2005 Provence Doggie Walk By:

May 6-13
September 9-16

8 days/7 nights

Level: A/B

Price Per Person: $4800.00
based on double occupancy.
Please inquire for details regarding single supplement.


Overview: Bring your best friend along to Provence! On this special journey, our furry four-legged friends are the guests of honor as we explore one of France's most enchanting regions. With wet noses and wagging tails leading the way, we stroll through fields of brilliant sunflowers and fragrant lavender, alongside incredible Roman ruins and into some of the most picturesque villages imaginable. So grab your leash, join us in exploring beautiful Provence, and enjoy deluxe accommodations and Michelin-starred cuisine with Fido at your side.

What's Included

• This tour features approximately 5 full days of walking with an average of 3-7 miles per day

• There is a 6 dog maximum on this tour, including a 1 dog per person maximum

• The tour price is based on single occupancy. We will offer a discount for couples who only have one dog.

Inclusions
• All lodgings, all breakfasts (7), all dinners but one (6), entry fees for selected visits, gratuities for hotel and restaurant staff
• A Michelin Green Guide and map of the Provence region
• Full van support and the services of 2 experienced trip leaders.

Exclusions
• Beverages at dinner (e.g. wine, beer, mineral water, soft drinks)
• One dinner
• Lunches



DAY 1: Bienvenue a Paris!

An airport pickup will be offered to all humans and dogs on this new Doggie Walk. We’ll shuttle from Charles de Gaulle airport into downtown Paris and our deluxe digs for two nights. After freshening up, we’ll stroll out for a glimpse of Paris by night. Dinner will be in town at a yet to be determined restaurant.

DAY 2: “Les Troittoirs de Paris!” – French sidewalks!

Sniffing out Paris After a leisurely breakfast of croissants and kibbles, we’ll hit the streets, or sidewalks if you will, to inspect every nook and cranny in our delightful St. Germain de Pres neighborhood. We’ll end up at the Jardin de Luxembourg for a beautiful stroll in this 14th century garden. We’ll then slip into the metro where our guide, and Parisian resident Charly Gautier will lead us on a thrilling tour of some of most wonderful sights, sounds, and smells of the City of Lights. We’ll return to our hotel in the early afternoon to enjoy a nice “pause café” before freshening up for dinner on the town. A short stroll will take us to our nearby restaurant for the evening. We’ll toast this wonderful city with our four legged companions as we enjoy all the splendors Paris has to offer to both canine and human alike.
DAY 3: Transfer to Provence After breakfast at our hotel in Paris, we’ll pack everybody in our two vans and head south towards the Luberon Valley and the lovely village of Lourmarin, our home for three nights. Once we've had a chance to settle into our rooms at the exquisite Moulin de Lourmarin, we'll head off on an exploratory stroll, sniffing our way to the impressive château that dominates the village's site. Tonight's dinner, our first taste of Provence's fabulous cuisine, will be in our hotel's two-star restaurant.
DAY 4: Apt to Buoux.

After a delicious breakfast at our hotel, we'll shuttle the short distance to Apt, one of the main market towns in the Lubéron Valley. From here, we'll embark on a casual walk through the glorious countryside that characterizes the region. As we pass through pine forests and sun-drenched meadows, beautiful scenery is ours to discover as the scent of wild herbs dances on the breeze. A mid-afternoon arrival in the village of Buoux will be perfect timing for a late lunch at the classic provençal inn l'Auberge de Séguin. After lunch we'll climb (or, in some cases, bound) into our van for the short ride back to the hotel. Dinner tonight is "on your own" in Lourmarin.




DAY 5: Gordes to Roussillon.

Today's activities begin at the Abbaye de Sénanque, a beautiful 12th Century Cistercian abbey located at the base of a dramatic canyon. After our visit, we'll head into Gordes, a stunning hilltop village complete with winding alleyways, quaint shops, and artists' studios. After ample time for exploration, we'll head down out of Gordes and make our way to the village of Roussillon along the valley floor. The land around Roussillon is rich in iron ore, and the village's buildings seem to glow with the vivid shades of red and yellow ochre obtained from local mines. Once we arrive, we'll enjoy lunch in a café before checking out the town. After a ride back to Lourmarin, we'll have plenty of time to relax at the hotel or romp in the surrounding countryside. Tonight's dinner will be in the hotel's restaurant.
DAY 6: Ménerbes to Oppède-le-Vieux.

As we bid farewell to Lourmarin, we'll get a morning lift to the village of Ménerbes, where the author Peter Mayle lived while writing A Year in Provence. After visiting the charming village, we'll descend into the dense woods below and join a marvelous footpath, perfect for four-legged frolicking, to the extraordinary village of Oppède-le-Vieux. Taking its name from the Latin word for fort (oppidum), this miniscule assemblage of buildings, dominated by the ruins of a 13th Century castle, is perched defiantly on a jagged outcropping. After arriving in the tiny town square, we'll trek the short distance up to the ruined château, where we can marvel at one of the better views of the Lubéron Valley. Once back down in the square, we'll board our van for a ride to St. Rémy, where we'll check into the luxurious Hostellerie du Vallon de Valrugues. Dinner tonight will be in the hotel's acclaimed restaurant.
DAY 7: Les Baux to St. Rémy.

We'll begin the day in the remarkable village of Les Baux, where a cluster of medieval stone buildings and a ruined fortress cling dramatically to a bald rock spur. Once we've had time to explore the cobbled streets, quaint shops, and exotic odors of Les Baux, we'll move on to the Cathédrale d'Images, where an incredible audio-visual display has been created within the massive quarried chambers of a limestone cliff. From here we'll follow a well-marked path along Les Alpilles, a jagged chain of foothills, back into St. Rémy. Once back in town, we may choose to visit Glanum, a significant collection of Roman vestiges, or St. Paul de Mausole, the monastery-turned-convalescent-home where Vincent Van Gogh lived and painted some of his greatest works in the late 19th Century. Tonight's dinner will again be in our hotel's restaurant.
DAY 8: Au revoir!

After breakfast at our hotel, the Europeds guides will provide a shuttle to the train station in Avignon (contact the Europeds office for details).

Download 2005 Reservation Form (pdf)


Pet Travelers Notice: Travelers may brings dogs and cats into France. Each family is limited to three animals, which must have valid rabies vaccination certificates.

For more information, visit www.info-france-usa.org/intheus/customs/7000.asp and also www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/Thema/dossier.gb.asp?DOS=ANIMALS

Of Special Note:
Any train times listed in this itinerary are based on the best information available at the time of publication and are thus subject to change. Definitive schedules will become available as the trip’s start date nears. We suggest that you check with your travel agent approximately one month prior to your trip’s start date to purchase your train tickets and make any necessary reservations.

Europeds reserves the right to modify published routes due to any unforeseen circumstances. In the event that one or another hotel is unable to accept our reservation for a given date (rare that this may be), we assure you that EUROPEDS will endeavor to book another hotel of comparable class and charm.

Ph. 415-388-2853 - Fax 415-388-3290
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