Page 13 - AAA Now! – AAA Central Penn – January/February 2020

TRAVEL AGENCY
AAA
TM
Vive la France – The Best of France by Land and River
Throughout the years I’ve spent some time in France and always wanted to return to truly immerse myself in glamourous Paris and the glorious countryside. And what could be better than a 10-day guided luxury journey from Paris to the French Riviera followed by a gracious weeklong Seine River cruise?
Obviously, I wanted to see all the important and iconic sights, but I really wanted to meet, eat, drink and chat with the locals – plus experience behind- the-scenes and private visits to off-the-beaten-path hidden treasures throughout the land. I wanted to indulge in famous French cuisine and wash it down with acclaimed local wines. I wanted to hear and learn the history of France with local experts – and to do all of this without spending hours on research, waiting in exhaustive lines or costing a fortune.
If this sounds like something you may like, ask your AAA travel agent about the “Luxury Gold
- French Vogue” escorted trip and follow it with
a fabulous Seine River cruise aboard Uniworld’s sumptuous S.S. Joie de Vivre (Joy of Life) river ship.
For this AAA Now! issue, I will focus on the Luxury Gold land portion and follow up with Uniworld’s Seine River cruise in the March/April edition.
From the moment we landed at Charles de Gaulle airport, Luxury Gold took care of everything. We began with a three-night stay at a lovely boutique hotel in the heart of Paris – a 10-minute walk to
the Eiffel Tower. Our group of 16, plus our excellent traveling concierge, kicked off the journey with a private and authentic French dinner along the Seine with up-close views of the dazzling Eiffel Tower.
A few of my favorite highlights in Paris included
Part 1 – By Sandy Fenton
Privately owned Chateau de Vaux-le-Vicomte
is a great value and especially appealing to upscale travelers wanting an authentic, one-of-a-kind group itinerary in a specific destination.
Luxury Gold travels the world and its mantra – “Bringing Back the Golden Era of Travel” – is so true.
Contact your local AAA travel expert and ask about all Luxury Gold AAA member benefits plus special sales and promotions.
a gourmet foodie market walk, VIP entry into the Eiffel Tower, a privately hosted French dinner at a local Parisian home, and a private visit to Vaux-le- Vicomte Chateau & Gardens.
We left Paris aboard the TGV train (first class)
to Avignon where our luxury coach met and transported us to Arles (Provence) for the next three nights. We experienced so much, but I especially loved our behind-the-scene tours in historic Arles (Van Gogh lived and painted in Arles); group drinks
at Pont du Gard’s ancient Roman aqueducts; picture perfect villages of Les-Baux-de-Provence, St. Remy-de-Provance and St. Paul-de-Vence; private lunch at Michelin-star Maison de Bournissac; and wine tasting in Chateauneuf-du-Pape.
Our final three nights were in Monte Carlo, Monaco, with French Riviera hand-picked tours to the Royal Palace, Eze hill village, Nice
and the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild. Our amazing farewell dinner
Sandy Fenton in St. Paul-de-Vence , France – Oct. 2019
overlooked Monte Carlo’s harbor – and we were all so sad our “French Vogue” journey was over.
Our small Luxury Gold group traveled in comfort and style with all needs taken care of along the way. We stayed in luxury hotels within easy walking distance
of local cafes
Luxury Gold is a great value and especially appealing to upscale travelers wanting an authentic, one-of-a-kind group itinerary in a specific destination.
"Let’s Talk Travel with AAA," hosted by Sandy Fenton, is broadcast Saturdays 11:00AM to 12:00PM on iHeartMedia’s WHP580. For more information, go to whp580.com and click on the link to "Let’s Talk Travel."
and popular
attractions. We
ate fabulous
French food,
drank delicious
French wines
and experienced
more sights
than you can
imagine at a
relaxed pace. There was no getting up early for 7:00 a.m. starts, and every day we had time to explore on our own. Our days began with excited anticipation and a leisurely room service breakfast. I still can’t get over how much was included in the price. Luxury Gold
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020
13
Now!