Airbus plant Toulouse A380
Norman Foster's Viaduct, Millau
Price range:€ 900 - 1270 per person
TOURS Sarlat Lourdes Pink
cities Treasures Villages
Truffles Bordeaux
wine Dordogne Hi-Tech
Day
1 : TOULOUSE
Guided tour of the Airbus assembly line. The Airbus A380, largest passenger
airliner in the world, at your feet! The Airbus factory lies at the northern
end of a great swathe of land to the east of Toulouse known as 'aerospace valley':
this contains Airbus, Astrium, Alcatel Space and the CNES (Europe's equivalent
to 'NASA') and a number of Aerospace universities (ENAC, Sup-Aero).
Bang in the middle of this, in Toulouse's eastern suburbs, is the Space Centre
- le Cité de l'Espace. The Space centre contains a wealth of exhibits,
interactive resources, planetarium, IMAX cinema and other space-related
games and documents to keep young and old entranced for hours.
Dinner & Overnight in Toulouse, Hotel Mercure Saint Georges (or similar)
Day
2: TOULOUSE / ALBI / ROQUEFORT/ MILLAU / PEYRELEAU
Drive over through the Gaillac vineyards to Albi, magnificent pink-bricked
town on the banks of the Tarn. Admire the fortified cathedral of Ste Cecile,
a masterpiece of the Southern Gothic style, before touring the Toulouse-Lautrec
museum in the old Bishop's Palace, imposing fortress (XIIIth century).
On the road to Millau you’ll pass the village of Roquefort and its famous
caves. Visit of the”Papillon” or the 'Société' caves
to discover the secrets of the Roquefort cheese.
Overnight in your hotel at Peyreleau.
Le Grand Hotel de la Muse et du Rozier
***
For over a century, Le Grand Hôtel de la Muse et du Rozier has stood
as one of the most famous names in the Gorges-du-Tarn area.
Back in 1900, young Touring-Club-de-France chose a hamlet called La Muse to
build a hotel able to entertain the growing amount of tourists (mostly British
at the time). La Muse proved to be a perfect location. Close to Peyreleau,
in a beautiful landscape, La Muse is where the small river La Jonte mixes with
the wild waters of the Tarn.
Rooms:
38 rooms and suites on its 4 floors, with elevator access.. The suite comes
with twin-bedrooms, a must for families. All the rooms are equipped
with satellite TV, telephone, bathrooms, hair dryers – and separated
toilets for most of them.
All of our 38 rooms and suites offer a rather magnificent view on Tarn and
Capluc Rock. Just stand now and then at the balcony, and who knows, you’ll
catch sight of a doe, of a deer, on the other bank!
Restaurant & Bar :
An autentic french cuisine which innovates when necessary while always using
fresh local produce.
In summer, meals are served on the terrace over-looking the river or beside the pool.
Leisure & Services:
The hotel has its own private beach and direct access to a safe spot of the
river. When river water feels a bit too cold, it is time to try the
heated pool, a few feet away. Cosy deck chairs will help the tanning
process.
Internet Services, Wi-Fi/Wireless LAN
Day 3: THE TARN GORGES
After breakfast we cross the Jonte gorge to get to the plateau of Méjean to visit the cavern of Ayen Armand. Discovered in 1897, the cavern comprises just one enormous space into which one could place the entire church of Notre Dame de Paris! More than 400 stalagmites dot the cave, some reaching 30 metres in height.
Following the course of the Tarn River for 50 kilometres, the Tarn Gorges are
the deepest gorges to be found anywhere in Europe. Perhaps the best of
all views is from Saint-Georges-de-Lévéjac, 15 km north of
Le Rosier, at the so called 'point sublime' which has very far-reaching
views down the canyon, with cliffs on either side soaring to over 500 metres.
There are also several attractive villages in scenic locations along the route
to visit, including Sainte Enimie and St Chely du Tarn, and the 'built
in a cliff village' of Pougnadoires.
Dinner and Overnight in your hotel at Peyreleau.
Day 4: MILLAU / CARCASSONNE / TOULOUSE (304 km)
Breakfast at your hotel.
Visit
to Millau and its viaduct (20 minutes run from the hotel).
The Viaduct of Millau: Tallest in the world and taller than the Eiffel Tower,
slung across the valley of the river Tarn, the Viaduct de Millau, designed
by Norman Foster, was designed to take the A75 motorway from Clermont-Ferrand
south to Beziers. The Millau Viaduct is currently the longest cable-stayed
bridge in the world. It has a steel deck, rather than the more usual concrete
roadbed.
Carcassonne
: Visit of the citadel which dominates the old town. It's a town
within a town, a maze of narrow cobbled streets within severe ramparts
of thick walls and turreted towers, but bustling with life and colour.
Dinner and Overnight in Toulouse, Hotel Mercure Saint Georges (or similar)
Day 5: TOULOUSE
Breakfast at your hotel.
2
hours walking tour “Discovering Toulouse” : this tour
offers a comprehensive overview of the main sites and monuments.
During
the tour, you will be able to admire the Capitole town hall and Saint-Sernin
basilica, as well as many churches and private mansions, and appreciate
wonderful views along the Garonne River.
End of our services.
end
This escorted tour is for groups of 4 to 6 guests, travelling in comfort aboard an air-conditioned mini-van. It can be adapted for groups of up to 50 passengers.
Included
in prices :
- Transport in luxury mini van
- The services of a professional driver guide throughout the tour with commentaries
in English.
- Accommodation and meals for the driver
- Accommodation in 3* hotels
- Breakfast from day 2 to day 6.
- 4 dinners (day 2, 3, 4, 5)
- Visits as mentioned :
* Airbus * Cité de l’Espace * Albi Pass : cathedrale & Toulouse
Lautrec museum + audio guide *
Roquefort Papillon Cave * Aven Armand cavern * Viaduct of Millau museum