Expeditions to France


COME CELEBRATE FRENCH SUMMER WITH US! - The NOCTIBULES FESTIVAL in ANNECY, the gastronomy in LYON and SUMMER DAYS in PARIS will leave your taste buds, dancing feet and shutter button finger fired up and content !



DATES: July 16-25, 2015 - 10 days/9 nights
PRICE: $3,850 (land arrangements per person based on double occupancy) - $4,375 for single accommodations.
ARRIVAL: July 16 in Geneva, Switzerland. You will need to depart the USA on July 15 in order to arrive in France the next day.
DEPARTURE: July 25, from Paris.

This expedition is also a great trip for non-photographers and anyone interested in French culture.

NOTE: DEADLINE TO REGISTER: APRIL 15, 2015!!!
Please email us after that date to check availability.

"You will love visiting Annecy with Carole. Our summertime trip gave us wonderful views of the canal with swans, old prison, and flowers at almost every doorway and window! And the Noctibules Festival with its evening events entertained us with awesome performances - lots of photo opportunities. We loved Annecy so much that we'll go back!"
Laurie Adams (Annecy participant)

We'll start our journey in Annecy, just 45 minutes from Geneva.
Located in the northern French Alps, in Haute-Savoie, about 50 miles south of Geneva, Switzerland, Annecy is known as the Venice of Savoy. A well-deserved title for this medieval city built around a 14th Century Chateau and whose center is criss-crossed with small canals and streams running out of Lake Annecy, the purest in Europe. Annecy also wins all ornamental contests with its amazing flower beds found throughout the city and in its parks from Spring to Fall.

We'll spend delightful hours exploring the old city, its medieval arcades, its cobblestone pedestrian walkways, its castle and old prison, enjoying its open-air markets and sidewalk restaurants. A private excursion by motor-driven rowboat on the pure and clear waters of Lake Annecy will be an occasion to partake in the Anneciens' recreational activities. A picnic lunch by the lake shore with fresh and delicious food bought earlier in Annecy's open air country market, will leave you with indelible memories .

For a magnificent view of the Alps and the Mont Blanc, we'll go on an excursion to the top of the Semnoz mountain where we'll also enjoy the relaxing sound of cow bells echoeing all around.

It is in this picturesque and scenic setting that the Noctibules Festival of performing arts takes place, enlivening the summer evenings with dance, music and theater. The heart of Annecy and the lake banks then become a huge open-air theater, filled with musicians, artists, and performers of all kinds. Touring companies from all over France come to Annecy for the annual festival, giving us great opportunities for action and people photography. Amazing night performances choreographed with pyrotechnic displays will keep you in awe!

Magic is in the air in Annecy during the Noctibules!

Then a train ride will take us to Lyon. Lyon, a city older than Paris, in the heart of the Rhone Valley, is often bypassed by travelers, yet so much worth the stop. Founded in 43BC, it was the Roman capital of Gaul (called Lugdunum). We'll explore the "traboules" - semi-secret pedestrian passageways unique to Lyon, joining two parallel streets and dating from the Roman era - and stroll leisurely in the Vieux Lyon (old Lyon) rife with historical and architectural gems.
Beware also of the many "trompe l'oeil" (eye tricking) murals that abound in Lyon - beautiful decor hiding an ugly wall - very clever and well-done.

Lyon is also known as the French capital of gastronomy - it is the home of gourmet chef Paul Bocuse - and a dinner in the convivial atmosphere of a traditional "Bouchon" restaurant will give us a culinary experience worth remembering.

We finish our journey with three days in the City of Light, Paris, and get a taste of Parisian life as we stroll through famous Marais district on right bank and Latin Quarter on left bank, and embark for a dinner cruise aboard an old barge.

Expedition Cost: $3,850 (land arrangement only, based on double occupancy, per person).
Reservations: A $1,000 per person deposit is required to secure a place on our expeditions, which can be paid via Paypal (there's a 3% fee, additional) or by check. If you wish single accommodations or if there is no available roommate to share a double room, your cost is $4,375. The balance is due 90 days prior to beginning of expedition.
Group Size: minimum 2, maximum 6. Under 4 sign-ups a small-group supplement of $400 p.p. will be requested.

*Expedition Cost includes:
Hotel accommodations in Annecy Old Town and in Lyon, 3-star in Paris in Marais district; ground transportation to the various sites visited; all breakfasts, 5 meals (lunch, dinner and picnic) taken with the group (as indicated in itinerary that will be sent to you); taxi transfer from Geneva airport to Annecy; entrance fees (Castle of Annecy, Annecy Lake day cruise, dinner cruise on Seine); train from Annecy to Lyon to Paris; services of expedition leader.

Cost does NOT include:
Airfare to/from your home city and Geneva and Paris, transfer from Lyon/Annecy hotel to Lyon/Annecy train station (within walking distance), transfer to CDG airport in Paris, meal beverages including bottled water, meals not indicated in itinerary, items of personal nature and incidentals, luggage porters, mandatory travel insurance, entrance fees not mentioned above, tips to guides if any, passport fees, gratuities.



NOTE: American and Canadian nationals do not need visa to enter France. Other nationals should check with their French consulate. You need a valid passport.

For complete details, see our General Information page.

To register for an expedition and make a payment, go to Registration