I'm curious... What's that NTA logo all about?

Someone has reached out and asked about the NTA logo on our website, and wanted to know if that was some sort of company or organization that we use to arrange our Tours?

So, no... Terese and I  personally research, design, curate and escort all of our Tours ourselves...  NTA is The National Tour Association... It's an International Travel Trade Association of Tour Operators that we're honored to be a member of...  To our surprise, beyond having to pay our annual memberships dues, we actually had to prove our worthiness to become a member...  We had to document things like;  Legal Incorporation, having a Federal Tax ID, filing Federal Corporate Tax Returns,  having at least 5 years of Incorporation, having professional Tour Operator's General, Professional and Corporate Liability Insurance Coverages and showing a verifiable pattern of expanding business development.  

We had been invited several times over the years and finally joined about 10 years ago...  We initially had some hesitancy, as for a very small operator like ourselves, it's a significant annual membership investment to belong to NTA and even much more of a financial commitment to meet all their requirements... but we do get a lot from them including ongoing webinars, legal advice, industry insights,  professional Tour Development advice, International networking and even discounts on things like our various professional Tour Operator's Insurances. They of course also, like all Trade Associations, provide political advocacy & lobbying for our industry.  

Over the years they've been very helpful with the many issues we have with contracts both here, and in Italy & France... Providing help with contracts for Villa leases, Tour guides, Wineries, Vendors, Suppliers,  our Reservation Forms, Waivers, Contracts, etc...  

When travel bans during the pandemic prevented us from running our Tours, we were unable to cancel and get refunds on expensive Villa leases, because European Law did not require them to give refunds...   So we were faced with some difficult decisions on how to handle our guests... NTA firmly reminded us of what we in the Tour Business always call "The Golden Rule" ~ when in doubt, always treat your guests the way you would want to be treated...  And that is why, as many of you know, we offered all of our up-to-date,  fully paid & scheduled guests 100% of their money back immediately.  That was a tough day for us, being a teeny-tiny business and having to write out over $250,000 in checks! We didn't have to do it, and 95% of operators didn't do it, they only offered rescheduling... but the choice of a cash refund is what we would have wanted if we were the guests... In the end, we believe that integrity won us some loyalty from both our Tuscany & Provence guests, and overall we lost a total of only 4 out of 65  guests through it all... and most of those guests have taken several of our trips sine then!

many people are surprised to find out that Provence is one of 
the world's largest cherry & apricot growing regions... But the 
ladies will be interested to know that Cindy Crawford's
"Magic Melons" (I'm talking about fruit!) are grown in 
Cavaillon, very near our Villa, and we'll have
them on the breakfast buffet!

As a Tour Operator, you're faced with these types of decisions all the time... For us, estimating expenses two years in advance is one of the most difficult parts of what we do.  Our research trips tend to always be more expensive than we estimate, Villa leases tend to compound way above average year to year... and inflation spirals the costs of all our provisions,  while political environments make international currency exchange rates fluctuate dramatically,  airfares to reach our destinations are wildly unpredictable, ongoing advertising costs to market our tours always exceed expectations, chefs change their availability based on pay, even the weather and insects effect the price of wine... And when we market & sell Tours so far in advance, you can sometimes see profits slowly evaporate... Many operators overcome this, by the fine print in their contracts that say "your tour costs can change anytime up through the date of departure".   

At Adventures to Tuscany, we don't do this...  We live with and honor the prices we quote and our Tour prices are locked in the moment you signup and pay your deposit!   And all our Tours include our exclusive Money-Back Tour Cancellation Protection;  If for any reason Adventures to Tuscany cancels a tour you have reserved, the entire amount you have paid to Adventures to Tuscany LLC for the applicable tour will be immediately refunded to you within 14 days after the tour's cancellation. Or, at your choice, you may choose a full dollar value credit to apply to another tour date. In our 24 years of running Tours, we've never had to cancel a Tour up until the pandemic, and we're certainly hoping that nonsense is over!

Some of you benefited from our Tour Cancellation Protection Program when we were forced to cancel Tours at the beginning of the pandemic...  and we immediately issued refund checks to quite a few of you. We were so grateful that so many of you came back to us to sign up for another Tour.  So again, NTA's Golden Rule advice has shown benefit to all involved!

And while our Tour Cancellation Policy protects you if we are forced to cancel a Tour, we always take every opportunity to remind and recommend to guests that you should strongly consider purchasing simple inexpensive Travel Insurance in case you need to cancel your vacation.  If you need Travel Insurance, we always recommend and are a referring affiliate to insuremytrip.com and only if you use this link here, we receive a small token referral fee from them at no additional cost to you.  We've seen numerous guests benefit from having travel insurance over the years... It of course seems most obvious if you have to cancel... but a comprehensive policy can also cover flight delays, baggage delays, baggage loss, medical costs, dental costs, etc...  We most recently benefited from our travel insurance last year when an Italian Air Traffic Controllers strike stranded us for two extra days in Florence on our return home. Our Travel insurance reimbursed us approximately $1000 in hotel, meals, taxi, and miscellaneous expenses caused by the delay.

Hope you're all getting excited about Provence!  You're going to love it's incredible landscapes, with all it's magical fragrances, sounds & textures... When you hear the Provençal cicadas singing in the warm summer breezes & while the fragrances of the lavender fields waft through the air, you'll feel as if you're in a fairytale! We'll have you in these hills you see in this video below...  and by the way, we'll also have a French troubadour serenading you in just an incredible setting while you sip wines & eat French cheeses in the shade of 300 year old plane trees!  So get excited guys... This is going to be an amazing experience!

 Gaëtan Roussel & Adeline Lovo sing - Crois-moi ! 

a beautiful song about love, life, laughs and dreams...

Poulet Cordon Bleu - Tout Simplement Délicieux

our dinner last night... the good news is,
we only ate two, so we'll be enjoying again tonight!

 Poulet Cordon Bleu ~ Tout Simplement Délicieux (Simply Delicious). Terese & I were back in the test kitchen again working on a possible new dinner entree for our upcoming Provence Tours this summer...  While we bring in our own private French Chefs at the Villa, we know the selection of foods for our meals is ultimately important to the immersive experience... And with that, we personally always put a lot of work into deciding on the menus... 

We of course want these menus to reflect French Cuisine, and lean toward the Provençal tastes... but because we serve Family Style, we also want these foods to be universally appealing...  So last night we worked on spicing up our own take on the traditional (Poulet Cordon Bleu) Chicken Cordon Bleu...  

if you've never tried Maille,
we definitely recommend it!

The French term cordon bleu is literally translated as "blue ribbon". According to Larousse Gastronomique, the cordon bleu "was originally a wide blue ribbon worn by members of the highest order of knighthood, L'Ordre des Chevaliers du Saint-Esprit, instituted by Henri III of France in 1578. Originally these recipes were Swiss, and consisted of Schnitzel instead of chicken... but the name came from the fact that the original recipes were first demonstrated at the famous Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Institute in Paris...

Our own take is slightly different from the traditional...  Interested in trying this in your own kitchen?  You can find a million recipes online, but here's our take: We filleted boneless - skinless chicken breasts... hammered them thin... lightly spiced the insides with what else but Herbes de Provence... we stacked & layered the fillets with a thinly sliced, spiced Capicollo Ham, and layers of Swiss, Parmesan, and Brie Cheeses... and then lightly drizzled the inside with our own homemade 65/35 blend of Maille French Dijon mustard and mayonnaise...  We tightly rolled & pinned the breasts, and then coated the entire roll in mayonnaise and rolled the whole breast in a  50/50 mix of Italian & Panko breadcrumbs with freshly grated Parmesan... a slight drizzle of EVOO and then into a hot oven on a rack...

they may still be fighting over the Estate, 
but they make great wine!

When throughly cooked, we take them out rest them for 5 minutes, and then slice the stuffed breasts into 1' inch pinwheels... plate them... and drizzle with our own Creamy Dijon Parmesan Sauce; a traditional rue of melted butter, fine sifted flour, milk, dry white wine, dijon mustard, garlic, and freshly grated parmesan...  

They were delicious!  We'll talk to our Chef about this, but you just might find these on your plate in Provence this Summer!

 If you try these yourself, we suggest pairing with a nice dry rosé wine... (Rosé is indeed the un-official wine of Summer in Provence!)    Good one to try if you've never had it before is Miraval from Brad Pitt's & Angelina Jolie's Wine Estate in Provence...   You've heard the old saying: We love to cook with wine... Sometimes we even put a little in the food!"  

C`EST SI BON  (it's so good!)

🎼 On the road again... I just can't wait to get on the road again... 🎼

  🎼 Seein' things that I may never see again... And I can't wait to get on the road again... 🎼

So there's been a lot of chatter lately about airline tix... Everybody  is starting to look!  Some folks have already booked.  Some folks have reached out... and we've received a few questions from guests... And of course we always invite you to give us a call if we can help you...  

Here's the caveat, we are not travel agents... and we can not buy tix for you... but we'd be happy to try to help you find a few options online, or if you need advice with something like: "is this a good airline" or "is this a good price" or perhaps "is this layover time safe" or  "is this a reasonable flight duration"  or maybe: "can we fly on one airline into Paris and another home from Marseille?"

Again, we're not travel agents, and we only have the same tools you do... but we do, between the two of us, have an extensive amount of International Air Travel experience, specifically to Europe over the last 40 years...  

Personally, we typically start out researching tix on Kayak.com and Google Flights... and when we find something we think might work for us, we go directly to that Airline's website, search for that flight, and buy the tix directly from the Airline.   We're not masters at finding the cheapest tix... but we can tell you that the more time you spend researching, the more likely you are to get a good feel for what is a good value! 

Terese and I personally tend to stick to the legacy carriers we know & trust; United, Delta, American, Lufthansa, Air France, Emirates, British Airways, etc...  We do this because we can't afford  to not get there on schedule...  If there's a major delay or cancellation, most of these legacy carriers have multiple flights to Europe everyday and they have "codeshares" with multiple airlines and can more easily get us on another flight in a reasonable amount of time... Sometimes, the discount airlines do not have these codeshares and also they usually have very limited flights...  (For example: United Airlines & their combined codeshares probably have dozens if not 100's of flights leaving major airports daily into major hubs in Europe... and those airlines would likely have dozens of flights daily going into Marseille.  Some discount airlines have only one or two flights a day from the US and no codeshares at all... and some of these discount airlines have only 1 or two flights a week) 

This isn't to say that there may not be other good airlines & flights out there... This is just our own personal opinion and strategy... 

We also look at Flight Duration and # of stops...  If flying from the US into Marseille, you likely have at least one stop...  We try never to book a flight with more than 1 stop... Two stops / or connections double the possibility of either us, or our luggage, not making the connection...  But with that in mind you'll usually find that the flights with the shortest duration sometimes have the shortest layovers.. and short layovers can again possibly mean either you or your luggage not making the connection...  So it's a fine line.... and of course there's always an element of risk... For those of you flying into Paris for a few days; most of those flights will be direct nonstop.

Yet another thing to keep in mind is that these days many airlines have a lot of different levels of "Economy" tix... and often the lowest level of basic economy (read: least expensive) of these tix have more restrictions... Often these tix are not changeable or upgradeable... And most often they don't include checked luggage... And sometimes they only allow a personal-size carry-on and not a full size carry-on...  You should know that if your tix doesn't include a piece of checked luggage, you likely would have to pay $90 to $120 per person to  check your bag... and that fee will apply twice per person - once each direction! So your baggage fees if you check just one bag, could be as high as $240 per person round trip...

And lastly:  While some guests arrange their flights to arrive the first day of the Tour (Saturday), we usually suggest flying over at least one day earlier and staying in your arrival city in a hotel for at least one night just to be safe in case of cancelled or delayed flights. (this is of course totally your choice) But this does help you adjust more easily to the jet lag / time zone change.

And if you're flying home on the Saturday immediately after your Provence Tour, be careful concerning how early your flight leaves (you'll need to drive to the airport, return your car, get a shuttle from the car return lot to the terminal, and check-in a few hours before your flight departure... all of that can be pretty tough to do if you have a 9 am flight... you may want to consider an afternoon or next day flight.

Lastly, someone has asked about the pros and cons of buying air tickets thru online discounters or an OTA (online travel agency). We personally prefer to deal directly with the airline, but many folks are temped by the prices they see in ads for ticket discounters. So we break these down into two categories; the traditional Online Travel Agencies like Expedia or Orbitz... and the major Ticket Discounters like Cheapo Tickets, CheapFlights, and ASAP Tickets.  Usually buying tickets thru a traditional online travel agency is much like walking into a brick and mortar travel agency and they typically sell tickets for the same price as the airlines do directly.  But often when buying thru one of the big Ticket Discounters you'll end up with "promotional tickets" that they buy from the airlines in bulk and they sometimes have very few perks or amenities attached. (ie: non-changeable, non-refundable, no checked luggage, etc.)  And if you run into a problem while traveling and call your airline, they tell you to call the agency you bought your tickets from... This is sometimes not easy and they often have limited availability to help you... So just be careful; ask questions and read ALL the fine print... for more on this subject click here 

Again, if we can help you in any way at all, please reach out to us! We're always happy to help! 

 

L'eau fait pleurer, le vin fait chanter...

In Provence they say:  L'eau fait pleurer, le vin fait chanter...  (Water makes one cry, wine makes one sing!)

Les Deux Magots ~ one of Paris's most famous... 
known as a popular literary hangout for the likes of 
Ernest Hemingway, Pablo Picasso, 
James Joyce, Jean-Paul Sartre and André Breton

In North America, terms for French restaurants are often used interchangeably, but, in France, there is a definite difference between a brasserie, a bistro and a bouchon. From auberges to restaurants and everything in between, France has a wide variety of places to dine with different offerings, price ranges and atmospheres. This can lead to some confusion, however, if you’re hungry and not sure where to go if you’re looking for a multi-course meal or just a casual bite to eat; 
here is a quick glossary of French eateries.

Bistro

Bistros are intimate, usually family-owned restaurants that serve traditional fare and French wine. You’ll find casual menu items that also show up in brasseries, as well as tartes, braises and stews. If you’re short on time or just not looking for a real-sit down meal, bistros generally offer a casual atmosphere and reasonably-priced, simple fare. They are very popular destinations and so tend to get crowded, but beyond their cramped quarters, bistros offer a sampling of some of France’s favorite culinary staples. Many bistros also sell tobacco, lottery tickets and scratch-off games. They tend to be open only during meal hours, meaning from around 11:30 am- 2:00 pm for lunch and 7:30 pm- 11:00 pm for dinner.

Bouchon

Specific to Lyon, bouchons are independent, casual dining spots that typically serve decadently high-fat items like pts, offals and roasts.  While traveling in Lyon, you will undoubtedly encounter the city’s typical bouchons serving the region’s traditional specialties, which tend to be meat-heavy dishes such as sausage, duck pâté and pork. Bouchons are known more for their convivial, lively atmospheres than refined haute cusine, but a hearty meal is guaranteed, usually accompanied by a glass of Beaujolais or Côtes-du-Rhône. Expect opening hours to coincide with meal times 

Brasserie

The name translates to “brewery,” so a brasserie is a French version of a pub: beer and cider are usually served in a loud, bustling space. Typical brasserie meals include steak frites or mussels (also with frites, please!). Closely identifiable with pub restaurants, brasseries serve traditional French food, coffee and drinks at moderate prices. They offer a wider food selection than bistros and tend to be bustling and serving food all day long, from morning until late at night. As brasserie means “brewery” in French, you can expect a beer and wine selection that will satisfy true aficionados!

Caf or Café

In France, a caf is where you go for your coffee, and perhaps a light snack or lunch in the form of a croque monsieur or a meal-sized salad. The French café is so ingrained in the country’s reputation that you can hardly imagine France without it! Cafés are often casual neighborhood hangouts but can also have trendier atmospheres. They mainly serve coffee, of course, as well as tea, hot chocolate and light snacks such as toasted sandwiches. Cafes are usually open from morning (roughly 7 am) until evening. Unlike some other establishments in France, cafés do not close mid-day

Auberge

For a rustic family-style meal, an auberge attached to a rural bed-and-breakfast or hotel serves up cuisine that will hit the spot, and an auberge terroir uses certified local ingredients. In both cases, a table d’hôte with limited options is usually offered. Since they are often attached to bed and breakfasts or hotels, auberges will also offer accommodations to their visitors.

Restaurant

For a traditional multi-course meal in France, restaurants are your best bet. Most will offer a wide selection of dishes on a prix-fixe menu (with some combination of appetizer, entrée and dessert) as well as an à la carte option. Wine choices and higher-end service are also often emphasized in restaurants. And like bistros, restaurants are usually open only during meal hours, and you may find that many are closed on Sundays or Mondays.

Traiteur  

The closest thing to a delicatessen.  They offer catering and ready-meals, and deli-type goods such as marinated olives, tapenades, seafood and salads. These are great places to go if you're trying to put together some take-away foods for a picnic...

Buvette  

Also known as a ‘buffet’ or ‘snack’, they sell pizza by-the-slice, paninis, baguette sandwiches and drinks.

Salon de Thé

Serves a range of teas, and usually offers cakes, quiches and tarts.

Boulangerie

A bread shop. Usually fresh baked croissants...  Dedicated boulangeries usually don’t dabble in pastries or cakes.

Fromagerie 

A cheese shop.These can be amazing places with incredible selection... Ask for advice, and take it!

Crêperies  

You are certain to encounter a crêperie serving crêpes (thin pancakes, sweet and made with wheat flour) and galettes (savoury and made with buckwheat flour). Sometimes you'll find a Creperie street cart (think hot dog cart, but with fresh to order crepes stuffed with incredible fillings)

Patisserie

A bakery specializing in cakes and sweets. This is where you’ll find your eclairs, macarons and petit fours.

While this title says "Paris" it's the same all over France...

Anyone who says "Money can't buy Happiness" has never spent a week at a Villa in Provence!

  So a common question we always get is: How much money do we need for our Provence trip and how do we get Euros ?

First and foremost you need to know that they do accept common credit cards in France... Mostly Visa, MasterCard and American Express is excepted, \ (note: Discover Card is usually not commonly accepted France).   

But sometimes at smaller establishments, just like here in the US, it is cash only.  As far as how much cash you'll need... That's of course totally dependent on your personal choices & lifestyles... Over the last 24 years that we've been taking these groups, we've seen some of our guests get by using very little in euros (maybe  75 - 100 Euro per person over the 8 days) and other guests spending ten times that....

it always seems so far away, but
it'll be here before you know it!

During your week at The Villa, for your Adventures to Provence Tour, most all of your "hard expenses" are included with your Tour price, with the exception of three lunches while we give you free time in some of the villages we'll be touring...   On these 3 days,  some prefer to maximize their time sightseeing & shopping and forgo lunch... (the Breakfast spreads at the Villa are substantial) or just grab a quick and simple sandwich or slice of Pizza and Soda from a street vendor (typically available for around 6 -7 euro)...   

On the other end of the scale, some prefer to relax outside at a table with a view in one of the nicer Cafes and have a larger hot lunch and a glass of wine and do a little people watching...  this is likely more in the neighborhood of 20 - 25 euro per person (depending on the view)!   And of course anyone that's spent any time at all in tourist destinations, knows that it's not hard to spend 50 to 75 euros per person, if lunch to you means either steak or lobster with a bottle of wine...  A simple and casual relaxed lunch with a glass of wine and a little people watching is always one of our favorite things in Provence... we tend to favor the moderately priced Cafes with a nice view to just relax and soak in the French ambiance...

And of course, you'll have small miscellaneous personal expenses throughout the week... perhaps a glass of wine, a gelato, a caffe, parking, maybe something you need from a drug store, etc. Nothing big, but you will need a little pocket money...  So you can see, as far as how much money you'll need, this is not an easy answer...

We always suggest you budget around 10 - 20 euros per person/per day (+/- 150 euro per person for the week)...  And you can certainly get by on a whole lot less if you want to...   But your personal expenses for shopping can be a whole other story... There's leather purses, shoes, belts, perfumes, pottery, clothing, paintings, sculpture,  Provençal tablecloths, etc...  Usually anyone selling more expensive items, will take credit cards...  (and when using a credit card, if you're asked; would you like to be charged in Dollars or Euros, always say Euros... choosing Dollars gives a retailer the ability to do his own "dynamic conversion" and charge a higher exchange rate).

best if you start watching the
fluctuation in the price of the 
Euro so you can buy them 
when they're at a low point...

So there's quite a few options for accessing Euros... We'll address the three main options:

#1.   Buying Euros in advance from your bank

Buying Euros ahead of time from your local bank here in the states is a safe & conservative approach... This is what we do... In our opinion, this is the most convenient and easiest way to get Euros, and already have them in pocket when you arrive in France.  Often they won't have the euros at a branch, but they'll get them for you in a day or two...  Your personal bank usually gives you a very fair exchange rate and typically any fees are covered in the exchange rate.  We always buy them easily online in advance from our bank; Bank of America...  and they just ship them to us.   That way we have the euros in our pocket when we get there.  

we'll have future posts about Euro notes & coins

So our Villa is a private residence, not a hotel, so there are no room safes, and we strongly advise against leaving valuables in your room when you're not at the Villa. (cash, expensive watches, expensive jewelry, etc).  In fact we strongly advise against even bringing & wearing expensive jewelry/watches at all... If you're going bring these types of things with you on your vacation, we suggest carrying them with you when you when you leave your hotel or the Villa during the day...

#2.  Buying Euros from one of those all too familiar Currency Exchange Booths

these types of booths at airports tend to be 
an expensive way to exchange currency

You know these places... You've seen them all over the place at international airports and in large tourist cities... These booths, while very convenient, and always touting "The Very Best Rates" are usually the most expensive way to get Euros...  We don't suggest them basically because they're just so expensive... Their exchange rates are typically 10% or more above the going rate. 

#3.   Using your ATM Debit Card to access cash from ATM Machines

This is what we suggest to our guests as the most economical way to access Euros once you're in Europe...   If you decide to go this route, we always suggest to our guests to bring a couple hundred US dollars as emergency cash, two credit cards, and an ATM debit card... And just hit an ATM at the airport in Europe as soon as you get in and access Euros with your ATM Debit Card. (you probably don't want to use a credit card for this... that would be a cash advance and be costly).   

Most banks give you a fair exchange rate doing it this way, and charge little or no additional fees... We always suggest checking with your bank to find out which European ATM networks you're in... It's best to use a Bank ATM in your network as the fees will likely be less.  Be careful using small private ATM's as the fees can be substantial, and stay away from "dynamic conversion" offers at ATM's or retailers as this is typically a very costly option.  Have them charge you in Euros, NOT US dollars, as your bank offers the best conversion/exchange rate. note: Sometimes ATM and credit cards are slow to start in Europe, even when you tell your bank you're going to be in Europe... We always advise to have an international phone number handy, in case you need to call your bank. With all the credit card fraud that's going on these days, banks are super cautious... and their abundance of caution can be an inconvenience for you. (that's why getting at least some euros in advance is the safest route)

We always suggest that you call your bank and credit card companies a month in advance and tell them your travel destinations and dates.  Many will tell you there's no need to do this, but we strongly suggest you do...  and  politely insist they please note the info on your account... Often you can do this yourself on your bank's website.

Whichever way you choose to exchange currency, you should definitely do it before you arrive at the Villa on Saturday, as you'll want to already have Euros in your pocket before our Touring activities  start on Sunday morning... we also suggest you fill your car with gas before you arrive at the Villa on Saturday... 

                    _______________________________________________________

How to master Google Flights

So guys, here's a great article by Thrifty Traveler on using "Google Flights" to find "cheap flights & airfares".  A couple of things:

1. This article is not written by us   
2. We don't necessarily endorse or recommend Thrifty Traveler (we don't know them)
3. While they offer some great tips on how to find cheap flights, as folks who do a fair amount of flying, in our humble opinion, cheapest price isn't everything.
4. Other things to consider besides price: comfort, convenience, ease, safety, reliability, reputation, etc. (all these things have value that you may be willing to pay a little more for)

All that being said, enjoy this video and article from Kyle Potter at Thrifty Traveler:

By Kyle Potter:  There are plenty of search engines out there to find a cheap flight. Maybe you've got a favorite airfare tool like Skyscanner, Hopper, or an online travel agency like Priceline or Expedia. But one option is better than all the rest: Google Flights.  Yes, that's right, the search engine behemoth Google is also king when it comes to finding cheap flights. It's incredibly powerful, with tons of features that will help you zero in on the best prices for your flights … and maybe even get a refund if prices drop after you book thanks to its new Price Guarantee feature. It's got a bevy of filters you can use to find the best flights you really want – and avoid the ones you don't. Plus, you can use this tool to search almost all carriers and book directly with an airline rather than through a third-party site – something that's become even more important since the pandemic. click here to continue reading

Did you know the French have a secret word?

 So wouldn't it be incredible if there was a "secret word" and every time you used it, you immediately benefited from it...  a better price on something that you're buying, a better table in a restaurant... a free upgrade at a hotel... better treatment from a waiter...  perhaps a little more compassion from a police officer... 

this is you after you learn the secret word!

Well France has this magic word...   It's "Bonjour"!  It simply means "good morning" or hello... and it's not the word itself that creates the magic, but the act of saying it!  The French culture and European culture overall is just a tad more formal then our own here in the US, and anytime you encounter someone, they clearly expect you to formally address them with a greeting before you begin to speak to them...  They always do this by saying Bonjour!

So if you walk into their little shop...  are asking directions... are asking the price of something, or whatever... The best (and expected) way of starting out, is to smile and say Bonjour... Here in the US, we're much more casual and we might walk up to a clerk in a store and just say "does this shirt come in yellow?"   But in France, and actually all of Europe, they'll think you're slightly rude if you just start talking to them without formally addressing them first... ps: a smile is half the deal, and the smile comes first!

1. Look them in the eye
2. Smile
3. Say Bonjour (pause, smile again & wait for their reply, ps: don't lose eye contact!)
4.  Then, and only then,  can you order your coffee!
5. Un café s'il vous plaît (a coffee please) 

These small steps of engaging in their culture will help you to have a wonderful vacation, and you won't come home like some Americans saying "The French are so rude."  

So Bonjour is acceptable for Americans to say at any time of the day... They just respect you cause you said it... If it's after a certain hour (usually 6pm),  some might correct you and say "Bonsoir" - good evening... or good night... but believe me, they'll give you what we call The 1% Credit for even trying!

So, what do i mean by The 1% Credit?  It's simple;  99% of Americans don't even try to speak their language, and of course, the French find it slightly disrespectful...  Imagine the opposite; you own a little shop here in the US, and some French guy walks in and just starts speaking to you in French... You can't understand him, and shake your head, and he just raises his voice a little louder and just keeps saying the same thing over & over in French...  after this scenario is repeated three times, you'll start to think he's a little crazy...  get the picture?    Well, welcome to their world...  this is the exact scenario that happens over and over again,  to shop owners, waiters, waitresses, taxi drivers, hotel staff and policemen, etc all day long...

We, as Americans tend to do this all over the world much more so then other cultures do...  You don't have to learn their entire language... You don't have to be fluent, or even close; you just have to make a tiny effort.  It sends an offensive message if you don't even acknowledge 'good day'  or 'thank you' in their language.  It's total and utter anathema to many French people when an American starts a conversation without beginning it with Bonjour...

So this is a another very small example of what we mean when we say: "what makes us different, makes all the difference in the world..." We want you to have the very best vacation experience possible... and our philosophy on how to accomplish this lies in "experiential immersion" - that is, get you as close to the local culture as possible so that you can have truly authentic experiences...  We try to do this thru this BLOG... The idea is:  we go out eight months before you leave for France, and slowly start immersing you into their culture... They're values, beliefs, norms, customs, cuisine, holidays, rituals, social habits, government, laws, family, religion... and of course, language!  As a teeny-tiny company, this is one of the ways we compete in a vast marketplace... We do these things because we know, if we we can get you into "the immersion zone" you will have an outstanding vacation... and when you do, you just might, like many of our alumni guests, join us again for another Tour!

65% of our female guests come home with a beret!

So does this mean having to take a college course to learn another language?  No, not at all...  but maybe spend 90 seconds a day quizzing yourself or your partner on "Word of The Day & Menu item of the Day..."  By your departure date those lists will total around 200 of the most commonly used French words by travelers...  And with that, you'll be able to communicate, have a better understanding of what you see and know what's going on around you...  and be able to create a bit more of a bond with the local Provençal people! 

But 200 words isn't the whole language, right?  Of course not...  This paragraph and the paragraph before it total just 181 words... But imagine if you could read them if it was in French?  You could also spend 5 minutes a day on the free DuoLingo website on the right side bar (5 minutes a day for the next 8 months is 20 hours of study...  20 hours is a lot! We've seen this be incredibly successful with guests on both our Tuscany & Provence Trips!)

The simple solution, if you don't want to spend 3 months in a foreign language immersion course for 2 hours a day, is to learn the Word of the Day list and just "buy a very small inexpensive phrase book..." Then, and this point is important, rough up the phrase book to make it look like you've used it really hard, and carry it in your back pocket...  Then when you need assistance, you simply say: "bonjour madame, pouvez-vous m'aider? (good morning madam, can you help me)   Now, wrinkle your brow and reach for that beat-up phrase book...   After about 10 seconds of you leafing frantically thru the phrasebook,  almost  100% of them will say to you in fairly decent English- "how can i help you?"  And now, at this point,  you can respectfully proceed in English...   And here's the very best part; they'll think the world of you for the mere fact that you've  tried!

join today ~ membership is free!

You're now in the 1%!    They become much more compassionate and helpful... prices get better... they'll even walk you down the street to show you directions...   And you will have done your part to save the image of  the other 99% of Americans who won't even bother to try! 

Lastly, using the Google Translate app on your cell phone is another way of achieving similar results... but it's important to learn how to use the "conversation mode" before you get there... no one will enjoy standing around waiting for you to try to figure it out while they have other things to do...

🎼 🎶 Oh Lord won't you buy me a Mercedes-Benz...

Janis Joplin

 🎼 🎶 Oh Lord, won't you buy me A Mercedes Benz...

My friends all drive Porsches, I must make amends

I worked hard all my lifetime, No help from my friends

Oh Lord, won't you buy me A Mercedes Benz... 🎶

So as you already know, you're going to need a car for your Adventures to Provence Expedition.. You can pick up a rental car at any of a number of places over there.... France has all the big names you know like Hertz, Avis, etc... and a bunch more that you may not be aware of... like EuropeCar, Sixt, Kemwell, etc.  So we suggest you don't wait till the last minute to do this!  It's simple supply & demand economics; as inventory starts to get low, prices tend to get higher. 

We always use AutoEurope... they're an American consolidator/agent that works with all the rental companies, and because of their size & volume, their prices, convenience and selection are hard to beat...  We've personally been using AutoEurope for all our rental cars for over 40 years! They're the agency for all the major brands ....  They make it super simple to find, compare and reserve cars from all the rental car companies and their prices are usually 20 - 25% cheaper than going direct! 

Adventures to Tuscany & AutoEurope.  We've expanded our relationship in both Italy & France with AutoEurope and we're proud to announce that they supply us with our own Booking Engine!  (full disclosure: we get a small referral fee from them at no extra cost to you if you book from our new site)

AutoEurope is by far the global leader in international car rental services and have been helping travelers find the perfect rental vehicle for their trips worldwide for over 60 years. They offer the most competitive car rental rates in the industry, guaranteed. With that said, here at Auto Europe, we don't believe customers should expect less because they pay less. Our rates will always be competitive, and we continue to remember this is also a service-based business. Auto Europe also understands that clients appreciate saving money whenever possible, so we not only take pride in guaranteeing the lowest car rental rates, but we also offer great deals on accessories, and offer the most extensive car rental fleet selection in the business!

To reserve your rental car: click here

Tips for car rental ;

a classic 1950's era Fiat Cinquecento 
you'll still see these  all over Italy!

You can make arrangements to pick up your car from offices at the airport, or arrange to pick up at one of their intercity offices... Usually, just like here in the states, rentals cost about 7 -10% more to pick cars up at the airport (airport /convenience tax), but you have to measure that against convenience...  

Rental car operators  typically make cars available in upwards of 10 categories; Mini, Economy, Compact, Mid-Size, Family Size, Luxury, SUV, Station Wagon, Minivan, etc... Make sure you get a car with enough room for you and your luggage!   That may sound obvious, but believe me, both cars and their trunks are smaller in Europe!   If you're sharing a car with others,  4 people, 4 suitcases and 4 daypacks WILL NOT usually fit in a mini car... you'll probably want at least a Compact or Mid-size vehicle... If it's just two of you, and you're only coming from Florence, the little Fiat 500's are a really fun, economical and classic choice!  But if you're driving from farther away like Rome or Milan and spending several hours on the highway, you may want to consider a compact or mid-size.  Also be aware, that unless the car your renting says "guaranteed model" in it's online description (usually only on  super highend luxury models) then it likely says "or similar" meaning you'll most likely get whatever's available in that size/category when you pick-up.  

Insurance

You'll want insurance coverage in France... And you can check with your personal auto insurance company or your credit card company to see if you're covered for a rental in France. If either your insurance company or your credit card company tells you you're covered, we suggest you get it in writing! It won't help at all, if you have a claim to say "the lady on the phone told me I was covered".  Otherwise, we strongly suggest getting a car with "full insurance coverage" (zero dollar deductible... I think AutoEurope calls it no-deductible coverage).  It's a few dollars more, but it pays off easily when you're returning the car and they try to tell you "that scratch/dent wasn't there when you picked it up..."   When it comes to the insurance coverage, do what Nike says... "Just do it"!  Also, make sure you list on the rental contract everyone who will be a driver... and any damage already on the car... (even small scratches) and take pictures with your phone of any damage you see on the car before you leave the rental lot... You'll have to pay a little extra for extra drivers, but if you had a fender bender, and the person driving isn't listed on the contract, the damage won't be covered.

Stick or Automatic

As you're searching for cars, be aware that most cars in Europe are standard transmission, (stick shift) and you'll need to highlight "automatic transmission" in the search criteria if that's what you want. (usually a little more for a car with auto trans). If you don't do this, you'll likely end up with a car with a stick shift.
  

Fuel
Make sure when you pick up the car, you find out if it's "gasoline or diesel" and where the latch for the gas lid is... they can be hard to find... (more info on fueling in future posts). If you put the wrong fuel in the car, the engine will stop working! (and you'll be financially responsible). Also, you're likely to see "Electric" vehicles as an option; we advise against this choice. We'll be in a rural area and you're not likely to have easy access to a charging station.  Hybrid vehicles are fine as they also run on gasoline.

Short-Term Leases

If you need a car for at least 15 days, you might want to take a look at & consider a "short-term lease".  This is just what it sounds like; A Lease instead of a rental...  You lease the car from the manufacturer and they buy it back from you at the end of the lease. There are a bunch of valuable benefits to these short-term leases: first off, it's just like buying a car... You get a brand spanking new car (never been driven)... it's a guaranteed model ( so you know exactly what car you're getting)... it comes automatically with no-deductible insurance for no extra cost... Family members can be additional drivers at no extra cost... most all these cars usually come with built-in GPS units... and lastly it's usually less expensive than renting IF it's 15 or more days... the longer the lease period, the more money you save over renting .  (we personally most always lease as opposed to rent as we typically need a car for upwards of 30 days). If you have questions about leasing, reach out to us and we'll be happy to help you!
 
Maps

We also suggest you have both a good map and a GPS unit or maps App on your phone... The one they'll give you at the car rental office is typically totally useless. Often times it's very small scale, and sometimes it's just a bad photocopy of a small scale map...   We suggest Michelin Maps, they're by far the very best...  Michelin Provence #527 available from Amazon.com Click here .  You'll see lots of maps available online... In our experience, none are as good as Michelin.  If you have a portable GPS unit you plan on taking, you'll need to check to see if it has "Europe Maps"...   (it probably doesn't) You can either choose to rent a car with a GPS in it, rent a GPS from your car rental office, or choose to use the maps program on your cell phone. 

They'll also offer to rent you a "mobile wi-fi hotspot..."  Our experience with these was so-so at best... not that great...  The good news is there is free wi-fi available at the Villa... but just be aware, wi-fi internet access is rarely as fast anywhere in Europe as what you're probably used to here in the US... but it does work fairly well and it is free!

On the day you return your rental car, fill it up immediately before you return it, and "keep the receipt" for the gas... in fact, we suggest you take a picture of it with your phone...  show the receipt to the attendant and get him to note on the contract, that the gas tank is full... (keep the receipt, you may need it later.)

 Lots more to come... As always feel free to contact us with any questions...

Amazing talent on this stage!

Maybe you're not seeing the whole picture...

the way The Blog probably 
appears on your phone

 Word of The Day?  Someone  has asked about our reference to Word of The Day and Menu of The Day here on The Blog, and said they didn't see it?  

So if you're reading The Blog only from a cell phone, there's a good chance you're not seeing the whole picture!  Viewing the blog on a cell phone often just shows a summary of "post titles" with links to the full post. But what you may be missing is the right side bar that has all the Travel Tools and Resources. 

To see this on your phone, scroll to the very bottom of the page just above the blue "About Us" section, and you'll see a link that says "view web version" If you click this link you'll see the full version of The Blog with the full right side Bar...  

Many of gadgets you'll see on the right sidebar are links to click on that will open other windows... These are resource tools to help you find flights, trains, car rentals, travel insurance, currency exchange rates, weather, language classes, etc... While others are just resources to help you learn things like a few words of French, or to help you learn to understand French Menus... 

the way The Blog will appear on your phone
if you click on "view web version"

These elements of the side bar (Parlez Vous Francais & Mangeons) will continue to grow every time we post, and of course we'll continue to add new resources to the sidebar every now & then... While these language resources might seem meager right now, by the time you leave for France, they'll probably be close to 200 words that you'll likely see and hopefully use once you're there. (That's about 195 more French words than the average American bothers to learn before they go to France!) 

And if you want more than a Word-A-Day, consider clicking on the DuoLingo link in the right side bar; DuoLingo offers totally free 5 minute French Lessons as often as you'd like! It's an intuitive based learning system just like the Rosetta Stone platform, but it's totally free!

We don't want the Blog to become overwhelming... And please once again understand; you don't have to read the BLOG...  We just offer the Blog as an optional resource for your convenience... Again, our philosophy is: the more we can inform you about what you might need for your trip, the culture, etc... the better prepared you'll be, and the better time you'll have! 

Of course if you've been viewing The Blog on a desktop, a laptop or a tablet, you've probably been seeing the full page all along!  If there's ever anything we say that you don't understand, please reach out to us! We're happy to explain!

La Mer... one of the most classic French Jazz songs! 

Is it too late to buy travel insurance?

So someone has reached out and asked: "Is it too late to buy travel insurance?"

We always remind guests that the very best time to purchase simple low cost Travel Insurance to protect your investment in your vacation is when you first sign up for a trip and make your very first payment!  Then you're protected from that point onward to the end of your vacation. To get the most benefits from a Travel Insurance policy, it's very important to purchase the policy immediately (10 -21 days)  after you make the first payment for your trip (the deposit).  If you do this, most policies will cover "pre-existing conditions".  But it's never too late to buy travel insurance! (Well, maybe after you leave, it's too late... and of course it's a little tough to find home insurance when your house is on fire...)

Some folks think: "Why do I need travel Insurance, I'm not going to cancel."  So no one ever plans to cancel, but as the old saying goes "Sh*t Happens!" As you might imagine, in our 24 years of running Group Tours for hundreds and hundreds of guests, we've seen folks have to cancel for a variety of reasons - from broken ankles to broken marriages.  But travel insurance isn't just about trip cancellation... That's just a small part of the coverage.  Most comprehensive Most Travel Insurance policies cover a variety of health, medical, dental, trip interruption, baggage loss, baggage delay, and even trip cancellation issues for covered reasons (ie: job loss, sickness, car accident, jury duty, natural disasters, etc).  Many/most domestic health/medical insurances, including Medicare, provides no or limited coverage when out of the country...  (On a personal note, we recently used our Travel Insurance policy to cover our expenses related to a 2 day unexpected delay on our return home from Italy due to an Air Traffic Controllers strike. Our policy covered approximately $1000 in expenses for hotels/meals/taxis/etc.)

Many Tour Operators make Travel Insurance mandatory, and every Travel Agent recommends it...  But while we don't sell or make Travel Insurance mandatory, we remind guests that with our very unique Boutique business model (leasing an entire Villa) and contracting with many of our vendors and suppliers for fixed price services, your deposits & all payments are non-refundable, so if YOU would need to cancel your trip for some reason, your Travel Insurance provider could provide your refund to help soften the financial blow.  So as a practical application, when guests contact us to tell us they need to cancel, we refer them to their Travel Insurance provider.

You can purchase travel insurance anywhere you choose. Here at Adventures to Tuscany, we are an official partner with, and always recommend  www.InsureMyTrip.com  and if you use this link to purchase your Travel Insurance, we receive a small referral fee from them at no extra cost to you. We've personally used them for over 20 years & they make it super simple... it takes just 5 minutes.  A basic Comprehensive Travel Insurance plan for a 60 year old to cover the cost of your Provence Tour can be had for as little as $120... a few dollars less if you're younger, a few dollars more if you're older.  If you want to also cover your airfare you can estimate coverage at as little as 3 percent.  So if you want to cover a $1200 airfare, you could estimate an additional $36. Again, this can vary a bit with your age, and the policy you choose.

We also remind you that as a very special benefit: per our Travel Cancellation Protection Policy outlined in your Reservation Form; if Adventures to Tuscany is forced to cancel your Tour for reasons beyond our control, your tour price includes our exclusive Money Back Tour Cancellation Protection. This is not intended as a substitute for personal comprehensive health and travel insurance we've talked about above!  "If Adventures to Tuscany cancels a tour you have reserved, the entire amount you have paid to Adventures to Tuscany LLC for the applicable tour will be immediately refunded to you within 14 days after the tour's cancellation.  Or, at your choice, you may choose a full dollar value credit to transfer to another tour date.  Once this occurs, Adventures to Tuscany has no other obligations to tour members on cancelled trips including any additional costs or fees related to other travel reservations or arrangements which are not included in your Adventures to Tuscany Tour price."  

If you have a question about your Tour, or if we can help you with anything at all with your travel planning, please reach out to us...  You can email us at AdventuresToTuscany@gmail.com, or just pick up the phone and call us anytime 9am - 7pm Mon - Sat @ 610-657-7894. We're happy to help!

This is what happens when you go to Kindergarten at Disneyworld 

and Dolly Parton is your teacher!  A world class entertainer!