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Beautiful old castle - Lorie Valley tour. Check 2024 Loire Valley Tour dates
On of the enchanting castles in Loire Valley
On of the enchanting castles in Loire Valley - FRANCE OFF THE BEATEN PATH™ tours

Loire Valley Tour Guest Testimonials

Raves & Reviews

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Loire Valley Tour Guest Testimonials

Loire Valley Tour Guest Testimonials

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Loire Valley Tour Guest Testimonials – We Ask Tour Guests

“Would you recommend our loire valley tour to a friend?”

It’s a question we frequently ask all of our tour guests, and here on our Loire Valley Tour Guest Testimonials page, read what our guests tell us about their Loire Valley Tour experience with us.

We strive to exceed guest expectations every tour!

 “Yes, I will recommend this trip because I feel it is a wonderful opportunity to see a large part of the region and includes the best castles. The whole experience was top notch from the choice of activities and castles to the wine and cuisine! The dynamics of being in a small group touring is an overall wonderful experience. I loved that every detail was taken care of, my week was stress free, transportation was very comfortable, and I really appreciated the knowledge of the guides and their willingness to share so much information. Enjoyed the chateau lodging and owners also.  I feel this is an opportunity I will never experience again.  Thank you Christy for a fun week with lots of laughs and wonderful memories!  I can’t wait to see the photos!” —Karen Abrahams, Arlington, Virginia – Loire Valley Tour – Loire Valley Tour Guest Testimonials

 “YES we will recommend the trip!! As we discussed, we most enjoyed the “insider’s” feel of this trip which I feel is thanks to the relationships you have with people in the Loire. Additionally, your knowledge of the region made the trip even more fabulous! Thank you Christy Destremau and thank you again for an amazing time….we knew we were going to have an amazing time in the Loire but had no idea that we would meet someone like you that we can hopefully call a friend for a long time to come…we look forward to keeping in touch…come visit us in Chicago…We truly had a wonderful time and look forward to our next trip with you!” —Aaron and Lisa Brooks, Chicago, Illinois – Loire Valley Tour – Loire Valley Tour Guest Testimonials

Letter received from returning guests Steve and Michelle after their return home from our Loire Valley Tour

 “Hi Christy and everyone. We had a fabulous time in the Loire and had so much fun with our group! We missed you all in Paris! Thanks for your wonderful “tour guidance” in France. It was quite a memorable trip.” Added message sent to us by Steve and Michelle – “We enjoyed 5 wonderful days with Christy’s tour of the Loire Valley Sept. 12 – 17, 2012. It was absolutely one of the best tours we’ve taken, and our 2nd tour with France Off the Beaten Path (first one was in Provence in 2006). Christy and her staff saw to the group’s every need, they were warm, accommodating and had every excursion well planned out. We visited remarkable Chateaux, ate at wonderful Michelin Star restaurants in the Loire and had a thrilling Hot Air Balloon ride at the end (which I think was one of the highlights for us). In addition, we were lucky to have an absolutely perfect group of fellow travellers and made many friendships we hope to foster back at home. We enjoyed very personalized and truly “off the beaten path” experiences with cooking classes/demonstrations, cheese and wine tasting and more. We hope to join another tour in the future with France Off the Beaten Path! Thank you, Christy, for a wonderful time in the Loire Valley!” –Steve Keller and Michelle Tidwell, San Francisco, California (Traveled on 3 OTBP Tours —  2012 Loire Valley Tour and 2006 Best Adventures in Provence Tour, 2018 Bordeaux Tour)

 “Where did you learn to exceed expectations? It just keeps getting better and better everyday! We have had such a fun time!! We’ve learned so much on both tours. Thanks for a FABULOUS 2 weeks in France We hope to see you again soon!” —Dennis and Dr. Patricia Gelner, St. Louis, Missouri (Traveled on 2 Tours Loire Valley Tour and Bordeaux Tour)

Loire Valley Tour review

 “This trip was so much more than we expected, and YES we would definitely recommend it! We had a great time, and saw and experienced some amazing things. Christy and Philippe were very knowledgeable of the history, surroundings, castles, etc and were helpful and made us feel comfortable. Thank you for a wonderful trip!” ––Friends: Michelle Winter, Mary Harper,  Beth Fields and Stefanie Giffin, Kansas City, Kansas – Loire Valley Tour

 

Loire Valley Tour review

 “Yes – Thank you so much for a wonderful taste of France! This card (received by guide) reminded me of your “Jumpy” and all the laughs we had in it during both tours with you. The two tours were very comprehensive and well planned. We really appreciated your expertise. Hopefully we will be able to travel with you again! Thanks so much for everything!” ––Don and Pat Gianone, Chicago, Illinois (Have been on 2 OTBP Tours – Champagne Tour and Loire Valley Tour) – Loire Valley Tour Guest Testimonials

 “Yes! Loved EVERYTHING! Liked having down time between all of the activities on both tours. These were fabulous trips! In the Loire Valley, cooking and dining with Christophe and Angelique was great, we liked all of the castles, the meals and the hot air ballooning. In Champagne, all of the tours and tastings were very special and each offered something different. We loved that there was someting new to discover each day!” ––Art and Nancyjo Peters, Chicago, Illinois (Have been on 2 OTBP Tours – Champagne Tour and Loire Valley Tour)

 “Yes, I will highly recommend this trip to friends and family.  I loved the small group- it made it fun! We had EXCELLENT tour guides who encouraged a relaxed atmosphere. Loved the unique opportunities and access to chefs and restaurants.  It was a beautiful region to explore. The accommodations were comfortable and I loved staying put in one hotel. Thank you Christy for a fun week in the Loire and a truly memorable experience!” —Genera Guiterrez, Arlington, Virginia – Loire Valley Tour – Loire Valley Tour Guest Testimonials

 “Yes, we would recommend this trip to friends. We truly enjoyed the trip.  We appreciated how well organized the trip was — we departed on time, arrived on time, and kept to the schedule.  I also enjoyed the recommendations for shops, restaurants, etc. The Chateau hotel was lovely.  The quality of this tour was very good!All of the castle tours were interesting and varied. Thanks for a great week!” —Brad and Leslie Long, Shepherds Town, West Virginia – Loire Valley Tour

 “You were our express ticket to an effortless tour of a beautiful area of France!! Our guide was extremely helpful and knowledgeable at all times.  We are very happy to tell our friends and family about Off the Beaten Path tours!  Walking the path of kings was most informative and thought provoking.  Our guide’s knowledge of the language, history and customs made all the difference and ensured a memorable experience!  We will be back for your Provence Tour!! Thank you!” —Jim and Linda Rybak, Fairview Park, Ohio – Have traveled on 2 Tours: Loire Valley Tour – Provence Tour

 “The relaxed pace of the tour and the peaceful atmosphere of the Chateau des Tertres are two of the most important factors which helped create such an amazing trip – combined with stunning locations, wonderful and generous people, fabulous activities and a Tour Guide who truly understands the unique experiences travellers are searching for.  I will definitely be recommending this trip to my clients, friends and family!Whether a first visit to France or a seasoned traveller, anyone interested in visiting France needs to experience this trip to appreciate and understand the point of difference that Off the Beaten Path provides!  Well done Christy!! Merci beaucoup!!” — Pamela Mann, Travel Agent, Home Hil, Queensland, Australia – Loire Valley Tour

 “Loved the small group!  It was easy, as a solo traveler, to fit in a mix, plus all the details were taken care of. The meals were gastronomic yet intimate and fun, and the local cuisine and Chefs who love what they do made us feel like we were at dinner with a party of friends.  Yes, I will definitely recommend this trip to my friends and family. All the details were taken care of – both small and large, such as transport, parking, navigating, tours at chateaus, entrance fees, meals, feeling safe, sampling local food and wines, meeting locals, seeing a commercial kitchen, visiting someone’s home and sharing a meal as their guests, feeling welcome everywhere we went, staying in a chateau that is comfortable, tasteful, authentic, peaceful, but not intimidating or kitsch, we had a cheerful breakfast lady, the tour was not too tiring or overwhelming, it was well-paced allowing us plenty of time for shopping, lunching, strolling, we had adequate down-time between day trips and evening meals – and last of all – we had a lovely, chatty, knowledgeable and informative host.  Thanks Christy!!” — Anna Lord, North Croydon, Victoria, Australia – Loire Valley Tour

 “Loved that we had a nice, small group! We really enjoyed getting to know our fellow travellers and their backgrounds.  We thought the variety of experiences (chateaux, gardens, towns, markets, dining out, dinner at home, picnic) was outstanding. We would have easily traded some of the pre-dinner downtime for extra sightseeing time. We will without any hesitation, yes, recommend this tour for all of the reasons above! Plus we had the most knowledgeable and fun tour guide!! Where else can you get a cooking class from a Michelin-star Chef in his home?!  LOVED this trip!!”  —Mac and Jen McNeer, Chicago, Illinois – Loire Valley Tour

 “Loved the small group tour and friendliness of everyone in our group. The history and stories, hotel breakfast, the dinners, cooking classes, small villages and towns and the balloon ride were all wonderful!  This is a great trip to recommend for foodies who are also interested in learning some French history in a fun way! We agree that the hot-air balloon ride along the Valley was a great finale to our trip.  Thank you again for sharing your experiences of the Loire with us.  We are happy to recommend your trip to others!!” — Graeme and Betty-Anne Ashworth, Childers, Queensland, Australia – Loire Valley Tour

 “The tour was well put together and managed!  The food was all excellent and yes, we will recommend this tour to our friends!! Christy, you have a fabulous and outgoing personality and excellent knowledge and management skills! Thank you for a wonderful time!”  —Dan and Rose Raimondo, Tinton Falls, New Jersey – Loire Valley Tour – Loire Valley Tour Guest Testimonials

 “The tour was well put together and managed!  The food was all excellent and yes, we will recommend this tour to our friends!! Christy, you have a fabulous and outgoing personality and excellent knowledge and management skills! Thank you for a wonderful time!”  —Dan and Rose Raimondo, Tinton Falls, New Jersey – Loire Valley Tour

 “Fabulous pictures you sent on to us from the tour!!  They are wonderful!!  Just wanna say how spectacular the meals were during the Loire Valley tour. The breadth of the trip was great. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable and a true expert on French history!  We are going to absolutely recommend your trip to everyone.If one wants to experience the Loire Valley, this is the BEST way! Thank you for a fun filled week!!” —Jeff and Jane Goodell, Carrollton, Texas – Have traveled on 2 Tours: Loire Valley Tour and Provence Tour

 “Yes, we have and will continue to recommend this tour!Our family of 4 with two adult sons have just returned from the Loire Vally trip with Christy and Off the Beaten Path. It was one of our favorite trips. Our sons loved it too!!! The combination of gorgeous chateaus with excellent and knowledgeable guides, and the cooking classes and meals with top Michelin chefs was fabulous!!!The hotel was comfortable, perfectly located and we had the best rooms in the Chateau. Our two guides stayed in the hotel with us. Sometimes the best trips aren’t necessarily the most well known. This company deserves to be! It’s wonderful!!! After about 15 worldwide trips including most continents, my sons ranked this one up near the top. Plus, 14 people in the group. We like small groups and good food and fabulous sights. This took the cake!! Would return in a flash!!” —Connie and Ken Yonan, Chicago, Illinois – Loire Valley Tour

 “5 out of 5 all the way!! Loved Rich’s birthday surprise, so thoughtful of you! We loved our guide’s personal touch and her knowledge of French history. She was SUPER!! The hot air ballooning was one of many memorable highlights of this trip. Loved the chateau accommodations – Christine and Bernard and staff were the best! We had a great time!! Every experience was so different and felt so authentically French.” — Rich and Nancy Strickler, Jacksonville, FL – Loire Valley Tour

Loire Valley tour review

 “Thank you for a great time this week. It was wonderful meeting everyone in the group. Loved our guide, the cooking classes, Chenonceau castle, the day in Blois and of course the hot air ballooning! I had never been on an organized tour before this one, and didn’t know what to expect. I had such a fun time, thank you!! Looking forward to the next adventure with you!” — Maria (Tessa) Meiser, Chicago, IL – Loire Valley Tour

 “Yes – Thank you for orchestrating a fun, memorable and unique experience for all of us. You are providing terrific services and I appreciate the attention you put into designing and implementing the Loire Valley trip. I liked everything about this trip. I always enjoyed visiting historical sites, walking around towns, villages and markets. Having someone else plan and deliver the itinerary made this trip so much more relaxing than a totally independent vacation. And, the cooking classes made the trip a truly superlative and special experience. Thanks for all of your work!” —Wendy Breinig, Jacksonville, FL – Loire Valley Tour

 “Yes – It was a great trip! I really enjoyed the cooking classes, meeting Christine and Bernard, shopping and eating lunch in the small villages, and learning so much about all of these beautiful castles. As always, you’ve done an outstanding job, and the memories of this trip will stay with us for years to come! See you on another trip soon!” –Katherine GeeHendersonville, NC (Katherine, Mamie and family have been on 3 OTBP Tours: Loire Valley Tour, Best Adventures in Provence Tour and Private Tuscany Tour)

 “I loved ALL aspects of the tour; hot air ballooning, wine and cheese tasting, the hotel, our guide, the different castles, the dinners! The cooking classes were especially fantastic. Don’t change a thing! You really made this experience wonderful!” — Wendy Barnett, Melbourne, Australia –Loire Valley Tour

 “Wine & cheese! Feel like I got a real understanding of the Loire Valley, its people, culture and places. Loved the variety of activities, cooking lessons, castle tours and the intimacy of the hotel and not having to move around, and the flexibility of the program was wonderful. Thank you also to our friendly guides!” —Karin Heller, Washington D.C.

 “Thanks for everything you did on the tour, we really enjoyed ourselves again. We feel very fortunate to have “discovered” your tours, they are definitely the best group tours we have ever been on. We had a great time, it was especially neat to spend so much time with Christophe & Angelique.” —Bill & Laurie Crimando, Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan (Have been on 3 OTBP Tours – Burgundy Tour,Bordeaux TourLoire Valley Tour)

 “Really enjoyed our guide, Chefs, Angelique and Christophe (and his apple tart), the castles, excellent choice of restaurants, the 13th century chateau being a fabulous setting for dinner, and finally, our beautiful and quiet chateau accommodations. (following is 2nd comment sent to us) Its been a while since I returned from the Loire Valley trip. I just wanted you to know what a wonderful time my sister and I had with on the tour. I am putting my pictures and momentos in a scrap book. As I am looking at all the beautiful Chateaux we visited I am just overwhelmed by the beauty of them all. Its was positively one of the best trips I’ve ever taken. I absorbed so much. The food was exquisite and the people of France were so warm and wonderful. I loved our evenings with Angelique and Christophe. I bought a copper pan in which to make my tarte. I purchased it from Williams Sonoma exclusively to make the famous Tarte Tatin for which Christophe won his award. You were just wonderful. It was a very warm experience!” —Diana Pleva, Los Angeles, CA – Loire Valley Tour

The greatest reward  working in this industry is receiving wonderful messages and feedback from happy tour guests!! Thanks to each and every one of our Loire Valley Tour guests for joining us!!

Would you like to read more Off the Beaten Path Loire Valley Tour Guest Testimonials…?  Click here to read more about what our tour guests are saying…

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A WORD FROM Our Guests:

Exceeded Our Expectations!

“This trip to the Loire Valley exceeded our expectations! Christy planned unique and interesting excursions and activities that highlighted the beauty of the area and provided in-depth background knowledge about the various chateaux we visited. The cooking classes with renowned chefs, held in their restaurants and homes, were never-to-be forgotten experiences, and the visit to the winery was a highlight. The hotel was delightful and charming, and staying in one location for the entire time was a treat. Every meal or cocktail hour was planned to highlight the delicious specialties of the region. Christy is extremely knowledgeable about the various places we visited and imparted that knowledge in an interesting and entertaining manner. She and Remi took great care to ensure that we were always comfortable and well-looked after. We could not have asked for a better trip!” — Ron Rose & Sharon Matsumoto (Have done Provence tour and Loire Valley tour)

This was my third trip in the same number of years

“This was my third trip in the same number of years with Christy and Off the Beaten Path. While on her trips you can tell how much effort there is on the off season to make every single week perfect. From the pick up at the train station to the teary goodbye at the airport, everything is perfectly planned and executed. The hotel in St. Remy is magical, and the tour guides Philippe and David are exceptional. If you are considering a trip with OTBP, go for it and come home with new friends, a love of Provence and a longing to return as soon as you can!” — Beth Bower (Has done Provence tour twice and Loire Valley tour)

The Best Tour Company!

“I have done two tours – Provence and Loire Valley – and I am already looking forward to booking another. The tours are all perfectly curated and Christy is a wealth of knowledge. She is so kind and takes all of your needs and wants into consideration. I cannot recommend Off the Beaten Path enough!” — Madison Carl (Has done Provence and Loire Valley tours)

“We did the Provence tour. 8/2019. I had taken the tour 2017 & this time my husband came with me. It was just as fabulous this time as it was in 2017. Restaurants, picnic, sights, wine, all of it just delightful, but the frosting on the cake is a the knowledge, insight, humor, & attention to detail from David & Philippe. To us, they make a great trip soooo much fun. (also, 3 of our neighbors joined us this tour). Don’t hesitate, take this tour & enjoy!!!!!” — Jim & Carol Dean (Carol has done Provence tour twice)

Returning to Provence with France Off the Beaten Path

“I wanted to return to Provence as soon as it was open. I had toured with Christy in Loire Valley in 2019 and knew I wanted to travel with her again. For the second time, everything was well organized, personal and definitely off the beaten path. Christy and Phillippe have a wealth of knowledge and are eager to share. The hotel was perfectly located in St Remy, the tours to the lavender and sunflower fields are my favorite memory. The lunches and dinners were like visiting friends. The boat tour in Cassis was another highlight. Even though I had visited Provence, this trip with France Off the Beaten Path brought a new appreciation for the area.” — Susan Gage (Has done Loire Valley tour, Provence tour, Champagne tour)

“We had an excellent tour with Christie and her crew in the Loire valley. We did things that only a true insider would have access to-dinner at a Michelin chefs house, helping/learning to cook at a highly rated restaurant in their kitchen. This was in addition to seeing the sights and touring the castles. A truly unique experience that is off the beaten path. We will use her again when going back to France.” — Karen Berner (Has done Loire Valley tour)

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