In 2016, we partnered with Trustpilot to provide our tour guests a way to write reviews about their tour experiences in an independent medium where we have no say or control over the review process or what guests write. We are the multi-day tour operator specializing exclusively in active, small group tours in France who participates in the independent tour review program. Guest satisfaction is paramount, and we are continually striving to exceed guest expectations every tour!
Speaking French is a paramount ingredient to operating a successful tour in France. But, even more importantly, cultural understanding and the “savoir-faire” to translate the culture into something relatable to visitors is a must for guests to truly enjoy their France experience! Off the Beaten Path (OTBP) does just that and much more in the design and delivery of its small group tours in France.
As an , Off the Beaten Path, LLC founder Christy Destremau has had the complete France immersion experience. She has been living a very local French village life with French friends and family for more than two decades. She has raised 2 children in a small village of less than 4,000 inhabitants in the heart of the French countryside. With all of these years of French experiences under her belt and a closely knit circle of French friends across France, she’s incorporated a whole different level of cultural understanding, awareness, and experiences into the company’s small group tours to share with tour guests.
This combination or what Christy calls “the absolute must have” foundation is the required recipe to be able to offer unparalleled tours comprised of “authentic French cultural experiences”. Her own personal experiences, as a foreigner immersed into a French family and transplanted into a small village culture, combined with her Anglophone background serve as “the frosting on the cake” of the company’s uniquely designed, small group tours. Her unique perspective and immersion in the culture makes touring in France with Off the Beaten Path a truly one-of-a-kind, memorable and fun France vacation. The company often receives comments from tour guests claiming that their OTBP tour experience exceeded every expectation thanks to the unique and personalized encounters with our local French friends.
Off the Beaten Path small group tour itineraries have been designed to offer and the daily to tour guests. Travelers of all abilities and interests can participate in any Off the Beaten Path Tour thanks to the number of varying options we include in each of our small group tours in France — It’s your vacation, and schedule flexibility and freedom of choice are paramount! You decide each day how active or involved you’d like to be in our scheduled tour activities, and how you’d like your day to unfold. Guest reviews often include comments about the unprecedented level of flexibility and available options in our daily tour schedules.
3. The Best Guides Who Live Locally…
in Provence, Loire Valley, Bordeaux, and Champagne, France their, giving them inside knowledge and access to local artisans and professionals that contribute to enriching our guests’ France tour experience. Off the Beaten Path guides hold some very influential positions in their respective communities — including being a Provence tourist office president (an elected position), a cultural director of a French city (an appointed position by the mayor), a small tourism business owner, a travel author, and a cultural and travel guide contributing author to list a few.
Off the Beaten Path guides introduce tour guests to people who are family and friends, regional customs, and places that you’d never experience on your own. They bring a wealth of local information and history to enrich the guest experience, and have been selected for their comprehensive understanding of both French and Anglophone culture. You will find that Off the Beaten Path guides are wonderful traveling companions, whose knowledge, sense of fun, and positive attitude make each tour day a wonderful experience.
Our France tour guests rave about our restaurant selections. From a scenic picnic spot amidst the vineyards and lavender fields in Provence or our “formidable” Michelin-star restaurant Chefs personally engaging their talents to offer tour guests the finest gourmet specialties of each region to celebrity bistros owned and operated by our personal family friends, OTBP tour guests’ foodie experience remains an unparalleled and favorite experience on each OTBP small group tour.
We – You decide how engaged in the group or independent to be! Leisure time is incorporated into every OTBP small group tour permitting tour guests time to explore personal interests, discover villages, and historic monuments independently of the group, or simply just shop, enjoy a local cafe, and watch the daily buzz of local French village life. You always have the possibility to opt-in or -out of any activity scheduled on a tour to pursue independent interests. It’s an appealing feature of our small group tours that guests like to know about in advance of booking their tour.
