Vocabulary
French Gourmet Escapades: brand name of the company to market its tours and services
Intimate French Experiences LLC: name of the corporation
Date of departure: means the date of departure, in France, of the tour for the circuit you chose
Prices
The prices of our tours are set in Euro (€) and all payments are due in Euro.
Reservations (Travel Agent)
Reservations for our tours are made by email; you will receive a confirmation within 48 hours of reception of your email. At that time, a deposit of
€ 500 (euros) per person is due to confirm the tour. You will receive a receipt upon reception of funds (deposit is refundable under certain conditions – see below).
Payment (Travel Agent)
Full payment of the tour is required 90 days prior date of departure for tours in Normandy and Loire Valley.
Full payment of the tour is required 30 days prior date of departure for tours in Paris.
You will receive a receipt upon reception of funds along with a confirmation package which will include information forms for you to complete, sign and return.
Minimum, maximum size of a group (Travel Agent)
Our tours are designed for groups of 6 to 8 people only (see in “our tours” for details).
But if the group decreases in number/volume due to the cancellation of other parties, between 90 days prior the date of departure up to the date of departure, your tour will be run.
Cancellation policy for Normandy and Loire Valley tours (Travel Agent)
If you cancel the tour:
More than 120 days before the date of departure : your guarantee deposit will be refunded in full
Between 119 days up to 90 days or less before the date of departure: your guarantee deposit will not be refunded
30 to 89 days before the date of departure: only 30% of the tour cost will be refunded
0 to 29 days before the date of departure: no refund
If you wish to reschedule to another date:
90 days or more before the date of departure: contact us as soon as possible and we will make every effort to accommodate you (no penalties or fees will be charged)
Less than 90 days before the date of departure: the cancellation policy will apply; however, we will make every effort to accommodate your change if possible.
We highly recommend that you purchase trip cancellation insurance. This will protect you from unexpected circumstances that may cause you to cancel your trip. Please see trip cancellation insurance section below.
Contact your Travel Agent for best advice.
Cancellation policy for Paris tours (Travel Agent)
If you cancel your trip :
30 or more days before the date of departure: your guarantee deposit will be refunded in full
10 to 29 days before the date of departure: only 30% of the tour cost will be refunded
0 to 9 days before the date of departure: no refund
We highly recommend that you purchase trip cancellation insurance. This will protect you from unexpected circumstances that may cause you to cancel your trip. Please see trip cancellation insurance section below.
Contact your Travel Agent for best advice.
Cancellation by Intimate French Experiences Inc. (French Gourmet Escapades)
Should the tour you choose not reach the minimum number of guests required by 90 days prior to departure (Loire Valley or Normandy) or 30 days (Paris), your tour will be cancelled. We will make every effort to reschedule your trip.
We are not responsible for any loss incurred on account of non-refundable or non-transferable air tickets or other unrecoverable travel costs in the case of cancellation by Intimate French Experiences, Inc.
Insurances (cancellation, health, …)
You always think it happens to other people? Subscribing a cancellation insurance will protect you just in case of…
Several cancellation insurance policies are available from basic coverage (Injury and Illness, lost or Stolen Passport/Visa Coverage, property damage, traffic accident enroute to departure,…) to “cancel for any reason”. You may also want to consider purchasing Emergency Medical & Evacuation coverage.
Contact your Travel Agent for best advice.
Eligibility
We require that clients are at least 18 years of age (some activities such as wine tasting are legally restricted in France to people at least 18 years of age). However, certain of our tours may be adapted for families traveling with children under 18 years of age. Please contact us for further information.
Preparing for Your Trip - Travel Documents and Passports
Foreign nationals traveling to come to France must have valid passports and be able to submit statutory documentary evidence at the border for the reasons for their stay, their means of support and accommodation arrangements (for our tours in the Loire Valley, we can provide you accommodation arrangement information). For short stays (less than 90 days or a succession of stays totaling less than 90 days in any period of 180 days), European regulations specify that US Citizens are exempt from visa requirement to enter the Schengen Area.
Medical
If you have a medical condition, please consult your doctor before long travel. Our tours do require a moderate fitness regarding a fair amount of walking, but no other strenuous sports activity except for optional biking in the Loire Valley. Alternative arrangements can be made for those who choose not to participate in the bike ride.
External Travel Services
Taxi from Paris airports (CDG or Orly) to Paris : these are charged at flat rate fares
From Roissy CDG, will cost between €50 - €55
From Orly, will cost between €30 - €35
depending on whether the pick-up or drop-off is on the Left Bank or Right Bank of the Seine river.
Inclement weather
Even if France does not experience tornadoes or hurricanes, we may encounter severe thunderstorms which could effect your tour in the Loire Valley or in Normandy (outdoor visits, antique markets, cruise on river, biking, …). In this case, we will do our best to replace outdoor activities by indoor activities planned for another day of the week or offer new activities to the group.