Loire Valley Tour Guest Testimonials

 “Yes, I will recommend this trip because I feel it is a wonderful opportunity to see a large part of the region and includes the best castles. The whole experience was top notch from the choice of activities and castles to the wine and cuisine! The dynamics of being in a small group touring is an overall wonderful experience. I loved that every detail was taken care of, my week was stress free, transportation was very comfortable, and I really appreciated the knowledge of the guides and their willingness to share so much information. Enjoyed the chateau lodging and owners also.  I feel this is an opportunity I will never experience again.  Thank you Christy for a fun week with lots of laughs and wonderful memories!  I can’t wait to see the photos!” —Karen Abrahams, Arlington, Virginia – Loire Valley Tour – Loire Valley Tour Guest Testimonials

 “Hi Christy and everyone. We had a fabulous time in the Loire and had so much fun with our group! We missed you all in Paris! Thanks for your wonderful “tour guidance” in France. It was quite a memorable trip.” Added message sent to us by Steve and Michelle – “We enjoyed 5 wonderful days with Christy’s tour of the Loire Valley Sept. 12 – 17, 2012. It was absolutely one of the best tours we’ve taken, and our 2nd tour with France Off the Beaten Path (first one was in Provence in 2006). Christy and her staff saw to the group’s every need, they were warm, accommodating and had every excursion well planned out. We visited remarkable Chateaux, ate at wonderful Michelin Star restaurants in the Loire and had a thrilling Hot Air Balloon ride at the end (which I think was one of the highlights for us). In addition, we were lucky to have an absolutely perfect group of fellow travellers and made many friendships we hope to foster back at home. We enjoyed very personalized and truly “off the beaten path” experiences with cooking classes/demonstrations, cheese and wine tasting and more. We hope to join another tour in the future with France Off the Beaten Path! Thank you, Christy, for a wonderful time in the Loire Valley!” –Steve Keller and Michelle Tidwell, San Francisco, California (Traveled on 3 OTBP Tours —  2012 Loire Valley Tour and 2006 Best Adventures in Provence Tour, 2018 Bordeaux Tour)

 “This trip was so much more than we expected, and YES we would definitely recommend it! We had a great time, and saw and experienced some amazing things. Christy and Philippe were very knowledgeable of the history, surroundings, castles, etc and were helpful and made us feel comfortable. Thank you for a wonderful trip!” ––Friends: Michelle Winter, Mary Harper,  Beth Fields and Stefanie Giffin, Kansas City, Kansas – Loire Valley Tour

 “Yes! Loved EVERYTHING! Liked having down time between all of the activities on both tours. These were fabulous trips! In the Loire Valley, cooking and dining with Christophe and Angelique was great, we liked all of the castles, the meals and the hot air ballooning. In Champagne, all of the tours and tastings were very special and each offered something different. We loved that there was someting new to discover each day!” ––Art and Nancyjo Peters, Chicago, Illinois (Have been on 2 OTBP Tours – Champagne Tour and Loire Valley Tour)

 “Yes, we would recommend this trip to friends. We truly enjoyed the trip.  We appreciated how well organized the trip was — we departed on time, arrived on time, and kept to the schedule.  I also enjoyed the recommendations for shops, restaurants, etc. The Chateau hotel was lovely.  The quality of this tour was very good!All of the castle tours were interesting and varied. Thanks for a great week!” —Brad and Leslie Long, Shepherds Town, West Virginia – Loire Valley Tour

 “The relaxed pace of the tour and the peaceful atmosphere of the Chateau des Tertres are two of the most important factors which helped create such an amazing trip – combined with stunning locations, wonderful and generous people, fabulous activities and a Tour Guide who truly understands the unique experiences travellers are searching for.  I will definitely be recommending this trip to my clients, friends and family!Whether a first visit to France or a seasoned traveller, anyone interested in visiting France needs to experience this trip to appreciate and understand the point of difference that Off the Beaten Path provides!  Well done Christy!! Merci beaucoup!!” — Pamela Mann, Travel Agent, Home Hil, Queensland, Australia – Loire Valley Tour

 “Loved that we had a nice, small group! We really enjoyed getting to know our fellow travellers and their backgrounds.  We thought the variety of experiences (chateaux, gardens, towns, markets, dining out, dinner at home, picnic) was outstanding. We would have easily traded some of the pre-dinner downtime for extra sightseeing time. We will without any hesitation, yes, recommend this tour for all of the reasons above! Plus we had the most knowledgeable and fun tour guide!! Where else can you get a cooking class from a Michelin-star Chef in his home?!  LOVED this trip!!”  —Mac and Jen McNeer, Chicago, Illinois – Loire Valley Tour

 “The tour was well put together and managed!  The food was all excellent and yes, we will recommend this tour to our friends!! Christy, you have a fabulous and outgoing personality and excellent knowledge and management skills! Thank you for a wonderful time!”  —Dan and Rose Raimondo, Tinton Falls, New Jersey – Loire Valley Tour – Loire Valley Tour Guest Testimonials

 “Fabulous pictures you sent on to us from the tour!!  They are wonderful!!  Just wanna say how spectacular the meals were during the Loire Valley tour. The breadth of the trip was great. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable and a true expert on French history!  We are going to absolutely recommend your trip to everyone.If one wants to experience the Loire Valley, this is the BEST way! Thank you for a fun filled week!!” —Jeff and Jane Goodell, Carrollton, Texas – Have traveled on 2 Tours: Loire Valley Tour and Provence Tour

 “5 out of 5 all the way!! Loved Rich’s birthday surprise, so thoughtful of you! We loved our guide’s personal touch and her knowledge of French history. She was SUPER!! The hot air ballooning was one of many memorable highlights of this trip. Loved the chateau accommodations – Christine and Bernard and staff were the best! We had a great time!! Every experience was so different and felt so authentically French.” — Rich and Nancy Strickler, Jacksonville, FL – Loire Valley Tour

 “Yes – Thank you for orchestrating a fun, memorable and unique experience for all of us. You are providing terrific services and I appreciate the attention you put into designing and implementing the Loire Valley trip. I liked everything about this trip. I always enjoyed visiting historical sites, walking around towns, villages and markets. Having someone else plan and deliver the itinerary made this trip so much more relaxing than a totally independent vacation. And, the cooking classes made the trip a truly superlative and special experience. Thanks for all of your work!” —Wendy Breinig, Jacksonville, FL – Loire Valley Tour

 “I loved ALL aspects of the tour; hot air ballooning, wine and cheese tasting, the hotel, our guide, the different castles, the dinners! The cooking classes were especially fantastic. Don’t change a thing! You really made this experience wonderful!” — Wendy Barnett, Melbourne, Australia –Loire Valley Tour

 “Really enjoyed our guide, Chefs, Angelique and Christophe (and his apple tart), the castles, excellent choice of restaurants, the 13th century chateau being a fabulous setting for dinner, and finally, our beautiful and quiet chateau accommodations. (following is 2nd comment sent to us) Its been a while since I returned from the Loire Valley trip. I just wanted you to know what a wonderful time my sister and I had with on the tour. I am putting my pictures and momentos in a scrap book. As I am looking at all the beautiful Chateaux we visited I am just overwhelmed by the beauty of them all. Its was positively one of the best trips I’ve ever taken. I absorbed so much. The food was exquisite and the people of France were so warm and wonderful. I loved our evenings with Angelique and Christophe. I bought a copper pan in which to make my tarte. I purchased it from Williams Sonoma exclusively to make the famous Tarte Tatin for which Christophe won his award. You were just wonderful. It was a very warm experience!” —Diana Pleva, Los Angeles, CA – Loire Valley Tour