FAQs

WineTravelinFrance (WTiF) is a French owned and operated tour company specialized in high-end small group wine & Heritage tours in France. WTiF allows its guests to live the ultimate French wine culture and enjoy limitless knowledge with dedicated care. WTiF is a member of ATOUT France, the French Government Tourist Office and an active member of the French Wine & Tourism cluster.

We strongly believe that your experience of the French wine regions will be so much richer, more educational and more enjoyable on one of our trips than it would be on your own. Here’s why:

• You’ll learn so much more than you would on your own! You’ll have an amazing knowledgeable guide with you at all times to give you personalized information, make sure you understand the nuances and subtleties of the region, its history, its terroir and, of course, its wines. He’ll make sure he’ll respond to all of your questions
• You will have private wine tastings and access to estates you would not be able to visit on your own.  We have the highest-level contacts in each region, so you’ll get to taste many more wines at each estate, and you’ll be welcomed as an honored guest and fellow wine professional by the wine grower himself, when available. Even though he doesn’t speak English! Our guide will be there to translate.
• No risk on hotels or restaurants ‘selection!  Our team has more than 20-year experience in luxury tourism. We regularly visit hotels and restaurants, either new or well-established, in all French wine regions. We meet with the owner and manager and know most of them personally.
• You’ll have an itinerary that makes the most of the limited time you have in the wine region, minimizes driving time, and ensures that you get a thorough overview of the region and its wines
• You don’t have to drive! So you don’t have to worry about wasting time getting lost (which is easy to do on the back roads of France), or about drinking wine at meals and wine tastings (no need to spit all the time!). You can just relax, enjoy and learn. Don’t forget wine and drive  is forbidden all over the world even in France !
• You get the camaraderie and pleasure of exploring the wine region with other like-minded people who are as passionate about wine as you are
• Your instructor will translate for the group at all times, so you will have no communication issues (many winemakers, even the most renowned ones, in France don’t speak English).

You get a great deal of value for your money on our trips, as they are nearly all-inclusive tours.

They also include unique and extraordinary learning and touring opportunities as well as a very high level of instruction and services.

All of the trips include accompaniment throughout by a guide not only expert in Wine but also in Culture and History, luxury accommodations with en suite bathrooms, deluxe transportation by executive, air conditioned motor coach including group transfer, all fees for winery tours and extensive tastings, all breakfasts, most lunches and dinners (gourmet and gastronomic level), activities and all taxes and restaurant gratuities. All what is indicated in the final itinerary.

What is not included is tips for guide and driver, soft drinks and sometimes wines during meals (when indicated), laundry expenses and any other persolnal expenses.

Feel free to contact our team anytime at info@winetravelinfrance.com or call us at 00 33 975 363 080 (number in France)

Of course, not. Our tours are open to everyone who is interested in learning more about French wine, French culture, traditions, French Art de Vivre and gastronomy, artisan lives and culinary practices in a fun and relaxing environment. WTiF guides are very skilled at adapting their discussions to the general level of knowledge of the group, providing good introductory information for novices, and more advanced discussions for those who have more experience or a specialty interest.

Learning about wine can be serious good fun!

We’ll be happy to assist you ! We can propose many options related to Wine Dine & Culture in the City of Lights, such as : tour around Paris in a vintage cars, Wine & Cheese tasting, private cruise on the Seine river, private dinner in a Parisian appartment or « hôtel particulier », Champagne tasting in Parisian cellar, Wine & Gem class, ….

We’ll be also happy to help you in organizing tours around paris with some truffle & Wine stay, pr any other short stays in a wine regions surrounding Paris such as Chmapgne, Loire Valley and Burgundy.

Just let us know what you have in mind and we’ll to our best  to make it happen.

No activity or excursion on WineTravelinFrance tour is ever subcontracted to a third party. All guides, hosts/hostesses, chefs, artisans, etc., work directly with our agency.

Travel guests come from a variety of professional backgrounds, but most importantly guests share a common passion for wine and French Art de Vivre. They enjoy learning about French history, and share an interest and curiosity for learning more about French culture and culinary traditions.  They want to deepen their knowldege in Wine and go beyond the many wine tastings they experienced locally. They are discerning travellers, mostly highly-educated and always good companions to travel with !

We keep group size to no more than 8 to 10 participants depedning on the wine region, to make sure that everyone gets individual attention.  The smaller group size also allows us to use a smaller motor coach, so we can take smaller, more scenic country roads and maneuver more easily through narrow estate access roads. It also enables us to visit exclusive estates that do not accept large groups. This limited number creates the ideal ambiance for guests to easily mingle and get to know each other, yet still maintain their independence. We also limit our group size in order to preserve each guest’s personalized experience, and ensure our famous quality customer service.

Having over 20 years experience in the tour industry, specifically with small group touring, we have found that our guests are generally more interested in active experiences, culture, people to people experiences and guided tours of museums and sites. Our guests like to visit private homes, and pursue their hobbies when they travel. Our guests enjoy being able to shop locally for items, such as, collectibles, art and local products. Our guests tend to do more homework and want a meatier trip, but also want to enjoy down time or leisure time to explore independently. All of our trips are designed based on these factors. Each trip offers organized activities and excursions daily combined with periods of leisure time each day. Our tours encourage individual approach and pursuit of your interests, as well as introducing you to new experiences and people during each trip.

Very easy! Just few steps to follow

•  When you’re ready to book your trip, click on the “Book Now” button on the trip’s page.
•  Fill out ALL of the fields in the Reservation Form (ALL fields are required).
• Feel free to contact us with any questions you may have, by email to booking@winetravelinfrance.com or by phone to +33 975 363 080.
• Read the Terms & Conditions and click the box saying that you agree to them.
• We will then be in direct contact with you by phone or email to ensure your booking and assk for a first  desposit.
• A deposit of Euros 1000 per person, per trip is due with your reservation.
• You can pay using your PayPal account. You also have the option of using PayPal’s or banking transfer .
• For transfers, please note that we must wait for the transfer to our bank before we can confirm your reservation.
• WienTraveklinFrance will send you an email with confirmation of your reservation and deposit payment, along with more information about the trip to enable you to make your travel plans.
• 90 days prior to the Trip start date, your final balance payment is due. WineTravelinFrance will email you an invoice with the final amount to be paid and the due date.

Our goal is to give you peace of mind when booking your tour. All transactions undertaken by clients with our company are done by explicit contract, where all tour price inclusions and terms and conditions are completely spelled out and totally clear. There are no hidden costs and no surprises.

Unless indicated, most of our tours start and end in the wine region you’ll be visiting. You can fly into most French cities via a connecting flight from Paris. Or you can fly into Paris and then take a high-speed TGV train to our starting point. We’ll make sure you get from the city to the vineyards (and vice versa) with a group transfer.

For day, it’s best to bring clothing that is casual.  For visits to First Growth chateaux and other very prestigious estates, slightly more elegant attire is requested and appreciated.  Cellars can be damp and you might walk in the vineyards, so it better to avoid high heels and opt for comfortable shoes for day.

For evening, don’ hesitate to bring some dressier clothes for dinners in elegant restaurants.

Try not to over pack; you will not wear all your clothing! Pack comfortable light weight, casual and some smart/casual clothing.

You are welcome to purchase wine during the trip. Please ask the instructor if there is enough time at the end of the visit for you to make your purchase without impeding the progress of the trip. However, not all estates sell at the estate; in Bordeaux, for example, very few of the Classified Growth chateaux sell wine at the chateau, they sell exclusively through wine merchants.

It is sometimes possible for the estate to ship wine to your home with an additional shipping charge.  In any case, you always have the option of bringing wine home with you in your checked luggage.  You may have to pay some amount of duty on your wine when you go through customs; please check with your local authorities for further information. If you are willing to buy a substantial quantity, please advise us in advance so that we can prepare a shipment with one of our partners.

We’ll be happy to assist you ! We can propose many options related to Wine Dine & Culture in the City of Lights, such as : tour around Paris in a vintage cars, Wine & Cheese tasting, private cruise on the Seine river, private dinner in a Parisian appartment or « hôtel particulier », Champagne tasting in Parisian cellar, Wine & Gem class, ….

We’ll be also happy to help you in organizing tours around paris with some truffle & Wine stay, pr any other short stays in a wine regions surrounding Paris such as Chmapgne, Loire Valley and Burgundy.

Just let us know what you have in mind and we’ll to our best  to make it happen.

Even though it is not mandatory, we strongly encourage you to purchase a comprehensive travel insurance package once you have paid your deposit for a WTiF Trip.

There are any number of things that can happen that can cause cancellation or interruption of package travel, and travel insurance can help cover costs you incur as a result.  You can find travel insurers easily on the Internet.  Be sure to read policies very carefully before you purchase.  Include your airfare, train fare and any other expenses you will have in addition to the price of the Wine Tour itself.

All wines included in your trip are expertly chosen by the instructor.  You are always welcome to purchase additional wine or other beverages at your own cost in addition to those we choose.

Otherwise, when not stated on the itinerart, as taste and preferences depend on each of us, we decided to let  you select your own wine during meals. Our guide and the restaurant’s sommelier will be pleased to assist in making the right decision to mach the wine with each dish.

We select small (less than 30 rooms) boutique hotels of historical and French authentical character and charm that offer well appointed rooms, comfortable king and queen size beds, private ensuite bathrooms and excellent modern services and amenities, plus security. They always offer an excellent value. We choose  4- to 5-star hotels to ensure a high level of comfort.

It’s also important for the hotels to be well-situated, to keep driving time and distance to a minimum and to make sure you are as close as possible to the vineyards and other local sites of interest.  We visit and thoroughly check out each hotel before including it in a trip. In wine regions that are large and spread-out, you will only change hotels once or twice during a week-long trip (to keep driving times to a minimum each day), and in other regions there is only one centrally-located hotel.

Charming, typically French hotels are often located in historic buildings. The trade-off of staying in these lovely, authentic hotels is that sometimes, for some hotels, the rooms we reserve for our group will not all be alike. There may be some difference in the size of the rooms, the view from each room may be different, the décor may be different, etc.. Since many of these hotels are also fairly small, it’s sometimes difficult to get the number of rooms we need to be all in the same category. So we may have to take rooms in two different categories. ALL rooms will be lovely and have the same level of comfort and services, they just may not all be exactly alike.

To reward those who sign up quickly, we will fill the rooms in the order of sign-ups for the trip.  We have been working with the same hotels for many years and have established relationships of privilege. Thanks to these privileged relationships, we always have the BEST rooms and services reserved exclusively for our guests.

Most meals are included in the trip price. You’ll enjoy lunches and dinners at excellent and veryFrench establishments.  Some will be at Michelin-starred restaurants; others at very fine, typically-local establishments that offer finely prepared gourmet or bistro fare. Lunches will usually be full meals, usually starter-main dish-dessert; dinners may include more courses.  Most of the times, you’ll have a choice of dishes from a set menu.

The dishes will be expertly selected to ensure that everyone enjoys their meal (based on the food preference/allergy list you’ll give us in advance, when you register for the trip).  Meals offer great opportunities to discuss food and wine matching!

We always do our best to accommodate special needs.  It’s usually possible to provide a substitute meal or dish if you cannot eat, or don’t like, what everyone else is eating, as long as you let us know about your allergies, restrictions and strong dislikes in advance of the trip.  The reservation form you will fill out to reserve your space on the trip includes a place where you can specify these special dietary needs.

Prices are based on double or twin occupancy. If you would like a roommate and when possible, we will try to pair you with one (of the same gender). If no roommate is available, we’ll have to charge you for a single supplement fee (that differs from one hotel to the other).

All ground transportation is provided during the entirety of each tour by comfortable, spacious, air-conditioned Mini-Van. You’ll find water every day.

Our instructors have arranged professional-level tastings at some of the finest estates in each region. At all the estates, you’ll receive a warm welcome and an extensive tasting often with the winemaker him or herself. In most cases, you will tour the technical facilities (vat room and aging cellars) in addition to your tasting. You may taste from the barrel or vat in addition to recent and older vintages in bottle. Sometimes you’ll taste in the cellar, sometimes in the chateau itself, and other times outdoors. During some visits, you’ll go out into the vineyard with the winemaker to discuss vineyard management and harvesting. If the winemaker doesn’t speak English; the instructor will translate for him or her, and for you if you have questions. Each estate visit is unique: at one chateau, you might see a cooper making barrels; at another, there may be beautiful gardens; at a third, a special art exhibit or museum. On some trips there will be extensive, comparative tastings organized by a local winemakers’ union, or at a famous local wine school.

Yes. All tours are conducted in English and designed for an English speaking clientele.
Most of our clients come from Americas and South-East Asia. Some of them are Expatriates from all over the world.

You are welcome to purchase wine during the trip. Please ask the instructor if there is enough time at the end of the visit for you to make your purchase without impeding the progress of the trip. However, not all estates sell at the estate; in Bordeaux, for example, very few of the Classified Growth chateaux sell wine at the chateau, they sell exclusively through wine merchants.

It is sometimes possible for the estate to ship wine to your home with an additional shipping charge.  In any case, you always have the option of bringing wine home with you in your checked luggage.  You may have to pay some amount of duty on your wine when you go through customs; please check with your local authorities for further information. If you are willing to buy a substantial quantity, please advise us in advance so that we can prepare a shipment with one of our partners.

Our instructors have arranged private tastings at some of the finest estates in each region. At all the estates, you’ll receive a warm welcome and an extensive tasting often with the winemaker him or herself.  In most cases, you will tour the technical facilities (vat room and aging cellars) in addition to your tasting. You may taste from the barrel or vat in addition to recent and older vintages in bottle.  Sometimes you’ll taste in the cellar, sometimes in the chateau itself, and other times outdoors.  During some visits, you’ll go out into the vineyard with the winemaker to discuss vineyard management and harvesting.  If the winemaker doesn’t speak English; the instructor will translate for him or her, and for you if you have questions. Each estate visit is unique: at one chateau, you might see a cooper making barrels; at another, there may be beautiful gardens; at a third, a special art exhibit or museum. On some trips there will be extensive, comparative tastings organized by a local winemakers’ union, or at a famous local wine school.

Of course !  The wine regions are rich in beautiful and culturally significant sights, and we want you to get to see some of them during your tour.  We not only concentrate on winery tours and tastings but also other learning opportunities related to wine & culture, such as wine-making barrels’ factory and talks with chefs and experts in history. You’ll also have some time to visit charming medieval villages like Saint Emilion, Avignon or Beaune on top of organized guided visits of those villages. Or enjoy your free time to just wander in the countryside, relax  at the hotel or shop in local markets..

WineTravelinFrance Tour guides are french-born citizens and totally immersed with the French Culture and Art de Vivre but have lived for some time in Asia or America. They understand and experience culture’s difference and then are able to easily and naturally adapt themselved to any kind of expectations and requests. They bring a wealth of local information, knowledge of culture and history to enrich each guest’s experience, and have been selected for their comprehensive understanding of French culture. Guides are UNESCO award winners, authors and prominent figures in the community who are passionate about ensuring that your experience is unique, authentically French and exceeds your expectations. You will find that our guides are wonderful traveling companions, whose knowledge and sense of fun and positive attitude make each day a wonderful experience.