July 2027
The French Book Club Tour
Paris salons, Normandy, Loire châteaux and Provence — France through a reader’s eyes.
What if you could step inside the pages of your favorite French novels? This isn’t just another tour of France. This is France through a reader’s eyes — the France that has inspired centuries of extraordinary literature, and the France that will inspire you.
We’ll journey from the literary salons of Paris to Normandy, to romantic châteaux in the Loire Valley and the lavender-scented landscapes of Provence. We’ll visit writers’ homes frozen in time, stand before the tombs of literary giants in the Panthéon, dine where brilliant minds once gathered, shop in centuries-old bookstores, and cruise the Seine as the City of Light reveals its secrets.
Before we ever board the plane, you’ll join your fellow travelers for our signature online book club. By the time we meet in Paris, you’ll already know the stories — and the storytellers.
Literary sites we visit
- Victor Hugo’s house in Paris
- The Normandy beaches
- Castles of the Loire Valley
- Provence, the land of Julia Child
- Famous Paris bookshops
- The Panthéon
What’s included
- Accommodation in charming hotels in Paris, Normandy, the Loire Valley and Provence
- All breakfasts and most meals, including private cooking classes
- All entrance fees and activities
- Mini-bus transport plus two train journeys
- Private guides and experiences, including a Seine cruise
- Pre-trip book club: reading list, discussion prompts, optional Zoom calls
Not included
- Airfare to Paris
- Alcohol
- Travel insurance and personal spending
From past tours
Before the trip
Your pre-trip book club
Once you’re accepted you join a private group with a reading list, discussion prompts and optional Zoom calls. Classic and modern, fiction and non-fiction. Not a fast reader? Audiobooks and films count. The full list arrives after booking.
Your trip leaders
Vanessa
Founder · lifelong Anglophile
As a girl Vanessa lived in Scotland with her grandmother, who was working on a PhD in British Literature. Touring English manors, gardens and abbeys together turned her into a tea-drinking, scone-eating Anglophile for life. She also runs Wanderlust Crew, and has four children she loves to read with and drag around the world.
Tamara
Former bookseller, park ranger & teacher
Tamara found childhood kindred spirits in Matilda, Anne Shirley and Ramona, worked as a bookseller through college, studied literature in the UK, and has started five book clubs at last count. She has been a National Park ranger in Alaska and an elementary school teacher, and now homeschools her two children in Tennessee.
Questions
Who is this trip for?
Like-minded women with a deep appreciation for French literature and all things French. An interactive online book club runs before the trip.
How much walking is there?
A good amount. Please be sure you can comfortably walk several miles a day. We travel by large van — plan accordingly if you get car sick.
Can I make payments?
Yes. A $500 deposit holds your place; payment plans are available. The balance is due 30 days before departure.
How are applications handled?
First come, first served. You’ll hear within a few days whether you’ve been accepted, with deposit options (card, Venmo, PayPal or check).