Itinerary
Friday, 22 September
Depart Ireland for Paris. After we check in to our hotel, the rest of the day is at leisure. Why not spend it becoming acquainted (or reacquainted) with its beauty. Stroll along the banks of the Seine, soaking in its antiquarian book stalls, stunning riverside architecture, and magnificent bridges. Savour the sight of the illuminated Eiffel Tower after dark. Enjoy some good food and wine. This is what makes Paris special.
Saturday, 23 September
After breakfast, we will enjoy a half day city tour of Paris, taking in some of the major sights. In the late afternoon, you will be transported to the Stade de France where Ireland will face the current world champions South Africa in their third match of RWC 2023.
Sunday, 24 September
A full day to enjoy Paris at your own pace. Sunday mornings in Paris are for pottering around markets. The Marché d’Aligre is one of the best and it’s conveniently located for Place des Vosges, one of the oldest and most beautiful squares in Paris.
Once you’ve stocked up on supplies at the market, you can stroll under the arches of the square, browsing through its shops and being serenaded by live music before enjoying a picnic in the park at its centre. To end your day, make for Montmartre, where the Butte Montmartre offers the best free vistas over the city.
Monday, 25 September
Today, we travel to Nice -the capital of the French Riviera, this is a city of art, culture, and sunshine. Your first destination should be the Promenade des Anglais, where the city meets the Mediterranean. Here, you can stroll under palm trees, sip on a cocktail and soak in the glamour of the most seductive seafront in France.
Tuesday, 26 September
After breakfast, we set off on a half-day tour of Nice, visiting some of it’s famous sights.
Wednesday, 27 September
A full day to relax and explore Nice at your own pace. Get lost in the dark winding alleyways of Old Town this morning. It’s full of flea markets and antique shops and the unmissably colourful flower market on Cours Saleya. Spend your afternoon in the Cimiez district. Art lovers will be enthralled by the internationally-renowned Chagall Museum and Musée Matisse.
Thursday, 28 September
A full day to relax and enjoy Nice at your own pace. You may wish to visit some of the other attractions of the French Riviera. There’s the city state of Monaco with its glitzy casinos, or elegant Cannes with its seafront boulevards, yacht-filled marina, and iconic film festival. For the old-school, there’s Saint-Tropez, the iconic city that put the south of France on the map. With its ramshackle cobbled streets and vibrant seafront culture, it’s as enticing and opulent as ever.
Friday, 29 September
Bid farewell to the French Riviera and travel inland to the historic city of Aix-en-Provence, or Aix, as it’s known to locals. After we check in to our hotel the rest of the day is at leisure. If you’re hungry, head for the market stalls in Place Richelme, where you can assemble a picnic to enjoy on the steps of the fountain in the middle of the square.
Saturday, 30 September
After breakfast, we set off on a half-day trip to discover why this town is regarded as the most beautiful in France.
Sunday, 1 October
A full day to relax and explore Aix and the area at your own pace. Explore the landscape that so inspired Cézanne by taking a day trip to the towns and villages that have made Provence famous all over the world. There’s the russet-toned village of Roussillon. There’s Loumarin with its winding streets, café terraces and surrounding vineyards, olive groves, and almond trees. There’s the hillside village of Gordes with its cobbled lanes and 10th-century castle overlooking lavender fields. Almost everywhere you look, you will find centuries of unspoiled beauty.
Monday, 2 October
Today, you leave Aix for Lyon, a city regarded as the culinary capital of France. After we check in to our hotel, the rest of the day is at leisure. Get your bearings with a coffee at any of the pavement cafés on Place des Terreaux, the grandest square in the city centre.
Tuesday, 3 October
After breakfast, we enjoy a half-day tour of Lyon, visiting some of it’s famous sights.
Wednesday, 4 October
A full day to relax and explore Lyon at your own pace. Why not explore Lyon’s food scene to discover what makes it the culinary capital of France. The Marché de la Croix-Rousse is an open-air market selling the best local produce. Les Halles de Lyon is a sprawling covered market founded by the city’s most influential chef, Paul Bocuse, its charcuterie and cheeses are to die for. And we mustn’t forget the city’s Michelin-starred restaurants and bouchons, traditional taverns serving regional specialities such as coq au vin along with local wines.
Thursday, 5 October
Back to Paris, the city of lights. After we check in to our hotel the rest of the day is at leisure. Why not make for the Right Bank of the Seine and take in this most scenic stretch of the river, starting at Pont Neuf and continuing to Pont Alexandre III. If you’ve got time and energy, cross the river to Place de la Concorde and the Tuileries Gardens until you end up by the glowing pyramid at the centre of the Louvre. Those are some of Paris’s greatest hits in one short stroll.
Friday, 6 October
After breakfast, we set off on a half-day city tour, taking in different areas and sights from our first visit.
Saturday, 7 October
A free morning to enjoy Paris at your own pace. Perhaps, visit the Rodin Museum with its walled garden full of sculptures. Browse through the bookshops of the Latin Quarter. Or enjoy the tranquil Luxembourg Gardens, with their plane trees, ornamental flower beds, and the tip of the Eiffel Tower visible in the distance.
Come evening, you’ll be shouting for Ireland as your team fights to secure its place in the quarter final of RWC 2023 in this highly anticipated showdown against Scotland.
Sunday, 8 October
Return to Ireland, with thrilling memories of rugby matches and the many and varied wonders of France.
Cost, deposit and payment plan.
The price for this ticket-inclusive travel package is €6,150 per person sharing.
The single supplement is €2,499
The deposit is €750 per person. The deposit is non-refundable.
The balance is due 15 February 2023. The balance payment should be made by bank transfer.