Rugby World Cup France 2007 and more with Explore Holidays

With France taking its turn at staging one of the world’s major world sporting event, Explore Holidays says that there is so much more to the country beyond the rugby in 2007, including new château stays, an experiential Paris programs and tours of regional France, just some of the new French travel ideas which have been merged with a host of fresh Italian touring opportunities contained within Explore France & Italy 2007.  

Their new French château options include the 14th century Château de Gilly located near Dijon, Burgundy, and the 18th Château d’Artigny in the Loire Valley, with prices for Château de Gilly starting from only $159* per person per night including breakfast.

The Château experience also forms a component of the Noble Paris experiential program which, based on four-day/three-nights, also includes two nights at the Château de Montvillargene just outside Paris, with prices starting from $639* per person, which also includes one nights accommodation in the French capital, an arrival transfer and a three-course dinner plus glass of champagne at the renowned La Vilargène seafood restaurant at the Château.

Inventive new Paris sightseeing options include a fun 2CV:4 Wheels under 1 Umbrella program which involves riding around the French capital in a classic Citroen 2CV convertible – complete with personal chauffeur-cum-guide, with the 1.5 hour tour priced from $177* per adult.

Also new is a Couture Discount Shopping tour which, priced from $172* per adult, combining an insider’s view of the city’s famous Haute Couture with the opportunity to buy the latest fashions at bargain prices.

A half-day tour of Provence’s Avignon and hop-on-hop-of tours of Lyon, Nice and Marseille also make their debut. Priced from $135* per adult and based on a maximum of only 10 passengers, the 4.5 hour Avignon half-day tour includes the city’s UNESCO-listed Pont du Gard, Les Baux de Provence and Saint Remy de Provence made famous by Van Gogh’s paintings.

New Italian options include, for the first time, hotel accommodation in the increasingly -popular Cinque Terra and two coach itineraries linking Rome with Venice and Rome with Palermo, Sicily, via the Neapolitan Riviera and Pompeii.

These include the four-day/three-night Italian Serenade and the longer Southern Indulgence structured over 12-days/11-nights.  Prices start from $872 per person twin share, Italian Serenade’s highlights include Assisi, Siena, Florence and the Leaning Tower of Pisa before arriving in Venice.

Features of the Southern Indulgence program include a visit to Pompeii, Sorrento and the island of Capri before crossing to Palermo for a six-day tour of Sicily’s towns, villages and many of the island’s famous archaeological sites.  e Southern Indulgence tour is priced from $2483* per person twin share which includes all accommodation, all meals as per itinerary and sightseeing.

For those planning self-guided walking tours in the beautiful northern Cinque Terra, the Hotel Carla in Levanto, one of the five (cinque) villages comprising the region, makes for an ideal base – and affordable too from $130* per person per night twin share including breakfast.

The Spanish component of the brochure has also been expanded with a range of new apartment-style accommodation choices in Barcelona and Madrid.  ices start from $260* per night in a Citadines Las Ramblas studio located at 122 Las Ramblas, Barcelona’s most famous pedestrian thoroughfare.

For more information, contact Explore Holidays on (02) 9423 8000 or 1300 73 1000 or visit www.exploreholidays.com.au.

*Conditions apply. Prices are per person twin share based on travel in low season. Seasonal surcharges will apply.

Report by The Mole