The Best of Southern France

7 Nights / 8 Days

2N Nice, 1N Marseille, 2N Avignon, 2N Montpellier

ITINERARY

Day 01: ARRIVE IN NICE

Arrive in Nice and you will be transferred to your hotel. Later you will take a guided bike tour (2 hours) along the major squares, sites, and iconic buildings of Nice.

Overnight in Nice.

DAY 02: NICE TO MONACO AND BACK BY BOAT

After breakfast, you will do a return transfer boat tour from Nice to Monaco. You will have free time in Monaco to visit the palace, the Prince’s car collection, the exotic garden, the oceanograpic museum, the Monte Carlo casino, etc. (Entry tickets are not included). (B)

Overnight in Nice.

DAY 03: VISIT MARSEILLE WITH THE HOP-ON HOP-OFF BUS

After breakfast, check out and transfer from the hotel to Nice train station to take a train to Marseille. In Marseille, you will be transferred to your hotel. Later you will take a tour of the most famous places of Marseille in the hop-on hop-off bus (valid one day). You will visit Notre Dame de la Garde basilica, cherished by the Marseillais offering a 360° stunning view on the sea, the archipelago islands and the surrounding hills. (B)

Overnight in Marseille.

DAY 04: VISIT AVIGNON & THE GORGEOUS LUBERON

After breakfast, you will be transferred to the train station to take a train to Avignon. In Avignon you will be transferred to your hotel. You will visit Palace of the Popes and the Pont Saint Benezet (Free Visit). Later in the afternoon, you will go on a half day group excursion to the most beautiful villages of the Luberon (~1430 to 1930 h). Depending on the season you can see vines, olive groves, red poppy fields blossoming, purple lavender fields blooming etc. Today you will be visiting some of the most beautiful villages of France like hilltop Gordes, Roussillon, Senanque abbey and Lacoste. You will be picked up and dropped at your hotel. (B)

Overnight in Avignon.

DAY 05: EXCURSION TO PONT DU GARD-UZÈS-NÎMES

After breakfast, you will go on a half day group excursion to Pont du Gard, Uzès and Nîmes (from 0800 to 1330 h). You will be picked up and dropped at your hotel. You will be visiting Pont du Gard, the highest aqueduct built by the Roman empire 2000 years ago (UNESCO site). Later you will visit the elegant town of Uzès and in Nîmes visit the amphitheatre which is one of the best preserved of the Roman world. In the afternoon, you return back in Avignon and take a one-hour cruise on the Rhône river towards the bridge and Palace of the Popes and Villeneuve-les-Avignon. (B)

Overnight in Avignon.

DAY 06: MONTPELLIER & WINE-TOUR TO PIC SAINT LOUP

After breakfast, you will check out and transferred to the train station to take train to Montpellier and later transferred to your hotel in Montpellier. In the afternoon, you will join a group with an English-speaking guide for a
wine-tour excursion to the beautiful Pic Saint Loup (~1400 to 1730 h). You will be visiting two estates, taste a minimum of 8 wines, and take a wine tasting workshop. This tour will depart and return at esplanade de l’Europe which is 15 min walk from your hotel. (B)

Overnight in Montpellier.

DAY 07: VISIT CARCASSONNE & BARGING ON CANAL DU MIDI

After breakfast, you will have to take the tramway to reach the train station and take a train to Carcassonne (1.5 h). Today you will explore this fairy tale city and the UNESCO World Heritage sites in this region. First you will embark for a 2.5 h cruise along the Canal du Midi waterway which is a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the most beautiful waterways in France. You will have lunch on board with options for vegetarian meal. In the afternoon you will visit the castle of Carcassonne (UNESCO site) (Free Visit) and later take your train back to Montpellier. (B, L)

Overnight in Montpellier.

DAY 08: DEPARTURE DAY

After breakfast, transfer to nearest train station or airport for your onward train or flight to next destination or back home. (B)

(PL) = Picnic Lunch, (B) = Breakfast, (L) = Lunch, (D) = Dinner

INFORMATION:

INCLUSIONS:

• 7 overnights in 4 star accommodation or similar as per itinerary. Subject to availability at the time of booking.
• 7 B, 1 L (B= breakfast, L= lunch, D= dinner). Meals as per itinerary
• Activities and visits as mentioned in the program
• Train transports (2nd class) as mentioned in the program
• Private return transfers from train stations to hotels and from airport to hotels
• English-speaking local guides according to the program
• Sojourn taxes

Highlights:

1. Monaco city tour
2. Marseille tour with hop-on hop-off
3. Visit Avignon & the Gorgeous Luberon
4. Excursion to Pont Du Gard, Uzès & Nîmes
5. Montpellier & Wine-tour to Pic Saint Loup with wine tasting
6. Visit Carcassonne Castle & Barging on Canal du Midi

COST: On Request

EXCHANGE RATE: 1 EUR = 82 INR (exchange rate as on the day of payment applicable)

VALIDITY: 1st March 2018 To 31st December 2018

At times there may be special deals – enquire at the time of booking.

EXCLUSIONS:

• All domestic and international flights, excess baggage fees and other relevant taxes
• Optional activities and excursions
• Visits and activities not mentioned in the program
• Drinks during the meals and outside meals, meals not mentioned in the program, laundry, bottled drinking water and other personal expenses (personal spending) / purchase
• Medical (Personal Insurance), Travel and Baggage Insurance
• Holiday Surcharge
• Tips to the guide
• Passport and Visa fees
• Anything that is not explicitly mentioned as included
• GST extra as applicable

NOTES:

1. All prices are correct at the time of printing and subject to availability.
2. All prices are subject to change without notice. Though care has been taken to put appropriate prices, our suppliers may increase their price depending on the availability and season. We therefore request you to allow for changes to occur before the confirmation of the final price. We will inform you about the increase or decrease in prices at the time of booking.
3. No reservations have been made and accommodation is subject to availability. In case of non-availability, alternate accommodation will be recommended.
4. All the tickets, vouchers, touristic information about the places are handed to the travelers by the staff at the hotel reception.
5. Each time visits are free, a list of the must-see places and information about the places is provided to the clients, along with information about how to reach the places.
6. For the free visits the clients reach the places by their own means (information about how to reach the places are provided) according to the program
7. For the group excursions, the clients are either picked up and dropped by the bus at their hotel (according to the program), or they have to reach the meeting points by their own means, at a walking distance from the hotel generally. If not, they can use local transportation (according to the program – in that case all the information is provided).
8. For the meals included in the program, a vegetarian menu is available on request
9. Train transfers : timetables as an indication: – Day 3 : train from Nice to Marseille : 10.19 am-13.02 am; Day 4 :
   train from Marseille to Avignon : 9.10 am-9.50 am; Day 6 : train from Avignon to Montpellier : 09.38 am-10.46
   am; Day 7 : train from Montpellier to Carcassonne : 08.59 am-10.27 am return train from Carcassonne to
   Montpellier : 6.33 pm-8.00 pm
10. All outdoor activities are weather permitting.
11. Smoking is not allowed in the vehicles and most hotel rooms around the world.
12. All distances and travelling times are approximate.
13. Terms & Conditions Apply.
14. All Payments to be made in INR, USD or EUR as per rate of exchange at the time of booking.
15. Any payments automatically mean adherence to the terms & conditions and our statute.