France's secret nook: stunning clifftops, medieval towns and crowd-free charm
Touring there: Albatross Tours' 19-day La Grande France tour, beginning in Paris and ending in Nice, has departures on May 17, June 7, August 23 and September 13 in 2026. It costs $15,887 per person (twin) and $20,887 (solo). albatrosstours.com.au
Staying there: Hotel Plaza Madeleine in Sarlat has rooms from about $240 per night. plaza-madeleine.com
Explore more: perigord.com; france.fr
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West Australian
18 hours ago
- West Australian
A grand tour to remember in France with Albatross, from Paris to Nice
Whether it's hotel chains, cruise companies or tour operators, it can be reassuring to travel with brands you've been with before, but I also enjoy experiencing — and testing out — new ones. It's handy to know and see what else is out there. With this in mind, I was doubly looking forward to my La Grande France tour with Albatross, an award-winning company that has specialised in small-group, European-based tours for more than 30 years but had eluded me until now. Of all their many enticing itineraries, this 16-day Gallic tour particularly piqued my wanderlust, promising a compelling mix of classic sights and comparatively hidden gems. Beginning in Paris, the tour would snake south via the historic Loire, Dordogne, Limousin, Languedoc-Roussillon and Provence regions before finishing in Nice on the French Riviera. Marshalled by our multilingual, Italian-born tour manager Massimo, and whisked around expertly by French driver Laurent (affectionately nicknamed 'Lolo'), there are 18 of us on this early June tour. That's four fewer than the average group size with Albatross, which caps its tours at 28 guests, but still uses full-size coaches, ensuring passengers have more than enough room. On the longer days on the road, there are comfort stops at motorway service stations where you can use restrooms and grab a coffee. Our coach has wi-fi and USB ports, so we can keep camera and phone batteries charged and stay connected with loved ones back home (and send them regular holiday snaps — and believe me, there are so many to take on this trip). The intimate group size means you'll get to know your fellow travellers fairly well. You'll likely remember everyone's name and maybe even those of their children, grandchildren, pets, favourite travel destinations, and Aussie rules (or rugby) teams. There are retired teachers and lawyers, still-working tradesmen and technicians. Most are in their 60s or 70s. Most are couples. There's a handful of solo travellers. Everyone rubs along well. Nearly all are spending a month or two in Europe. Some are also touring the UK, Italy, Germany, or cruising the Norwegian fjords. About half are new to Albatross, and others are returning customers. They tell me they like the Albatross itineraries and the fact you usually stay several nights in one place, so don't have to pack and unpack as regularly as with some other tour companies. Complementing the good vibes in our group are the sights and places on our schedule. There are two or three per day, and too many highlights to mention. But here's a sprinkling: visiting the splendid old royal chateaux and gorgeous gardens of the Loire Valley, boating past soaring limestone cliffs on the idyllic Dordogne River, and roaming the picturesque old streets of Sarlat-la-Caneda with guide Bruno — one of the charismatic local storytellers we meet along the way. I also won't forget the mighty medieval citadel of Carcassonne, the ancient Roman amphitheatre of Nimes, and the awe-inspiring Pont du Gard aqueduct. Some of the window scenery on our route is postcard-perfect — from the bucolic to the rugged — but we also find magic in the numerous caves and chambers that pockmark so much of France. We marvel at Monet's works projected on to the walls of a former quarry, peruse bizarre stalagmites and stalactites on a surreal underground boat ride, and sample varieties of Roquefort on a cheese-tasting outing. Fromage — many different types — is a staple of our daily breakfasts, along with cured meats, croissants, pains au chocolat and other goodies you'd expect at French petit dejeuners (fruits, cereals, yoghurts) and others you might not (scrambled eggs and bacon). Three-course group dinners are included on almost half the evenings (some at the hotels, others at local restaurants). Dietary requirements are catered for, otherwise it's generally a case of you get what you're given. A few dishes are nothing to write home about, but most range from satisfactory to good. You may have crab tartine or duck confit, mushroom risotto or veal with ratatouille followed by delectable patisserie-style cakes or chocolate mousse or apple crumble. There's a complimentary glass of wine, beer or soft drink with each dinner. Some hosts are more generous than others, notably when we dine alfresco at a countryside winery in the sun-drenched south of France, where staff keep refilling our glasses with white, red, rosé — whatever we fancy. You'll have ample opportunities to dine alone (or as a couple) on this trip. Most lunches, we're free to munch where we like — whether it's a baguette in the park or a sit-down feast on a tree-shaded town square (most have countless eateries offering three courses for around $40-$50 per person and reasonably-priced a la carte options too). While there are occasional grumbles within our group — 'we wish we had a bit more time here', 'this afternoon feels a bit rushed' — the tour is mostly well paced considering how ambitious the itinerary is. There's a lot packed in and a few steps to climb here and there, but also a decent amount of free time to slowly amble by yourself, catch up on some laundry, or relax at the hotel (all the ones we stay at have swimming pools). Massimo ensures we're punctual. We often have appointments with tour guides and pre-booked slots at visitor attractions. It's not all cracking the whip, though. In certain places, when the schedule allows, we're asked if we wish to stay longer, and Massimo also sweetens us with intriguing history, anecdotes and delicacies as we venture through the regions. I especially enjoy the gateau a la broche — a cone-shaped cake he buys in the Aveyron, a largely rural area north of Montpellier, a vibrant but laid-back university city where we spend five enjoyable nights at Le Metropole, a hotel from a bygone era with lovely restored features — including a vintage 19th-century lift — plus contemporary rooms and mod-cons. Montpellier is on the remaining two La Grande France itineraries for 2025 (starting in Paris on August 17 and August 31). But things are being tweaked next year, when the tour will become even grander. Saying 'au revoir' to Montpellier, but keeping the same day trips to the likes of Pont du Gard and Nimes, the tour will instead stay in Pezenas (two nights) and Villeneuve-les-Avignon (three), while La Rochelle and Bordeaux will join the itinerary. Guests will stay in the latter for three nights, sufficient time to savour Bordeaux's historic core and enjoy tastings and a wine-fuelled lunch in the feted vineyards of nearby Saint-Emilion. Now, here's the truth. It would be possible to plot an itinerary fairly similar to La Grande France (either the 2025 or 2026 version) and do it independently. You'd have more freedom, and no one to please but yourself. You could do it on a smaller budget. But believe me, it would be a mission, before and during. You'd have to arrange pretty much everything yourself: car hire, hotels, porterage, routes, meals, activities, entry tickets. You'd have to drive the best part of 2000km (on the 'wrong' side of the road), pay all the road tolls, find parking spaces, stick to one glass of wine — or less — for lunch. Rely on your basic/rusty French more times than you'd like (not everyone you'll encounter speaks decent English). It would be exhausting. Doing an escorted tour strips away so many of the logistical headaches and offers countless luxuries, from having an affable chap like 'Lolo' drive you everywhere, to visiting stunning places you'd perhaps otherwise miss, and meeting good (and interesting) people you'd otherwise never know. Bref — a word the French use to mean 'to cut a long story short' — this was a tour I'll cherish for years to come. + The 2025 La Grande France tour: Paris to Nice costs $10,987 per person (based on two sharing) or $14,087 (solo). For the 2026 itinerary, which has three extra nights, and has departures from Paris on May 17, June 7, August 23, and September 13, it's $15,887 per person (twin) and $20,887 (solo). The prices include all tips for tour manager, driver and local guides. See + To help plan a trip to France, see
Canberra Times
3 days ago
- Canberra Times
France's secret nook: stunning clifftops, medieval towns and crowd-free charm
Getting there: Emirates flies from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane to Paris via Dubai. Trains connect Paris with Sarlat via Bordeaux, although having a hire car is best if exploring the Dordogne independently. Touring there: Albatross Tours' 19-day La Grande France tour, beginning in Paris and ending in Nice, has departures on May 17, June 7, August 23 and September 13 in 2026. It costs $15,887 per person (twin) and $20,887 (solo). Staying there: Hotel Plaza Madeleine in Sarlat has rooms from about $240 per night. Explore more:
The Age
5 days ago
- The Age
Loire Valley tours, France: Stunning region of chateaus and wineries
August 12, 2025 — 5:00am , register or subscribe to save articles for later. You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Save this article for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. Two hours after fleeing the Monday morning rush of Paris – so many commuting cyclists and e-scooters – we arrive in the rather more laid-back environs of the Loire Valley, where France's longest river and its tangle of tributaries weave past a string of majestic chateaus rising from a lush, quilted patchwork of forests, gardens, vineyards and wheat fields. This region south-west of the capital is as alluring for travellers now as it was for the French royals of the late Middle Ages and Renaissance era. We're visiting some of their grand old castles and hunting lodges on our three-night stay in the Loire, the opening portion of a La Grande France tour with Albatross that will end a fortnight later in Nice on the sizzling Cote d'Azur. Whimsical Chateau de Chambord. iStock First to cast its spell is the Chateau de Chambord, whose whimsical, sun-kissed melange of towers, spires and chimneys have eyes glued to the windows of our tour coach, driven by the amiable Laurent (nicknamed 'Lolo'). After time for lunch, we join another endearing Gallic soul, local guide Olivier, in the courtyard of this chateau, the largest in the Loire, begun in 1519 for King Francois I and fashioned by the finest artisans and architects from France and Italy. After Olivier shares some mind-boggling facts and figures, we check out a chunk of the chateau's 426 rooms, 282 fireplaces and 80-odd staircases, the most celebrated of which is the double spiral staircase writhing through the central keep. 'OK, one half of the group come with me,' says Olivier. 'The other half go up the other side.' Serving the main quarters of the chateau, this staircase was designed to enable two people (or two groups of people) to ascend floors without ever having to cross paths. Its rumoured mastermind – never confirmed – was Leonardo da Vinci. Francois I was one of his patrons and notebooks discovered after da Vinci's death contained sketches that bore a striking resemblance to this double helix. A few days from now, we'll call in at Chateau du Clos Luce, where the Tuscan polymath lived out his final years as a guest of Francois (the very king, in fact, who purchased his Mona Lisa , now at Paris' Louvre Museum). Exhibited in the galleries and park at Clos Luce are dozens of machines and contraptions, from weaponry to bridges, that modern-day builders have crafted using da Vinci's original designs. Chateau de Chambord's estate is touted as Europe's largest enclosed park. But, back to Chambord, where our 18-strong Australian gang is reunited after scaling the dizzying double staircase. We follow Olivier through lavishly-decorated bedchambers and apartments, flush with paintings, tapestries, exquisitely-carved cabinets and objets d'art. He shows us the chateau's hidden nooks, too. We navigate narrow spiral stone staircases and creep through spartan attics propped up by an incredible network of beams. 'Oak from the 16th century,' says Olivier, pointing to the ceiling. Halfway down another passage, he pulls out a key from his leather satchel and unlocks a hefty wooden door carved with an image of a salamander. It's the heraldic symbol of Francois I that we'll see time and again, embossed into the walls and ceilings of this and other Loire landmarks. On the chateau's airy rooftop terrace, we wander by the turrets and gaze over the moat towards Chambord's impressive gardens. Cultivated in the late-17th century under Louis XIV, they were restored in 2016 and boast more than 16,000 plants, trees and shrubs, many elaborately woven into parterres and topiaries. From up here, we also get the lay of the wider estate. Touted as Europe's largest enclosed park, it sprawls 5540 hectares, surrounded by a 32-kilometre wall. Where the royals and their courtiers once stalked stags and wild boars, today's leisure seekers pedal and hike through the estate's dense forests, row or ride electric boats along the waterways, picnic on grassy lawns or lunch at the al fresco restaurants in quaint, tiny Chambord village, which also has a shop selling local delicacies such as deer terrine and palets solognots (buttery cookies stoked with rum and raisins). About seven kilometres south of the chateau, as the crow flies, is our Loire base, Le Prieure de Boulogne, a converted former priory, where medieval monks prayed and meditated and chirpy swallows nest by the hotel's guttering during our early June stay. This four-star retreat is blessed with smart contemporary rooms, a heated open-air swimming pool and a rustic-sleek restaurant serving regional fare, from pork rillette and Crottin de Chavignol (a Loire goat's cheese) at the breakfast buffet to dishes such as duck confit and wild mushroom risotto for dinner. Swoon-worthy: Chateau de Chenonceau. We enjoy several other outings to lift the spirits. Eliciting swoons and camera clicks aplenty is the multi-arched, river-spanning Chateau de Chenonceau, where the rivalry between Catherine de' Medici, the Florence-born wife of King Henri II (son of Francois I), and his mistress Diane de Poitiers played out. An audio guide shares tales of their simmering feud and other episodes and scandals from the chateau's past. Both women have gardens in their honour by this richly-furnished property, though none are quite as vast or extravagant as those at our next stop, the Chateau de Villandry, whose multi-tiered, seven-hectare gardens look sublime even from under an umbrella. Slick with drizzle, fragrant rose bushes radiate around fruits, herbs and vegetables in its centrepiece kitchen gardens, which flaunt showy geometric motifs. Other ornamental gardens at Villandry convey the states of love – tender, passionate, flighty, tragic – in box beds shaped like hearts, flames and daggers. Sublime: Chateau de Villandry's gardens. iStock Besides the organised elements of this Albatross tour – which also includes tastings of seven different Loire wines, all made with the chenin blanc grape, at one of the limestone caves gouging this region – we have free time to stroll, eat and drink in the historic riverside towns of Amboise, Blois and Tours. Bistro-fringed lanes and cafe-framed squares draw you in, many backdropped with half-timbered medieval houses or elegant mansions and churches hewn from the same local tuffeau limestone that gleams in the famous chateaux. The Loire has been a pleasure and the good news for us is that it's merely the hors d'oeuvre – the appetiser – for a journey that will take our group through other timelessly charming French regions, with the Dordogne, Languedoc-Roussillon and Provence all on the itinerary. Enjoying one last post-dinner walk through the peaceful grounds of our Loire hotel, I spot a hare dashing into the fields, beavers wading in an algae-clogged pond and those busy swallows criss-crossing a sky that remains bright well after 9pm. Not for the first time on this trip, and it won't be the last, I'm imbued with a feeling of joie de vivre. Forgotten France: 10 stunning regions most visitors overlook FLY Several airlines connect Paris with Sydney and Melbourne, including Emirates, which flies via Dubai. see TOUR The Albatross 16-day La Grande France costs $10,987 a person based on two sharing or $14,087 for a solo traveller. For 2026, the tour itinerary extends to 19 days, including three nights in Bordeaux. Departures are from Paris in May, June, August and September with prices from $15,887 a person (twin) and $20,887 (solo). See MORE The writer was a guest of Albatross Tours. 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