Tour was well organized. The sites were well chosen. Tour guide Stephanie Rachaert was a pleasure and very knowledgable. She has a really nice voice and knows how to use a microphone properly. Our bus pilot was very skilled and also a pleasure to be around.

Our Tour Manager, Ben Vale was a joy to be around! His knowledge coupled with his patience made for a wonderful experience.

What a wonderful experience! I traveled with 11 clients and although the weather was quite wet, we enjoyed all the sites including the D-Day Landing Beaches, Caen, St Malo, Versailles and of course, Paris. The included activities were such fun as well as informative and free time to explore the small towns in Normandy is included. Paris was the end of the tour and included a Seine River Cruise and dinner in the Eiffel Tower!! An Amazing trip that I highly recommend.

Wonderful tour manager. Tour included variety of tours, all enjoyable and informative. Would highly recommend this tour.

Tour guide exceptional, loved every minute.. daily tours were great, no waiting in line. Food included was great for the most part. Loved the places included on the tour. Guide new French history, all about the areas, the customs,and the proper etiquette of the individual places we were visiting.

The chateau was really musty and it was hard to breathe.

Excellent tour guide and driver. Guide Ben Vale’s depth of knowledge, patience with the group, and obvious love of his work was superb.

Because I had a wonderful time. My Tour Manager Ben was well educated and knowledgeable, nice and looked after the people on his tour to make sure we were safe, well informed and having a good time. This was the first time I have ever gone on an organized tour; my husband and I usually organize our own tours wherever we go, and we were very happy with this first-time tour.

The tour was exactly how it was presented in the description. All the places we visited were very interesting and many were beautiful. Every day was well planned out. Loved the accommodations as well as the food.

Visited sights and had experiences that I wanted to do. There were many memorable experiences. Versailles, D-Day beaches, Mont St. Michel, Chenonceau, Eiffel Tower, and more in Paris.

Wasted time waiting on people Wastrel to many afternoons Didn’t leave enough time for some of the stops Which we could have had a day in Psrs to take a hop on hop off tour of all the main sites People that could hardly walk should not have been on this trip

Tours, tour manager, and hotels were inconsistent and not what I expected. Drop off and pick up at most destinations without thoughtful tours. Last minute tour guide substitute.

Needed more time at most places and some places were were taken to just to kill time since tour didn’t account for hotels with no eating facilities or close by towns. Some of the hotels were were not up to par.

I especially enjoyed Normandy. I felt we had plenty of time to view so many important historical places

Trip was outstanding. Tour manager was awesome.

Ben was a great tour guide. I did not think the winery should be part of the tour. Waste of time for people who do not drink.

The experience was great, tour manager made it even greater, he was very helpful and knowledgeable.

We really enjoyed this tour especially Versailles, Claude Monet’s home & gardens, Normandy Beaches and Mont Saint Michel. So glad we had at least two days in Normandy.. it was a very moving experience. Beautiful scenery , lovely villages along the way. It would have been nice to have had extra time in Paris at the end of the trip. Ben was an amazing tour manager - super knowledgeable, helpful and patient!

The group dinners left something to be desired.

We saw so many beautiful things and the hotels were very good

My tour covered many interesting places. My best experience was having Idália Brandão as our tour manager.

Ben Vale was fantastic! Very detailed, very helpful. Really knew the sites. Driver Vincenzo was also extremely accommodating and always ready to help.

I was not thrilled with Paris at all. I thought the food would have been better as people rave about French cuisine. The pastries were excellent.

Very nice tour. Normandy was my favorite favorite

Nice tour. People all nice and plenty to see. Normandy was our favorite

Wonderful itinerary, great tour director, generally good accommodations.

I asked her to attempt to upgrade my return flight to business class, she was calling the wrong airline for the first 3 days.

war memorials and war museums

great tour guide and easy to get along with group

My favorite part of the tour was Mont St. Michel and the Normandy area. I enjoyed the tour manager's (Ben) knowledge about the area and the history that he knew.

Becky Reagan was so informative and her knowledge of France and the French language made it so much better than if we had gone on our own.

Good. My favorite was seeing the Mona Lisa and walking where the Popes walked in the 1400's.

Some improvement could be made

Time at the beaches in Normandy,Nice,monte Carlo

The tour was very well organized and enjoyable. There were only 24 people on this tour which was nice compared with the last one. Also, everyone got along well.

I traveled as a "single" woman, but nothing made me feel single, or isolated, ever. Wonderful group, excellent planning, comfortable accommodations. My most memorable experience was the early morning visit to the American Cemetery at Omaha Beach...

The comprehensive nature of the tour made it wonderful. So many sites ranging from the medieval to WW II. The castles, the gardens, and the restaurants made it a trip to remember.

The tour hit many of the highlights we wanted to see. Our most memorable was the beaches of Normandy.

Well put together agenda with great experiences. Love the emphasis on local cuisine.

It was a very emotional trip. They were our greatest generation. To go to Normandy was to go back in time!

Having local guides is a great idea! Having said that, our tour manager was excellent. With her help, we were able to arrange a side trip to visit my husband's uncle, who died in France after D-Day.Besides that, we had some wonderful times on our own, finding local shops and restaurants.

The itinerary was excellent but there was not enough time in the places we went to. The tour needs to be 2 to 3 days longer to encompass the itinerary

Had a blast - and hit all my bucket list items!

Normandy and Normandy beaches were so informative and beautiful. Loved seeing the beaches, cemeteries, and memorials.

Several glitches in tour. Bus needing to park far away from some hotels and last night restaurant. Also why did we have to go to a restaurant do far away? Bus could not get close

I recentlyt returned from St Martha's 100th Anniversary Trip, France Magnifique. I have travelled with Collette before. The trip before this was excellent. I couldn't sing enough praises about our tour guide Kathy Fil. This trip however was not the same. The tour guide, Beth Meredith, could use some time management skills as well as compassion. I think the tour guide must take into account the group she has been assigned to lead. This particular group was mostly older adults, many with mobility issues. In our initial brochure it describes "moderate physical activity". That is so wrong on so many levels. Climbing to the top of Mont St Michel is hardly a moderate walk. Beth's favorite phrase during this trip was "just a short walk". I understand that many of the locations we visited or stayed at have historical value and a large tour bus can not park or even get near the entrance. So why does Collette choose these particular hotels and/or restaurants ? How can they expect older adults to walk a mile with their carry on luggage in the pouring rain on cobblestone ? Doesn't seem realistic to me. At some locations there was a van available to transport those who needed assistance. Of course, it could only take a few tourists. Many times, people who really did not need the assistance jumped into the van and left those who truly needed it behind. Most often, they would not offer a second vehicle. Also there was the issue of time management. Beth never allowed enough time to get from one place to another at our expense. We were denied entry into the restaurant on our first night in Paris. By the time we got to a restaurant, it was after 9:00 pm and we had been up for for over 24 hours. Also because of this mismanagement of time, quite often we barely had enough time to eat lunch with the "free time" we were given. Restaurants in France do NOT hurry. If we were lucky, we were able to finish our lunch and get to the bus on time. There was never any time to explore the area we were in. In Lyon for example, we got to the hotel at 9:30 pm and we leaving early the next morning. In Avignon, we arrived in the evening, while it was pouring rain. The following day was our trip to Tarascon, the highlight of our trip to visit the final resting place of St Martha. If we went on that tour, we saw nothing of Avignon. Having us leave at 4:00 am to get to the airport was ridiculous. Our bags had to be out at 3:00 am. Why couldn't we have spent the last night in Marseille ? We were out for our final dinner together, it would have been easier to travel to Marseille after dinner than to be up practically all night. That brings up another point. Why aren't ALL dinners included ? This trip was not inexpensive. I have travelled on other group tours that ALL dinners were included. It seems we are getting less and less service for MORE money. This trip was supposed to be the crown jewel of St Martha's Centennial Celebration. Instead it was non stop chaos and disappointment. Having travelled with Collette before I expected better than this. I think I deserved better than this as did the rest of our group.

Our favorite memorable experience is hard to pinpoint. We enjoyed everything on the tour. The highlight was our once in a lifetime visit to Tarascon, where our pastor was able to celebrate mass for us in the crypt of St. Martha. It was an emotional experience that we will never forget and feel so very blessed to have experienced. Our tour highlights also would include our 2 days in Normandy, at the WWII sites. A personal highlight was being chosen to assist the chef at our final night's dinner as he made creme brulee - such fun!

Tour was as described and visit to Tarascon which is St Martha’s burial place was nice visit.

Good value for the money - saw a whole lot of France for reasonable money! Really moved by visiting Normandy!

Please see previous comments.

Dinner at the Abbey. Normandy Coast and WWII Museum

small group allowed getting to know everyone quickly plus allowed us to move about easily and stay together. Seeing a cross-section of French towns and sites was the highlight to me

See above. The Normandie experience was most memorable . I was able to find a friend relative in the cemetery .

the whole trip was memorable, no favorites!

Too many self touring stops .We really appreciate the Palace of the pope's special guide. We had been there before,on our own,so we were wowed by his knowledge of the place.

The American Cemetery at Omaha Beach on Memorial Day and the top of Mount St. Michel were my favorites. On the negative side I wish I had known in advance that not all of the hotels were reachable by bus and required a long walk after a full day of touring. It was great being picked up at our home and taken to the airport when leaving for Paris (even though we left early). It was not as nice that we did not get transfers from the airport to our hotel once we arrive in Paris.

2 days in Normandy to see D-Day sites was great, with time at the American cemetery and Omaha Beach being especially emotional. Also, time in several old walled cities was fascinating.

The country itself has to

This tour hit all the sites I had on my France bucket list. The hotels were conveniently located near restaurants and within walking distance of sites of interest.

The itinerary was more than expected. Mount ST Michael was the highlight for my husband, for me it was actually staying in Fontevraud Abbey, a dream come true.

Excellent tour manager.Too much time at the Memorial Museum. A visit to Monet's garden would have been right on the way, too bad we missed it. Lavender Farm a commercial waste of time. Appreciated Beth changing our flights home--arrived safely with wonderful memories.

Our visit to the Normandy area was moving and educational. We have seen movies and read books, but the actual beauty is being on the beach and seeing where our brave soldiers fought and sacrificed for the French People and our liberties. On the next section I found all the accommodations really excellent, except for the first pre-nights (days). The Hyatt was under full construction and it was not possible to rest or stay inside during the day, forget about resting up after the long flight. But, this hotel will be ready for prime time by 2018!

Colette was very accommodating and flexible. We chose to lop off the end of the tour to spend a few days in Paris and our tour was adjusted for that

We enjoyed Normandy the most.

The tour included stops at sites we were interested in seeing. The two sites most memorable were the Normandy Beaches of Dday and the wine tasting in Avignon.

Paris and Normandy were worth the trip. We loved Fountainbeau the home of Kingsand Napolean.

Saint Malo was just breath-taking ! We enjoyed walking the ramparts of this walled city and the hotel was on in such a convenient location ! Every hotel was wonderful !

Seeing the American and German cemeteries from WW11 were profound and moving experiences never to be forgotten.

I think that the itinerary was nice. I really loved going to Normandy. I now understand D-Day a lot better and I REALLY got a feel for the ultimate sacrifice that our soldiers made. I would point out to future guests that their is not a lot of souvenir shopping until you get to Avignon so they dont get frustrated the whole tour trying to figure out where to get souvenirs. I don't think France is big on selling touristy things in general. Please make sure the tour manager points that out.

It was a wonderful experience and truly enjoyed every day.

Great tour guide and wonderful group of people Hotels rooms were very small but in good location The Castle in Loire Valley needs a lot of work and had no air conditioning. Food was average except excellent in restaurant in Caen. All in all a great value

this was not the high end tour we thought we paid for. Checking into hotels was not very smooth. No atempt was made to get the group into venues ahead of the mobs of people.

Good trip, but wrong time of year. Height of tourist season, crowds were horrible. Same trip during off season would be terrific.

The tour highlights were outstanding. We saw so much. And the background information was excellent. Soha was an excellent guide. She was friendly, knowledgeable, and very kind. The hotels were very “French”. However the last three Collette restaurants were just ok. It was exciting to be in the Eiffel Tower despite the food. I would still highly recommend this tour and Soha was outstanding.

Overall an excellent tour covering Northern France including Place of Versailles, Monet’s home and gardens, WWII D-Day Landing Sites, Le Mont St. Michel, and Paris.

The tour guides were so knowledgeable, that added a lot to the trip.

DD invasion with American cemetary. Effiel tower with dinner, Versaille Pallace and Mont St Michelle.

Visit to the World War !! museums and the memorial. museums are remarkable and educational! The bus driver pays an important role on a trip. Ours was not as engaging as I would have liked. Didn't show a sense of humor. He was a good and safe driver.

spending the day at Saint Miguel. A very close second was 1 1/2 days at Normandy. Wow!!! So powerful!

This entire trip was flawless from beginning to end. Loved every minute of this trip and it was probably the best vacation I ever had. Our tour guide, Darko, was jut WONDERFUL!!! He was full of knowledge about history, customs, local culture. The whole tour just loved him!! I cannot say enough about him.

Everything about this tour was perfect. Our tour guide, Marko, was superb and made the trip extra memorable!! He was well organized, full on info and entertaining.

The entire trip was magnificent!! There was the perfect mixture of free time and planned tours. It was great to see the small villages and the big city, Paris. Our tour manager was excellent and very informative and personable. Saint Malo was my favorite location.

Versailles was a beautiful city, and the gardens and area was wonderful. We say the open markets with beautiful food for sale. The area had so many places we could walk to and explore. The palaces were over the top in elegance, and I can see why the poor French people were angry.

Loved two nights accommodations in each stop. Very nice hotels, group dinners and tours.

Paris, visiting historic places only seen by me in movies, beautiful countryside and castles. Tour manager so accommodating and knowledgeable, willing to assist with ideas or contacts for excursions during free time. Buses very clean. Of the 6 tours we have taken in Europe, this tour is the most memorable. N

Wish there was 1 or two more days at Normandy. Such a history cannot do justice in 11/2 day

Very enjoyable, informative and educational. Great, great tour guide and bus driver in Zvono and Paolo. What a team. Loved the beaches of Normandie and that entire area’s. Enjoyed the wine tasting, Versailles and the place were magnificent, dinner in the Eiffel was superb and especially enjoyed our discoveries in the small villages and towns. All was my favorite, but if you want one—the food and wine.

I loved Mont St Michele. I loved the history and ancient beauty of the entire island. It was the hardest day for me with all the steps etc, but I went through all of it. Seeing the Eiffel tower, such an iconic symbol of France that I never expected to see. Seeing the tower from below looking up was amazing and to see it at night lite up was even more amazing. It looked like gold. The dinner was fabulous

Overall, a wonderful tour with excellent destinations and accommodations, and a good balance of managed and free time. The timely historical and cultural information provided by our tour manager was much appreciated. The only downside to the tour (and a big one) was the inadequate and frankly dangerous handling of people who got sick with contagious respiratory diseases (no testing was enforced), and who neither covered their mouths and noses nor used a mask, hand, or arm to prevent the spread of viruses. No one wants to cut their tour short because they are infectiously ill, but Collette's policy of allowing the uncontrolled sharing of dangerous viruses amongst a group of older, vulnerable people verges on tour malpractice. For this medical reason, I will not be taking another Collette tour. Too bad. because otherwise it was a superior 5-star tour experience.

Tour was amazing. Leader was very knowledgeable and entertaining. All places were interesting and informative. All overnight stays were comfortable. All foods and wines were great.

My father was in World War II. He hardly ever spoke of the war after returning home. We were always curious of his experiences & now understand the horrific time he spent there! It was very sad & humbling to realize the Americans help save France from complete destruction. France is a beautiful country and rich in culture! Would recommend anyone to visit! Loved every minute! Accommodations & meals were top of the line through Collette!

I loved everything! It’s to hard to pick one favorite!

The whole trip was a very well planned out! Our tour manager Zoveno was beyond excellent! He was the icing on the cake! This man not only spent time to explain everything, but made this experience very memorable! Collette found a gem here. He was that good! Both myself and my Wife Diane share the same feelings! Definitely worth the trip!

Our wonderful tour guide!!

Visiting Mont St Michel. It has always been on my bucket list

Christina, our tour guide, was excellent.

My favorite place was Monet Gardens, Mont St Michelle ,and riding in a wonderful bus and seeing all the sights and just being able to see all the sights seeing of the countryside of France. The food was great and we met such wonderful new friends to travel with. Christina was a great guide and fun person to be with. All of the places we stayed were A plus. Thanks Collette for such a great vacation. My husband and I had a great time.

Our tour was excellent! My husband especially enjoyed all of the sites that were related to DDay! We both loved the food! Our tour director was wonderful and so much fun! She was also helpful when I had a medical issue that needed to be treated. The other people in our group were friendly and very helpful to a pair of rookie travelers. We look forward to traveling with Collette again!

I loved Versailles. The hotel was very nice. For the first stop of our tour I was very impressed. The Chateau Versailles was right down the street and our tour started with a walk in the rain. That did nothing to diminish our excitement to start our tour to see the chateau. We were ready to see France!

Normandy was my favorite. I wish more time was devoted to that area and possibly the placing of the soldiers in the fields. Clare and the coach driver were great. The program would have been better with a local tour manager and possibly more local guides at stops.

Amazing trip! For me everything’s perfect from the moment I stepped outside my door from the driver to the airport amazing!

Le Mont St. Michele was fabulous. Like nothing i have ever seen.

This is challenging as there was so much to love! I especially enjoyed touring Monet's gardens and Giverny. I also enjoyed Mont St. Michel even though it was very crowded. I liked the way our tour manager incorporated history, culture, and traditions in each of the places we visited. I already loved France and now I love it even more!

France Magnifique was a great trip! Our tour manager, Gail, was organized but very flexible. She was ready for anything! The group of travelers was pleasant and fun to be with! Normandy was a very moving and meaningful experience. Monet’s Garden was beautiful, and the chateaus in the Loire Valley were magnificent. Ending the trip in Paris was perfect after beginning in Versailles! I would recommend this tour!

The tour was excellent. Very interesting places to visit. Dinner at Eiffel Tower and Cabaret evening we’re wonderful. Our group was fantastic. The your guide very helpful and friendly. Sleeping in a castle. Wow ! The driver was very friendly and helpful. Historic places, churches, small towns, Lunch on the Sienne River, oooh la, la ! Thank you so much !!!

Our tour covered a lot of area and we were able to explore many places. Our tour manager was fantastic, as was our driver. I had many favorites. I loved Giverny and Monet's garden, Mont St Michel, the Versailles palace and everything about Paris. I would highly recommend this tour.

Felt it was near perfect

Visiting the Normandy Beach area and dining in the Eifel Tower.

The moment we arrived, everything was well organized. Only one detail I would have changed. Maybe only an afternoon at the chateaux and gone straight to Paris, We needed more time in Paris.

Paris and the Normandy ares

Tour provided a variety of experiences—all memorable.

The tour was paced just right. Sites visited were interesting, beautiful and made for a very meaningful experience. The private tour of the private apartments at Versailles was a bonus. All of the included meals were execellent.

Seeing the Louvre, Versaille, and so many places and dining at the Eiffel Tower one evening. And of course, we went to the beaches at Normandy, and it was very touching. The tour guide was fabulous, very attentive, and it was so fun being with our group and experiencing France. The French people were very kind and warm.

D-day was our focus and we were not disappointed. We hit all the highlights and tour manager got us places early avoiding the crowds making picture taking perfect. Tour manager was fabulous with D-day details as we traveled along with a movie on the bus. Once there we had ample time to take it in. Paris was also a highlight with dinner on the Seine and then dinner in the Eiffel Tower. Versailles Palace and Louvre museum with local guides were excellent. Louvre guide was a bit hard to understand due to her English, but very informative. Saint Malo was also fabulous and a must to see. Tour manager (Jean-Phillip Raze) went above and beyond by helping us celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary. We did the extras you offered and we enjoyed them all. We would recommend the tour to others without hesitation.

Jean Philippe Ruze was over-the-top; friendly, knowledgeable, accommodating and helpful every step of the way. The stops of the tour were just what I wanted to see. Wished we could have spent more time with JP and our whole group!

It was wonderful.

Favorite: How well EVERYTHING was planned out.(flights, restaurants, sites to see, hotels, and bus driver). Being with my sister and the tour guide. Not favorite: too much World War II touring activities. Did not like the Chateau de Beauvois and they did not like us. Should have traveled back to Paris. Needed a day free in Paris.

Great locations. Guides at Versailles and Louvre were fantastic. Tour manager was well informed and attentive to group concerns. Enjoyed visiting with trainees as well Darko and Dzoba will be great additions to Collette. Appreciated Jean Phillipe help with my French.

Tour was well organized. The sites were well chosen. Tour guide Stephanie Rachaert was a pleasure and very knowledgable. She has a really nice voice and knows how to use a microphone properly. Our bus pilot was very skilled and also a pleasure to be around.

Our Tour Manager, Ben Vale was a joy to be around! His knowledge coupled with his patience made for a wonderful experience.

What a wonderful experience! I traveled with 11 clients and although the weather was quite wet, we enjoyed all the sites including the D-Day Landing Beaches, Caen, St Malo, Versailles and of course, Paris. The included activities were such fun as well as informative and free time to explore the small towns in Normandy is included. Paris was the end of the tour and included a Seine River Cruise and dinner in the Eiffel Tower!! An Amazing trip that I highly recommend.

Wonderful tour manager. Tour included variety of tours, all enjoyable and informative. Would highly recommend this tour.

Tour guide exceptional, loved every minute.. daily tours were great, no waiting in line. Food included was great for the most part. Loved the places included on the tour. Guide new French history, all about the areas, the customs,and the proper etiquette of the individual places we were visiting.

The chateau was really musty and it was hard to breathe.

Excellent tour guide and driver. Guide Ben Vale’s depth of knowledge, patience with the group, and obvious love of his work was superb.

Because I had a wonderful time. My Tour Manager Ben was well educated and knowledgeable, nice and looked after the people on his tour to make sure we were safe, well informed and having a good time. This was the first time I have ever gone on an organized tour; my husband and I usually organize our own tours wherever we go, and we were very happy with this first-time tour.

Visited sights and had experiences that I wanted to do. There were many memorable experiences. Versailles, D-Day beaches, Mont St. Michel, Chenonceau, Eiffel Tower, and more in Paris.

The tour was exactly how it was presented in the description. All the places we visited were very interesting and many were beautiful. Every day was well planned out. Loved the accommodations as well as the food.

Needed more time at most places and some places were were taken to just to kill time since tour didn’t account for hotels with no eating facilities or close by towns. Some of the hotels were were not up to par.

Tours, tour manager, and hotels were inconsistent and not what I expected. Drop off and pick up at most destinations without thoughtful tours. Last minute tour guide substitute.

Wasted time waiting on people Wastrel to many afternoons Didn’t leave enough time for some of the stops Which we could have had a day in Psrs to take a hop on hop off tour of all the main sites People that could hardly walk should not have been on this trip

I especially enjoyed Normandy. I felt we had plenty of time to view so many important historical places

Ben was a great tour guide. I did not think the winery should be part of the tour. Waste of time for people who do not drink.

Trip was outstanding. Tour manager was awesome.

The experience was great, tour manager made it even greater, he was very helpful and knowledgeable.

We really enjoyed this tour especially Versailles, Claude Monet’s home & gardens, Normandy Beaches and Mont Saint Michel. So glad we had at least two days in Normandy.. it was a very moving experience. Beautiful scenery , lovely villages along the way. It would have been nice to have had extra time in Paris at the end of the trip. Ben was an amazing tour manager - super knowledgeable, helpful and patient!

My tour covered many interesting places. My best experience was having Idália Brandão as our tour manager.

I asked her to attempt to upgrade my return flight to business class, she was calling the wrong airline for the first 3 days.

Wonderful itinerary, great tour director, generally good accommodations.

Nice tour. People all nice and plenty to see. Normandy was our favorite

Very nice tour. Normandy was my favorite favorite

great tour guide and easy to get along with group

We saw so many beautiful things and the hotels were very good

The group dinners left something to be desired.

I was not thrilled with Paris at all. I thought the food would have been better as people rave about French cuisine. The pastries were excellent.

Ben Vale was fantastic! Very detailed, very helpful. Really knew the sites. Driver Vincenzo was also extremely accommodating and always ready to help.

war memorials and war museums

My favorite part of the tour was Mont St. Michel and the Normandy area. I enjoyed the tour manager's (Ben) knowledge about the area and the history that he knew.

Becky Reagan was so informative and her knowledge of France and the French language made it so much better than if we had gone on our own.

Good. My favorite was seeing the Mona Lisa and walking where the Popes walked in the 1400's.

Some improvement could be made

Time at the beaches in Normandy,Nice,monte Carlo

The tour was very well organized and enjoyable. There were only 24 people on this tour which was nice compared with the last one. Also, everyone got along well.

I traveled as a "single" woman, but nothing made me feel single, or isolated, ever. Wonderful group, excellent planning, comfortable accommodations. My most memorable experience was the early morning visit to the American Cemetery at Omaha Beach...

The comprehensive nature of the tour made it wonderful. So many sites ranging from the medieval to WW II. The castles, the gardens, and the restaurants made it a trip to remember.

The tour hit many of the highlights we wanted to see. Our most memorable was the beaches of Normandy.

Well put together agenda with great experiences. Love the emphasis on local cuisine.

It was a very emotional trip. They were our greatest generation. To go to Normandy was to go back in time!

Having local guides is a great idea! Having said that, our tour manager was excellent. With her help, we were able to arrange a side trip to visit my husband's uncle, who died in France after D-Day.Besides that, we had some wonderful times on our own, finding local shops and restaurants.

Had a blast - and hit all my bucket list items!

The itinerary was excellent but there was not enough time in the places we went to. The tour needs to be 2 to 3 days longer to encompass the itinerary

Normandy and Normandy beaches were so informative and beautiful. Loved seeing the beaches, cemeteries, and memorials.

Several glitches in tour. Bus needing to park far away from some hotels and last night restaurant. Also why did we have to go to a restaurant do far away? Bus could not get close

I recentlyt returned from St Martha's 100th Anniversary Trip, France Magnifique. I have travelled with Collette before. The trip before this was excellent. I couldn't sing enough praises about our tour guide Kathy Fil. This trip however was not the same. The tour guide, Beth Meredith, could use some time management skills as well as compassion. I think the tour guide must take into account the group she has been assigned to lead. This particular group was mostly older adults, many with mobility issues. In our initial brochure it describes "moderate physical activity". That is so wrong on so many levels. Climbing to the top of Mont St Michel is hardly a moderate walk. Beth's favorite phrase during this trip was "just a short walk". I understand that many of the locations we visited or stayed at have historical value and a large tour bus can not park or even get near the entrance. So why does Collette choose these particular hotels and/or restaurants ? How can they expect older adults to walk a mile with their carry on luggage in the pouring rain on cobblestone ? Doesn't seem realistic to me. At some locations there was a van available to transport those who needed assistance. Of course, it could only take a few tourists. Many times, people who really did not need the assistance jumped into the van and left those who truly needed it behind. Most often, they would not offer a second vehicle. Also there was the issue of time management. Beth never allowed enough time to get from one place to another at our expense. We were denied entry into the restaurant on our first night in Paris. By the time we got to a restaurant, it was after 9:00 pm and we had been up for for over 24 hours. Also because of this mismanagement of time, quite often we barely had enough time to eat lunch with the "free time" we were given. Restaurants in France do NOT hurry. If we were lucky, we were able to finish our lunch and get to the bus on time. There was never any time to explore the area we were in. In Lyon for example, we got to the hotel at 9:30 pm and we leaving early the next morning. In Avignon, we arrived in the evening, while it was pouring rain. The following day was our trip to Tarascon, the highlight of our trip to visit the final resting place of St Martha. If we went on that tour, we saw nothing of Avignon. Having us leave at 4:00 am to get to the airport was ridiculous. Our bags had to be out at 3:00 am. Why couldn't we have spent the last night in Marseille ? We were out for our final dinner together, it would have been easier to travel to Marseille after dinner than to be up practically all night. That brings up another point. Why aren't ALL dinners included ? This trip was not inexpensive. I have travelled on other group tours that ALL dinners were included. It seems we are getting less and less service for MORE money. This trip was supposed to be the crown jewel of St Martha's Centennial Celebration. Instead it was non stop chaos and disappointment. Having travelled with Collette before I expected better than this. I think I deserved better than this as did the rest of our group.

Our favorite memorable experience is hard to pinpoint. We enjoyed everything on the tour. The highlight was our once in a lifetime visit to Tarascon, where our pastor was able to celebrate mass for us in the crypt of St. Martha. It was an emotional experience that we will never forget and feel so very blessed to have experienced. Our tour highlights also would include our 2 days in Normandy, at the WWII sites. A personal highlight was being chosen to assist the chef at our final night's dinner as he made creme brulee - such fun!

Tour was as described and visit to Tarascon which is St Martha’s burial place was nice visit.

Good value for the money - saw a whole lot of France for reasonable money! Really moved by visiting Normandy!

Please see previous comments.

Dinner at the Abbey. Normandy Coast and WWII Museum

small group allowed getting to know everyone quickly plus allowed us to move about easily and stay together. Seeing a cross-section of French towns and sites was the highlight to me

See above. The Normandie experience was most memorable . I was able to find a friend relative in the cemetery .

the whole trip was memorable, no favorites!

Too many self touring stops .We really appreciate the Palace of the pope's special guide. We had been there before,on our own,so we were wowed by his knowledge of the place.

The American Cemetery at Omaha Beach on Memorial Day and the top of Mount St. Michel were my favorites. On the negative side I wish I had known in advance that not all of the hotels were reachable by bus and required a long walk after a full day of touring. It was great being picked up at our home and taken to the airport when leaving for Paris (even though we left early). It was not as nice that we did not get transfers from the airport to our hotel once we arrive in Paris.

2 days in Normandy to see D-Day sites was great, with time at the American cemetery and Omaha Beach being especially emotional. Also, time in several old walled cities was fascinating.

The country itself has to

This tour hit all the sites I had on my France bucket list. The hotels were conveniently located near restaurants and within walking distance of sites of interest.

The itinerary was more than expected. Mount ST Michael was the highlight for my husband, for me it was actually staying in Fontevraud Abbey, a dream come true.

Excellent tour manager.Too much time at the Memorial Museum. A visit to Monet's garden would have been right on the way, too bad we missed it. Lavender Farm a commercial waste of time. Appreciated Beth changing our flights home--arrived safely with wonderful memories.

Our visit to the Normandy area was moving and educational. We have seen movies and read books, but the actual beauty is being on the beach and seeing where our brave soldiers fought and sacrificed for the French People and our liberties. On the next section I found all the accommodations really excellent, except for the first pre-nights (days). The Hyatt was under full construction and it was not possible to rest or stay inside during the day, forget about resting up after the long flight. But, this hotel will be ready for prime time by 2018!

Colette was very accommodating and flexible. We chose to lop off the end of the tour to spend a few days in Paris and our tour was adjusted for that

We enjoyed Normandy the most.

The tour included stops at sites we were interested in seeing. The two sites most memorable were the Normandy Beaches of Dday and the wine tasting in Avignon.

Paris and Normandy were worth the trip. We loved Fountainbeau the home of Kingsand Napolean.

Saint Malo was just breath-taking ! We enjoyed walking the ramparts of this walled city and the hotel was on in such a convenient location ! Every hotel was wonderful !

Seeing the American and German cemeteries from WW11 were profound and moving experiences never to be forgotten.

I think that the itinerary was nice. I really loved going to Normandy. I now understand D-Day a lot better and I REALLY got a feel for the ultimate sacrifice that our soldiers made. I would point out to future guests that their is not a lot of souvenir shopping until you get to Avignon so they dont get frustrated the whole tour trying to figure out where to get souvenirs. I don't think France is big on selling touristy things in general. Please make sure the tour manager points that out.