Each guest and each tour being unique, my quotation will follow a first exchange of emails or talks on WhatsApp to offer you the best tailor-made experience you aspire to.
I insist on the fact that you just don’t hire a guide or a driver, you hire someone you will spend a day or two or even more with… so we definitely have to correspond to each other…
That’s why my rates may seem higher than a « regular » guide or driver… because of … me but no worries, I am not full of myself, far from it… In fact, after going through huge turbulences in my recent work life – moral harassment to be completely precised – I finally realized that I was worth it… and testimonies received from my dear guests all confirmed that I was someone whose company was pleasant and inspiring…
My personality adds this little « je ne sais quoi », which will make the difference in your French experience…
Once again, your quotation will meet your needs; transportation or not, extra mileage, …
Basically, meals, museum entrance fees, and personal expenses are not included (though you’ll get a preferred rate in many museums, being accompanied by me).
Note that as I run my own company (not just operating as an independant worker), my services are subject to Value Added Tax (20% on services / 10% on transportation).
I have full licences to transport you on board of my car, which is registered at the French Register of VTC (chauffeured services driver) and has all requested insurance. I also chose an Hybrid-car to reduce my carbon footprint, as much as possible… trying to support a better sustainable and responsible tourism.
These are extra costs I have to take into account in my rates.
Once we’ll have agreed dates and package you wanna go for, I’ll send you a deposit invoice of 30% of the total amount, as a confirmation of your booking. Then, payment of the balance is asked 1 week prior to your tour.
Payment can be made by wire transfer or PayPal (with extra fees).
Cancellation: in case of impossibility to undertake the tour, your deposit will not be refunded. But your tour maybe be postponed and we’ll be able to delay it with no extra fee.
I will be happy to welcome you 365 days a year (except that the American Normandy Cemetery is closed on Christmas and New Year’s Day). Otherwise, Normandy is worth exploring in any season.
Absolutely not ! Everyone can attend a tour, whatever your level of knowledge is! What is the most interesting is to give you the main points of the history, from a French perspective (which can be slightly different from your country’s one) …maybe raise your awareness or let you see things differently afterwards…or not… that will be up to you…
I am not a military buff. I am just passionate about human relationships, history telling, and language and culture sharing. So, no need to be graduated in humanities to follow me.
No way… even though Normandy may not be so large, compared to your country, distances and/or traffic make it impossible to correctly visit both Mont Saint-Michel and the 5 landing beaches on the same day.
Together, we’ll optimize your time in Normandy to take advantage of every single minute here…
And note that I won’t be able to guide you inside the Abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel, as I don’t have the license to do so, but many options are available on site (from visit documents, an app, or a guide) and I can help you in arranging that.
I’ll meet you wherever you need me to be… we’ll discuss that further by email.
Casual with multiple layers so that you can easily add or remove some… here it can be rainy and cool in the morning and sunny and hot in the afternoon… that’s the pleasure of being in Normandy (and one of the reasons why the Impressionist movement was born in our region… see Monet’s piece of art, the Rouen Cathedral, painted at several successive times of the same day with so many different colors and lights).
Wear comfortable shoes as we’ll be walking on different grounds (sand, earth, mud, dust), depending on the weather conditions.
Umbrellas are barely used here because of the wind, often blowing here. Prefer hats, caps, and rain jackets.
Once again, it really depends on you and your wishes. Though, for a D-Day tour, the best location to stay is definitely Bayeux.
Then, there are many other options in Normandy where I could pick you up, from castles to 5-star hotels or B&Bs. We don’t lack accommodation… don’t hesitate to ask me for a piece of advice.
Definitely by train from downtown Paris Saint-Lazare station: Paris–Cherbourg line to Caen or Bayeux, or Paris–Deauville line. If you rent a car, it may be more interesting to rent it from Caen.
From and to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, you can take a train to downtown Paris and follow with a train to Normandy, or I can pick you up or drop you off there (instead of driving up there, bothering yourself with heavy traffic).