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9 Day Highlights of France & Barcelona
Premium Coach Tour starting in Paris and finishing in Barcelona
Countries Visited: France  Spain 
Tour Type: Regional
Tour Duration: 9 Days (8 Nights)
From: Paris to Barcelona
Tour Code: FRSPA
Operator: Trafalgar
from AU $2,080 pp
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Tour Description

Romp through France and Spain on a journey of discovery! See the dazzling sights of Paris, charming castles in Loire Valley, the old city of Lyon and the Papal Palace of Avignon. Cavort through Cannes, Nice and across the Pyrenees. Bask in sunny Barcelona, venerable Toledo and the majestic sights of Madrid.

What's Included

Dining Highlights

  • 2 three-course dinners with local wine.
  • 8 hot buffet breakfasts.
  • Be My Guest dinner in Tours.
  • Farewell Dinner with wine in Barcelona.
  • Welcome Reception including light snacks and Welcome Drinks with your Travel Director in Paris.

First Class Travel Highlights

  • A qualified Local Guide in Paris, Lyon and Barcelona.
  • Capture treasured memories of your trip with a complimentary group photo taken at a landmark location.

Highlights

Sightseeing Highlights

  • Avignon See the Papal Palace and famous bridge.
  • Barcelona Guided walking tour of the Gothic quarter.
  • Bourges See the Palais Jacques Coeur, the cathedral and the archbishop's gardens.
  • Cannes See la Croisette and the Film Festival Centre.
  • Chartres Visit the Cathedral
  • Loire Valley See the Château de Chambord. Visit the Palace of Chenonceau.
  • Lyon Guided walking tour of the old city
  • Monaco Visit the Principality.
  • Nice See Promenade des Anglais and Place Masséna.
  • Paris Ascend the Eiffel Tower by elevator to the second level. Visit Les Invalides to see Napoleon's tomb.

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Day
1
Arrive Paris (2 Nights)
Welcome to Paris, the City of Light! Relax after your journey or take a leisurely stroll through ancient streets. Later, meet for a Welcome Reception with your fellow travellers and Travel Director and enjoy an evening drive to see some of the city's impressive sights.
Stay: Courtyard Marriott Neuilly (RW)
Day
2
Paris Sightseeing And Free Time
Paris probably has more familiar landmarks than any other city in the world! The Champs Élysées, Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame Cathedral, Place de la Concorde - see all these sights and more with your expert Local Guide. Marvel at the city's beautiful skyline from the second level of the Eiffel Tower. Visit Les Invalides, part of the Army Museum, where you view the tomb of Napoleon Bonaparte. Spend the rest of the day as you choose. Visit one of the city's many internationally renowned museums, wander through the Luxembourg gardens, or take an excursion to the magnificent Palace of Versailles. (BB)
Day
3
Paris - Loire Valley Chateaux - Tours
Visit Chartres Cathedral, an important place of pilgrimage and an architectural splendour featuring original stained glass windows. Continue through the Loire Valley, past beautiful villages and castles. See the impressive Château Chambord, a marvel of French Renaissance architecture. Visit Chenonceau, straddling the River Cher. This evening, join your companions for a very special Be My Guest dinner of mouth-watering French cuisine at a local restaurant.
Stay: Mercure Tours Nord (BB/HD)
Day
4
Tours - Bourges - Lyon
Journey through the heart of France! Stop in Bourges to see the Palais Jacques Coeur, the Cathedral of St. Stephen and the delightful archbishop's gardens. Continue south through Sainte-Amand Montrond and the volcanic hills around Clermont Ferrand to Lyon. A gourmet paradise built at the confluence of the Rhône and Saône Rivers, your walking tour with your expert Local Guide through the old city reveals a rich cultural heritage. See the narrow streets, inner courtyards and 'traboules' of France's largest Renaissance city. Marvel at awe-inspiring views of Lyon from Fourvière hill. Arrive later at your hotel where you dine tonight.
Stay: Mercure Lyon Saxe Lafayette (BB/D)
Day
5
Lyon - Chateauneuf-du-pape - Avignon - Nice (2 Nights)
Visit Châteauneuf-du-Pape, a village entwined with papal history since the Avignon Papacy promoted viticulture in the 14th century, advancing the reputation of Burgundy wines in the process. Sample delicious wines at a Côtes du Rhône wine cellar and admire amazing vistas from the ruined fortress. In Avignon, see the Papal Palace and famous bridge over the Rhône in the French song, 'sur le pont d'Avignon'. Arrive later in Nice where you will be treated to an orientation tour, which includes Promenade des Anglais and Place Masséna.
Stay: Masséna (BB)
Day
6
Nice - Excursion To Monte Carlo
Playground of the rich and famous, Nice attracts sun seekers seeking a year-round temperate climate. Spend a free morning relaxing or take a stroll along the Promenade and shop in chic boutiques! This afternoon, enjoy an excursion through splendid scenery along the Côte d'Azur. Visit Monaco and Monte Carlo to see the beautiful casino built by Charles Garnier in the 19th century. There is plenty of free time afterwards for you to explore Monaco! (BB)
Day
7
Nice - Cannes - Barcelona (2 Nights)
Follow the coast and drive along the Boulevard de la Croisette in Cannes - the jewel in the Côte d'Azur. Admire the yachts in the marina and see the Film Festival Centre. Continue through dramatic Provençal landscape which has provided inspiration for so many artists, including Cezanne and Van Gogh. Pass the Camargue National Park, cross the foothills of the Pyrénées to Catalonia in Spain, and continue through olive groves and verdant vineyards. Your destination is Barcelona, a dynamic, cosmopolitan city and one of the busiest ports on the Mediterranean.
Stay: Vincci Barcelona (BB/D)
Day
8
Barcelona Sightseeing And Free Time
Your expert Local Guide takes you on a sightseeing and walking tour through the Gothic quarter. Admire the impressive cathedral and Gaudi's Sagrada Familia, plus many of his other eccentric architectural masterpieces. Spend free time afterwards seeing the city on your own. The Columbus Monument is a must-see and the Ramblas is also worth exploring. Consider an optional excursion this afternoon to the Benedictine monastery at Montserrat to see the mysterious Black Madonna. This evening join your Travel Director and companions for a Farewell Dinner with wine at a typical Spanish restaurant. (BB/HD)
Day
9
Depart Barcelona
Say farewell to your travelling companions at the end of your amazing holiday in France and Catalonia! Return airport transfers are available. Conditions apply. (BB)
Trafalgar Brochure Click on the icon if you would like to view an electronic version of the brochure online.

9 Day Highlights of France & Barcelona Reviews

Tour reviews from past clients of Global Journeys. 1 Reviews, Average Rating 3.0 of 5.
We undertook two tours, the second of which was a Trafalgar tour of France and Spain, which was excellent, and with just 29 on board it was much easy to move around and to get to know people. The pace was slightly more relaxed than on our Globus UK tour. The Tour Guide, Martine Carr was extremely pleasant, competent, and had all the info at her fingertips. The driver also was very competent and managed to negotiate some very tight spots indeed. A couple of times he was caught out by his GPS on roads he was unfamiliar with, but it caused no real dramas. The Trafalgar tour coach was better than the Globus coaches as far as comfort was concerned. All accommodation was top notch, and the included meals were also excellent. Given that it was France and the 'Home of quality Wines' we were most disappointed with the poor wines we were served with our included meals though. The 'Be My Guest' dinner was truly excellent, but the optional Flaminco Dancing after the Farewell dinner in Barcellona was quite uninspiring. All the places we visited were fantastic and well worth seeing - particularly Paris, Monte Carlo, St Paul, & Montserrat Monastery amonst many others. There were a few very long days of travelling where some good tourist spots - even Wineries could have been included to break up the long hours sitting in the coach. The truck stops we used instead on the Freeways were very ordinary. The first long haul was from Bourges to a truck stop near Vichy, the second was from there to Lyon, the third was from Lyon to Chateauuneuf du Pape north of Avignon, the fourth was from Avignon to Nice, and the largest and most uninteresting haul was from Cannes to Barcelona with some very ordinary truckstops along the way. The long distances had to be done, but some enjoyable scenic/tourist breaks would have helped. Perhaps an extra day and stop overnight near Marseille could be considered to break up this last haul, or alternatively have a different tour that finishes at Nice or Marseille and their airports. Overall these minor negatives were outweighed by the fantastic places we visited and saw, and the expert commentary. The detailed tour information, patient guidance and help from Yvonne Brooks from Global Journeys was fantastic, and she made our first time overseas trip a hassle-free experience. I would strongly recommend this tours to anyone who wants to see a lot of France in a short time, who wants value for money, and is prepared to be 'busy'. (GJ: Review split over two tours taken.)
John & Hayden Fowler (Australia)
Tour Date 07/10/2011

Tour Prices

Tour prices are per person. Please request a quote for tour availability.

EXCLUSIVE SPECIAL OFFER*

2012 Season Sale! Save up to $340 per couple. Exclusive to Global Journeys. Deposit this month only to qualify! Subject to availability at the time of booking.

START DATE END DATE BROCHURE
(Twin Share)
BROCHURE
(Single)
OUR
SAVINGS
OUR
PRICE
18 May 2012 26 May 2012 AU $2,275 AU $2,875 Save $170 AU $2,105
25 May 2012 02 Jun 2012 AU $2,275 AU $2,875 Save $170 AU $2,105
01 Jun 2012 09 Jun 2012 AU $2,275 AU $2,875 Save $170 AU $2,105
08 Jun 2012 16 Jun 2012 AU $2,275 AU $2,875 Save $170 AU $2,105
15 Jun 2012 23 Jun 2012 AU $2,275 AU $2,875 Save $170 AU $2,105
22 Jun 2012 30 Jun 2012 AU $2,275 AU $2,875 Save $170 AU $2,105
29 Jun 2012 07 Jul 2012 AU $2,250 AU $2,850 Save $170 AU $2,080
06 Jul 2012 14 Jul 2012 AU $2,250 AU $2,850 Save $170 AU $2,080
13 Jul 2012 21 Jul 2012 AU $2,250 AU $2,850 Save $170 AU $2,080
20 Jul 2012 28 Jul 2012 AU $2,250 AU $2,850 Save $170 AU $2,080
27 Jul 2012 04 Aug 2012 AU $2,250 AU $2,850 Save $170 AU $2,080
03 Aug 2012 11 Aug 2012 AU $2,250 AU $2,850 Save $170 AU $2,080
10 Aug 2012 18 Aug 2012 AU $2,250 AU $2,850 Save $170 AU $2,080
17 Aug 2012 25 Aug 2012 AU $2,250 AU $2,850 Save $170 AU $2,080
24 Aug 2012 01 Sep 2012 AU $2,250 AU $2,850 Save $170 AU $2,080
31 Aug 2012 08 Sep 2012 AU $2,299 AU $2,899 Save $170 AU $2,129
07 Sep 2012 15 Sep 2012 AU $2,299 AU $2,899 Save $170 AU $2,129
14 Sep 2012 22 Sep 2012 AU $2,299 AU $2,899 Save $170 AU $2,129
21 Sep 2012 29 Sep 2012 AU $2,299 AU $2,899 Save $170 AU $2,129
28 Sep 2012 06 Oct 2012 AU $2,299 AU $2,899 Save $170 AU $2,129
05 Oct 2012 13 Oct 2012 AU $2,299 AU $2,899 Save $170 AU $2,129

Note: The majority of departures above will proceed or are guaranteed to depart. We will outline the status of your departure date in your quote along with all applicable discounts and specials.

Tour Discounts & Options:

Tour options, extras, upgrades and discounts!
  Click on the descriptions below for more detail. We will apply all valid discounts automatically to your quote to provide you with the best possible price. Terms & Conditions apply to the discounts below.

SAVEExtra Tour Discount On 2nd Tour
SAVEFrequent Traveller Discount
SAVEFriends & Family Discount
SAVESingle Traveller Saving
SAVETriple Room Discount
SAVEUp to 10% Early Payment Discount
SAVEYoung Traveller Saving

Flights:

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  The prices on our site are land only prices. If you would like to include flights with your quote, then we have some amazing specials for you to take advantage of! Flight specials only apply for clients booking this tour from Global Journeys. Terms & Conditions apply and full details will be provided in your quote.



General Information

The information below relates to this itinerary only.

Tour Operator: Trafalgar Tours

TrafalgarOperating since 1947, Trafalgar offers a wide range of holidays to Europe, Britain, Egypt, USA, Canada, South America, China, Australia and New Zealand. They hosted over 2 million travellers worldwide and many return year after year. Every expertly designed travel experience includes transportation, via deluxe motor coach, rail or cruise ship, first class hotel accommodation, daily sightseeing and most meals.


Tour Type: Regional

Immerse yourself in your favourite European destinations, as Trafalgar takes you off the beaten track to new and exciting places. With two night stay in most cities, our First Class Regional Tours offer itineraries which delve deeply ino the very heart of Europe's many unique countries & cities.


Frequently Asked Questions

How is Trafalgar different from other escorted touring companies?

  • We have over 60 years of knowledge & expertise in the design of unforgettable touring holidays
  • We are international, award-winning for our unrivalled quality, service and reliability
  • We provide perfectly planned and balanced itineraries
  • We have the finest Tour Directors in the industry
  • You will stay in quality hotels carefully selected and conveniently located
  • You will enjoy authentic dining experiences
  • You will enjoy savings of up to 40% when compared with travelling independently

When will I receive my documents?

Documents will normally be mailed 21 days prior to departure provided full payment has been received.

Who else will be travelling with me?

Good company enriches any travelling experience and your group will be made up of English-speaking people from around the world. On a Trafalgar tour you will take away far more than just fantastic memories – together you will share great times, swap terrific stories and form new lifelong friendships.

How many people will be on tour with me?

There will be a maximum of 49 people on your coach, however a Trafalgar coach carries an average of just 40 guests.

Will the coach be modern and comfortable?

With Trafalgar it's as great to travel as it is to arrive - we insist on using only the latest models of air-conditioned, luxury coaches, as well as high quality trains and cruise ships. For your comfort, smoking is not allowed onboard our coaches, however, there are plenty of rest stops for you to stretch your legs. You'll be chauffeur driven, door to door by a professional driver who will make your journey a relaxing pleasure. We use a state-of-the-art sound system for mood music with fascinating commentaries by your tour director.

Where will my hotel be located and what will it be like?

Trafalgar goes to great lengths to seek out the very best hotels because we know that where you stay each night is important to the enjoyment of your holiday. We, therefore, select hotels with great care. We only select hotels that are:

  • Perfectly located so that you are as close as possible to the most important attractions.
  • Monitored by our Quality Control team who rigorously check every little detail to ensure the service is impeccable and your enjoyment is complete.
  • Reputable brands, such as Hilton and Novotel, as well as high quality, privately-owned hotels.
  • Great value through our enormous buying power which enables us to negotiate deeper discounts and pass these savings on to you, our clients.

As part of your hassle-free holiday, when you arrive at your hotel, we will ensure that you are already checked in, your luggage is taken directly to your room and all hotel porterage, tips and gratuities are included.

What are Trafalgar Tour Directors like?

Sightseeing is fun but it's a Trafalgar Tour Director that really brings a destination to life. Our Tour Directors are the finest in the industry. Their local knowledge and unfailing friendliness provides you with a personalised “concierge” service which ensures you get the very best out of every single day. They are experienced travellers, learned historians and culture buffs. Through their in-depth expertise, you'll discover the history and be immersed in cultures of the places you visit.

Your Tour Directors can help interpret, show you how to get good value while shopping and how to spot a fake from the real deal. They make things smoother, more interesting and ultimately more enjoyable. They are your friend in an unfamiliar place.

Trafalgar also uses expert local guides to further enhance your sightseeing experience. When you are travelling on your own it's all too easy to pass through a place without touching the sides. That's why our expert local guides are so invaluable – they tell the less well known tales, relate the more curious stories, recall the most obscure events and reveal the best guarded secrets to ensure every moment is full of discovery and brimming with surprises.

What does the tour cost include?

The prices listed cover all accommodations, all applicable sightseeing and admissions as per the itinerary, motorcoach, cruise or rail transportation, services of a professional Trafalgar Tour Director, all meals as shown in the itinerary and luggage handling.

Are tips included?

Trafalgar Tours has pre-paid certain tips and gratuities for you such as all baggage handling at hotels and ports. Tips to restaurant staff for meals are also included in the price of your tour. Tips are customarily given to your Tour Director, Driver and Local Guides at your discretion. The recommended amounts are: Tour Directors EUR4 per day, Drivers EUR2.50 per day and Local Guides EUR1 per day. The option to prepay these tips prior to departure is possible. Please ask your consultant to include this in your quote.

What is an 'Optional Activity'?

The ultimate way to personalise your Trafalgar experience. Our expertly crafted itineraries strike the perfect balance between making sure you visit all the “must see” highlights, whilst still enjoying ample free time to explore on your own or take one of our great value optional excursions. Our extensive variety of optional excursions are designed to work perfectly with your tour. They let you experience more of what you choose to see, but ensure that you don't pay for activities you are not interested in, allowing you more time to do what you enjoy most.

Do you have a share program for singles?

Many of our holidays are ideally designed for single or solo travellers. Every detail is taken care of, from start to finish, so all you need to do is enjoy your holiday in the company of like-minded travellers from around the world. Meals, activities and sightseeing are all shared with your new friends, so you will never be alone - unless you choose to do some exploring or relaxing by yourself. Accommodation can be booked as a private single room or like many of our clients, you may wish to share a twin room by taking advantage of our 'Room Mate Matching Service'. You will share a room with someone from your tour (same gender), so you can avoid paying a single room supplement, in addition to making a new friend.

Where can I find out more information on Trafalgar?

We have a dedicated section on our website providing more detailed information on Trafalgar including FAQ's on what you need to know before, during and after your travel; as well as information on their 'Touring Styles', and a comprehensive search facility to enable you to easily find more of their tours. Read more> (NB: This link will take you away from this tour itinerary page).


Know Before You Go

Trafalgar Know Before You Go GuideDownload this “Know Before You Go” Guide, filled with all the essential information you need to assist you in preparing for your tour. Learn about each country, vital pre-trip tips and hints, and find important information you need to know while travelling this incredible region. (2MB)


Airport Transfer Information

Airport Transfers in Europe

All Trafalgar passengers receive complimentary arrival and departure transfers by shuttle bus on the arrival and departure day of their guided holiday at specified times. Any passengers whose flight times do not coincide with the shuttle bus transfer timings may choose to book and purchase a transfer. Additionally, passengers arriving before or leaving after the scheduled holiday may also book and buy a transfer through Trafalgar providing they also purchase the additional pre and post holiday hotel night(s) from Trafalgar.


Terms & Conditions:

Yep, all the boring small print! We still recommend you read it all though, as no one likes surprises. Click here to read them now - they will open in a new window, or print them off to read over later with a cup of coffee!

 

Georgie Walpole

Your Tour Consultant Will Be:

Georgie Walpole
Tour Consultant
Email: georgie@globaljourneys.com
Expertise: International Coach Touring & River Cruising
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