Fortresses,Castles,Abbeys & Gardens in The Vexin Region - Ile de France Region And Normandy .

The castle of Gisors was built by the King of England William II ,the son of William the Conqueror in 1096 .After being fortified by another king of England,Henri II ,it was stormed (like Chateau-Gaillard,just 15 miles away ) by the King of France Philippe-Auguste in 1193 .

                                          Castle of Gisors.

Castle of Gisors 

Castle of Chateau-Gaillard built by Richard The Lionheart

Not far from Gisors the charming castle of Boury en Vexin designed by the architect of Versailles ,Hardouin-Mansard in 1685.A fine example of Classical architecture .

A little detour on your way to Beauvais allows you to stop by Gerberoy,classified among one of the most beautiful villages in France .

In the city of Beauvais,you'll discover the amazing cathedral ,which was supposed to be the tallest ever built ,and which unfortunately has never been completed ! Below a view of the 1st church Notre Dame de la Basse Oeuvre,which was supposed to be "swallowed " by the new nave of the new cathedral ! Since they nave has never been built ,it escape from the destruction ! 

Today only remains the impressive Chevet and the two arms of the transept ! Basically 1/3 of the Cathedral ! so it is easy to imagine its (anticipated ) size by adding the remaining 2/3,that is to say the nave and the Western towers ! A last number ,the heigh of its vault was without doubt the highest : 48 meters 142Ft! The cathedral of Amiens ( the tallest today which is still standing ,is only 44 meters and Notre Dame in Paris , 33 meters ).To have a better picture : The Arch of Triumph in Paris could almost fit in !!!

Private Guided Tours By Car/Minivan/Minibus from Paris To The Castle of Chantilly and the City of Senlis and the abbey of Royaumont By Driver Guide France

The castle of Chantilly : In the foreground Le petit chateau,the oldest part of the castle ( 16th C ) commissioned by Ann de Montmorency and designed by architect J.Bullant ; This Petit chateau was spared during the Revolution,unlike the Grand Chateau razed to the ground ; the chapel is right behind ; That's the tallest building at Chantilly.It shelters the tomb of H II of Condé .

The park of Chantilly was designe by André Le Notre ! In a way It announces the park of Versailles with its "mirrors of water" its great perspectives and its wonderful fountains  !

Likewise the little hamlet of Chantilly announces the one built for Marie Antoinette at Versailles !It is said also ,that it is the very place where was invented during the parties organized at Chantilly at the end of the 18th C.,the celebrated whipped cream ,which of course will give its name to the crème de la crème : La Chantilly ! A home-made "crème Chantilly is today served at the restaurant set in the former watermill!

The half-day tour to Chantilly can be easily combined with a visit of the little medieval town of Senlis,since it is located just 8 miles away from Chantilly ! a great location also to enjoy a lunch there ; You'll be able to stroll through the cobble-stoned street,and to admire the cathedral which was one of the very first ones in France ,to be built in Gothic style !

On the way back to Paris,we can also make a stop by the abbey of Royaumont,whose ruins evoke the former Grandeur of the abbey ! The King Saint Louis himself came here,and 6 members of his family were buried here ( included his 3 daughters and his brother ) !

Private tours from Paris by minivan with Driver Guide France

IN FEB. GO TO THE TOP OF THE TOWER FOR FREE !

Since Jan.1st,2015 DRIVER-GUIDE-FRANCE Operate As An Official IncomingTravel Agency Which Means We Are Now Allowed To Book in Advance Tickets At the Eiffel Tower ( or To Book Hotels and Restaurants for Our Clients ) !This is why From Apr .1st we'll be able to include "skip the Line Tickets " to The Eiffel Tower So That You Can go to The Very Top of The Eiffel Tower Without Staying in Line For Ages ! Especially During The High Season !

To Celebrate the Launch Of Our New Department Dedicated to Small Groups Don't Miss That SPECIAL OFFER ! If You Book A Private Tour BY MINIVAN/MINIBUS , For The Whole Day ( FEB.21st ,2015 ; Only That Specific Day ) DRIVER-GUIDE-FRANCE Offer You A Skip The Line Ticket For Free !! For your Whole Party ( from 8 up to 20 People )

Discover the main sights of Paris with your personal Driver/Guide before/after the vist of the Eiffel Tower ( anticipated at 12:30 )
You'll pass by the most famous monuments of Paris, such as :

On the Right Bank :

The Opera Garnier, the Vendôme Square, the Arc du Carrousel, the Ile de la Cité, the Conciergerie, Concorde Square, the Madeleine Church, the Champs Elysées, the Grand Palais,The Grand & Petit Palais, the bridge Alexander III, the Trocadero terrace (the best spot to admire the Eiffel Tower , the Arc de Triumph , the artistic village of Montmartre with the Basilica of the Sacré Coeur

On the 2 islands in the middle of the Seine river : Ile de La Cité : Notre-Dame cathedral, then we'll cross the charming island St.Louis,

On the Left Bank :
The Sorbonne, the Panthéon, the Luxembourg Palace & Gardens,the Church St. Sulpice, the St. Germain District, the Orsay Museum.

And of course the Eiffel Tower, seen this time from the Champs de Mars ! The Military Academy, the Invalides.

Tours To Le Mans-France

The City of Le Mans is located just 130 miles South/West 

of Paris ; It  is reachable within 2 hours ! It can also be a great location for a stopover during a 2-3 day trip from Paris to the Loire river valley and The Mont Saint Michel ! Private Guided 2-Day Tours Which Can Be Arranged By Driver-Guide-France !

       Highlights of the city : 

1. The Cathedral of Saint Julien ( 11 C-15 C )
2. The Medieval Houses ,Specially the Maison du Pilier Rouge
3. the Banks of the Sarthe River with Its Ruins of The Roman City Wall .
4. The Abbey de l'Epau ( 5 miles outside the City )
5. The Motors Museum 
6. The Bugatti Racetrack

The Cathedral Saint Julien seen from the right bank;

                 

               The Remains Of The Gallo-Roman City Ramparts; 

               With Their  Lengh of 4300 Ft  ,andTheir 11 Towers,

               They Are Among The Longuest Ones In France  !

The Cathedral Saint Julien-The Chevet-13C

The Southern Tower Built During The 12 C

( The tallest building in Le Mans ( 200 Ft )

Doorway ( 12 C ) Detail 

The Red Pillar House-15 C

St Honoré Street ( N° 72 ) Detail.

The Abbey At L'Epau Where Berenguaria,

  Richard The Lionheart 's Widow,,is Buried .

The Entrance of The Motor Museum 

The Renault A442 Winner In 1978

The Celebrated Dunlop Footbridge !

The VIMY RIDGE Apr.9,1917

At daybreak on April 9,1917 ,all 4 divisions of the Canadian Corps (aided by the British 5th Div. ) fighting together for the 1st time,stormed the Ridge.Nevertheless Hill 145 ,where the Vimy Ridge National Historic Site of Canada stands today , was stormed the next day !The whole operation  lasted only 4 days but it was at a very high cost : 10.602 casualties,among them , 3598 Canadians lost their lives !

                                     A crater at Vimy.

                                      A part of the subway is still visible today !

                                    The monument at Vimy designed by Seymour Alward.

The very charming little town of Arras,which is located only at  8 kms ,South of Vimy resemble a lot to a city of Belgium,like Brugges ! a great place for enjoying a local dish : a chitterling sausage ( Andouillete ) accompanied,of course ,by a local beer !

 The City Hall ,and its 246 Ft- belfry were totally rebuilt after the war since the previous ones were destroyed during WWI ( 1914 )

The Hotel des 3 Luppards (2nd building from Left ) was built in 1467 ; It has a typical local feature : a crow-stepped gable (or Corbie step ) ,a stairstep  design along the triangular gable of the building .

Private Day-Trip To London From Paris By Driver-Guide-France

NEW in 2014 !!!

 

Driver-Guide-France can arrange Private & Customized Private Tours From Paris to London,either by the Eurostar,or by road with a 8-seat Minibus ! 

 

With The Eurostar : Leaving by 7am in the morning,you’ll reach London 2 Hr15mn later ! There a representative of our company will accompany you with a minivan so that you can make the most of your day for sightseeing the main sights of London,such as Westminster Abbey, the Palace of Westminster,the Trafalgar Square,The Tower of London,Tower Bridge and Saint Paul’s Cathedral ; We can also plane a cruise along the river Thames,and a guided tour inside a monument or a museum,according to your wishes !

At the end of the day  you’ll be dropped off at the train station (Saint Pancras ) and once back in Paris,a driver will bring you back at your hotel around 10:30pm !Don’t miss that opportunity to visit one of the most beautiful cities on earth during your stay in Paris ! 

 

 

By Road : If you are a small group  (max.8 passengers ) with many pieces of luggage,what about a private  transfer from Paris to London by minibus ,driven by a qualified tour guide who can show you the main sights once in London,before dropping you off at your hotel downtown ? We can even stop by the celebrated cathedral of Canterbury on our way to London  !

Driver-Guide-France can also arrange that ! Contact  Us !

                                   The Eurostar at Saint Pancras'train Staion-London.

                                    The Celebrated Big Ben Tower !

                                      The Parliament Seen From The River Thames

                                      .The Dome of Saint Paul Cathedral

                                     Saint Paul From The Millenium Bridge .

                                      The city and Gerkin Tower .

                                     The Thames seen from the top of Tower Bridge .

                                     The Tower of London .

                                      Tower Bridge.

                                      Westminster Abbey.

Our 8-Seat Minibus 

The celebrated Cathedral of Canterbury .