meadows@france-shop-n-tour.com

The incomparable Mont St. Michel is just one place we might visit.

Before we get into the specifics, first, a reminder of what makes our Brittany & Normandy Shop 'n' Tour so unique:

It begins when we pick you up upon your arrival in Rennes.  It is not your typical tour...it's more like a group of five or six friends enjoying the adventure of a lifetime. And if the very word "tour" makes you cringe, we're with you. Please erase your old image of a tour. As you will see, ours are totally different...and with the weakening of the dollar, it truly makes sense to benefit from our years of experience.

One big difference...there is no "get your luggage packed and be on the bus at 7a.m."

After a leisurely breakfast, we shop, tour, and eat our way through the wonders of Brittany and Normandy 

Another difference...we have no vested interest in any of the
restaurants, the markets, the hotels, the airlines, etc.

Plus...nothing is ever written in stone. There are no set menus or rigid itineraries. Your preferences define the experience.

We’ve been enjoying this corner of France for years and pride ourselves on being able to tailor what Brittany and Normandy have to offer to your particular interests.

We are always available to translate the museum exhibits, provide insight into the culture of the region, and, if you want, we’ll even authenticate your antiques purchases!

It’s a very special way to experience a very special place.

We stay in one centrally-located town, in this case Dinan, and day trip from there. We have found it to be much more restful to stay in one place and not have to pack and unpack.

Event conflicts, activities as yet unscheduled, and uncharted group dynamics make it impossible to provide a firm itinerary at this time, and actually that really is not the intent of our France Shop ’n’ Tours. They are much more on the order of organized spontaneity. But we do want to give you a better idea of what you can expect, and so, what follows are some of the highlights.

You’ll discover magical places...experience the culture of two different regions...past and present...and walk in the footsteps of artists such as Auguste Renoir and John Singer Sargent.

We're not trapped in a huge awkward bus; we travel in a normal passenger van. All vehicle fees, fuel, tolls, parking, etc. are included. Also included are any and all entrance fees to museums, châteaux, brocantes and antiques shows, all guide services, all fees associated with special events or exhibits, and on the first night, we get you started gastronomically with a "Welcome to Brittany" dinner at one of our favorite restaurants!

Shopping is often high on a group’s list of preferences; we’ve been able to satisfy the needs of everyone from those that simply want a few, small souvenirs to professional antiques dealers that want to ship back large pieces of furniture.

Our shopping forays can range from church bazaar-type affairs to shops stuffed to the ceiling with treasures. We are always available for packing tips and assistance...and we’ve even been known to negotiate a better deal.

In the past we’ve visited historic manor houses, explored the gorgeous
countryside, admired the view from the high points in Brittany, marveled at its large carved-granite calvalries, picnicked among the menhirs, and although Brittany and Normandy technically do not have a "native" wine, we’ve savored regional products including cider, beer, camembert cheese, and those wonderful, buttery Breton galettes.

We "walk and talk" through historic old towns and visit the sites that inspired artists as diverse as Renoir and Picasso.

We eat great food and meet nice people because every day is intertwined with the various events of a holiday in France...music, food, dancing, traditional crafts displays, and nights of good-spirited fun that can stretch into the wee hours.
For lunch, we might go to the local markets for fresh picnic provisions and dinner menus are posted outside the restaurants so everyone gets to order exactly what they want, spend what they want, and eat what they want.  None of that "banquets for the bus load of people stuffed into a back room of the restaurant" type of food for us!

All of the photographs used here as illustrations were taken during previous tours and can give you an idea of what’s in store. 

We meet in Brittany, so you are free to fly into France on the airline of your choice...using the gateway city of your choice...and take advantage of your frequent flyer miles, etc. You might want to add a few days in Paris, London, or another part of Europe before or after your Brittany & Normandy Shop ’n’ Tour. We are Square Trade Travel Certified tour guides and can assist you with all the necessary arrangements and as well, we would be happy to work with your regular travel agent. Should you choose to have us help you with your individual travel specifics, there is no additional fee. Travel insurance is additional, however, and is always recommended.

This year, our tour of eastern Brittany and western Normanday will begin on September 10, 2008 when we pick you up at the rail station in Rennes (or the airport in Dinan if you so desire). The tour continues until the morning of the 16th of September, when we take you back to the rail station in Rennes (or the Dinan airport).

TGV rail travel is available between Paris' CDG airport and Rennes; the time of travel is approximately 2.5 hours. If you will be in Paris before joining our tour, rail travel is also available from there and, as well, there are flights into Dinan from Paris' Orly airport (ORY).

For this tour, we base out of
Dinan--one of Brittany's Villes d'Art et d'Histoire...city of art and history.

We day trip our way through Haute Bretagne...shopping, eating, and touring... with a venture into Normandy...perhaps a visit to Mont St. Michel or Bayeux.

Subject to availability, there are two and three star level hotels in Dinan.

The hotel rates for this year range from about 30 euros per person, per night, on up to around 75 euros per person, per night.

The hotels are small, 28 to 32 rooms, so the sooner we can confirm your choice of room, the better.

As always, nothing is written in stone; for example, if you have already visited Mont St. Michel and would rather do something else, that won't pose a problem.

Those are the specifics for each tour.

OK...how much? We know you want to know the cost, but that depends on you and whether you want to travel to our meeting point first class, or second class, stay in a two-star or three-star hotel, etc.

We charge $900 per person (or the equivalent in euros) for our guide services...services that include the van and all van-related fees, entrance fees to museums and antiques shows, etc. and dinner in one of our favorite local eateries.

We provide hotel information for a range of accommodations...you decide which hotel suits your needs and we are more than happy to make the reservations for you. You pay for the hotel directly.

Likewise, we can assist you with the travel arrangements to Rennes (or Dinan should you choose to fly in). Whether it be by rail or by air, we can make the reservations for you. You pay for that travel directly. Because of its flexibility, the rail option has been the most popular with our fellow travelers. To give you an example of what that will cost, a single ticket (not including any senior or family travel discounts) for round trip rail travel from Paris to Rennes ranges from $145 to $394 depending upon whether you travel first or second class. (Note that should you decide to extend your adventure, a pass good for three days of rail travel within France is $258 for second class  and $304 for first class. Those good in math will have immediately deduced that, in some cases, it's less expensive to purchase a pass).

There are lots of ways to put your package together to suit your specific desires.

How much you need for shopping and food is up to you...meals are not pre-set.

For lunch, we often  go to the local markets for fresh picnic provisions and dinner menus are posted outside the restaurants so everyone gets to order exactly what they want, spend what they want, and eat what they want.

The above is intended to give you a basis for comparison with traditional tours.

However, you'll find our Shop 'n' Tours are incomparable!

So, those are the specifics...Now what?

Come join the fun...just let us know as soon as possible because we limit the number of participants to a maximum of six so our tours fill up quickly, plus the hotels are small and we cannot hold the rooms for an extended time.

It's an amazing experience, so if you are ready for the trip of a lifetime, a  $200. per person deposit will assure your space; we accept payment by MasterCard, Visa, PayPal, and personal checks. 

France on your own is one thing...a France Shop 'n' Tour is an experience par excellence!

Join us...it's going to be a bon voyage!

France-Shop-n-Tours...
...A travel experience that is just as unique as you are.