our modern coach will take us to our hotel in the Paris area, where we will spend the first night. Depending on the arrival time, we will do a joint city tour.
Today we see one of the largest palace complexes in Europe, the Palace of Versailles (admission included). The former seat of the French kings is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and impresses with its Hall of Mirrors, among other things. The most famous room in the palace is 75m long and 10m wide and consists of 357 mirrors. From there we look out over the geometrically designed park, which you can then explore on your own. Afterwards we visit Chartres Cathedral (UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979, admission included), which is considered the model for all Gothic cathedrals in Europe. After the tour, you will have some free time before we continue on to Brittany. The next two nights will be spent comfortable in the Rennes/Saint Malo region.
Today, one of France‘s most famous sights awaits you as part of a fascinating, optional full-day excursion. First we go to Dinan, an old trading town with one of the most beautiful old towns in Brittany. Afterwards, we discover the corsair city of Saint Malo with its mighty fortifications and the granite houses of the city centre during a guided tour. In the afternoon, the ”Wonder of the Occident“, Mont Saint Michel, awaits us. Even from a distance we can see the monastery with its protector, Saint Michael, enthroned on the mighty monastery hill. We take a shuttle bus (ride included) to the monastery mountain, which was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site back in 1979. Afterwards, you have the opportunity to meander through the alleys of the old town or visit the monastery.
We leave Brittany and drive into Normandy to Arrromanches and to the Allied landing beaches. A huge artificial harbour was built there, of which some individual remains can still be seen today, for the invasion of Normandy during the Second World War. Our tour guide takes us back in time. Our lunch will be taken in the famous seaside resort of Deauville with its wooden promenade and Norman half-timbered houses. In the afternoon, we drive to the small port of Honfleur, the “cradle of Impressionism“. There we taste the amber-coloured apple brandy known as Calvados from the region. We cross the impressive “Pont de Normandie“ suspension bridge to Le Havre, where we spend the next night.
In the morning we take an impressive coastal drive along the Normandy chalk coast with its cliffs that soar up to 60m high. The most famous is the rock arch of Etretat, the Cap d‘Antifer. We then continue from here to Rouen in the Seine Valley. There we will follow the footsteps of Saint Joan of Arc, who was burned at the stake here as a heretic in 1431. Rouen is also known as the “City of 100 Spires“, which dominate the skyline of this half-timbered city. On our onward journey to Lille, where we spend the next 3 nights in our modern hotel, we stop in Amiens. Here stands the largest cathedral in France, spanning an area of 7700 m². It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1981 and has also been part of the Camino de Santiago in France since 1998. The early Gothic building was erected in 1220 and revolutionised the building technique of the Middle Ages at that time.
In the morning we see Lille, Europe‘s Capital of Culture in 2004 and the enchanting capital of Northern France. We start our leisurely stroll through the lovingly renovated old town with its numerous palaces at the Grand Place. This is the most beautiful square in the city with its cosy street cafés. Not far from there is probably the most famous and at the same time most expensive building in the city, the Old Stock Exchange built in 1653. We then continue to the EU capital of Brussels, where we go on a city tour through the old town to the Grote Markt, which has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1998, not least because of its impressive architecture. We also see the government quarter, the Royal Palace and the famous 102m high Atomium. To round off the day, we take a city tour past the 19th century Art Nouveau buildings (UNESCO World Heritage Site) designed by Victor Hort, the Palais Stoclet (UNESCO World Heritage Site) and the EU Parliament, where the heart of European politics beats.
Today we are off to Flanders. We will take you on a fantastic, optional full-day excursion. In the morning we first drive to Ghent. The famous medieval port city on the River Leie is one of the most beautiful cities in Belgium and offers numerous art treasures in addition to a city centre well worth seeing. Ghent is also a UNESCO City of Music. From here it is only a few minutes to the legendary town of Bruges, whose entire city centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Bruges was once the most important trading centre for fabrics from all over the world. Due to the silting up of the coast, the town lost its importance and was able to preserve its complete, historic town centre. On a trip through the medieval canals we marvel at the picturesque city from a different perspective. In Ghent and Bruges, we will also see the bell towers, among other things, which were once a symbol of bourgeois pride versus the nobility and are part of the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage.
Today, we say farewell. Our fascinating and blissful week is drawing to an end. We drive back to Paris and fly back to the UK with many unforgettable experiences in our luggage.
The package includes the two full-day excursions “Dinan, Mont Saint Michel and Saint Malo“ and “Ghent and Bruges“: only £159 per person.
The package includes 7× evening meals (5× in a hotel, 1× in Brussels in a restaurant, 1× in Paris in a brasserie): only £179* per person.
Single room surcharge:
only £249 per person (subject to availability)
Example hotels
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paris | 6 | 7 | 13 | 15 | 18 | 22 | 26 | 25 | 24 | 15 | 8 | 4 |
| London | 6 | 8 | 9 | 11 | 15 | 20 | 21 | 20 | 19 | 15 | 10 | 7 |
Below is an information overview. The conditions of entry, as well as the political and health situation, can change anywhere in the world at any time. We therefore recommend checking before your trip. Please check the website of the Foreign Office (www.gov.uk/) before your departure.
France: Parliamentary democracy | Belgium: Parliamentary monarchy
France: Paris | Belgium: Brussels
France & Belgium: predominantly Roman-Catholic
France: French | Belgium: French and Dutch
France: Four main regions: Atlantic region – temperate maritime climate; continental region – pronounced temperature differences (particularly in the east); Mediterranean region – moderate, warm maritime climate; alpine region – harsh mountain climate. | Belgium: A predominantly moderate maritime climate thanks to the location directly on the North Sea.
Central European Time zone where GMT+1 applies, along with daylight saving time.
The country code for France is 0033 and for Belgium 0032 with the zero cancelled before the area code. If you are calling the UK from outside the country, please dial 0044 and the area code without the zero.
For entry, UK citizens should have at least 3 months left on the passport after the day they plan to leave France/Belgium and the passport should be less than 10 years old. A stay of up to 90 days in any 180-day period is permitted without a visa. Nationals of other countries are advised to inquire at the French/Belgian Embassy about the entry requirements applicable to them. Customers are reminded that it is their sole responsibility to make sure that passport and visa entry requirements for the country or countries that they are visiting are satisfied. However, passport and visa requirements change from time to time and are also dependent on the purpose of your visit and your nationality. Whilst we endeavour to provide guidance where necessary, we can not be responsible for any problems encountered (whether at any point of entry or elsewhere) in the event that passport and visa requirements are not satisfied. For up-to-date information on entry requirements, please visit https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/.
Your expert tour guides will be able to provide you with detailed information about the country, people, history, culture, etc., and offer advice and assistance for organising your trip. They can also help with room allocation and look forward to welcoming you with initial information. Here you will find out all you need to know and useful information about the trip. We have put together a varied programme including numerous highlights, enabling you to experience the culture and diversity of landscape that France and Belgium have to offer, and learn all about the country and its people.
Although your trip already includes a comprehensive package, you also have the option of choosing added extras on arrival.
Explorer package: The package includes the two full-day excursions “Dinan, Mont Saint Michel and Saint Malo“ and “Ghent and Bruges“: only £159* per person.
Half board: The package includes 7× evening meals (5× in a hotel, 1× in Brussels in a restaurant, 1× in Paris in a brasserie): only £179* per person.
* Package prices may vary when booking on site.
France and Belgium are a member of the EU and of the European Monetary Union. This means that the Euro is the official currency. Exchange rate (as at January 2023): 1 GBP = 1.15 EUR; 1 EUR = 0.87 GBP. Purchases can be made in cash and also with the most common credit cards and sometimes also with an EC card. Cash withdrawals can be made using either a credit card or EC card. In some circumstances a fee may be charged by the relevant bank. You can find out more on this from your bank.
A government tourist and city tax of € 2,50 (approx. £ 2) per person/night is also payable locally (as at December 2022).
There are a number of products which have entry or exit limitations in France/Belgium from outside the European Union. These include cultural goods, wild fauna and flora and products derived from these, vegetables and plant products, weapons and ammunition, medicines, tobacco and alcoholic beverages (please note the alcohol and cigarette allowances). You cannot take meat, milk or products containing them into EU countries. In terms of medications, only those necessary for personal use are allowed, and they must be accompanied by a copy of the prescription or medical report.
Important: If you’re travelling to Great Britain from outside the UK, your personal allowances mean you can bring in a certain amount of goods without paying tax or duty. If you go over your allowances you must declare all your goods and pay tax and duty on all the goods in that category. Please inform yourself about the current customs regulations: www.gov.uk/bringing-goods-into-uk-personal-use/arriving-in-Great-Britain.
Particularly in larger tourist centres, it is recommended that you take precautions to protect yourself from pickpockets and against petty crime. It is recommended that you securely deposit money, ID cards, driver’s license, air tickets and other important documents (for instance in the hotel safe) and only take with you as much cash as you will require for that particular day (and your EC or credit card). Travellers should keep an eye on their valuables in crowded locations and at tourist hotspots, in airports (including in the security area), train stations, on the underground, bus etc.
France: On 1 November 2017 new anti-terror legislation was introduced in France which allows the French security authorities to take different measures with the aim of combating terrorism. In this context, in certain areas such as underground and mainline train stations, and in the areas near the border, there may be increased checks on individuals and their baggage. At entrances to certain institutions (e.g. museums) checks may be performed on hand luggage.
Belgium: Terrorist attacks were carried out in the past. That is why there are still random checks and access controls as well as an increased police and military presence at train stations and government buildings.
At least 8 weeks before your trip, check the latest country-specific health advice from the National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC) on the TravelHealthPro website (https://travelhealthpro.org.uk/countries). Each countryspecific page has information on vaccine recommendations, any current health risks or outbreaks, and factsheets with information on staying healthy abroad.
Medical care: Anyone entitled to free healthcare in the UK is also entitled to treatment in France/Belgium – if it is urgently required – from doctors, dentists, hospitals, and so on that are approved by the foreign statutory health insurance company. You should get a free UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) or European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) before leaving the UK. If you already have an EHIC it will still be valid as long as it remains in date. You can also contact your health insurance company for information on current regulations. Nonetheless, you are urgently recommended to take out travel health insurance for the duration of your holiday which covers risks not assumed by the statutory health insurance companies (e.g. repatriation to the UK in the event of illness, treatment by private doctors or in private hospitals). Such policies usually also offer benefits not covered by state health insurance companies, e.g. the costs of repatriation.
Customers must ensure that they are in good physical and mental health in line with the trip in question. Customers must enquire about the physical mobility and psychological autonomy required for this trip.
All information is subject to change/Last updated: January 2023
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