The excursions each day were impressive and filled with rich knowledge and history about France’s culture. My girlfriend and I made so many great memories and we were able immerse ourselves in French culture. We would definitely go back again and book through Collete.

The hotel locations and accommodations were outstanding.

We visited wonderful ancient cities in the south of France. Our guide was very knowledgeable, helpful, and personable. The local guides were superb, the dining and wine were top notch.

We saw some of the most exquisite places in France, enjoyed delicious foods and wines, and were treated like kings and queens everywhere we went and stayed. Culture, history and epicurean delights!

The trip to Gordes and Le Baux was the highlight of the trip for me.

Packed way too much in one day in Dordogne Valley; no time to even eat lunch; day way too long. The next day we only had one event. Carcassone tour of castle too long; up & down & around & not that interesting. Toulouse was our favorite spot; city alive & loved exploring in on our own.

carcassonne was the best !

The variety of experiences in the many towns we visited were wonderful--well beyond what we had expected.

Lots of medieval towns and beautiful vistas. Visits to Saint Antonin Noble Val, Carcassonne, and Pont due Gard were outstanding. Could have skipped the laser light show to have had more time on the ruins of Chateau Des Baux. Going to the top of the Eifel Tower and Chef Joe's performance in Avignon were truly highlights!

So many wonderful memories. Staying overnight in Carcassonne was amazing.

Staying in the walled city of Carcassonne, walking on the city walls, and the view from our room.

Visiting the house of Claude Monet was a dream of mine forever

Hotels were clean and comfortable. Breakfasts included were uninspiring . Hot plates did not keep food warm, pasties were dry and the fruit was sparse. By the second week I was sick of the same selections. We could have had better coaching on the subway system, many others had problems figuring it out. For us as a couple who like to take advantage of the free time…. We would have benefited from a clearer outline of what time to plan our activities. Two weeks notice of a clearer itinerary from Collette when places like the Eiffel Tower place ticket sales 60 days in advance had us guessing when purchasing! Luckily we made our entry times, but it was close and added anxiety. The small group is definitely the way to go. We all had a great time together, many laughs and some tears when we parted. Cristina’s kindness, patience and sense of humor make her a guide who is heads above the rest!!! Truly we were lucky to have her as our guide on this adventure.

We loved it. We like the smaller group tours. The experiences were hit and miss. The Tours manager Christina was outstanding. She was charming and helpful and knowledgeable. She managed the different personalities of people on the tour making, I think, everybody happy. I like the fact that there was a good amount of free time on the tour, and we stayed three or four nights in each location. There were three nights in Paris, but we added an extra night at the tour hotel-Paris Renaissance Republque Rep Hotel. We love this hotel -best breakfast of the trip. It is within walking distance of Le Marais which has great food, but the area near the place de Republic where the hotel is actually located is also wonderful. The tour included a walking tour of Le Marais, the Latin quarter and boat ride on the Seine. The day had a lot of walking, but it was worth it. The next day we were on our own. We did not go on the optional excursion to Versailles as both my husband and I had already seen it on a prior trip. We went to the musee d’orsey which for me was a highlight. There are no museums included on the tour. So if your museum person like me, probably need to get your own tickets for independent time. I figured out three weeks before the tour that everything is closed May 1 for Labor Day in France and it turns out most of Europe -that was one of our free days (actually our pre-tour day that included a tour dinner.) We walked. I would’ve liked to have more time that I could’ve gone to museums on that day, but it wasn’t possible.There are several days where you have late afternoons or half days on your own, which is one of the reasons I really like the tour. I also like that we had somr dinners that were on our own too. From Paris, we took the high speed train to Marseille and then a bus to Aix-en-Provence where we stayed at another wonderful hotel. Word about the train-you are on your own with the luggage. Do not overpack. You will regret it on this train trip. We had smallest suitcases, which still did not fit in the overhead rack. Many people on our tour did not listen to the advance instructions and really had a lot of trouble with their suitcases. I wish the Tours had included a trip to the Popes palace in Avignon. We saw it from the train, but I would’ve preferred that to the farm experience. The hotel in Aix en Provence was Grand Hotel Roi Rene. It was walking distance from the main area. Tons of great food options and museums within walking distance. First night in each city usually included a Tour dinner. In Paris, the restaurant was called Habile and i cannot recommend it. The food was under seasoned. The Tour dinner in Aix-en-Provence was excellent, although it took a while, but this is Europe and service is often slow. My husband was very frustrated with this though -it didn’t seem like there were enough servers. The tour dinner the first night and Nice was excellent. The final meal lunch in Cap Ferrat was delightful. We did not go on the farm excursion. My husband and I love cheese, but we don’t care how it’s made and don’t really have any desire to hug a sheep or goat. There is one more reason to eliminate these farm experiences. When you return to United States, they ask you if you’ve been in contact with farm animals. We could honestly answer no. But the people on the tour would have to lie.I understand it was muddy and they gave you booties. Since I only brought one pair of tennis shoes I’m glad we missed it. We spent the day in Aix-en-Provence and it was wonderful. We went to museums and walked around. The next day was one of the best days on the tour where we visited Cassis and took a boat ride. Great seafood. One of the most beautiful places we visited. Saint Paul de Vant was also pleasant. The next day, my husband and I did go on the optional excursion to a market in St. Remy, an old midieval Walled town called Les Baux and an illumination experience in a cave of the projected paintings of Monet. The first two were wonderful. I enjoyed the illumination experience, but you really don’t have to go to France to get this experience. These illumination experiences are available all over the USA with different artists. I have always wanted to go to one though so I was very happy. My husband was a bit bored. The next day was not so great for me or my husband. The tour included a visit to a parfumarie (a place that makes perfume) in Grasse. We visited this on our way to our next stop -Nice -so we couldn’t miss the perfume experience. The problem for me is I’m very allergic to perfume. So I stayed on the bus and walked around the parking lot. It took two hours. My husband did go on the tour was very unhappy with the perfume experience as were many of the husbands. He said it was too long. It could’ve taken a half the time.The town of Grasse was wonderful, however, the perfume experience was outside of town and they couldn’t leave me in Grasse, which was too bad because I could’ve definitely used a couple of hours more there. I had told Collette about my problems with perfume before going and they told me to talk to the Tour manager. The tour manager did everything she could do. I would suggest in the future Collette go to a perfumery in the town of Grasse. We really enjoyed Nice. We stayed at a Best Western very close to the center of Nice and the promendpade and the beach. One day the tour went to Cap Ferrat  which is where I want to retire if I win the lottery. This is our third tour with Collette so we must like it. The hotels are usually excellent. You don’t have to carry your own luggage and my spouse and I have bad backs so this is a real benefit. And the tour managers are usually very good although I will say Christina was outstanding.-one of the best ever. Bon vacance!

Favorite day was in Provence when we toured the goat farm and had a wine and cheese tasting experience with the chef. Then went to the chef's villa and had a gourmet lunch, and met Ricky the truffle hunting pig. Our tour group went a round the table and each told us about our life experiences. A nice bonding moment. Or maybe it was the drive along the beautiful French Riviera to the Rothschild Mansion where we had lunch. Oh, wait I forgot about the perfume making and the walking around the old French hilltop villages. Too many great experiences to get them all in. Also, a shoutout to our wonderful tour guide, Maya Pashpurova, who really made this an unforgettable trip for all of us.

Some days started too early, there was one too many market visits, and the light show could be replaced. But I really enjoyed the parfumary, the Palace of Versailles, the ride on the TGV, the boat ride to see the Calanques, and Nice. The Louvre was a little too crowded to really enjoy. If you could arrange off hour tours, that works be great. It would have been nice to see the Paris Opera House or have dinner at the Moulin Rouge. But I realize you can’t see everything and I really enjoyed the food and the trip as a whole. Thanks!

Our trip to France was overwhelming! Every day was an amazing experience. My only suggestion would be to offer another plat choice besides the lamb at our meet and greet dinner. Perhaps a chicken dinner choice instead of the other 2 choices. We loved all the breakfast buffet choices, however, the scrambled eggs were wet and undercooked. As travelers we all expect to adapt to all types of cultures and differences in food, weather, etc .,so it wasn't a deal breaker. The activity level was 3 which was appropriate because there was alot of walking involved. All in all, I would recommend this tour to France!

I loved Southern France!!! Hiking up Castel in Nice provided spectacular views! Many great day trips to see what living in France was like! Loved it all!

The excursions each day were impressive and filled with rich knowledge and history about France’s culture. My girlfriend and I made so many great memories and we were able immerse ourselves in French culture. We would definitely go back again and book through Collete.

The hotel locations and accommodations were outstanding.

We visited wonderful ancient cities in the south of France. Our guide was very knowledgeable, helpful, and personable. The local guides were superb, the dining and wine were top notch.

We saw some of the most exquisite places in France, enjoyed delicious foods and wines, and were treated like kings and queens everywhere we went and stayed. Culture, history and epicurean delights!

The trip to Gordes and Le Baux was the highlight of the trip for me.

Packed way too much in one day in Dordogne Valley; no time to even eat lunch; day way too long. The next day we only had one event. Carcassone tour of castle too long; up & down & around & not that interesting. Toulouse was our favorite spot; city alive & loved exploring in on our own.

carcassonne was the best !

The variety of experiences in the many towns we visited were wonderful--well beyond what we had expected.

Lots of medieval towns and beautiful vistas. Visits to Saint Antonin Noble Val, Carcassonne, and Pont due Gard were outstanding. Could have skipped the laser light show to have had more time on the ruins of Chateau Des Baux. Going to the top of the Eifel Tower and Chef Joe's performance in Avignon were truly highlights!

So many wonderful memories. Staying overnight in Carcassonne was amazing.

Staying in the walled city of Carcassonne, walking on the city walls, and the view from our room.