Epperly clients Maggie & Charles recently returned from their trip through France! From their initial nights spent in the heart of Paris (with a pic of their precious pup, Duncan making a surprise appearance!) to wine tasting in the Champagne region, to biking along the Loire river – these two experienced a taste of all France has to offer – and we were SO pleased to customize their trip to fit their exact travel style (this worked especially well since we had planned their honeymoon to Cap Maison in St. Lucia – proof of the power of relationships with your travel advisor)! Read on to hear about their experience in Maggie’s words.
Lindsey,
Thank you so much for planning such a fantastic trip. It truly was the trip of a lifetime. We also learned a lot about our “travel style” as a couple which I think will be super helpful when we plan future trips!
Paris was AMAZING! Hotel Le Littre was nice and updated. The staff was wonderful, spoke fantastic English and have wonderful tips/suggestions. Our room was out of this world– that view!?!?! AMAZING! We were also treated with macaroons on our first night which was nice. There was a good breakfast buffet which we ate 2/3 days and enjoyed. It was a good location as it was away from tourist traps yet walking distance to everything. Would definitely return.
Our favorite thing in Paris was our wine tasting with Lionel Michelin. HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND this! He is a true expert and so kind. His basement cellar is stunning. His wife served food throughout the tasting. I think we ended up staying for over 3 hours!!
The day trip to the Champagne region was very nice. We had about 10 people with us so it wasn’t too crowded. Our only regret was not being able to stay in Reims and Epernay longer!
I will say that we were ready for a smaller town by the time we left Paris. I personally think 2-3 days in the big city was plenty for Charles and I.
We LOVED Amboise! Lots of charm, plenty of delicious places to eat, easy walking distance everywhere. I would have moved there in a heart beat! Our absolute favorite thing we did was a bike ride along the Loire. I would highly highly recommend this to anyone that goes! I think it was around 20 Euros to rent two bikes for a half day. I would pack a back pack with baguettes, water, wine, treats, etc to eat along the way and wear work out clothes as it wound up being 18 miles round trip but totally worth it. We saw vineyards, small towns, River, etc. The castle and wine tasting trip was fantastic . I will say that the DaVinci house was a bit cheesy but the other two castles were spectacular!
The hotel in Amboise (Le Choiseul) was stunning- tons of character and large updated rooms. We enjoyed staying here. The breakfast was delicious and better than in Paris. Overall the hotel had a much older crowd so we didn’t end up eating at their restaurant for dinner. Would return!
So what we learned: we like smaller towns A LOT and would likely limit our time in big cities. Totally agree that private transports are the jam (imagine Charles and I tackling the Paris metro from the train station to the airport hotel during rush hour on our last day with huge suitcases- it happened and was the biggest struggle ever. I can laugh now that we survived!). We enjoy being active and would likely incorporate a hike or bike ride or something on our next trip! Also, one on one tours or tastings are so worth the extra money !
Again thanks for all of your help!
Maggie
To plan your own escape to Paris, send us an email at Info@epperlytravel.com
