"giving access to private castles, old homes, wineries and gardens, to a discerning audiences looking for an extraordinary Cultural experience in regions of france"
"Ellen and I had never been to the South West region of France before. When we arrived in Pau, our guide and special new friend, Manuel de Croutte, was waiting for us at the airport. From the moment we were picked up, we were taken on the most perfect holiday of our lives. Everything was arranged by Manuel… from the luggage to the flowers, to the finest rooms, to the most extraordinary meals.
And no one could have been better a tour director than him. There were also amazing surprises like picking us up one evening and unexpectedly bringing us to the Chateau d’Arcangues outside Biarritz, where we met and had cocktails with the Marquis Michel d’Arcangues and a few of his friends, sharing an intimate, candlelight dinner that could never be recreated.Having traveled worldwide and been on numerous exclusive holidays, this was certainly the highlight in our lives in terms of delivering ultimate luxury and first-class treatment."
"I met Manuel De Croutte while in Paris with my mother and sisters in April of 2000. We were visiting a French artist I had met on a trip the prior year. She insisted we come to dinner at her apartment, but I had to decline because she had no elevator & my mother could not climb 5 flights of steps! She called back and said her friends would have us to dinner in their apartment, because they had an elevator. We made our way to the classic Paris apartment of Manuel and Aude de Croutte, and had a most delightfulevening of conversation, wines, and a fabulous dinner prepared by the two of them. Manuel is warm, witty, genuine, and made us feel so welcome. He insisted on driving us home for an unforgettable tour of Paris by night. That was the beginning of a great friendship. As I am a travel agent, I later asked Manuel if he would be kind enough to host any of my Paris clients for a dinner and tour. He graciously accepted, and has enabled me to be able to offer a true French experience for my clients that most tourists never get to have. In addition, the individualized tours he has planned for my clients have been the highlights of their trips to Europe. I don't believe you could find a more genuine, funny & charming Frenchman than Manuel. You are his friend the minute you meet him, and you are in for a royal treat with whatever he has planned for the day. I am lucky to have someone of his caliber in Paris to take care of my clients. I highly recommend Manuel to make your next visit to France unforgettable!".
"My family had the good fortune to meet Manuel through a mutual friend, Barbara Barnhar where she set up 2 different tours with manuel for my family of six people. Each were 2 days long. One to a castle in south of Paris and one to the Normandy beach area. where my father had been involved with the D-Day invasion. Both trips exceeded our expectations. we got to see a side of France that we would have never seen had it not been for Manuel. His knowledge of the area and warmth and friendliness made the trip for my family. It is still a trip we talk about. We plan to do another one in future. I would give Manuel the highest of recommendations".
"Our tour with you was beyond our expectations. Not only were you able to change the tour at the last moment to Château de Malmasion, which we thought was even better and fit perfectly with Château de Fountainebleau. You made it truely enjoyable because of your knowledge of French history and culture, and were able to answer our questions about the places we saw.
Our night at the Château de Bourron-Marlotte was so much fun and made us feel like royality. Our favorite Château was Vaux le Vicomte, which was a wonderful surprise. Your choice of restaurants was exceptional, all of them perfect for our taste, and your joinng us made it even more special. Next year we are looking forward to another personal tour with you".
We finally arrived home last week, exhausted but filled with so many wonderful memories. Again, we want to thank you for our elegant and educational trip with you discovering some of the wonders of Normandy and Brittany. Traveling and being with you is always so delightful, with or without a voice, and we learn so much with your great knowledge of France and it's history. Taking us to the gallery with the Monet paintings, finally put together everything we had read, seen and didn't understand until we went to the gallery in Paris. Now we really understand who Monet was and how he painted. Provence was so relaxing and peaceful. One summer you and your family will have to stay with us for a few days as you will love the countryside, the food, the markets and the historical sights. One day we were going to see Le Château de la Barben of your friends and the Zoo, which is next door. First we visited the zoo, saw the Château from up on a hill, but before we could finish the zoo, it started to rain and then it really rain. So we were soaking wet by the time we got to our car and decided to go home. We never got a chance to go insde the Château... next year we will. We have decided to have a little France in our lives and are ordering a 2CV--a Charleston!! Jerry found a man who restores them in Seattle, Washington. He is in the process of finding us one and will then restore it to our specifications. The only draw back is it will take about 1 1/2 years. Now with our gas prices at over $4.00 a gallon and going up, this will be a very practical car... and fun. In the next couple of days, we will write your grandmother and cousins as we enjoyed them so much. Being with them for lunch was a moment we will always remember. Such a wonderful family and beautiful surroundings.
We are looking forward to a trip next year with you again.
Exclusive and Private tours
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