NORTHERN FRANCE
Jun 8 – 21, 2024
PRICE
$3,800
DURATION
14 Days / 13 Nights
GROUP MAX
14 People
PHYSICAL
Moderate
WEATHER
Fall-like, 60F to 70F
TOUR OVERVIEW
We explore the best of Northern France, especially the ‘City of Lights’, Paris, along with visits to: the incredible Palace of Versailles; the somber WWII sites in Normand region; the inspiring Mont St. Michel; the picturesque castles of Loire Valley; and historical towns nearby.
TOUR LEADER
Darren Frazier
TOUR PRICE
$3,800
SOLD OUT
Maximum 2 Travelers per Reservation
$500 deposit per person is required to reserve space. The availability of space is based on a first come, first serve basis.
100% of the balance is required 90 days before the first day of the tour.
DAY 1…
Arrival in Paris. Meet your tour guide and transfer to hotel. Do an afternoon stroll around the historic Montmartre district where Van Gogh, Degas, Renoir and Picasso once lived in. See Sacre-Coeur church atop the hill and view the city from above! Enjoy dinner in an old restaurant with classic French cuisines. Stay in Paris for 5 nights.
DAY 2…
Participate in a fun French Sign Language and culture workshop at the renowned deaf theater, International Visual Theater. Dine for lunch at a cozy deaf-owned restaurant with its Moroccan-inspired dishes. Meet your local Deaf guide in the heart of the Paris, Ile de la Cité, to visit the Notre Dame Cathedral, Sainte Chapelle and Conciergerie. Free time afterwards.
DAY 3…
Explore the artistic treasures of the Louvre Museum, including the Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo. Afterwards, see the Abbe de l’Epee cenotaph, the statue of Saint Joan of Arc, the Tuileries Gardens, and the Arc de Triomphe. Have dinner before standing on the famous viewpoint of the Eiffel Tower at the Trocadero. End your day standing on top of the Eiffel Tower!
DAY 4…
Visit the Chateau of Versailles for a whole day, once a royal palace during the glorious 1700s, when Louis XIV the Sun King and France was at the forefront of Europe. Afterwards, we stroll through their lavish gardens as well as have lunch. Return to Paris by late afternoon. Free time aftewards.
DAY 5…
Visit the St. Jacques deaf school in Paris, where Laurent Clerc spent his formative years under the tutelage of Abbe Sicard. Stroll through the picturesque Luxembourg Gardens nearby. After lunch, we go to the ridiculous Napoleon’s tomb and the fascinating military museum at the Invalides. See a couple of sights or free time before hopping on an evening river cruise to bid ‘adieu’ to Paris.
DAY 6…
Check out of the hotel and hop in a private van to head for the Normandy region. Stop by at Rouen for a lovely stroll and lunch in this historic town. See where Saint Joan of Arc was burned at as well as entering the cathedral. Visit another town, Bayeux, to see the incredible Bayeux Tapestries, woven with rich history as well as the gorgeous cathedral. Arrive in Arromanches, a coastal town. 2 nights in Arromanches.
DAY 7…
Today, it’s all about the D-Day / WWII sights: Starting with the museum in Arromanches, followed by the Longues-sur-Mer gun battery, Normandy American Cemetery, Pointe du Hoc Ranger Monument, and Omaha Beach. Return to hotel and relax.
DAY 8…
Visit Mont St. Michel, probably France’s most popular sight. Spend most of the day here to explore the interesting history of the island. Arrive in a historical coastal town, St. Malo. 2 nights in St. Malo.
DAY 9…
Depending weather, enjoy a half day at a nearby town, Dinan, or take ferry to an island, Jersey. After lunch, return to St. Malo and explore for the rest of the day.
DAY 10…
Drive to another amazing medieval city, Rennes. A walkabout to certain historical sites for the rest of the day. 2 nights in Rennes.
DAY 11…
Relax and continue to explore Rennes all day.
DAY 12…
Head out early to Amboise, located deep in the Loire Valley. Visit the Chateaux of du Clos-Lucè where Leonardo Da Vinci worked, and a ‘feminine’ Chenonceau. Stroll around the historic town, Amboise. 2 nights in Amboise.
DAY 13…
Another leisure day by visiting the chateaux of Cheverny and Chambord. Enjoy a farewell dinner at a winery.
DAY 14…
Check out early for a 3 hours ride to the airport in Paris. Depart any time AFTER late afternoon for your next respective destination.
- 13 nights in 3-star accommodations.
- 15 meals: Breakfast (13), Dinner (2)
- Services of a deaf group leader on call 24 hours a day.
- Services of local deaf guides.
- All transportation expenses.
- All admission fees for attractions and museums mentioned in the itinerary.
- Most tips, except for your Tour Manager.
- Informative travel preparation packet.
- Pre-tour and/or post-tour itinerary consultation.
- $100 discount per person on your next regular tour.
- International airfares.
- All other meals not mentioned in the itinerary and personal expenses.
- Travel Insurance.
- Any COVID-19 related tests.
Why do you need travel insurance?
LEARN DIFFERENT SIGN LANGUAGES!
Hands On Travel is a proud sponsor to Intersign University which provides sign language courses in many different countries.
Learn MoreTOUR LEADER
Darren Frazier
TOUR PRICE
$3,800
SOLD OUT
Maximum 2 Travelers per Reservation
$500 deposit per person is required to reserve space. The availability of space is based on a first come, first serve basis.
100% of the balance is required 90 days before the first day of the tour.
Why do you need travel insurance?
LEARN DIFFERENT SIGN LANGUAGES!
Hands On Travel is a proud sponsor to Intersign University which provides sign language courses in many different countries.
Learn MorePRICE
$3,800
DURATION
14 Days / 13 Nights
GROUP MAX
14 People
PHYSICAL
Moderate
WEATHER
Fall-like, 60F to 70F
GALLERY
Got a Question?
First, please scroll through our Frequently Asked Questions. If you have further questions or need help with a specific topic, feel free to contact us! Thank you.
RESERVATION
Spots are based on a first come, first serve basis. A $500 deposit per person is required to reserve your space and can be paid with a debit or credit card. Alternative payment options include personal check or wire transfer. After registration, you will receive an automatic email response with further instructions. Full payment is due 90 days before the start of your tour.
Absolutely yes! You can contact us by clicking this link and fill out the form and we will get back to you. Above all, we want to make your tour a memorable one for your group.
HOT is proud of the three distinct reasons that allow it to be different from other tour companies: they use sign language exclusively, travel in small groups which provide an intimate experience while also having more flexibility on their schedule, and spend time visiting places they love versus wasting time at places where there wasn’t much interest..
Generally, all tours will provide accommodations in double rooms with private bathrooms and breakfast, transportation expenses including lunch and dinner (depending on the itinerary), museum entrance fees along with a $100 credit towards your next full tour. In addition we provide you with information about each specific tour so that you can be fully aware of what is included.
We will be happy to assist you with a custom-designed tour, tailored towards your preferences. If not, stay up to date by joining our mailing list in order for us to provide you with any future tours that we may have availability for.
Did you know that we have travel consultants who can assist you? You can go to our Travel Consulting page for more information. The best way to accomplish this would be to seek out friends and/or family members (usually in order of 6 people) so they will lower the costs significantly, or advertise open spots on your tour publicly. We also have discounts, and some other advantages! What’s more- we are able to lower the level of accommodations as well as remove extras all together which make it feasible for a low cost.
It is often easier for us to permit single travelers when it comes time to sign up for our tours. If you are unable to find a partner and need assistance, please contact us as we may have singles available on the list- pending your approval first. There are some tours that allow exceptions for those seeking not only with partners but also without them too!
If somebody backs out, please register on our wait list or contact us directly so that we can put you on the wait list for a similar tour. We will also keep your name up to date with our latest tours and alerts about similar upcoming trips in order to give you a chance at joining them.
TRAVEL PROTECTION
Hands On Travel recommends that you purchase a travel protection plan to help protect you and your travel investment against the unexpected. Travel protection plans include coverage for Trip Cancellation, Trip Interruption, Emergency Medical and Emergency Evacuation/Repatriation, Trip Delay, Baggage Delay and more. To learn more about how to help protect you and your trip investment, visit the following link: TRAVEL PROTECTION
Don’t hesitate. We will stay in touch with you from the date of deposit until your arrival at the starting point of your tour, to make sure that all is well before departure. You can contact us via phone or e-mail any time for questions and we will remain in communication throughout your trip!
BILLING
No, we do not charge any extra fees or fuel surcharges. The listed price is the price you pay. Including tax.
You can find this under our Terms & Conditions. If you find it necessary to cancel your confirmed tour reservation, you must notify HOT about it by e-mail. You may transfer your space to another suitable person or request us to seek replacements. If your replacement is found, HOT will, at its discretion depending on the time frame, refund your deposits/payments or apply it towards a future Hands on Travel tour that is to be taken no more than 3 years after the dates of the original tour. If your replacement is not found, the cancellation of your reservation will become effective and the following charges will apply: (a) if cancelled more than 90 days before the first day of the tour, all installment or additional payments will be refunded to you minus the non-refundable deposit of US $500 per person and any non-refundable payments that HOT has made to suppliers. (b) if cancelled less than 90 days before the first day of the tour, no refunds will be made.
Since tour prices are quoted as a package, no partial refunds can be made for the unused portion of any tour including lodging, meals, or any other items that are included in the tour price. This does not apply to those who wish to participate in only a portion of a tour. In this case, we can pro-rate costs for the unused days.
After registration, you will receive an automatic email reply with further instructions. A $500 per person booking deposit is required to reserve your spot on the trip and can be paid by personal check, credit card and/or wire transfer. Full payment is due no less than 90 days before the start of the trip.
If you need to cancel or postpone your trip 3 or more months before the start, all monies paid will be refunded minus the $500 non-refundable deposit. You can also transfer the entire amount of your deposit to be used for a later trip if we are able to find replacements.
DURING THE TOUR
Big coach buses separate us from local people. We fail to experience or understand the “hands on” lives of locals.
We started out as a walking tour company. Walking offers close-up experiences with local people and hidden gems to discover.
It’s much easier to communicate full to everyone in semi-circle and make sign language 100% accessible. No more missing what is being said.
We’d be able to dine in smaller, cozier and unique restaurants that would offer a local culinary experience unlike large, tourist-oriented restaurants. And, we’d be able to stay at smaller accommodations in prime locations unlike large chain hotels outside the city limits.
We strive to include local guides for certain days to promote maximum cultural experience as well as exchange deaf-related insights.
Most of our customers will gain insightful observations and deeper understanding on how Deaf people live on a local level.
Most of our customers will gain insightful observations and deeper understanding on how Deaf people live on a local level.
