Expeditions to France

Expedition leader Carole Devillers was born in France and spent her childhood in Paris which she learned to love and discover as her father took her to the various museums and attractions. Today she invites you along for an intimate look at her native land. What better way to discover and understand France than to explore its many facets with a French photographer? Not only will you understand French culture better without the language barrier, but you may get to learn some French too! The images you will take back from our expeditions will be a mix of photojournalism, nature and people photography. The memories: priceless.


PARIS and VAUX-LE-VICOMTE & VERSAILLES CASTLES - On the footsteps of the French Royals - Focusing on the historical, the unusual and the off-the-beaten-path Paris
DATES: May 18-29, 2012, 12 days/11 nights
PRICE: $4,350 (land arrangements only, based on single occupancy).
ARRIVAL: May 18th. You need to leave the USA on May 17th to arrive the next morning in Paris.
DEPARTURE: May 29th from Paris.

OPTION: EXCURSION TO MONT SAINT-MICHEL (Normandy) -
DATES: May 29-31, 2012, 3 days/2nights
PRICE: $775.00 (based on single occupancy).
DEPARTURE: From Paris on May 31st.

"The marvels of daily life are exciting; no movie director can arrange the unexpected that you find in the street."
Robert Doisneau (French photographer 1912-1994), "The Encyclopedia of Photography" (1984)

Whether you are a first-time visitor to Paris or a returning traveler, some must-see highlights will always captivate our attention and we will definitely not miss them, such as a dinner night cruise down the Seine, the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe, the 12th century Gothic Cathedral of Notre-Dame and its gargoyles, or a stroll along the Seine.

Our endeavor will be to recapture these landmarks with a new eye, a new vision and come up with images different from your typical tourist postcard, as well as experience the authentic and quintessential Paris, with both our cameras and our senses.

Be prepared to walk a lot, as the best way to discover Paris is by foot. However this will be done in a leisurely fashion to give us not only opportunities to photograph but also to get a taste of Parisian life. With that in mind, we will stop at sidewalk cafes (such as the literary cafes "Flore" and "Les Deux Magots" which were hang-outs of Sartre and Beauvoir) and observe life go by as Parisians do, eat in brasseries and traditional restaurants and picnic in parks.

We'll explore the intellectual Left Bank and St Germain des Pres as well as the Marais on the chic Right bank, discover traditional open air markets, the Jewish quarter, Victor Hugo's house in Place des Vosges, Montmartre and its artists.

Going off the beaten path, we'll go underground and explore the Catacombs where the bones and skulls of millions of Parisians are neatly piled up in underground quarries (not for the faint of heart and therefore optional, but presenting unusual photo ops).

Wandering through Paris, we'll walk through the elegant 19th century covered passages, and take a cruise down the Canal St Martin, passing through 19 locks and an eerily-lit tunnel under the Bastille.

We certainly won't miss photographing the City of Light one evening when all monuments are lit, presenting a spectacular display of architecture and fountains.

Walking on the French Royals footsteps, we'll enjoy a magical evening at Nicolas Fouquet's castle of Vaux-le-Vicomte lit by 2000 candles and enjoy its Fountain Show. Located outside of Paris, the castle of Louis XIV's finance minister is a 17th century masterpiece which inspired the construction of the Chateau de Versailles.

Another day will be spent at Versailles, visiting King Louis XIV's Castle, the two Trianon palaces and the Queen's Hamlet (Marie-Antoinettes's), which will put us in awe at how royalty lived, the luxury and the magnificence. Picnicking in the royal gardens, on grounds trod by the Sun King, we'll enjoy "Les Grandes Eaux Musicales", the magnificent spectacles of fountain water jets falling to the rhythm of Jean-Baptiste Lully's music.

Other highlights of this expedition include:

- A half-day excursion to the house of French photographer Robert Doisneau (1912-1994) in Paris suburb, now a museum displaying his black & white photographs of Paris.

- A day trip to ROUEN (L,D) the capital of Upper Normandy and superb city of art and history. Besides being known for Joan of Arc burned at the stake there, Rouen became also reknown when impressionist painter Monet immortalized its Cathedral Notre-Dame with a series of paintings.
We'll stroll the medieval streets lined with half-timbered houses and visit the Gros Horloge, a 16th century astronomical clock.

- An evening in Montmartre and after-dinner stop at the famous Montmartre Cabaret "Le Lapin Agile": Enjoy cabaret music, songs, humor and poetry in the oldest artistic cabaret in Paris. The Lapin Agile has retained the same atmosphere it had at the turn of the century when it was a favorite of local artists.

- Our farewell dinner cruise on the Seine, not aboard a touristy bateau-mouche, but on a truly special barge, with gleaming colors, 19th century wood panelling and stained glass windows, panoramic terrace and a piano lounge designed around an original 1879 Steinway piano. We say good-bye to Paris with class.

Mealtime in Paris is also an additional occasion to discover unusual settings as we picnic at dusk in the Champs-de-Mars gardens overlooking the Eiffel Tower, dine in a 12th century gothic chapel, and have lunch underneath a magnificent stained glass cupola.

Paris is a great city to explore and photograph and a lifetime would not be enough. Bring good walking shoes!

Expedition Cost: $4,350 (land arrangement only, based on single occupancy).
Reservations: A $1,000 per person deposit is required to secure a place on our expeditions, which can be paid via Paypal (with additional fee of 3%) or by check. If you are two persons booking together and sharing a double room, the cost is $3,595 per person. The balance is due 90 days prior to beginning of expedition.
Group Size: minimum 2, maximum 6. Under 4 sign-ups, a small-group supplement of $400 p.p. will be requested.

Expedition Cost includes:
2-star hotel accommodations in first district; public transportation (metro or bus) with the tour leader; round-trip transportation to Versailles and Vaux-le-Vicomte by rail and taxi; round-trip rail to Rouen; all breakfasts, 7 meals (lunch, dinner, picnic) taken with the group; entrance fees (dinner cruise on Seine, cruise on Canal St Martin, Versailles and Vaux-le-Vicomte castles, Doisneau's house); Lapin Agile cabaret (one drink included); services of expedition leader.

Expedition Cost does NOT include:
Airfare to/from your home city and Paris, transfers from Paris airport to hotel and from hotel to airport (you will receive proper transportation directions with itinerary), taxis or public transportation taken on your own, meal beverages (whether alcoholic or non-alcoholic and bottled water), meals not indicated in itinerary, items of personal nature and incidentals, luggage porters, mandatory travel insurance, entrance fees not mentioned above, passport fees, gratuities.

NOTE: American and Canadian nationals do NOT need visa to enter France. Other nationals should check with their French consulate. You need a valid passport.

For complete details, see our General Information page.

To register for this expedition go to the Registration page.