Let Me Show You the Best of France: Normandy and Brittany
Come with me to France in 2024 as we explore Normandy and Brittany! We’ll also visit Mont Saint Michel. Here are the basics:
• June 29 – July 10
• 12 days / 11 nights in France
• All accommodations, transportation, admissions, and meals covered.
Check out this page for more information, then contact me at jim@jimhamelphotography.com or at 817-879-5739 with any questions or to reserve your spot. Read on to find out all about it.
We will start out in Paris and then head out to Normandy, seeing Giverny, Rouen, and Honfleur, among other things. We’ll visit battlefields of Normandy and then check out the spectacular Mont Saint Michel, which sits between Normandy and Brittany. After that, we’ll explore the remote edges of Brittany. Here we’ll experience rugged coastlines and lighthouses, ancient ruins, and charming villages. This will be 12 days you will never forget!
Normandy
More than just battlefield memorials (but we will visit them too), Normandy is full of charming villages and beautiful scenery. We’ll enjoy everything from ancient ruins to amazing coastlines. Honfleur (pictured above and at the top of this page) will be an unforgettable stop.
Mont Saint Michel
What could be better than visiting a 1000-year-old abbey on its own island off the coast of Normandy? Staying overnight on it, of course. And that’s what we’ll do, so we’ll essentially have the place to ourselves once the day-trippers leave.
Brittany
Brittany is a wild and windswept region in that’s best-known for its medieval fishing villages, rugged coastline, and its fierce independence from the rest of France. We’ll explore it all and you’ll feel like you are in another century.
France Itinerary
Here is a preliminary schedule for our trip to France. The final schedule should be very similar to this, but there could be modifications based on availability and other factors. There will be a lot more to this tour, so this is just some highlights!
Day 1: Paris
You’ll arrive in France and we will use today to get acclimated. If you are wiped out from the flight, rest up in your hotel. If you are feeling good, join us for a stroll around Paris. We’ll have a group get-together that evening.
Day 2: Giverny to Honfleur
We set out for Normandy today. Along the way we will pass by Giverny (think Monet) and Rouen (medieval town and cathedral largely spared destruction in WWII) so we will spend some time in each. We will end up in the charming seaside village of Honfleur and enjoy the Vieux Bassin (see the photo at the top of this page).
Day 3: Beaches of Normandy
Prepare for an emotional experience as we take in Omaha Beach, the American Cemetery, and other key sights of the Allied landings. We will then move to the town of Bayeux, home of the Bayeux Tapestry.
Day 4: Mont Saint Michel
In what is sure to be a trip highlight (and that is saying something on this trip), we will experience the 1000-year-old abbey and island of Mont Saint Michel. Tour the abbey in the afternoon, then when the day trippers leave we will pretty much have the whole place to ourselves.
Day 5: Saint Malo
After a morning at Mont Saint Michel, we will move on to the walled town of Saint Malo. We will explore the ramparts and amazing views. We will enjoy the shops and cafes. You won’t want to leave.
Day 6: Saint Malo and the Cote de Granit Rose
So we won’t. We will spend another day at Saint Malo. During the day, we will check out the “Cote de Granit Rose” with its pink granite coastline. We’ll enjoy another evening in Saint Malo.
Day 7: Finistere and Camaret-Sur-Mer
Today it is off to the tip of Brittany. We’ll hop-scotch our way through scenic locations and end up in Camaret-Sur-Mer, an amazing seaside town surrounded by “parc naturel” and scenic vistas.
Day 8: Finistere and Camaret-Sur-Mer
We will explore some of those parks and scenic vistas today. Then we will enjoy another afternoon and evening in the town of Camaret-Sur-Mer.
Day 9: Concarneau
We will make our way to the town of Quimper. It has an amazing pedestrian center with quaint French shops and cafes as well as cathedrals. After that, we will make our way to Concarneau. We will stay near the harbor and explore the island in the bay with its castle and cafes.
Day 10: Seaside in La Baule
We will end our time in Brittany with a seaside resort town. La Baule seems like something out of “lifestyles of the rich and famous.” We will dine in a beachside café.
Day 11: Paris
Today we will make our way back to Paris. Spend the afternoon picking up last minute souvenirs or just enjoying a café. In the evening, we will conclude by enjoying a dinner cruise on the Seine.
Day 12: Onward
After breakfast and perhaps an early Paris stroll, we will help you get where you need to go. For some, that will be the airport. Others will continue their travels in France or other parts of Europe.
Reviews
Don’t take my word for it. Check out the reviews and see what past tour attendees have to say. These are submitted via Facebook and then copied over to my website.
Questions
Email me at jim@jimhamelphotography.com. Text or call me at 817-879-5739. I’d love to hear from you, and I’m happy to tell you anything you want to know about this tour.
Cost of This Tour
Total cost is only $5,995 per person. There is nothing budget about this tour. Your payment includes all accommodations in first-class hotels. It will also include all meals, which will be amazing. You’ll receive a full breakfast each morning, a light lunch, and then full dinners at incredible French restaurants. It also includes all admissions and we’ll take care of all transportation on the tour. In short, we’ll cover just about everything but your airfare, souvenirs, and bar tab.
Just the Facts
- What: Tour of Normandy and Brittany, starting and ending in Paris.
- Who: About 10-12 people plus guides
- Where: Normandy and Brittany
- Length: 12 days/11 nights
- When: June 29 – July 10, 2024
- Cost: $5,995 per person
- Deposit: $750
- Included: All hotels, meals, admissions, and in-country transportation. Basically, everything except your airfare, souvenirs, and bar tab!
For additional information, call me at 817-879-5739 or email me at jim@jimhamelphotography.com.
Solo Travelers
On this tour, we will stay in very nice hotels. In the towns of Normandy and Brittany, these will typically be the best place we can find in town. As a result, the cost of our accommodations is a big percentage of our overall cost. Solo travelers are definitely welcome on our tours, and we can promise a great time for you. If you are traveling solo and don’t mind sharing a twin room with another traveler, the cost is the same. But if you are traveling solo and you want your own room, there is a single supplement of $1,495 to cover the increased room cost.
Payment Made Easy
One of the great things I have discovered is how to make affording your dream trip painless (check out this article for the idea). That’s one of the reasons we are setting this trip so far out in the future. You can spread out the payments so you never have to come up with a large chunk of money. Just pay your deposit of $750 per person and then make the payments on your schedule.
More Tour Details
So that’s the basic itinerary and information about this tour. But there is so much more that makes these tours special. Here are a few other things to know:
The Best Locations – We aim to spend your time at the best of the best locations. I vouch for each of the places we are going, and deem them worthy locations for a trip of a lifetime. Don’t rely on a guidebook and guess what you might want to see. Experience a trip full of highly curated locations.
Right Places, Right Times – Great effort goes into planning these trips, to ensure you are at the right places at the right times. For photographers, that means getting you where you want to be in the best light. For others, it means avoiding crowds and lines. For everyone, it means we minimize travel time.
Taste of Luxury – You will stay in first-class accommodations. You’ll enjoy amazing dinners in local restaurants. We recognize that you are paying a lot for this tour, and we make sure the hotels and restaurants reflect that.
Customizable – We offer flexibility, usually with alternatives available each day. I typically create recommended, relaxing, and ambitious schedules for you to choose from each day. This tour will be done your way. My expertise plus your input will create a magical experience.
Preparation – We provide more trip preparation resources than anyone. We have four group Zoom calls before the tour to make sure you are fully prepared. My website has everything from travel articles targeted at my tours to podcasts on our locations. You can email or call me at any time, and am always happy to discuss the tour with you.
Photographs for Everyone
We get it – not everyone is a photographer or interested in taking pictures. Even among those who are interested, there are many different levels. We pride ourselves in creating a great experience for everyone though. Here’s how:
Photography for Beginners – We love introducing people to photography. Whether you are using your phone or an old camera, we can show you the basics and jump start you into taking great photos. Beware – we may suck you in! In any case, you’ll gain a skill you can use for the rest of your life.
Photography for Photographers – Our tours are game-changers for even the most seasoned photographers. We’ll put you in the right place at the right time to build your portfolio. Some of our most-loved sessions are evenings where we sit down and critique the images we have all taken thus far. That gives you valuable feedback and opportunities to course correct while you are still there to do so.
Portraits for All – Even if you are uninterested in photography, you benefit from our expertise. Have your vacation pictures taken by professionals! Throughout the tour, we will be snapping pictures of you for your own use. Feel free to post them on your social media or just save them. We will occasionally have you pose for a portrait in a particularly scenic location as well. Don’t pay for family portraits – pay for a trip and get the portrait as part of the deal.
Photography on My Tours
I originally started doing these tours for photographers, with the goal of taking them to amazing places and showing them how to photograph them and create stunning images. However, we quickly discovered that many photographers have spouses, and they wanted to come too (and not be bored standing behind a tripod). After a while, people with no interest in photography whatsoever started coming. Now, my tours tend to be about 1/3 photographers and 2/3 non-photographers. We are able to cater to both and create the trip of a lifetime for everybody.
Whether you are an advanced photographer looking for a great way to upgrade your portfolio with amazing shots in exotic locations, or you are someone who snaps photos with your iPhone, this tour is for you. Typically, the only difference is that the photographers want to get up for sunrise shots while non-photographers are happy to sleep in and meet up at breakfast. Turns out, everyone loves monuments and scenic locations.
Our trips are designed for you to experience the location and culture, capture amazing photos, and have fun doing so. Only someone that is hell-bent on spending every moment behind a tripod might not love this tour. But if the idea of diving into the culture, experiencing these amazing places, enjoying French café culture, and also getting great photos sounds good, then this is for you.
How We Will Get Around France
All your transportation in France is covered by your tour cost. How we actually get around Normandy and Brittany will depend on how many people are going. We cap the number of people on the tour at about 12-14, and if we are at or close to that number, we will hire a coach and driver. If we have less people, we may use passenger vans. Either way we will make it as nice as possible, and there will be plenty of room for you to stretch out and for any luggage you want to bring.
My Connection to France
There is just no question that France is one of the most beautiful places on earth. But it wasn’t until my wife started doing something called the Rallye des Princesses that I really learned to appreciate how amazing France is. This is an annual, 6-day, all-women automobile rally in historic vehicles that starts in Place Vendome in Paris and ends in a beautiful French resort town in some distant part of France. I didn’t participate, of course, but used these annual trips to France to photograph different parts of France and get to know it. Now, having logged thousands of miles throughout France, I’m ready to show you some of the best parts. For my money, that’s Normandy and Brittany.