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.
|
• 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). |
|
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.
|