Wine Tour Tips: Top 5 Planning Suggestions for Your Dream Tour Wine Tour Tips: Top 5 Planning Suggestions for Your Dream TourPlanning a wine tour in France can almost feel like a part-time job. You have to research your destination, what to do when you get there, and what chateaus and wineries you want to visit; check and book flights (and connecting flights); find a desirable hotel—and hope that the website is representative of what you’re actually getting; arrange transportation to and from the airport and for while you are in France…one can get a headache just thinking about it!Don’t worry, though—help is here in the form of the top five wine tour tips to consider when planning a wine tour in France:Time of year: The best time to go on a wine tour to France is March-June and October-November.  Usually airfares are lower and the tourist season is usually not in full swing.  September is a beautiful time to go to see the harvest, but can be challenging get certain estate appointments.

Early July can also be good time to go and get estate quality visits before August, typically vacation time for many. If you are keen on First Growths, then it’s best to schedule 9-12 months in advance, or join a tour that already has First Growth tastings scheduled. Don’t drink and drive: Even if you spit during your wine tastings, it is not advisable to drive while you are tasting wine. Leave that to a pro and take full advantage that a driver will get you where you need to be on time, and fill the day out with useful information about the region and its wines. Be Adventurous: Try an appellation or region you are less familiar with and broaden your knowledge and appreciation for the region. Not sure which appellation that may be? A quality wine tour provider can steer you in the right direction. Less is more: In France, the visits are very thorough, so limit yourself to knowing that it’s quality over quantity when it comes to tours and tastings. Accommodations and Drive times: Where you stay is as important as the estates you visit.

If you haven’t been to the hotel or chateau you are considering, don’t assume what you see on the website is what you get. Check with your wine tour expert who regularly visits hotel properties for real time information and can assist in choosing a hotel property best suited for your touring style and accommodation preferences.One last tip- Go with a professional wine tour planner-one that knows the region, how best to get there, its quirks, and the best estates to visit based on what wines you prefer to help make the best use of your time.Armed with these five tips, you can plan your trip without stress and instead enjoy the sense of anticipation for the journey to come. and we’d be happy to help. Sign up for our eNewsletter and receive our FREE wine tasting guideFodorites have spoken, naming their top Food & Wine destinations across the pond in our Best of Europe 2012 survey. We've focused in on the top five of those destinations, assembling an irresistible list of epicurean trips, from a gourmet canal cruise in Burgundy to a VIP wine weekend in Florence.

Travel in high style with the juicy deals, culinary hot spots, and Michelin stars featured in these five food- and wine-minded European vacations.buy wine glasses near me Why Go Now: Intimate river cruises on France’s all-inclusive boutique barges are an unbeatable way to explore Burgundy. best texas wine clubFollow breathtaking routes alongside gorgeous countryside, enjoying luxurious accommodations and multicourse onboard meals en route—plus, visits to local markets and wine tastings at centuries-old châteaux. best everyday red wine glassesApril kicks off France’s canal cruising season with a much-hyped new itinerary and a bevy of sweet deals. The latest to join the Burgundy canal circuit, owner-operators’ Rory and Caroline Macrae’s newly renovated, six-passenger Après Tout debuts its new six-night routes this month (from $6,000/person).

Expect unrivaled excursions like an invitation-only wine tasting in Beaune, truffle farm visit, dinner at Relais & Châteaux’s Abbaye de la Bussiere, and an area vineyard tour in World War II jeeps. Or, book select six-night Northern Burgundy sailings (on April 29 and May 9) on European Waterways' La Belle Epoque, and get 25-percent off your cabin fare (must reserve by April 6; discounted rates from $3,410/person). Enjoy sizable staterooms with marble baths, an onboard chef, and bikes on hand for on-shore exploring. Also shedding rates by 25 percent, try their six-night Burgundy canal sailing on April 29. The itinerary aboard the eight-passenger L’Art de Vivre features a visit to the medieval village of Noyers, wine-tasting at a 12th-century cellar, and an optional hot-air balloon excursion (rates from $2,990/person). Or, get $1000 off the same itinerary on the June 3 jaunt (discounted rates from $3,550/person); all offers must be booked as soon as April 6. Where to Stay: While you wait to hop aboard your floating barge accommodations, relax in Paris at the luxury Four Seasons Hôtel George V Paris on the Champs-Élysées (rates from $1,084/night), or cozy up under a quilt at the cozy Hôtel du Cygne (rates from $162/night).

Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor's Burgundy Travel Guide for the latest restaurant, hotel, and shopping reviews—and to brush up on French foodie phrases. Why Go Now: Sign up for UK-based Arblaster & Clarke Wine Tours’ new "Cooking in Provence" itinerary (April 15–20; rates from $3,191/person) for five straight days of hands-on cooking lessons in Provençal cuisine, led by Michelin-starred chef René Bérard. Create a new menu each day using fresh-from-the-market ingredients (like saddle of wild rabbit), in the kitchen of Bérard’s own 16th-century rustic farmhouse. After savoring your creations for lunch, visit area culinary hot spots—like an olive oil mill and apiculturist (a bee and honey specialist)—and partake in a private tasting at the historic Domaines Bunan winery. As part of the package, you'll also stay at former convent Hostellerie Bérard in the picturesque, medieval hamlet of Cadiere d’Azur, and enjoy complimentary access to the new spa’s hammam. Alternatively, embark on top-rated Tauck’s new nine-night "A Taste of France" land-and-cruise tour, launching for the season on April 25 (rates from $5,390/person).

Beginning in Paris with a two-night stay at the Hilton Arc de Triomphe Paris, guests enjoy an exclusive intro to French sauces at Alain Ducasse’s Ecole de Cuisine, blind chocolate tastings, and a tour of Julia Child’s former haunts. The journey proceeds as a Rhone River cruise, hitting popular culinary spots en route to Provence, like the iconic indoor food markets of Les Halles in Lyon and the Pont du Gard Roman aqueduct (site of a hosted dinner). Where to Stay: Extend your stay in Provence at the gourmand’s haven of Chez Bru in St-Rémy-de-Provence (reopening April 3; rates from $199/night), or relishing a gourmet meal at the award-winning hotel restaurant of off-the-path La Prévôté (hotel rates from $193/night). Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor's Provence Travel Guide for the latest restaurant, hotel, and shopping reviews—and to brush up on French foodie phrases. Why Go Now: A handful of spots are still available for Off the Beaten Path’s popular, five-night "Loire Valley Castles & Culinary Tour" (July 3–8; rates from $3,498/person) . . . but they likely won't last long!

If you’re quick enough to book one (all earlier tours have sold out), get ready to peruse medieval castles; soar over the Loire landscape via hot-air balloon; partake in cooking classes with a gaggle of Michelin-starred chefs in both their personal and professional kitchens (and have them cook for you); and sup the world’s best wines while noshing artisanal cheese to your heart’s content. Come sleepy-time, you’ll hunker down at a deluxe château for the trip's duration (no hotel-hopping here). (Travel Tip: Flying from the States via London? British Airways is launching a new direct route to Angers in the Loire region on May 29.) Where to Stay: The new Le Sozo Hotel (opened in March; from $129/night) in Nantes offers stylish digs for your stay, or bunk down amidst antique furnishings at Château de Colliers, near Chambord (rates from $190/night). Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor's Loire Valley Travel Guide for the latest restaurant, hotel, and shopping reviews—and to brush up on French foodie phrases.

Why Go Now: Hightail it to the foodie capital of the world to sample the gourmet scene’s hottest new additions this spring. Paris By Mouth's new three-hour group food "crawls" (launched in January) are currently all the rage, with daily tour offerings including "Sweet Paris" (visit master chocolatiers and famous patisseries); "Tour de Fromage" (for "cheese geeks"); and "Best Of" itineraries highlighting various neighborhoods. Last month (March), French restaurant L’Abeille (at the newly opened hotel shrine to Parisian splendor, Shangri-La Paris) was awarded two new Michelin stars for its sophisticated yet inventive cuisine (think foie gras macarons). Hit up rock-star chef Yannick Alleno’s (best known as Le Meurice’s creative chef de cuisine) new 74-seat Terroir Parisien, which opened in mid-March and showcases Parisian-grown ingredients; it's currently on the tip of every foodie’s tongue. Also swing by the brand new outpost of legendary tea boutique Angelina’s (just opened late March) in the Galeries Lafayette for Paris’s best hot chocolate and a signature Mont-Blanc pastry (the recipe’s stayed a secret for over 100 years now).

Where to Stay: Opened February 2012, the New Hotel Roblin’s is offering special room rates from $266/night, including buffet breakfast, through April 30. Or, try the atmospheric and affordable Hôtel Langlois near Les Grands Boulevards (rates from $186/night). Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor's Paris Travel Guide for the latest restaurant, hotel, and shopping reviews—and to brush up on French foodie phrases. Why Go Now: Now in its second year, the exclusive, long-weekend Divino Tuscany tour (May 17–20) is a doozy. Starting with a celebrity- and grappa-laden house party, followed by an opulent gala dinner at Florence’s 350-year old Palazzo Corsini on the banks of the Arno, you’ll partake in grand tastings hosted by some of the region’s top winemakers, enjoy a private Saturday night dinner with one of Tuscany’s most elite wine families, and finish with a BBQ lunch at Sting’s private villa (rates from $2,527/person). Or, opt for more budget-friendly single passes to the Friday and Saturday night Grand Tastings (rates from $200/person).