Which RS France tour to choose from?

Hello,

Ok, although I haven't been on any of these tours, I might be able to help you decide.

To me, the My Way tour would offer the least value. So let's pretend it is no longer an option.

Then, let's compare the Loire to S. of France vs. Eastern France tours:

Both great itineraries! The Loire tour takes you to areas of France that are difficult to visit without a car or some sort of Day Tour. The Eastern France tour is doable via public transportation, but it includes lots of great sites, including WW1 sites. And it is wine heavy. So, I'd ask myself these questions:

Do we want to combine WW1 and WW2 sites this trip or do we want more variety? (You said you would add Normandy) If you want more variety, pick Loire.

What time of year? Eastern France will be cooler.

Do I want to tackle Eastern France on my own or concentrate on areas best served by a tour or rental car? Choose Loire.

You're going to be a winner either way. Enjoy!

I’m curious why you’re not considering the Paris and the Heart of France tour since it goes to Mont-Saint-Michel (you spend the night there). We did this tour in May, 2017, adding a day pre-tour in Paris and a day post-tour in Paris.

Thanks for both your comments.
I've eliminated Paris and the heart of France for a couple of reasons. I've been to Paris enough times that I can navigate the city and the museums without a tour guide so I would prefer to do the city independantly. Yes the tour goes to Normandy, but I was thinking of renting a car for a few days to cover the beaches and Mont St-Michel. I also want to go back to the museum at Caen and most tours don't stop there.

I do like the way the Loire to South of France stops at the chateau's near Chinon and it wouldn't be that far from Mont St-Michel. I'd just have to figure out where to get rid of the car.

I've got time to consider this more as this trip would be for 2026 - next year is RS Greece.

I just wanted to throw it out there, that we picked up a rental car in Rennes at the train station so we could drive to MSM then on to Bayeux/Caen and other areas for WW2 sites. (We took the train from Paris>Rennes) so just wanted to say it may be a good pick up/drop off option as you are trying to figure out a location regarding a car rental.

I went on the RS My Way France tour in June/July 2022 and enjoyed it very much.

After arriving at the CDG airport, I took the bus to the Opera area in Paris and walked to the Saint Lazare train station where I took the train to Bayeux and spent 3 nights. The train I took made one stop in Caen where there are rental cars available.

I returned to Paris for 4 nights before the RS tour began. I spent 2 additional nights in Nice after the tour was over.

My long winded trip report is here
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/my-way-france-before-during-and-after-the-rs-tour

If you like the RS My Way France itinerary and can plan your own sightseeing each day, it is nice having the hotels and bus transportation sorted out for you.

Scott,
A very detailed trip report for your "my way" adventure but it was an interesting read. So many places to go and see in the city. I've seen other people mention Overlord tours and I think a mini-van tour would be good going back to Normandy. On my first trip to Paris back in 2001, a group of us ladies hit the Louvre, Versailles, Notre Dame cathedral along with the required cruise on the Seine. We had a transit pass and used the subways extensively. It wasn't until 9-11 hit and we ended up "stuck' for an extra 4 days in Paris, our pass ran out so we started walking the city and could really see how beautiful it was. Rather than panicking like many people did, we took a trip to Reims and sampled the champagne, a side trip to Giverny that was not crowded and a 13 hour bus trip to Normandy beaches with a stop at the museum in Caen that had opened the year before for the 50th anniversary of the invasion.

I returned to Paris in May 2019 for a less eventful visit. Checked out the Louvre again along with the Orangery and the Rodin museum. I couldn't believe the increase in crowds. Hopped on a 2 week Viking river cruise that took me to Rouen and normandy then trained down to Lyon, Avignon (loved Ponte du Gard). Never went to Nice but did fly on my own to Corsica which I would highly recommend.

We’ve done both tours, Eastern France in 2018 and the Loire tour in 2023, as well as 2 of the “My Way” tours, just not the French one. You won’t go wrong with whichever one you pick, it’s more a matter of your particular interests.

The other day my husband did say the he would consider doing the Eastern France tour again. It contained such a variety of experiences. There were all different kinds of wine experiences and the quality was such that we continue to buy them back at home. The historical stops covered everything from the Roman ruins in Vaison la Romaine to the amphitheater at Orange to Verdun. Finally, you get the nature element in Chamonix.

The castles on the Loire tour were a highlight for me. The cathedral and nightly illuminations in Chartres were pretty spectacular, as was the visit to the cave drawings and the quarry illuminations in Les Baux. There is the somber visit to Oradur sur Glane and the impressive visit to Carcassone. Finally, there’s Arles and Nice.

As we’ve aged, we find we really like the “My Way” tours for the ability to set our own pace while having someone else deal with the logistical aspects. The groups have been congenial and that added to our enjoyment. It gives us the opportunity to select activities that suit our interests. Whatever you choose will be grand.