• Mont St. Michel's monastery towers over the beaches at Normandy.village de france image by jerome berquez from Fotolia.com
  
  The French countryside teems with beauty and history. Historical sites range from the Roman-built coliseum at Arles to the battlefields at Tours and Normandy. Famous structures include the breathtaking Versailles and Fontainebleau palaces, the chateau-dotted Loire River Valley, the towering spires of Chartres Cathedral and the island fortress and monastery at Mont St. Michel. And Nice's shimmering white sand-covered beaches and the abundant colors of the country's wine regions gave Impressionist painters good reason to capture their beauty. Why not see it all "à pied" (on foot)?
  
  

Off The Beaten Bath

• American-owned and -operated Off the Beaten Path (OTBP) has led tours of the French countryside for over 15 years. Tour itineraries might include olive-oil tasting in small marketplaces, assisting local chefs in preparing meals and learning about cheese and wine production at local village farms and vineyards. The tours couple these daily excursions with mountain and valley hikes and visits to caves, castles and monuments. Professional guides lead OTBP's small-group tours through Provence, Dordogne, the Loire River Valley, and the wine-making regions of Bordeaux and Champagne. A sample walk might cover three cities over five days. Many of OTBP's guides are considered experts on the subjects covered in each tour, and each of them conducts all tours in English. Off the Beaten Path arranges all accommodations, meals and luggage transfers between stops. Conde Nast Traveler, the New York Times and Forbes have all voted OTBP as offering the best small tour groups in France. All tour groups consist of no more than eight to 12 travelers, although OTBP will create a private package for groups of up to 16.
  
  Off The Beaten Path
  320 Claremont Drive
  Seven Valleys, PA 17360
  877-846-2831
  traveloffthebeatenpath.com
  
  

Discover France Adventures

• Since 1994, Discover France Adventures has arranged both guided and self-guided tours though 11 regions in France, including Paris and its environs and a mountain trek through the Rhone Alps. Tourists can sign up as part of a private group or join an existing tour with travelers from around the globe. Some sample excursions include jaunts through the Burgundy wine region that begins in Dijon and explores the villages, farms, vineyards and churches that dot the Roman-era "Route du Vin" (Wine Route). The Loire River Valley walk strolls through the verdant valleys with stops at the famous Chenonceau Chateau. Most hikes cover seven or eight days of walking, and on both guided and self-guided trips, Discover France arranges all lodging, meals and luggage transport. Guides consist of bilingual (French and English) experts in French history and culture.
  
  Discover France Adventures
  8502 E. Via de Ventura
  #124
  Scottsdale, AZ 85258
  800-960-2221
  discoverfrance.com
  
  

La Ligne Verte

• Since 1992, La Ligne Verte (The Green Line) company has set up self-guided walking tours through the Southern and Central regions of France. You can choose from a number of walking (and cycling) trips based on difficulty, tour length, regions and hotel quality. After choosing your destinations, La Ligne Verte arranges hotels, some meals, and luggage transfers between destinations. A standard walking-tour package might consist of four to nine days (with three to eight days of walking) that covers 10 to 22 kilometers of ground each day and stops in eight or nine cities. The popular Luxury Walking Tour arranges first-class amenities for a nine-day walk that starts and ends in the river valley city of Millau, and includes nature hikes through the gorges of the rivers Tarn and Jonte with stops in Medieval-era towns and Roman ruins.
  
  La Ligne Verte
  La Jourdanie
  12480 Broquiès
  Aveyron, France
  33-5-65-99-44-01
  valac.nl