AUBURN HS - FRANCE TOUR

Depart from Melbourne to Paris (via Singapore) at 16:40pm.

Overnight:  In Transit

Arrive in Paris approx. 7:15am. Clear customs and immigration, collect your luggage and exit to meet your tour manager who will direct you to your waiting coach.

Depart for central Paris.

Enjoy a panoramic tour of the city. See such magnificent sights as Napoleon's Arc de Triomphe, the Eiffel Tower, Concorde and the Champs Elysées.

Lunch at your leisure.

Enjoy an afternoon exploring the Quartier Latin and St-Germain-des-Pres with your tour manager. You might like to visit the delightful Jardin de Luxembourg.

Meet your coach later this afternoon and depart for your hotel.

Arrive at your hotel and check in.  

Enjoy a Welcome dinner as a group.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   OVERNIGHT: PARIS

Breakfast at your hotel.

This morning, using your travel cards, travel on the Metro to visit the beautiful Musée d’Orsay. This monumental art gallery displays France’s national collections of paintings, sculptures, objets d’art and other works produced between 1848 and 1914. See the masterpieces of major impressionist and post-impressionist artists such as Monet, Manet, Degas, Renoir, Cezanne, Seurat, Sisely, Gauguin or Van Gogh. They are spectacularly housed in this former train station, built in 1900. (Closed on Mondays)

Lunch as a group at a local Bouillon (*subject to availability).

Visit the Galleries Lafayette department store to visit their rooftop terrace for a wonderful panoramic view across Paris. Also marvel at the stunning stained-glass dome which makes this a truly unique shopping experience.

This afternoon, using your travel cards, travel on the Metro to meet your guide who will take you on a walking tour of the Montmartre area of Paris, perched high on a hill north of the city centre.

By the end of the 19th century the area was a mecca for artists, writers, poets and their disciples.  Although many of the artists have long since departed, the area still retains its village atmosphere. Walk through the Place du Tertre, explore the cobbled streets, stop at the beautiful Sacré-Coeur. Entry to the Dome for a panoramic view over Paris is included today. Climb the 300 stairs to the very top for wonderful views over all of Paris.

Enjoy dinner as a group.

Return to your hotel using your travel cards.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                            OVERNIGHT: PARIS

Breakfast at your hotel.

This morning, use your travel card to explore Paris with your tour manager.

Enjoy a guided tour of the Musée du Louvre.

The Louvre Museum is one of the most visited, oldest, largest, and most famous art galleries and museums in the world. The building was previously a royal palace, and is famous for holding several of the world's most prestigious works of art, such as Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa and Alexandros of Antioch's Venus de Milo.

Lunch at your leisure.

Enjoy a stroll along the Champs-Elysées or travel by metro to Charles de Gaulle Etoile to visit the Arc de Triomphe or visit the Eiffel Tower*.

Eiffel Tower entry subject to availablity.*

Dinner as a group.

Enjoy an evening cruise on the river Seine. Admire   the beautiful banks of the Seine, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with its picturesque bridges and beautiful monuments.

Return to your hotel using your travel cards.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                   OVERNIGHT: PARIS

Breakfast at your hotel.

Check out of your hotel.

Depart by coach for Amiens. (approx. 2-2.5hrs without stops).

Enjoy lunch as a group on arrival.

Meet your tour manager for a leisurely  walking tour of Amiens and admire the beautiful Cathedral Notre Dame d’Amiens. With its imposing height of 141m (463 ft), this 13th-century cathedral is the largest church in France and the crowning example of French Gothic architecture. Notre Dame d'Amiens has been a listed World Heritage monument since 1981.

Following your visit to the cathedral, enjoy a stop just across the square, at the Jean Trogneux Chocolate bar, a 6th generation family local chocolate and macaron makers. The Macaron d’Amiens is a regional speciality since the 16th century. It is almond-based using all natural ingredients including honey, and they are not like the colourful macarons you might see in other parts of France which are made using meringue and almond meal.

Enjoy a cup of tea, coffee or hot chocolate with your Macaron d’Amiens (1 per person).

Complimentary tasting of the local speciality, Gateau Battu (a brioche), and chocolate tuiles included.

Continue your tour in the city centre.

Transfer to your hotel and check in.

Dinner at your hotel.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                            OVERNIGHT: AMIENS

Breakfast at your hotel.

Check out of your hotel.

This morning, travel a short distance to Villers-Bretonneux  and visit the Australian National Memorial and the Sir John Monash Centre.

Depart for Caen via the Pont de Normandie following your visit. (3-3.5hrs without stops)

Lunch en route (own expense).

Arrive at your hotel and check in.

Dinner as a group

                                                                                                                                                                                                                            OVERNIGHT: CAEN

Breakfast at your hotel.

Normandy, famed for its dairy products and Calvados, and just a short hop across the Channel from England, was the sight of some of the most severe fighting during WWII.

This morning, depart for a visit of the D-Day landing beaches of Normandy, including Arromanches and Omaha Beach.

Visit the town of Arromanches, renowned for its artificial "Mulberry" harbour, known as "Port Winston". The impressive remains continue to remind visitors of the remarkable technical feat of taking 600,000 tonnes of concrete and equipment across the Channel in wartime to serve as a base for Allied troops. It's hard to imagine this quiet, seaside town filled with soldiers and tanks landing on D-Day.

Visit Arromanches D‐Day Museum. This museum was the first museum built to commemorate June 6, 1944 and the Battle of Normandy.

Built opposite the still visible remains of the Mulberry artificial harbour, and inaugurated by French President René Coty, the museum told the story of the Allied forces’ arrival, known as Operation Overlord, and described how Arromanches harbour worked.

Enjoy lunch as a group at a local auberge.

After lunch, continue to the American Cemetery at St Laurent-sur-Mer, overlooking Omaha Beach. The full horror of the Omaha landings can barely be imagined. Naval gunfire and pre-landing air bombardment had not softened German defences or resistance, and the first wave of troops, landing at 6.30am, were met with heavy machine gun fire and explosives. By midday, a bleak picture was emerging of landing conditions, and the US First Commander even considered pulling back. But bravery and force of numbers ensured that by the end of D-Day, the Allies had a had a toehold on this section of the Normandy coast. 

Re-board your coach and head back to your hotel.

Dinner as a group.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      OVERNIGHT: CAEN

Breakfast at your hotel.

Check out of the hotel and depart for Paris. (approx 3hrs without stops)

En route, visit a local Camembert cheese factory to learn about the production of this delicious French cheese! Includes a tasting!

Lunch at leisure.

Continue onto Giverny and visit the Fondation Claude Monet, home and beautiful gardens of Claude Monet – the Water Garden and the Clos Normand.  These gardens inspired some of Monet’s most famous paintings, the Water Lilies.

**Art activity subject to availability**

 Arrive at your hotel and check in.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                  OVERNIGHT: PARIS AREA

Breakfast at your hotel.

Check out of the hotel and transfer to Gare de Lyon train station for your TGV fast train to Avignon.

On arrival, meet your coach and local guide and enjoy a guided tour of the historic town of Avignon. See the Pont St Bénézet, made famous by the song 'Sur le Pont d'Avignon'.

Transfer to your hotel and check in.

Dinner as a group.

                                                                                                                                                                      OVERNIGHT: AVIGNON /SALON-DE-PROVENCE  AREA

Breakfast at your hotel.

Spend the morning at the market in Avignon! The town will be abuzz with market stalls with everything from arts, crafts, foods and more! This is a great place to use your language skills!

Buy your lunch at the markets.

After lunch, depart for Arles. (approx. 1hr)

Meet your local guide on arrival and enjoy a walking tour and discover the Arena. The city was dubbed “the little Rome in Gaul” during Roman times and its ancient buildings are listed as UNESCO World Heritage monuments. The city is also closely connected with  Vincent Van Gogh. The painter only lived in Arles for 15 months but he found the light of the city so inspiring that he produced over 300 paintings and drawings during his stay!

Return to your hotel late afternoon.

                                                                                                                                                                 OVERNIGHT: AVIGNON /SALON-DE-PROVENCE  AREA

Breakfast at your hotel.

Enjoy a full day tour of the Vaucluse region.

Visit the spectacular medieval village of Gordes, hanging on a rocky cliff and crowned by a medieval and Renaissance chateau. Originally a Roman outpost, the village was built in the Middle Ages and restored during the Renaissance. Gordes' special architecture with houses built on terraces is due to the geography of the land, high above the Vaucluse plateau, and its strategic defensive position.

Free time for lunch.

Visit Roussillon, a hilltop village located in the very heart of the biggest ochre deposits in the world and famous for its wide palette of flamboyant colours. Admire the deep red and golden yellow quarries, set off by the forests of green pines trees and the rich blue sky and take a walk in the colourful village amongst the houses which have been washed with the traditional ochre rendering. See the small gardens and squares, visit the 11th century church, or admire a lovely view of the Val des Fees (Fairy valley) and the rust-red cliffs. Explore the many art and crafts galleries showcasing paintings of Provençal landscapes or pottery made from the ochre clay and blends of mineral oxides made by local artists.

Return to your hotel late afternoon.

Dinner as a group.

                                                                                                                                                                            OVERNIGHT: AVIGNON /SALON-DE-PROVENCE  AREA

Breakfast at your hotel. 

Enjoy an interactive language activity this morning. 
**A school visit is subject to availability.**
Following your  morning activities, transfer to Nîmes and the Pont du Gard. (approx. 45mins). 

Enjoy a picnic lunch at the Pont du Gard.

Admire the Pont du Gard, an ancient Roman aqueduct bridge. The Pont du Gard, which was built over 2,000 years ago, is the highest of all elevated Roman aqueducts. Built as a three-level aqueduct standing 50m high over the river Gardon, it was part of a 50 km long aqueduct which used to supply the city of Nimes with water.  Enjoy a private walking tour across the Pont du Gard with a local guide. 

Visit Nîmes centre with your local guide. Enjoy a guided tour of the city including a visit to the Maison Carrée. This is the only fully preserved temple from Antiquity. Raised up on its high podium, it would have dominated the forum of the ancient city. See the Arena and enjoy some free time to explore at your leisure. 

Return to your hotel late afternoon. 

Dinner as a group.
                                                                                                                                                                           OVERNIGHT: AVIGNON /SALON-DE-PROVENCE  AREA

Breakfast at your hotel.

This morning, enjoy a local cultural activity such as soap-making or a visit to a local olive cooperative and olive oil factory. The essence of Provence is its connection to nature and the environment. Learn about some of the local industries which make the region and its culture so unique in France.  

 **Possible cultural exchange activity this afternoon subject to availability.**

 Travel through olive groves and vine covered hills, charming roads lined with plane trees to Les-Baux de Provence. In this beautiful village, you'll enjoy the narrow streets lined with 16th-17th century houses, galleries, and boutiques with a great variety of Provençal arts, crafts and fabrics.

Enjoy a visit to the Carrières des Lumières. This digital, immersive art installation takes creativity to another level.

Dinner as a group.

Overnight at your hotel

                                                                                                                                                                                 OVERNIGHT:AVIGNON /SALON-DE-PROVENCE  AREA

Breakfast at your hotel.

Check out of your hotel.

Today is Market day in St-Remy-de Provence! Experience a traditional Provençal market and the ambiance of local life in southern France.

Lunch on own.

Travel north towards Chalon-sur-Saône after lunch (approx. 3-4hrs)

Arrive at your hotel and check in.

Dinner as a group.

                                                                                                                                                                                      OVERNIGHT: CHALON-SUR-SAÔNE AREA

Breakfast at your hotel. 

Check out of your hotel and travel north to Paris via Fontainebleau.  (approx. 3.5hrs without stops)

Lunch at your leisure on arrival. 

Visit the imperial city of Fontainebleau is well-known for its magnificent Château and its vast forest, one of the most beautiful biosphere reserves of Europe. Visit the UNESCO-listed Château de Fontainebleau, the only royal castle to have been continuously inhabited for over seven centuries. Famous  past residents include François I, Henry IV, Marie-Antoinette or Napoleon Bonaparte. built as a hunting lodge for the French Kings in the 12th century, it was turned into a huge palace (1,500 rooms) over the years as each king  transformed, enlarged and embellished the structure. The Château is set within 130 acres of formal gardens and parkland, designed by Andre Le Notre.

Continue onto Paris late afternoon, arrive at your hotel and check in. (45 minutes from airport).

Dinner as a group.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                    OVERNIGHT: PARIS AREA

Breakfast at your hotel.

Check out of your hotel early this morning and transfer to Paris CDG airport at around 8:00am to check in for your flight home at midday.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                          OVERNIGHT: IN TRANSIT