A belated trip report – Loire to the South of France, May 2025

Tuesday, leaving Chartres, stop in Amboise, on to Chinon: We met our charming and skillful bus driver, Fethi, and hit the road to Amboise, a beautiful smallish town. It’s most famous for having been home to Leonardo da Vinci during the final three years of his life. The estate where he lived (gift from the king) is open for tours, as are the gorgeous gardens. I’m always happy for a look at Leonardo’s life and work. BTW, the Walter Isaacson biography of Leonardo is excellent, especially the audio read by Eduardo Ballerini.

We are in the Loire Valley, and it’s notable that the Loire is a savage river, with no dams. Onward we rode to the Chateau de Chenceneau, the most visited in France. It has a complicated history of ownership through the centuries thanks to the vagaries of kings, queens and mistresses. A principal character is Catherine di Medici! Anyway, it’s quite grand and the setting is stunning.

We ended the long day in Chinon, which is a lovely old, small village. We are staying in a family owned hotel that is charming; there are 16 winding steps to my room, a window and a fan. I’m grateful the weather is perfect.

Wednesday, deux châteaux et jardins: And then wine! We set out from Chinon to see the amazing themed Renaissance gardens of the Château de Villandry, best seen from the castle rooftop but also remarkable from ground level. The castle has a long history, dating to the 1100s as a fortress. More interesting to me is its more recent evolution, when it was bought by a Spanish doctor and his American heiress wife, who revamped the gardens to reflect the glory days of the 1500s.

From there, we traveled to Azay-le-Rideau, a village of about 4000 that boasts an elegant castle and sprawling, more natural gardens and grounds. It, too, has a long history; rebuilt from scratch after a fire during the 100 Years War (which lasted about 116 years), it was seized by the king because it was so nice. It is good to be the king.

After lunch, we returned to Chinon and regrouped in late afternoon for a wine tasting in a “troglodyte cave,” of which there are many in the limestone that makes up the geography. The local winemaker was patient with the zillion questions from our group and shared stories and wine with us. The two grapes of Chinon are chenin (white) and Cabernet franc (red). I bought a couple of bottles to share in the next town.

My new tour friend, Ron, a hair stylist from Greensboro, and I had a fine dinner at a restaurant he’d researched, and they deigned to seat us without a reservation after my appeal and apology in halting French. La!

Thursday, on the road: We said goodbye to Chinon this morning and began a long drive to Sarlat in the Dordogne region. It’s the land of fois gras, walnuts and duck confit.

But first, our continuing education in French culture focused on the history of the EU and the symbolism of the images on its currency, to wit windows on one side and bridges on the other. Who knew?

We made a stop for a picnic lunch in tiny Montemart, one of the prettiest villages in France. The sign says so, and there are rules! The town, which now has about 100 residents, dates to the 10th century and was a religious center in the Middle Ages. Also, Louis XV’s favorite mistress was born here, so the king liked the place.

The mayor led us on a stroll that ended in the chapel, which features a likeness of Henri XIV at age 12, a gift from his parents to the many congregations that prayed for a successful pregnancy.

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Back on the bus and on to Oradour-sur-Glane, the site of a WWII atrocity committed shortly after D-Day in 1944. The town was not a center of the Resistance so when the Germans ordered the men to gather in groups and the women and children to go to the church, they thought it the usual routine harassment. No. The soldiers gunned down the townspeople and burned the town. A handful survived.

The town is now a monument and it’s shocking and so sad to see the remains — stone walls and metal furniture and cars. I thought Guernika was the saddest place I’d ever been but this is heartbreaking in its casual brutality and senselessness.

We had a somber ride into Sarlat, which is stunning — centuries old buildings of creamy limestone, narrow streets, thriving cafes. It looks like a movie set.

Friday, in the Dordogne: I left the hotel early for a wander through Sarlat as this lovely town was waking up. So different from the busy day and evening! I try to do this everywhere I spend a night.

After breakfast, off we went down winding roads to the Cave of the Hundred Mammoths at Rouffignac … no photos allowed! It’s stunning and so very very old. They think the cave began to form 16 million years ago, carved by a river; we rode a little electric tram deep into it, seeing hollows and claw marks created by hibernating cave bears (!) and then drawings of mammoths, horses and woolly rhinoceroses. The cro magnon artists came 17,000 years ago, drawing first with their hands in the porous rock and later with manganese shards from the cave. Awesome experience.

Next, to La Roque-Gageac, a lovely village on the river. My tour pal and I had a fabulous lunch on the terrace overlooking the scene, and then our group boarded a traditional flat-bottomed boat for a ride up the river.
By the way, we twice passed directional signs pointing to Brin d’Amour, which means, I think, twig of love. I’ll remember that at the next Canes game. (Rod Brind'Amour is the coach of our NHL team.)

Finally, we moved on to Les Jardins Suspendus de Marqueyssac, the gardens of which are not really suspended but do overlook a valley. Lots of sculpted boxwood hedges and forms, shaped solely with hand tools, so noise won’t mar the strolling experience. Lovely, but my tired self didn’t make the uphill climb.

Back to Sarlat for a brief rest before dinner, where I affirmed my distaste of fois gras, and had a comforting meal of Mont d’Or fromage and boiled pommes de terre. That is, a delicious round of melty French cheese into which you dunk chunks of little potatoes. And a nice bottle of wine to share.
Quite a day.

Saturday in Sarlat: A vacation from your vacation, in the parlance of Rick Steves’ Europe. In other words, a free day. For me, that meant a morning wander through the market as vendors were setting up, a schlep to the laundromat and back, more time in the market, now seriously crowded. Lunch, a little rest, then meeting our guide and most of the group for happy hour and learning to play pétanque (or boules).

We had a surprise guest, Steve Smith, who has been collaborating with Rick Steves on guidebooks for decades. Lovely man. Virginie, our guide, also helps write the France guidebooks. The afternoon was sunny with a cool breeze and no humidity. In other words, perfect.

My tour friend Ron and I returned to 3 Sens, the restaurant that hosted our group dinner on Thursday. We sat on the terrace for a delicious dinner and then strolled through the golden evening to our hotel.
Our Sarlat sojourn has been very, very nice.

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Sunday, to Carcassonne with a stop at le Canal du Midi. On y va!

Several hours on the bus today as we left Sarlat for the Languedoc and the ancient walled city that is Carcassonne. We made a lunch stop at le Canal du Midi , built on the late 1600s at the order of Louis XIV to link the Mediterranean and Atlantic. It’s the oldest functioning canal in Europe and probably very photogenic but not so much where we were. Moving on.

We stopped at a scenic overlook to see Carcassonne in the distance and begin to learn its tangled history that involves religion (the Cathars, a 11th century offshoot of the Catholic Church … it’s complicated and sometimes referred to as the Albigensian heresy), a pope, a king making a land grab and what’s said to be the model for the Crusades. Anyhow there was a siege, there’s a legend about a woman and a pig, and it’s a spectacular structure.

A local guide offered a big download of information and on the way back to the hotel we passed the local rugby team having a raucous celebration of their moving up a level. Yellow smoke cannons, cheering and of course We Are the Champions blaring from a speaker. Excellent!

For dinner, we had a cassoulet experience that was fun and hearty and delicious.

The hotel air conditioning wasn’t doing much, so I slept with my window wide open, with a cool breeze and lots of birdsong. The view at sunrise was pink and gorgeous.

Monday, a wine lesson in the Languedoc and thence to Arles, in Provence, where Vincent Van Gogh still casts a long shadow.

After a rest stop about two hours into our drive (our French guide calls these “peepee pauses” and they’re required by law for drivers to get a break) we arrived at the family owned vineyard and winery Domaine Guinand in a place called Entre-Vignes, or between the vines. It’s in the Languedoc.

One of the owners, Sophie, patiently led us around and explained the vinification process and then treated us to a tasting, after which we had lunch. With wine. I had a lot of notes but somehow erased them, so what I recall is: Sophie and her brother, who is the winemaker, are the eighth generation in their family to manage the vineyard. Their oldest vines are about 60 years old, and they export widely, to Europe, Asia and the U.S. Twas an interesting way to spend the morning.

After a sleepy bus ride of about an hour, we arrived in Arles, in Provence, and it’s quite a place … there’s a Roman colosseum! A river. A Frank Gehry building! Lots of winding streets, flowers, cafes and shops. We had a walkabout with a local guide who provided A Lot of Information, then made it to our hotel, which has a lovely courtyard and rather eccentric layout. I had a spritz and then some red wine with a pizza (I asked for it to be well done, bien cuit in French) and it was just fine. Then came an early night, a loud thunderstorm at about 4 a.m. and fine breakfast before heading to the Pont du Gard, the famous Roman aqueduct nearby. More on that later.

Tuesday, the amazing Pont du Gard and an afternoon and evening in lovely Arles. Also an eyeglasses mishap.

The Pont du Gard is what remains of a Roman aqueduct that once ran from Ezès to Nîmes, a feat of imagination, architecture and engineering that worked for several hundred years until limestone deposits within the lead pipes blocked the water. There are lots of remnants along the way. This is the largest and best preserved.

There’s a museum that explains everything and a short film with English subtitles. We had a droll guide who led us up winding, uneven stone steps to the top level where we were admitted (via a dark winding stone staircase) to walk through the actual pipe. There are openings here and there, and the views are amazing. Laurent, the guide, kept referring to the many small children on the pathways as monsters and warned us not to feed them. Very French sense of humor, eh?

Our return to Arles was delayed while we waited for a tour member to sort himself out and find us … there are several parking lots, so …

Back in Arles, we had a free afternoon and evening, so I went a-wandering, stopping at a pharmacie for sunscreen and finding an optical shop to fix my glasses, which I’d knocked akimbo by walking into a very clean glass door that I thought was an opening. Yikes.

I also visited a very old convent that I thought would be peaceful but instead was overrun by loud school kids. Next, a regional museum of Provence culture. And then a rooftop happy hour and trivia competition orchestrated by one of our group. My team did not win, alas.

One last dinner at a nearby family-owned restaurant was memorable and a nice way to end our time there.

Wednesday, a memorable surprise and on to our last stop, Nice.
We left lovely Arles on Wednesday morning, me with the Don McLean song about Van Gogh stuck on repeat in my head, and set out for nearby Les Baux-de-Provence, a beautiful old hilltop village in which bauxite was discovered to be an element of aluminium (or something like that).

The quarry from which the stone for many buildings and fortifications was taken is now the home to a fantastic changing art exhibit. Right now, it’s Monet, with a bit of Rousseau. The art is projected onto multiple surfaces, with animating effects, and soaring music. It’s an amazing, immersive experience. This was our guide’s surprise.

The village itself is winding narrow streets of stone, the remains of a castle, complete with trebuchets, and many shops and restaurants offering Provençal souvenirs and typical food specialties. Another sunny, breezy day.

On we drove to Nice, a bit concerned about traffic because the Monaco Gran Prix and Cannes Film Festival were also happening nearby, but all was well. Our hotel was just across the street from the long, beautiful beach and the wide, busy walkway along it. Cool sea breeze, bright sun and gorgeous blue water. An interesting mix of architectural styles, lots of beautiful people wearing beautiful clothes. Heaven.

We had a little walk around to get oriented and then my tour pal and I split off for dinner. I’ve really enjoyed outdoor dining on this trip. It’s quintessentially French, oui?

Last day in Nice, then travel, travel.

We spent our last day together in old Nice, with its narrow streets, painted buildings and so much history. The hotel is a few minutes away from the flower market, always a highlight for me. Our local guide led us through the different sections of old town, pointing out historic sites such as a house where Napoleon spent a week. We learned that the shallow, wide steps are called “donkey steps” for obvious reasons — that’s how people hauled stuff around. Also, there are a lot of fake windows, that is, painted, as owners were once taxed by the window.

The wind was up, causing some whitecaps in the blue, blue sea but not deterring sunbathers, beach volleyball players and visitors strolling the wide paved path along the shore. It was lovely. We had a final dinner together and chatted about what we’d enjoyed most.

I said at the start that I was most looking forward to the Sarlat market day, but the cave drawings and the quarry art show blew that away. I loved experiencing France outside of Paris, got to work on my French, which will help when my husband and I visit Paris, Beaune and Lyon independently in September, and even bought a vegetarian air fryer cookbook in French at a truck stop. Cooking adventures await!

Friday was all about transportation — cab to the Nice airport, delayed plane to Paris, discovering I’d not booked the airport hotel I thought (it was fine), an early night. This morning (Saturday) I’m waiting on the Air France flight straight to Raleigh, where I’ll be very happy to see Bob and hope the hockey team can find itself and win a damn game.

A few parting thoughts: I've now taken five RS tours, four of them alone, one with my adult daughter. In addition, my husband and I travel independently to Europe for a couple of weeks a year on trips I plan and organize. The older I get, the more I appreciate the planning and logistics that a RS tour provides, as well as the insights and expert commentary from guides and local experts. So much so that I'm going on the Paris and Heart of France in April, even though it duplicates a bit of this tour and will be my ninth time in Paris.

Our guide on this trip, Virginie Moré, was exceptional – knowledgeable, funny, patient and particularly understanding of U.S.-based travelers, as she lived in Florida and Montana (if I remember correctly) for several years while studying and then teaching. She also researches and co-writes the RS France guidebooks and she's an excellent follow on Instagram.

I hope this has been helpful and welcome questions and comments.

Wonderful trip report! I went on this tour this past May and loved it as well - it was one of my favorites of all the RS tours I've been on. Thank you for posting all of this - it brought back some great memories.

I really enjoyed reading your trip report - thanks for posting.

I have a question - At Pont du Gard, did anybody opt out of climbing the dark winding stone staircase to walk through the actual pipe?

I enjoyed this very much as well and I have not been to any area outside Paris. Your words painted a good enough picture that I could appreciate all the places you went!

Estimated Prophet: I was not on this tour, but did opt out on my 2023 tour. I went down to the river below and sat in a shallow part and looked up at the magnificent structure and contemplated life. It was a very satisfactory alternative and my new knee & hip since that trip would now probably make it possible for me to climb to the top. However, I was just glad to actually be there as it had been on my wish list for a very long time.

Thanks for the report! A pleasure to read, almost feel like I was there.

We did that tour in 2019 with Virginie and I agree, she is exceptional. We loved the Dordogne portion of the tour and wanted to make it back. We finally did last Fall and stayed in Beynac.

Thank you very much for the wonderful trip report. We have been considering taking this tour for a while and your report makes it even more enticing.

Thank you for the kind words… we had a tour member or two who were claustrophobic and passed on the Pont du Gard and the troglodyte wine cave. I myself was happy that the tour had ditched a canoe trip along the river for a boat ride!

Thanks, Felicia. I’m taking a break from sorting out my stuff to go into my suitcase to read this! I leave Monday for this tour! I’m expecting to love it. It will be tour #12 for me. Thanks for taking the time to share, reading these tour/trip reports really help.

Wonderful trip report! I know they take time, but all your info will help future people taking this tour. We took this tour in 2023 and loved it. Thanks for helping me relive it.

Stellar report! I love your writing style, the details you include, and how you organize it for ease of reading. And now this is my top destination for my next RS tour. Way to go! You deserve a commission from the head office.

Felicia, thank you for a very nice trip report! Could you tell me the name of your hotel in Nice? I may be going to some parts of France next year, and the hotel in Nice where I stayed last time has closed.

Thanks for sharing! Great descriptions. This tour’s on my radar.

Thanks for the great trip report. Question, I'm always up for a pretty village. Could you double check/clarify the name, Montemart, google maps can't find it.

Really enjoyed this trip report. A tour I hope to take in the next few years. Thank you!