France with Friends; Tours that feel more like traveling with friends! Celebrating 32 years as a boutique tour operator, France Off the Beaten Path Tours offers a unique, immersive, and personalized travel experience for those looking to explore the hidden gems of France beyond the typical tourist experience. The company focuses on designing and delivering authentic cultural encounters and excursions, and every tour offers travelers a deeper understanding of French culture, history, people, and way of life. From time spent with local French friends, some of France's most celebrated professionals, to quaint and artist villages, spectacular countryside landscapes, private tours of historical sites, and uniquely personalized dining, France Off the Beaten Path Tours offers a truly unforgettable journey off the well-trodden tourist trail.
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France Off the Beaten Path (traveloffthebeatenpath.com) has a 4.9 out of 5 rating on OK.one, based on 100 user reviews collected here. It is listed under Events & Entertainment and its reputation is excellent. Praise is nearly unanimous, with 98% rating it 4 stars or higher; The business has replied to 50% of negative reviews; 31 of them were added in the last 12 months. Last updated 2026-08-28.
What reviewers say
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Reviewers overwhelmingly had a great experience with this company. Consumers consistently share that the staff and guides are exceptionally knowledgeable, kind, and always go above and beyond to ensure everyone feels safe, welcome, and special. Visitors frequently feel that exploring destinations with them is just like traveling alongside trusted companions who deeply understand the local culture and hidden gems.
Guests truly love the wonderfully planned itineraries, charming accommodations, and spectacular dining experiences filled with delicious local food and regional wine. Many people eagerly mention that these carefully curated journeys create magical memories, genuine camaraderie, and lasting connections that stay with them forever.
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From the time we stepped off the train in Avignon and were met by our two, smiling hosts right at the track, we knew this trip would be a treat.
Our trip was planned as a family trip and one other lovely lady guest completed our group...very rare & fortunate for us. The weather was perfect, which was a thankful surprise as France has had a record-breaking heat wave since spring.
The planned excursions were all unique and educational, and also just fun. Several lunch and dinner locations were provided by our guides, Philippe and Summer and were delicious, relaxing & in lovely settings. Each venue was hosted by locals who were experts at their craft and friends with our guides.
We were taken to locations via a minivan, air conditioned and roomy, with fresh water always supplied, by our terrific driver, also named Philippe. The hotel in St. Remy had a courtyard with a lovely garden as well as a pool, yet still centrally located. It has a musical history and once was a private home. Staff were lovely and eager to please.
Bring your comfy shoes and your appetites...and enjoy your time in Provence!
Wish we had another day...or two. Thank you Off the Beaten Path for an unforgettable journey.
The tour was fantastic! The guides were exceptional! We experienced opportunities that we would never have had on our own; blending our own wine, learning to make macarons and excellent multi course meals!
Perfect trip! I had a fantastic time in the lavender fields, picnics, meeting wonderful friends, wine blending, perfume making, and of course the food. Wonderful staff and beautiful hotel. First class trip. Will be joining the again for move adventure.
This tour of Provence was fantastic. From booking, to planning, through execution my expectations were exceeded. Our three guides, Philippe, Isabelle, and Chloe, and our bus driver Philippe 2, were professional, interesting, and knowledgeable. They made each day fun, and I felt they truly cared about all of the guests having a great experience. I highly recommend this tour!
Louisa & I loved every minute of our time in Provence with Philippe 1 et 2, Isabelle & Chloé! They went above & beyond & each day was a gem of pure delight.We shall definitely be back …. Hopefully again & again. Highly recommended - this is what travelling used to be about!
Marilyn Böttger & Louisa McCollum
What a wonderful trip thru Provence the lavender bloom! Our tour guides Philippe, Isabella and Chloe what wonderful people who went out of their way to make sure we had a wonderful time and took very good care of us! Their attention to detail top notch! Looking forward to doing their other tours!
Another amazing experience with Christy and her team -- we enjoyed every minute of our Loire Valley trip! Each day featured a unique cultural experience only possible because of Christy's longtime friendships with Michelin star chefs, winemakers, artists and boat captains, to name a few. In addition to visiting the region's lovely chateaux, we picnicked on an undeveloped island in the middle of the Loire, tasted chocolate and local cheese before a cooking lesson and elegant dinner, did a wine tasting in a former troglodyte home followed by a delightful lunch in the winemaker's manor home, and were invited for dinner at the home of an award-winning chef and his wife, where we sipped wine and enjoyed one delicious treat after another. Along the way we learned about the region's monarchs and its fascinating history. All in all, a wonderful time and we recommend it highly!
This was my 3rd trip with Off the Beaten Path. I am a frequent traveler with high expectations and this trip was fantastic. The staff are unbelievably helpful, kind, fun and knowledgeable. Communications are clear and the meals, hotel and trips were superb. I can't image a better group. Wonderful!!
An excellent tour operator and team. Exceptional and unique behind the scenes experiences and a first rate tour. I wouldn’t hesitate to travel with Off the Beaten Path again.
This was the second trip my mom and I have done with France Off the Beaten Path (we did Loire Valley last year, and loved it so much that this year we chose to go on the Provence tour). We can't recommend this fabulous tour group enough! Provence is jam-packed with fabulous experiences. You'll see lavender fields, explore gorgeous hilltop towns, and have so many unforgettable meals in stunning locales. But what really makes it special is the guides. They work so hard to make the experience special, and it really does feel like traveling with old friends—who just so happen to be experts on the area and know all the good spots. Can't recommend highly enough.
We just got back from the Champagne Tour with France Off the Beaten Path, and it was absolutely phenomenal. I had high expectations, and the trip still exceeded them. I expected the Champagne houses to be beautiful, and they were, but what made the trip so memorable was the way everything felt personal and cared for.
From the beginning, Christy was so helpful with the planning, details, and communication which made everything feel easy before we even arrived - there were no surprises. Once we got to Champagne, our guide, Summer Jauneaud, took such great care of us. She was so knowledgeable, gentle, and easy to be with, but more than that, she really listened to us. She paid attention to what we were excited about and made us feel like she wanted the trip to be everything we hoped it would be-and it was...and more.
Just as they promised, the Champagne houses were incredible. We visited Moët, Pommery, Ruinart, Gosset, and each one was special in its own way. Veuve Clicquot was not on our original itinerary, but when we mentioned that we really wanted to go, Summer got on the phone and made it happen. That moment really stood out because it showed how much she cared about making the experience special for us.
The caves at Ruinart and Pommery were definitely highlights for me. There is something that can’t be put to words to explain what we experienced in person --learning the history behind it all while tasting amazing Champagne - c'est magnifique .
We also loved that the trip was not just about Champagne. We had exquisite meals, stayed at the stellar Hotel de la Paix in Reims, visited landmarks, breathtaking cathedrals, and town centers. We had time to wander or shop, and opportunities like our pastry class, where a chef taught us how to make pistachio raspberry tarts. It was the perfect mix of Champagne, food, local culture, history, and fun.
Summer made the trip life-changing and memorable. Christy made the planning easy. France Off the Beaten Path gave us a trip we will never forget. If I could give 100 stars, I would. Five will have to do, but it does not capture the depth of this traveler’s stellar experience.
Phillipe, Summer and Chloe were outstanding guides through Provence. Off the Beaten Path created an elevated and authentic experience. Food was exceptional. from dinner in a private home - a picnic at a winery- a meal prepared by a Michelin-starred chef- to local bistros, we sampled the flavors and culinary traditions of the region. We never changed hotels- the Hotel Gounod was charming. I would recommend OBP since it captured the beauty, culture and cuisine of Provence.
Experiencing Provence is different than seeing Provence.
I chose the Provence tour by "France Off the Beaten Path" because it covered all of the areas in Provence that I wanted to see. I'm 81 and this would be my first solo trip after losing my husband, who was always my driver and partner in adventure. What I expected was an easy way to be transported to all the sites I wanted to see in the company of a small group of like minded travelers, where someone else handles all of the planning and logistics. What I received was so much more!
Our guides, Phillipe, Summer and Isabelle were fabulous! Phillipe, the charming Van Gogh doppleganger with his knowledge and ability to tell a story, kept all of us entertained and on time. Summer was a sunny gem, lighting up the room just by entering it with her smile and fun attitude. Her turns at the microphone displayed her knowledge of the area and you could always count on her for posting timely information on our group WhatsApp. Isabelle...this lovely, fun woman was kind of like a sister you can trust, an excellent guide, both"take charge" and friendly with a great sense of humor. All the of them wanted to make sure we got everything out of this trip that we expected or desired, asking us if there were things we wanted to do or items we wanted to find and buy on the trip. Isabelle even went out of her way to find some of the delicious Camarque Red Rice we had at one of our dinners for me to take home after I expressed an interest in buying some.
Oh, did I not mention the meals? They were all outstanding from Maison Bernard's Michelin chef dinner to lunch at a chefs home in the country to the fresh, vegetable centric lunch at Domaine de La Citadelle to the fantasy Provencal dinner at Catherine's 18th Century Mas to the idyllic picnic at the winery, Ferme Saint-Martin, high on the hill overlooking the village of Suzette. The farewell dinner at the little bistrot in Saint Remy was a lesson in pacing yourself to get through the delicious courses. As a foodie, I thoroughly enjoyed all of the foods and wines, but most of all, I cherished the experiences that I never would have had traveling on my own.
As luck would have it, my daughter, Kristi, was able to join me for the tour. We hadn't had an international adventure together in 25 years. What we experienced with this tour was the feeling that we had fallen into a group of travelers and guides that were more like a family by the end of the week. Giving 5 stars to this tour group is easy.
Outstanding Tour, Guide, & Experience
Booked this Champagne Tour with 3 girlfriends through Christy’s Off the Beaten Path a year ago after doing much research on best experiences. Christy was so responsive throughout the year to help us with our trip, links for trains, documents needed, what to pack, etc. And, Voila! The day before arrival we were contacted by exceptional guide, Summer Jauneaud, who met us upon arrival to Champagne! Stayed @ a Hotel de La Paix…nice hotel! What an amazing experience! Visits to Moet, Pommery, Ruinart, Gosset, were on the planned champagne tour followed by delicious gourmet dinners. The cave visits in Ruinart & Pommery magical! And, Summer went out of her way to take us to Veuve for tasting, a light lunch & shopping which had been on my list! Visit to cathedral, town center, etc kept us informed, engaged & having fun! Oh.. and a pastry cooking class….me & my friends give France Off the Beaten Path’s Christy & Summer 5 Stars!!!!!! Highly recommend Them!
Our group of five friends came away with many great memories of our OTBP trip to Provence. The hotel in Saint-Remy was perfectly located off the square where we could literally step outside to the Wednesday market day.
We experienced some wonderful meals especially our private dinner at Maison Bernard and the beautiful view at Domaine de La Citadelle. The towns of Roussillon and Gorges and Cassis were all great day trips seeing some incredible French places.
The OTBP staff were extremely helpful and ready to assist when needed and always making sure everyone was having a good time.
The one area I believe is weak which could be improved is having a local guide-especially in Arles where we were left for several hours on our own. Local guides can offer a deeper perspective and understanding and give OTBP guides a break.
I came to Provence as a man who lives in two worlds. In one, I am moving at the speed of Silicon Valley, inside a zero-to-one AI startup where change is measured in minutes and hours, not months and years. In that world, you steer, you decide, you push, you test, you break things, you rebuild them, and then you call it Tuesday. But Provence, as it turns out, is not impressed by your calendar, your title, your urgency, or your carefully maintained illusion that you are the lead character in every movie.
This week, Heidi and I found ourselves in a different kind of film, one written in stone villages, Roman roads, old churches, lavender air, market stalls, wine glasses, and the sort of sunlight that makes even a cynic consider becoming a poet. And in this film, I had to do something much harder than lead. I had to surrender the steering wheel. Not to strangers, exactly, but to a cast of characters who earned our trust the old-fashioned way: through knowledge, warmth, presence, humor, and that rare human gift of making you feel not managed, but cared for.
Philippe was the master of ceremonies, a raconteur, historian, cultural translator, and something close to an artist. His canvas was not linen or stone. His canvas was the group itself. His paint was timing, story, gesture, silence, architecture, memory, and the occasional perfectly placed irreverent observation. He curated moments with the attention you imagine Van Gogh gave to a field of wheat or a cypress tree. Not everything was explained. Some things were simply revealed. That is the difference between a guide and a master.
Summer, a warm and beautiful American expatriate married to a Frenchman, became the heart of the story. She carried that rare bridge energy of someone who knows both the American instinct to move and the French insistence that life must first be tasted. She made Provence feel less like a destination and more like an invitation. Isabelle, quiet and deeply French in the best sense, played the older sister in my version of this movie: steady, watchful, kind, understated, never needing the spotlight because she already understood the room.
What struck me most was not simply what they knew, although they knew a great deal. It was the agency with which they moved. In my world, agency is a business word, a leadership word, a technology word. In Provence, I saw it become a human word. Philippe, Summer, and Isabelle did not command attention by demanding it. They commanded attention by deserving it. They gently and firmly took over the frame, and I found myself giving them what I rarely give easily: my full interest, my respect, my admiration, and eventually my trust.
For a week, time stopped behaving like time. It was no longer measured by a clock, a phone, a meeting, or a flight schedule. It was measured by moments: a village appearing around a bend like it had been waiting for us since the Middle Ages; a story told in the shadow of a church; a meal that reminded us the table may be civilization’s oldest software platform; a road through Provence that did not feel like transportation so much as translation.
I come from people who understand that land is not scenery. Land remembers. It holds story, grief, beauty, survival, and instruction. Provence has that same kind of memory if you are quiet enough to hear it. These guides helped us listen. They did not just show us France. They showed us a slower operating system for being human.
Mark Twain once understood that travel is fatal to prejudice, but he might have added that the right guide is fatal to arrogance. Provence did not make me smaller, but it did put me back in proportion. It reminded me that expertise is not always loud, leadership is not always forward, and the best teams are often artists disguised as professionals.
By the end, I realized Heidi and I had not simply taken a tour. We had joined a temporary little company of travelers, storytellers, caretakers, and witnesses. A true team of artists, led by a master, had taken us off the beaten path and, somehow, closer to ourselves. That said, don’t be late either, Philippe is the master, you are the apprentice. :)
I am so pleased I had the opportunity to take this grand Loire Valley Tour on France Off The Beaten Path. A professional tour group that delivers hospitality at the highest level! The Loire Valley tour was truly an unforgettable, unique and legendary experience. The magnificent hotel which we stayed at felt like a French style dollhouse. The architecture, sophisticated culture and serene atmosphere with the most insightful and thoughtful guides transport you into another time which you could not get from a history book. This camaraderie of tour guides- Christy, Summer, Isabelle and Christine combined with my fellow travelers felt like cherished lifelong friends. Deep and meaningful conversations speckled with humor was an incredible experience. A fairytale that truly comes to life. I hope someday to take another tour from “France Off The Beaten Path”- Sheila Seagle
This was my 3rd tour with Off the Beaten Path. Always fun, informative and worth the money. Christy, Summer, Christine, phillipe and Chloe are fabulous. You. Ant honoring with the tours
Christy and her team provide a personalized tour through the vineyards of Bordeaux, great lunches and dinners, a special trip to Arachon, and a fabulous all day meal cooked at his home in Sauterne by her friend chef Antoine LaBorde
Our trip to off the beaten path tour can be summarized in one word – – magical! The touring staff was highly professional and went above and beyond in making our experience exceptional. We stayed in a cozy hotel who’s building was built in the 1700. The tours were laced with wonderful information and a healthy dose of humor. We spent time in a famous chef‘s home who prepared our meals and we were invited to help. Of course, the drinks flowed and the conversations were excellent. We visited famous Château’s and castles. The scenery could not be beat. We plan to take another tour with this group in the future and highly recommend that you consider taking a tour with these wonderful tour guides.
