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DESCRIPTION:

This unique Acadian heritage tour is customized for passionate Acadians, Cajuns, and French descendants interested in learning about their French & Acadian heritage. The itinerary is specifically designed to visit and experience the most important Acadian and Cajun heritage sites in France.

 

We have planned every detail so you can travel in a relaxed, joyful, and worry-free environment. There will be many special dinners and activities for you to enjoy at a leisurely pace.

-We’ve planned this trip for May, avoiding peak tourist season and enjoying beautiful spring weather.
-We will usually stay in hotels for 2 or 3 nights at a time.
-You will have some leisure time on your own to stroll the historic towns, have a coffee or a nice meal.
-Most mornings we will leave the hotel around 8:30 AM so you are not too rushed.

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Cajun cousins ​​with us!

To enrich the experience of the Acadian Diaspora, we have francophone travelers from Acadia and Cajun travelers from Louisiana; the trip is offered in English.

This Acadian Heritage Tour package includes:

• A unique program focusing on the history and culture of Acadians in France.

• Bus transport in France during the stay.

• Accompanied by an Acadian tour director (Claude Boudreau) and a French coordinator guide (Anne-Christine Martinot).

• 12 nights accommodation at the hotel (note that hotel rooms in France are smaller than North American rooms).

• All breakfasts and 15 other meals (total of 27 meals). Among these special meals:

  • Dinner at Acadian Farm no. 6 in Archigny with descendants of Acadians

  • Dinner on Slate at Château de la Gataudière

  • Festive dinner at Granny's Bistrot (La Rochelle)

  • Pancake lunch in the Castle of the Dukes of Brittany (Nantes)

  • Picnic seaside on the beach of Marennes

• All taxes in France.

• Tips for drivers, guides and waiters during program activities.

• Entrance fees for attractions, activities, and guided tours as described in the program:

  • The Chenonceau Museum (or another equivalent castle)

  • Customized tour of the Chaussée, Martaizé, Aulnay, Loudun

  • The Acadia House at La Chaussée

  • Custom tour of Châtellerault

  • The Acadian Line and the Acadian Farm Museum at Archigny

  • Custom tour of La Rochelle

  • Acadian visit of the Departmental Archives of La Rochelle

  • Guided tour of Brouages

  • Customized tour of Nantes and the Acadian fresco

  • A day in Belle-Île-en-Mer (ferry included)

  • Customized tour of Acadian villages along the Rance River (Plouër, Pleudihen, Saint-Servant, Saint-Suliac)

  • Guided tour of Saint-Malo

  • Guided tour of Mont-Saint-Michel

  • Farewell dinner cruise on the Seine River with lovely view of the Eiffel Tower

• An information meeting and a pre-departure package to better prepare you.

• A journey log of more than 100 pages in color.

The package does not include meals during free time and alcoholic beverages at certain meals, insurance, optional activities, participant's personal expenses, baggage allowances, and airline surcharges.

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Don't miss out on this Acadian Ancestry Tour!  Email Cynthia today!

cynthia@seitztravel.com

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PROPOSED ITINERARY Your Acadian Ancestral Tour de France 2023 IMPORTANT: This is a preliminary itinerary and may be modified at any time before or during the tour due to unforeseen events or to improve or better accommodate the group.

 

DAY 1 - Friday, May 26: The Adventure Begins! Departure from USA. Most flights to France are overnight.

 

DAY 2 - Saturday, May 27: An intro to FRANCE ! A quick shuttle ride to your airport hotel to rest. Meeting with the group and your tour director. Early to bed to adjust from the jetlag for the next day.

 

DAY 3 - Sunday, May 28: Kings and Queens of France! After a good night’s sleep, we head to the Poitou, the land of our ancestors. On our way we will stop to visit the Château de Chenonceau along the LOIRE RIVER and end our day in the small town of Richelieu, named for the famous Cardinal. You will start learning about the early beginnings of Acadie. 3 nights in Richelieu. (B,L,S)

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DAY 4 - Monday, May 29: Discovering Your French Homeland in the Poitou The morning starts with a walking tour of the town of Richelieu. This is also the day you will discover the home town of some of our founding fathers and mothers in the towns of Loudun, Aulnay, La Chaussée and Martaizé. We will visit the Maison de l’Acadie and have a special 250th anniversary supper with traditional French dancers. (B,L,S)

 

DAY 5 - Tuesday, May 30: Walking in their footsteps… 250 years later ! Châtellerault, Archigny and the Acadian Line Today we will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the return of the Acadians to the Poitou after the Deportation. We will start with a special visit of the city of CHÂTELLERAULT where many Acadian refugees stayed during their exile. After a special lunch here, you will discover more Acadian history as we stop in Archigny to visit the Acadian farms and have supper in one of the historic buildings with several Acadian Cousins. (B,L,S)

 

DAY 6 - Wednesday, May 31: On your way to the New World ! Today we will drive to the Atlantic coast to discover the port city of La Rochelle, the departing point for many Acadians for the new World. Walking tour of the city in the afternoon. Three nights in La Rochelle. (B, S)

 

DAY 7 - Thursday, June 1: Archives & Time on your own to explore The morning starts with a special visit to the Departmental Archives to view Acadian Documents. You have the rest of the day to do as you please : visit the famous La Rochelle towers and museums, take a stroll on the beach, board a cruise to the famous ‘Fort Boyard’ or just enjoy the many shops and cafés around the port area. (B)

 

DAY 8 - Friday, June 2 Roman Ruins & Cognac tasting! Today we will drive in the French countryside and discover the fascinating city of Saintes and its Roman history. In the afternoon you learn all about the famous drink and the town of Cognac! We end the day with a very special supper with French music & dancing. (B,L,S)

 

DAY 9 - Saturday, June 3: Nantes and Louisiana history… As we travel to Britanny, we will stop in Nantes to view the freshly restored Robert Dafford mural of Acadians leaving for Louisiana. This is the beginning of the transition from Acadian to Cajun. We tour the medieval town centre and have lunch before we continue to the Carnac prehistoric site and the ocean-side city of Quiberon where we will stay for two nights. (B, L, S)

 

DAY 10 - Sunday, June 4: The Acadian Isle of Belle-Île-en-Mer We will take the ferry to meet French-Acadians on BelleÎle, the ‘Acadian’ island. We will tour the island and see amazing scenery, the Fortress, the Acadian Cross, Acadian villages, and have lunch with local Acadians. Back by ferry to Quiberon by the sea. (B,L)

 

DAY 11 & 12 Monday & Tuesday, June 5 & 6: the famous port and City of Saint-Malo We make our way to the walled city of Saint-Malo. It was home to the explorer Jacques Cartier and to thousands of Acadians during the Déportation. On the way we will visit small villages where Acadians lived for several years before returning to Acadie or Louisiana : Pleudihen, Saint-Suliac and Saint-Servan. Guided tour of the city, free time to explore, shop, rest and enjoy. We will spend 3 nights here! (2B, 2L, 1S)

 

DAY 13: Wednesday, June 7: The amazing Mont Saint-Michel and the coast of Normandy From Saint-Malo we will do a day trip into Normandy, as we visit one of the most popular attractions of the World, the Mont-Saint-Michel. (B)

 

DAY 14 : Thursday, June 8: a Glimpse of Paris at night! For our last day we will head back to Paris and stop at a French Cidrerie (cider house) for a tour, lunch, and cider tasting!

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On to Paris for our special farewell supper on a bateau-mouche on the Seine river in the heart of the city of Love! Check-in at Charles-de-Gaulle airport hotel later in the evening. (B, L, S).

 

DAY 15 - Friday, June 9: Return flight back

 

(B=French breakfast, L=lunch, S=supper)

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