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European Experiences Small group tours in Europe's most beautiful places: Provence, Tuscany, Cotswolds, Dordogne, Alsace, Cornwall, Puglia, Paris, Morocco... and now Portugal.
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And a Christmas tour in Austria, Bavaria, and Alsace. Now in our 20th year!

It's July... but time to think about Christmas!  We're offering our European Christmas Experience trip, December 1 - 13,...
26/07/2025

It's July... but time to think about Christmas! We're offering our European Christmas Experience trip, December 1 - 13, 2025, and we'd love to have you join us.

This unique 12-night trip includes four nights each in Salzburg, Austria; Munich, Germany; and Colmar in Alsace, France. We're surrounded by Christmas markets, decorations, and traditions. From each base we take a day trip to the countryside and small villages... and from Colmar we also day trip to Strasbourg (the European Capital of Christmas). We enjoy walking tours, musical events, a cooking class, a salt mine visit, wine tasting, and wonderful meals. And we stay in welcoming, authentic and well-located small hotels.

Our travelers describe this trip as "magical," "beyond beautiful," "exceptional, " and "a bucket list experience." You'll share the experience with knowledgeable leaders and a small, group of like-minded travelers. Our groups include couples, mothers and daughters, friends, and solo travelers... you'll arrive as strangers and leave as friends.

The trip begins in Salzburg and ends in Colmar. We're happy to help you think through travel logistics.

Learn more on our website and contact us with questions and to book your trip!

https://european-experiences.com/european-christmas-experience/

We’re delighted to announce that Kristin Meador has joined our European Experiences team. A member of the European Exper...
23/07/2025

We’re delighted to announce that Kristin Meador has joined our European Experiences team. A member of the European Experiences Travelers Circle (Alsace, Cotswolds Gardens, and Inside Bath), she’ll be assuming responsibility for Finance and Accounting and will also be involved as a tour co-leader. She’ll be joining Kathy on the Puglia Experience, October 7 – 14.

European Experiences is now 20 years old. This year we’re offering 30 trips, involving over 310 people. We’ve built an outstanding team to support our travelers, and Kristin brings valuable experience in business, accounting, travel, and leadership.

Kristin and Kathy met in 2012, when Kristin was in an international business class Kathy taught at the University of Tennessee. Kristin received a BS and MS in Accounting and is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) with experience at a Big 4 accounting firm. In 2018 she started her own accounting firm, Gradient Accounting. With a team of four employees, they support about 50 small businesses through advisory, bookkeeping, and tax.

Kristin’s love of travel developed during her university studies, when she spent six months in London while exploring Europe. She took a gap year after leaving public accounting and was able to travel extensively in Eastern Europe and Latin America, honing her travel experience and skills. Over the last several years she’s worked remotely three to four months a year, and she’s now traveled in 28 countries. She comes from a very traditional Italian-American family and has a special interest in Italy.

Please join us in welcoming Kristin to the European Experiences team!

A few final souvenirs of our Return to Mediterranean Provence planning trip. This region of the South of France is a rea...
21/07/2025

A few final souvenirs of our Return to Mediterranean Provence planning trip.

This region of the South of France is a real jewel, and is obviously recognized as such by the French people. Much is protected: vast coastlines, the sea, historic monuments and sites and lush gardens. This is not to be confused with Cannes with its red carpets and mega yachts.

Here, we enjoy national parks and ancient forts dating to the former kings of France. The Presidential summer home is located in a former fortress on a stretch of beach where no other development is found, apart from surrounding vineyards. There are sites recognizing the Southern French landings which followed those in Normandy, liberating France in WW2. Historic private villas and gardens are maintained and open to visit - all feature breathtaking views of the sea. And of course, charming Provençal villages dot the hills and nestle in ports. We love eating meals in the tiny lanes amongst their colorful houses.

The Return to Mediterranean Provence trip will take place in June 2026. It’s a wonderful opportunity to discover a region that the French keep secret. Only 3 places are left on this trip - Will we see you there?

https://european-experiences.com/return-to-mediterranean-provence/

20/07/2025

For your armchair travels’ pleasure, here is what we experienced on last week’s Return to Mediterranean Provence planning trip. This is the bay of Le Lavandou, our hotel base, taken atop a historic fort in the area, built for King Louis the 14th. This breathtaking scenery, including islands and miles of protected coastline is part of the Port Cros national park. Our week’s itinerary will include outings on, around and above this blue, blue sea. https://european-experiences.com/return-to-mediterranean-provence/

Like our original Mediterranean Provence trip, there is a nice backdrop of wine on our Return experience. This time, the...
19/07/2025

Like our original Mediterranean Provence trip, there is a nice backdrop of wine on our Return experience. This time, the big producers are all about rosé wine, the perfect drink to accompany olives and charcuterie on a sunny Provençal terrace.

This week’s research trip unveiled fun opportunities for our travelers in a bucolic wine growing valley. We’ll be hopping into the back of jeeps to be transported to a hilltop overlooking the sea and vineyards for a musical evening. While watching the sun drop behind the vines, this time we feasted on pizza cooked onsite and relaxed to the sounds of mellow guitar and saxophone.

A daytime visit to the most historic winery in the valley was equally memorable. We were welcomed in a centuries’ old farmhouse and enjoyed a guided tasting of absolutely stunning wines, this time a contrast to the local rosés, and more in the style of traditional barrel aged reds and round whites. We concluded this visit by strolling only 5 minutes to the neighboring coast for a seaside lunch.

It’s wine o’clock in Return to Mediterranean Provence. Hope to see you there in 2026!

https://european-experiences.com/return-to-mediterranean-provence/

Kelly's in Scotland!! While Jennifer has been hard at work in the Var in the south of France, developing the new Return ...
18/07/2025

Kelly's in Scotland!! While Jennifer has been hard at work in the Var in the south of France, developing the new Return to Mediterranean Provence trip, Kelly has been hard at work... falling in love with Scotland!

That is, she has spent the last 10 days in Scotland working on developing a new tour there, and still has four weeks of explorations, restaurant-testing, animal sightings, and hill-walking ahead of her. She's incredibly excited about the possibilities of this new trip and about sharing special experiences here with our travelers.

So far Kelly has visited several castles and learned about clan history in this part of Scotland, embarked on a wildlife sea tour and spotted numerous sea birds including adorable puffins, marveled at the views and ruggedness of the Scottish terrain, and dipped her toes in the sea and in lochs.

She's also savored tearoom lunches in lovely settings, biked gravel paths and walked in the hills, reveled in the calm and quiet of the islands, met friendly locals, learned about the seaside town of Oban on a walking tour, enjoyed the company of sheep, lambs, and Highland cows... and just generally had her breath taken away by the beauty here at least several times a day!

Stay tuned in the coming weeks to see more of beautiful Scotland!

A huge part of our job on a research trip is to uncover special places for our many meals together. For a start, we aim ...
18/07/2025

A huge part of our job on a research trip is to uncover special places for our many meals together.

For a start, we aim to include a picnic on each trip. This is no easy task and practically requires a location scout just to find the perfect hidden gem. We like it to feel relatively private, to ensure at least two picnic tables, to be within reach of restrooms, and most importantly, to be in a memorable setting. We drove to several lookouts, forests and parks, spending lots of time and thought on this part of the itinerary. We have a good seaside candidate for next year’s Return to Mediterranean Provence picnic, but we’re still staying open minded on the final choice.

During our trip to the spectacular Var coastline this week, we investigated and experienced several options for group dining. Amongst our favorites was a beach side bar & grill (in deep shade), a sunset pizza at a winery concert evening, and lunch at a historic island home overlooking a bay. We also enjoyed the little family-run restaurants in the lanes of our port village, Le Lavandou.

Our search for the absolute perfect meals for our travelers will continue over a few research trips until we get the best balance of location, cuisine, variety and experience.

There are just a few places left on next year’s trip. Perhaps we’ll see you at our magical picnic by the Mediterranean Sea!

https://european-experiences.com/return-to-mediterranean-provence/

A beautiful view of Bayeux after an evening rain shower - note the rainbow - from last May. We're looking forward to spe...
16/07/2025

A beautiful view of Bayeux after an evening rain shower - note the rainbow - from last May. We're looking forward to spending another week there again this September for our Normandy Experience trip.

https://european-experiences.com/normandy-france/

Some first images of our arrival in Le Lavandou, our base for next year’s Return to Mediterranean Provence. The populari...
14/07/2025

Some first images of our arrival in Le Lavandou, our base for next year’s Return to Mediterranean Provence.

The popularity of the original Mediterranean Provence trip has inspired our team to move further East along the Var coast to give our travellers new experiences. Over the next few days, we’ll be reporting from the road, researching this stunning coastal region, so unknown to most foreigners.

Le Lavandou is a Provençal village on the sea, facing the Golden Isles, which we’ll be including during our week-long experience. A short walk along the coast revealed the incredible nuances of blue that the Med is known for.

Today is the 14th of July, Bastille Day, and we were greeted by a small parade of veterans and a marching band. The village is preparing for a big fireworks show at 10pm! And the restaurants in the little streets below our hotel room are laying tables for a festive evening. We love the happy energy of Le Lavandou.

https://european-experiences.com/return-to-mediterranean-provence/

Another highlight of our Périgord Experience is our visit to the site of Castel Merle, which we are very fortunate to be...
14/07/2025

Another highlight of our Périgord Experience is our visit to the site of Castel Merle, which we are very fortunate to be able to visit, as the number of daily visitors is extremely limited in order to reduce any human impact on the rock shelter.

This part of France is known for its prehistory (you may have heard of the Lascaux caves), so much so that the Vézère Valley is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Though only 15 prehistoric sites are protected by UNESCO, the valley has more than 140 prehistoric sites and 25 decorated caves!

Castel Merle is one of these important archaeological sites, with 10 prehistoric rock shelters on the property. Currently owned by our friend Isabelle - who is also the mayor of the neighboring village, Castel Merle has been in the family for generations. In fact it was her great-grandfather, Marcel, who first began digs on the property, and the family has been joined by numerous academic institutes on archaeological projects. (Later in the week we are able to see some of the artifacts - a lot of jewelry! - uncovered in the rock shelters at Castel Merle when we explore the National Museum of Prehistory in Les Eyzies.)

During our own visit to the site, we meet Nils, an extremely knowledgable guide who not only teaches us about the shelters and the daily lives of prehistoric people, but he thoroughly engages us with his clear passion, storytelling, and immersive activities. He makes history come alive for us!

After our time with Nils, our travelers always have a newfound appreciation for prehistoric man (and woman!), and a true understanding of what it meant to live (and not just “survive”) during this time.

If you're interested in joining us for this experience - and more - in the Périgord, you can learn more about our week here: https://european-experiences.com/perigord-dordogne-france/

Some of our European Experiences travelers do travel with just a carry-on and a small personal bag, traveling for two we...
11/07/2025

Some of our European Experiences travelers do travel with just a carry-on and a small personal bag, traveling for two weeks! Other travelers struggle with large bags, especially when traveling by train.

Here are some excellent tips from Samantha Brown. What else would you add?

It only takes the airline losing your luggage once to never want to check a bag again. Here's how I manage to fit a week's worth of clothes in my carry-on.

One of the highlights of our Périgord Experience is the day we spend on the Dordogne River. This is usually the last day...
10/07/2025

One of the highlights of our Périgord Experience is the day we spend on the Dordogne River. This is usually the last day of our week in the Périgord, and a spectacular way to cap off our time together.

Our travelers each have the option of how they’d like to spend the morning. A once-in-a-lifetime experience, we often have many travelers who decide to kayak down the calm river, passing by five (!!) castles, spotting water birds like herons and egrets, and soaking in the beautiful scenery.

Other travelers who might prefer a less active option (and extra time in the picturesque village of La Roque-Gageac) take a boat ride on a typical historic merchant boat called a “gabare.” They have more time to explore the village’s shops and steep back streets before we all meet for a lovely patio lunch.

In the afternoon we visit the Château de Beynac, one of the best-preserved and best-restored medieval fortified castles in the area. (And one of the castles that our kayakers pass on the river!) It is positioned on the top of a rock cliff, providing both ample defense and wide views of the river, hills, and countryside. It very nearly takes your breath away, and is a fantastic way to end the week!

https://european-experiences.com/perigord-dordogne-france/

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