Testimonials

“2019 Lavender Tour This tour exceeded all of my expectations! The small group size made it easy for us to get to know each other and each day was such a treat! Emily shared not only her love and knowledge of her adopted country but afforded us a glimpse into life in Provence. She introduced us to local chefs, farmers, and artisans and each was colorful and engaging and passionate about their chosen profession and excited to share with us. We visited beautiful villages and ate marvelous local foods and laughed…and laughed…and laughed!  And then there was the lavender! I can’t think of a better week and I hope that one day I am able to join Emily on another tour.”

Sue Willis, South Carolina

“My first group tour experience could not have been better. Emily was easily likable, the tour was well-organized, informative and well-balanced. The B&B was a highlight as were the dinner locale choices. Emily was also very flexible and accommodated my preferences and needs, giving me the option to participate or take time for myself. I also enjoyed meeting the various people we met along the way. I would absolutely opt to sign up for another tour within YPP.”

Alexa Morales, New Orleans, LA

“I recently visited Provence on a Lavender Tour with Your Private Provence.  Emily Durand, the owner of the company, was the tour guide and driver for the small group of seven women. She was absolutely a perfect guide! I have traveled extensively and have had many tour guides over the years, so I can say confidently that Emily is exceptional. Her years living in Provence provide the expertise she needed to introduce us to this enchanting area, and her years growing up as a young woman in Oregon helped us understand the subtleties of French life. She bridges the two cultures with ease. Emily really went out of her way to customize the tour for us. During our tour when she discovered that I was a potter, she arranged for us to visit a female potter’s studio near the B & B.  Emily is professional in her job and yet her easy, relaxed manner helped us all feel welcome and comfortable. Her Lavender Tour was the most perfectly designed tour that I have ever experienced. She put much thought into everything, not just the lavender viewing, but the meals and the daily excursions as well. Every day was different and interesting. The charming B & B she chose was perfect also. This was truly the perfect lavender tour with the perfect private guide. Traveling doesn’t get any better than this!!!”

Rose Schutte, Michigan 

“I want to thank you for such a wonderful lavender tour.  The entire experience was everything that I’d hoped it would be and more. The itinerary was such a good cross-section of Provence.  I enjoyed the picnics, especially those in the garden near Simiane and at the lavender growers. You were an excellent guide – knowledgable, flexible, personable, and very organized. The thought and effort you put into the tour was evident, and appreciated! The B&B was fabulous – a real gem.”

Katheryn Russi, Michigan

“Nick and I had a wonderful two days touring Provence with Emily! She is just EXCEPTIONAL!!! Such a darling personality, a definite understanding of the history and culture of this region and such a nice way about her—she seems more a friend than a tour guide! We plan to stay in touch with Emily because we liked her so much!   Emily asked us about our preferences and interests so she could design an itinerary which was customized just for us. We spent the day together touring different villages, had delicious lunches, were given expert historical or cultural backgrounds, and were also taken to shops specializing in treasures to bring home (depending on our interests and desires).

Emily transferred us from our hotel and back in a luxury Mercedes van and was an excellent driver/navigator. Everything was completely organized and the tour was on a relaxed but specific time schedule. Emily is the PERFECT tour guide, and we would definitely use her again and recommend her to friends!”

Nick & Lugene Vincent, Texas

“We had found Emily Durand on the web and had a wonderful time corresponding with her while preparing a detailed itinerary based upon our interests and requirements. She was very prompt and very precise in her responses which we liked very much.

She was even more pleasant in person and we throughly enjoyed spending ten days with her in Provence. She knew the area very well including hotels/B and Bs, restaurants ( my wife is vegetarian but that was no problem for Emily!), parking and getting to the sights we were interested in etc. She gave us a good understanding of the history, culture, architecture as well as ‘stories and myths’ of each of the areas that we visited. She was excellent in finding alternatives if we did not like something or wanted to change something in our itinerary and this was very much appreciated! Having Emily drive us around in her Benz van freed us to observe the scenic beauty and historical sights of Provence without the distraction or tension of driving.

Overall, we have absolutely no hesitation in whole-heartedly recommending Emily and have already done so to our friends in the USA.”

Arun & Padma Cariappa, Florida

“I’m so thrilled that I found Emily as she added so much value to our 8 night trip to Provence. We hired Emily to assist with our transfers and added touring to our transfer days… Brilliant Plan! In the end we hired Emily for 3 of our 8 days.

She is extremely honest, reliable and her prices are very fair. She accepts credit cards and does everything possible to ensure your comfort. Emily picked us up at Marseille Airport and transferred us to our AirBNB in St. Remy. She organized a unique and magical picnic and generously offered to procure essential groceries as we arrived on a French Holiday and she knew the markets would be closed. We chose to explore St. Remy on our own, but Emily supported us with recommendations for restaurants and hikes.  After 4 nights in St. Remy, Emily picked us up and toured us around Avignon and Gigondas, where we did a beautiful hike together. She then transferred us and our luggage to Gordes for the next 3 nights.

Emily is so knowledgeable about the history of the region, but more importantly she is really a great driver. She has a beautiful Mercedes 8- passenger van that is very comfortable and safe. Emily is happy to customize trips to individual needs and I would highly recommend her and would absolutely work with her again.”

Kecia & Helen, Portland, Oregon

“Hi, Emily I just wanted to thank you and let you know how pleased we were to meet you and were so impressed by the tour you took us on around Avignon! You were very warm and knowledgeable about the area and answered all of our questions. Your van was top of the line as well as your service!! I will not hesitate to recommend you to friends and family visiting the area!”

Connie Schuler – Alberta, Canada

“We had the best time with you on our tour of the Provence region! You planned out the best two-day tour! The hiking in the wine grove and wine tasting in the villages of Seguret and Chateauneuf-du-Pape you planned were great. The village of Les Baux de Provence that you walked us through and gave us all the history is still something we are talking about! The place where Van Gogh stayed and painted in the monastery gave us insight into his life and those who loved and cared for him! Thank you, Emily, for all your kind ways, brilliant descriptions of this amazing area and willingness to shape our tour just for us. We also loved your beautiful van! So fancy, comfortable and fun to ride in.”

Cheyrl Waslen – Alberta, Canada

“We recently returned from France and wish to leave a few comments on our experience.

At the top of my bucket list is a visit to Provence France. My husband and I are not world travelers and were somewhat hesitant about this trip, we were anxious about almost everything, the language, the travel and the fact that we were in a foreign country. Despite all these concerns we bite the bullet and decided to go for it. We booked a package with My Private Provence.

Much to our surprise and delight, the experience could not have been better. We experienced Provence as if we were locals and had been living there all our lives. This experience will stay with us forever. Never have we been able to enjoy a vacation as we have on this visit.
We were very happy to see so much of Provence and sample the food and its people.

Our tour group was only made up of seven people. Such a small group allowed us to fit right in with our visits to the many villages. A small group is great, but none of this could have occurred without our tour guide, Emily.

Emily was born in the US and has been living in Provence for 22 years. She helped us with all aspects of our visit. She knows the places of interest and knows the best times to visit these places. She speaks French fluently, so we had no problem with communications.

I highly recommend using Your Private Provence if you are contemplating a visit to this area.

Thank you, Emily, we hope to see you again.”

Barbara and John Gorman, South Carolina

“Thank you so much for a wonderful week. It was everything I had hoped for and more.”

Wendy, Australia

“Your Private Provence is our trip of a lifetime.  Emily is truly the Queen of Provence, and she planned our lavender tour with 100% awesomeness, and 0% fluff.  Sure, other guides can take you to the sites and drop vapid and empty descriptions of various sites and monuments, like reading off a script, but how many people can truly make the stories come alive because they literally live there.  Do yourself a favor, perish all thoughts about going with another tour guide, Emily and Your Private Provence is the only way to go.”

Elaine & Wei, New York

“There are those who are capable of fulfilling dreams. You are one of them. Thank you.”

Michael & Dolly, Michigan