Testimonials

This was our second tour with Emily and there is a reason. No one does small group tours with so much care as she. Unique accommodations, great food and good people. What more could one ask?

Greg & Jill Carol, Florida

“Emily’s Spring revival Tour was fabulous. If we had to choose one word to describe the tour it would be quality. This would cover all aspects of the tour from Emily’s Mercedes van to the outstanding accommodation, the delicious meals from picnics to fine dining restaurants and the wines Emily chose, and by the way, she has an excellent palate. She also shared impressive historical and cultural knowledge and she was very caring in ensuring all the members of our group were comfortable with the activities we were doing, and in providing alternatives where necessary. Emily is an outstanding guide who we would love to do another tour with.”

Neil & Denise, Australia

Emily was so gracious and fun and knowledgeable. I would go on another tour with her in a second! As a solo traveler I felt so welcomed and part of the group ! We saw and learned so much about Provence ! Can’t wait for my next adventure with Emily and friends!

Lysa King, California

REVIEW:

My wife and I love to travel. One of our favorite ways to explore new areas includes finding the best local guides for one day tours of larger urban areas but mostly hiring driver guides for multi-day trips thru large regions of a country. We always wanted to explore Provence so finding that perfect drive/guide was essential. My search found Emily of Your Private Provence. Although I could write a short story on our trip with Emily I will try to keep it short.

PLANNING:

I always work closely with private driver/guides in planning our trips. I do extensive research online about the areas we want to visit. This includes videos and other travel information. When I first started emailing Emily I gave her my initial thoughts and asked a lot of questions. Emily kept me focused and rational about how much we should include in our journey and how much we should load in to a day. We spent untold numbers of emails nailing down the regions of Provence from the obvious to the off the beaten track, to places that Emily herself had not really explored that much. We finally nailed down a great itinerary. We also decided what the best time of year to travel to the region. I didn’t care about lavender but we do love wild flowers and fewer crowds. We went from May 21^st to the 31^st when each day was blue skies and temperatures from low daytime of 70-81.

THE TRIP:

Emily’s trusty Mercedes van was very comfortable. Sharon and I took turns riding shot gun as we got to know what a wonderful woman Emily was. We had such fantastic conversations and spent the trip laughing at each other’s stories. Emily knew that a right hand turn might be interesting but if we took a left turn instead more off road adventure would ensue. Yes, we saw all of the fantastic small towns and villages of most of Provence. However, we travelled to the ruins of an ancient monastery in the middle of nowhere surrounded by acres of wild flowers. We went to the Verdun Gorge which I liken to the Grand Canyon of France and walked to the precipice of massive cliffs to view mountains and the green river below which carved out the amazing canyon. We walked the Cedar Trail thru a beautiful cedar forest to off the main  trail that lead us to wildflower fields. At the end of the trail it dead ended at a cliff where we could see for miles.  Emily got to know Sharon and my limitations as far as what hikes to take. We are two very vigorous folks in our 70’s but we can’t hike the trails we were able to handle in our younger years. Emily researched hikes that were great for us. We were just blown away at the diverse geography and topography of Provence. I wandered thru vineyards as Sharon tasted the fantastic wines of the Rhone River region. We hiked thru the ocher trail where mineral was mined to paint the beautiful Luberon villages. We saw the calanques in the area of Cassis. We traveled to Moustiers Sainte Marie(a must see village in the mountains) and stayed at the Bastide Moustiers. In Avignon(one of our hub towns) we stayed at the beautiful La Divine Comedie. In the Luberon we stayed in the exquisite Domaine Les Martins.  OK enough! I warned you I could write a short story on our adventure with Emily.

THE TAKE AWAY:

Sharon and I have traveled the world with the help of some of the most amazing local guides. I can state without hesitation that Emily stands out as one of the best! How can you go wrong with a girl born on an Oregon farm who falls in love with a farmer from Provence? The answer is you can’t.

Posted with true appreciation and warm memories.

Neil/Sharon from Philadelphia area.

It was such a pleasure to be with you again.  Thank you for your excellent service and guidance through all of our fun events.  Looking forward to another tour in the future.

Jen & Janet, Canada

Thank you for the wonderful poppy tours and the Camargue!  Once again, it was a vacation to remember with all the wondeful food, sights, culture and wine.

Jake & Deb, Canada

Emily, your planning from where, when and why to our overnight accommodations could not have been more perfect! The Provence region is a must see for anyone who is interested in history, breathless scenic views and amazing food and wine all of which you delivered to us on a silver platter.  You were an exquisite host.  I wish you many more successful years hosting future visitors to your part of France.

Sallie Sullivan, North Carolina

We had an amazing girls trip in Provence! Emily created a magical itinerary with activities such as market days and private cooking lessons, hikes, wine tasting and seaside lunches. There was enough downtime that the days didn’t feel rushed or overscheduled. The accommodations were lovely, the restaurants were top notch, and we felt safe the entire time. She helped us feel comfortable with the culture and language and helped us practice our French if we wanted. She explained a lot of local customs and etiquette, which was key when we were out on our own, ordering wine from intimidating French waiters! Lastly, Emily really catered to our interests and had an obvious wealth of knowledge about the history of the places we visited, which made the trip both educational and fun. We are already planning a repeat trip with her!

Christina, CJ, Monica, Kait & Dorothee – Nashville, TN