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Douglass Payne
Douglass Payne
Senior Coordinator of Alumni Education and Travel
Catherine Nichols
Catherine Nichols
Senior Coordinator of Faculty Relations and Travel
Audrey Liles
Audrey Liles
Coordinator of Alumni Enrichment

2023 Provincial French Countryside

Sept. 20 – Oct. 4 – Single and Double Rooms Available
Tour Operator: Odysseys Unlimited
Price: From $5,997 (airfare included)
Tour Length: 15 days
View brochure (PDF)
View all UNC-Odysseys tours (digital catalog)
Reserve online

Experience the beauty, allure, and hospitality of provincial France at an easy pace and in a unique style in a small group limited to 24 travelers.  Anchored by stays in vibrant Toulouse and enchanting Paris, this 15-day journey features diverse Languedoc, the remote Dordogne, the lovely Loire Valley, and historic Normandy.

With the first two nights in Toulouse, set out to discover the rich history of Carcassonne – the quintessential medieval town boasting Europe’s longest city walls, and Albi with its Toulouse-Lautrec Museum.  During a three-night stay in Sarlat, one of Europe’s best preserved medieval gems, see Lascaux IV’s reproductions of pre-historic cave paintings, take a leisurely Dordogne River cruise, and explore the charming cliffside village of Rocamadour.  Saumur offers a picturesque base for the following three-night discovery of the Loire Valley, including a winery visit and a tour of Chenonceau, an impressive Renaissance château.

Traveling north to Normandy for a three-night stay, visit the renowned Mont-St-Michel Gothic abbey.  In Bayeux, see the 1,000-year-old Bayeux Tapestry, then visit Caen’s Memorial Museum devoted to “history for peace.”  A poignant day’s touring follows at Normandy’s evocative D-Day Landing Beaches and the American Cemetery overlooking Omaha Beach.  Walk through Monet’s famed gardens in Giverny and see the familiar lily pond and Japanese footbridge of his paintings.  The final destination is enchanting Paris for a balance of free time, seeing city highlights, and visiting either the Louvre or the Musée d’Orsay.  Savor more time in the “City of Light” with an optional 3-day/2-night post-tour extension.

Schedule of Events

  • Day 1 : Depart U.S.
  • Day 2 : Toulouse
  • Day 3 : Toulouse / Carcassonne
  • Day 4 : Toulouse / Albi / Sarlat
  • Day 5 : Sarlat / Lascaux IV
  • Day 6 : Sarlat / Rocamadour
  • Day 7 : Sarlat / Le Dorat / Saumur
  • Day 8 : Saumur
  • Day 9 : Saumur / Chenonceaux
  • Day 10 : Saumur / Mont-St-Michel / Crépon
  • Day 11 : Crépon / Bayeux / Caen
  • Day 12 : D-Day Landing Beaches
  • Day 13 : Crépon / Giverny / Paris
  • Day 14 : Paris
  • Day 15 : Depart for U.S.

Eligibility

We offer the Tar Heel Travel program as a service to our alumni and friends of the University. As travel is a Carolina Alumni member perk, we require one traveler per room to be a member of the General Alumni Association in order to be eligible to travel. For more information or to join the GAA, contact the membership office at (800) 962-0742 or become a Carolina Alumni member online.

Additional Information

Note: Tour schedule is subject to change due to local conditions. Many excursions in this program involve an element of walking as some of the finest attractions are located in areas not closely accessible by motorcoach.

Join Tar Heel Travel’s listserv, and don’t forget to connect with Tar Heel Travel on Facebook and Twitter.

All prices and itineraries (including port order) are tentative and subject to change; final pricing adjustments may occur after the release of marketing materials.

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