 Have you ever thought you'd like to take a leisurely tour in France? Why not join our popular Chateau Tour, staying in small charming French chateaux and discovering their rich history.
In 2010, Mairenui French Connectionz is offering a weeks' journey through Champagne and the Loire Valley, followed by 10 days in a luxury villa in the Perigord Noir area of the Dordogne in south west France.
- Discover the rural byways
- Stay in small chateaux
- Visit markets, chateaux, vineyards, prehistoric sites, gardens, or perhaps Sarlat
- .... or spend the day relaxing beside the 9m x 4m swimming pool!
- Enjoy picnics, barbeques, and eat at remote farm inns or intimate restaurants
- Canoe down the Dordogne River
Mairenui French Connectionz tours are limited to a maximum of 6 people, travelling in a brand new van and escorted and guided by Sue and David Sweet, New Zealanders and owners of the company, who have a great love and knowledge of France and wish to share their experiences with others.
Our point of difference is that in our 17 day tour we travel for one week only, usually stopping for two nights at a time, then spend 10 days in a luxury villa in the countryside. While at the Villa, the catering is done by your hosts, Sue & David (who run a successful farmstay and fishing retreat in NZ), or we eat at farm inns or small family-run restaurants, discovering the regional dishes of France and drinking the local wines - of course!
Our emphasis is on relaxation (usually no breakfasts before 8.30 a.m.!), enjoyment of food and wine, and discovering the out-of-the-way places that epitomise what rural France is really about. While at the Villa, we have many meals at the barbecue beside the pool, and if you decide you need a day's rest, you are welcome to relax by the pool while the others explore. All ages welcome (one tour included guests from 16 years to 82 years!), singles, couples, groups of friends ... all we ask is that you have a reasonable level of walking fitness.
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All our tours are fully pre-paid, (no hidden costs), no need to pay for even a coffee, so you can save your money for your personal shopping - plenty of opportunities at the local markets! We have not increased the prices for next year’s tours, so the cost remains very reasonable.
We, Sue and David, have been taking tours to France since 2000. Sue is fluent in French and also a practised chef, and delights in presenting a mixture of French regional food combined with some Pacific flair! David is an excellent driver, having driven 100,000 kilometres in Europe, and is an enthusiastic wine buff! Our guests enjoy the informality of small group travel, some have travelled more than once with us, and many have progressed from being guests to friends.
So why not join us, and experience France with a difference!
New for 2010, we also introduce a new tour:
Paris to Tuscany - Commencing September 29
For more information on any of our tours and to receive an itinerary, please visit our website or contact Mairenui French Connectionz
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Here's what some of our past clients have said about Mairenui French Connectionz:
"I would regard my travel with you both as a fitting 17 day 70th birthday celebration - never have I eaten so much wonderfully fresh and tasty food, washed down with so much great wine. Please thank David for his exemplary display of driving throughout the tour . . . this enables passengers to be relaxed enough to enjoy what there is to see."
Betty, Auckland, New Zealand
"We have been on numerous other tours and never experienced anything like this. We felt like we were family and Dave and Sue took wonderful care of us. We toured Chateaux and stayed in a farm house in the Dordogne area. This was a small group. Imagine yourself being on a tour with a small group of friends that just happen to know everything about where you were going, the language and all of the places that you would pass by if you were on your own. No situation arose which wasn't handled with experience."
Dianna and Jim Peterson, San Francisco, California
"This is just to say how wonderfully you looked after us, and how much we enjoyed being with you - you really are excellent hosts, and were much appreciated. I shall never forget that wonderful countryside and the multitude of castles (even more than we have in Wales), the beautiful little villages, and the excellent food - both Chef Sweet and the French chefs!"
Mrs Suzanne Hunter, Wales
Find out more about the people behind Mairenui French Connectionz
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Small Group Tours 
