Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Discover France Valentine Combines Chocolates with Chateaux

Mais oui, ma cherie! Come with me to a secret vineyard in a chauffeur-driven French vintage car to celebrate Valentine’s Day.

This is actually possible thanks to a new itinerary arranged by a French company, Discover France (http://www.discoverfrance.com), to rescue suitors who at the 11th hour remember that Feb. 14 is around the corner.

The rate for Loire Valley Valentines Tour is 1,795 euros (about US$2,304.33 as of this posting) per person based on double occupancy for four nights accommodations in four-star superior class castle hotels, vintage car and driver, breakfasts and most dinners, chocolate tasting, wine tasting, cooking class, treasure hunt and local emergency technical support. Discover France also provides travel planning to add Paris hotels, car rentals, France hotels, trains, airport transfers, and more. See:

http://www.discoverfrance.com/regions/loirevalley_valentines.php.

Loren Siekman, Discover France director, says, “Valentine’s Day in France is romantic; this itinerary is unique and very personal and is being released just in time for those late planners. There is a romantic walk filled with riddles and surprises following a romantic track into an ancient French town, with stops to taste oysters in the market hall, sample Touraine wines, discover religious sites, secret gardens and cheeky shops.

Siekman added, “We call this tour a Valentine's Tour because of the romantic nature of the season, but couples can go most anytime throughout the year,” Siekman added.

Guests are on their own to arrive in Amboise to settle into the Hotel Le Choiseul for a gourmet dinner and views of the Loire. http://www.grandesetapes.fr/en/Chateau-hotel-choiseul/index.html. On day two guests are driven to Château de Chenonceau, crossing the Cher River before whisking to a surprise vineyard famous for sparkling wines in Montlouis or Vouvray. Vineyard hosts stroll with guests through the vineyards and troglodyte (cave). http://www.grandesetapes.fr/en/Chateau-hotel-artigny/index.html. This evening guests return to Hotel Le Choiseul for dinner and bonne nuit.

The third day combines an on-own self-guided walking tour of Amboise with suggested visits to the resident Villandry Castle and English-style park and a chocolate tasting at Chocolaterie Bigot. This afternoon guests transfer to Château d’Artigny in Montbazon for a spa treatment and gourmet dinner.

Day four yields visits to a romantic châteaux including the Sleeping Beauty’s castle (Rigny-Ussé) or the Château of Azay-le-Rideau well known for its water mirror and romantic park. Before lunch guests transfer to Tours, the main city of the Loire Valley where there is a private gourmet cooking workshop with a senior chef from Westminster Palace, House of Lords, at a local tea room. The workshop theme is a Chocolate Lovers three course menu that guests will later consume along with selected Touraine’s wines. The last night is at Château d’Artigny.

Discover France Adventures has been organizing bicycle tours and hiking tours in France since 1994 and has offices in both the USA and in France. Discover France Adventures award-winning tours are made up of their unique self guided tours and competitively priced guided tours including privileged access tours at the Tour de France. Discover France is one of only four licensed tour operators to the Tour de France.

Visit http://www.discoverfrance.com for all details or contact them by phone at (800) 960-2221 or by e-mail at contact@discoverfrance.com.

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