Fodor's Travel Talk Forums

Are you only interested if it is a tour led by a company? Here's a much less expensive possibility: "we" (from this Fodor's forum "community") put it together ourselves. It's an established concept - - even if still in its infancy - - of people from this forum who don't otherwise know each other putting together a trip and traveling together. I have organized and led one of the larger efforts of this kind - - the "Fodorite's Italy 2001 trip" - - seven people, twelve days; two in Florence, seven in a villa on Lake Garda (Venice, Verona, Trento and Sirmione from our base there) and three in Rome.

I would be interested in a "wine tour" in France, say... in May? where do you have in mind? Bordeaux and the southwest? Burgundy and the Beaujolais? or further south along the Rhone and into Provence. There are, of course, other possibilities, including the Loire, Alsace, Champagne - - but the latter three would interest me more.

I am reasonably fluent in French, and I have the experience of 24 trips to Europe (11 of which included France)under my belt - - and ten of those have involved organizing/planning/leading for a group (in most cases family, friends or friends of family) of 4 to 16 people.

A villa stay might fit well with plans to see one wine region in greater depth (and allow some of the "partaking" to occur "at home" so that transportation is not an issue after wine consumption).

Best wishes,

Rex Bickers
Floyds Knobs, Indiana