This popular tour is back after a five year hiatus. It’s new and improved, and expanded to nine nights, including three in Paris, where the tour starts and ends!

The rich tapestry of life comes together on this tour that spotlights cider, scenery and history. Welcome to the majestic landscape, half-timbered houses and unique culture of Normandy, France, where we’ll indulge in this famous cider-producing region. No need to be a cider expert to take this tour. We’ll start with the basics of cider, its history and importance in the region. Then explore other enjoyable beverages made with luscious apples, such as “the finest destination of the apple,” Calvados (apple brandy).  In between is Pommeau, a gentle marriage between Calvados and freshly pressed tannin-rich apple juice, which delivers power and sweetness all at once. A good example of the cider producers we’ll visit is the family-owned Domaine Dupont.  As you can see, many pleasures and delights lie ahead for the travelers on this tour.

Why Normandy?

Normandy, with its fertile soil and temperate climate, has a proud tradition of cider dating to the 13th century, when the apple press was invented and at first was the drink of farmers. After a mini-ice age adversely affected the wine growing regions of Western Europe, nobles got in the game and started producing cider. Flash forward to the 1880s when a natural outbreak of vine predators set back the wine industry and boosted the popularity of cider. When wine recovered, politics and laws intended to suppress cider arose, but cider continued to hang on in some form especially in Normandy. Thanks to the diligence, persistence and pride of cider producers in this region, you will be able to enjoy their efforts fresh at the source today.

This tour, however, will introduce you to more than cider. In addition to famous wine, you may be surprised to know that France has a blossoming craft beer scene, too. We’ll have opportunities to enjoy some of these beers along the way.

We will also dedicate an entire day to explore the WWII history of Normandy, and the D-Day ,aka, Operation Overlord, where Allies launched the major offensive that changed the history of the planet. We’ll take a guided tour of some of the famous locations such as Omaha and Utah Beach, Sainte Mère Eglise (the first village liberated by the U.S.)  and the Normandy American Cemetery & Memorial near Colleville-sur-Mer. It will be a fascinating, riveting and emotional day as we pay tribute to the men and women, who fought and died freeing the world of Nazi tyranny.

A visit and overnight within eyesight of Mont Saint-Michel will be one of the centerpieces of this tour. Its ever-changing light and endless photo opportunities is good reason to see it in the evening and morning. You’ve seen the striking images of this medieval monastery set on a small rocky island connected by a causeway off the coast of France, now you will get to see it with your own eyes. As we approach, it reveals itself in the distance like an impossible castle on the horizon. You will never forget the first time you see it from miles away. It looks like a giant and is so out of scale to the landscape that your logic tells you it cannot be real.

We’ll also visit the scenic and famous enchanting fishing village of Honfleur. It’s so cute, you’ll just want to break out a palette, look across the harbor and start painting, or find a romantic sidewalk cafe, enjoy some cider, wine or beer and people watch.

We’ll overnight in four locations: Paris, Honfleur, Mont Saint-Michel, Bayeaux and Paris, once again at the end of the tour. The tour will begin in the lobby of the Gare du Nord Hotel in Paris and end there, too. The final morning of tour, you may take the train from the Gare du Nord (railway station) conveniently to the Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG).

This 2027 departure will be lead by Katrien Martin of Topic Tours based in Belgium, whom many of you know from our visits to Brewery Verhaeghe and Brewery Rodenbach. She comes highly qualified to lead this tour with a thorough knowledge of cider, calvados, wine, beer and jenever. She is a certified Zythologue in Belgium, which is similar to a Cicerone in the United States. She is also a knight in the Brotherhood of the Pink Elephants and the Royal Brotherhood of Jenever. She fluently speaks French, English, Dutch and German. Additionally, she is an expert on Paris, where has been traveling to her entire adult life. That combined with her Flemish charm and personality will make her the perfect leader for this tour.

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TOURS INCLUDE

• Nine nights accommodations in nice, friendly, centrally-located hotels often in the old town section of the city.

• All breakfasts, two lunches and two dinners with gratuities.

• Ground transportation beginning in Paris, via private luxury coach with professional driver. Leave the driving to us!

• Professional and courteous BBM! guide services.

• All tours and admissions.

• An instant group of interesting and fun, cider, wine and beer-loving friends you haven’t met yet.

• Plenty of unstructured free time to relax, shop and explore on your own.

• Custom BBM! name badges.

• Souvenir BBM! luggage tags.

• Flexibility in the event you need to transfer or cancel your tour.

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NOT INCLUDED

• Airfare

• Airport transfers.

• Some meals and drinks on your own.

• Free-time sightseeing. Our guides are available to provide suggestions.

• Fine Print: You are responsible for the costs of your free-time sightseeing. Be sure to read our Terms & Conditions

  Agreement for important details.

• Gratuities, at your discretion, for cider producers tour guides and coach drivers. You’ll be informed when gratuities are customary.

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TOUR COST

Deadline to sign up is one month before departure.
$4695/per person + Air, $795 single supplement*

* Prices based on double room occupancy.  If you are a solo traveler and would like to have a private room all to yourself there is a single supplement fee of $795 in addition to the base price of $4695 per person. We can also work with you to pair you with other single travelers to avoid the single supplement. Better yet, recruit a friend to come, too! Unless, of course, like Rick Steves says, you prefer to “snore alone.”

We require a minimum number of travelers for a tour to be confirmed to go, so it’s important to sign up ASAP, as opposed to waiting until the deadline. Also, tours can fill suddenly, so signing up early guarantees your place and avoids disappointment.

PLEASE SHARE BBM! TOURS WITH YOUR CIDER ENTHUSIAST
FRIENDS AND ENCOURAGE THEM TO JOIN THE FUN!

MAP OF OVERNIGHT LOCATIONS & Visits

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Cider Tour of Normandy ‘27

June 18-27 

Day One, Fri. June 18 • Paris  Welcome to France! This tour begins at 2:30 p.m. in the lobby of our hotel in Paris. After a brief meet and greet, we’ll do a short walking tour of the neighborhood. Afterward we’ll check in to our rooms, freshen up and meet at 4:30 p.m. for our Welcome Bottle Share. The evening and dinner is on your own in one of the many inviting restaurants in the neighborhood.

 Day Two, Sat. June 19 • Honfleur  After breakfast, we board our coach and depart Paris at 8:30 a.m. for Giverny and Monet’s House & Gardens. Here you’ll see the famous lily pond that inspired a series of Claude Monet’s famous paintings. The master of impressionism lived in Giverny the final 43 years of his life from 1883-1926. From there, we continue on to the picturesque harbor town of Honfleur, where you’ll have time to check in to our hotel, unwind and explore before we have our welcome dinner this evening at a charming nearby restaurant. (Lunch #1, Dinner #1)

 Day Three, Sun. June 20 • Honfleur  Morning is free to explore, shop or just enjoy a leisurely breakfast at the hotel. We meet at 11 a.m. to depart for Fécamp for a company lunch before visiting the magnificent Palais Bénédictine Distillerie, where you will immediately get a cocktail on arrival that you can enjoy as we have guided tour of the palais, cellar and a tasting of the famous liqueur from the distillery made from 27 herbs and spices . Afterward, we return to romantic Honfleur for dinner and the evening on your own. (Breakfast, lunch #2)

Day Four, Mon. June 21 • Mont Saint-Michel  Morning is free to enjoy beautiful Honfleur. At 9 a.m. the majesty of Mont Saint-Michel, get checked into the Mercure Mont Saint-Michel Hotel (Or at least store our luggage) then walk the causeway on to the island. We’ll get some great pictures with the afternoon sun as the shadows begin to fall. This evening at 7 p.m., we’ll enjoy a company dinner at Aux Grand Jupiter Dining Room at the Mercure Mont Saint-Michel. That’s not what it’s called, but that’s what I call it because of its grand appearance. (Dinner #2)

Day Five, Tues. June 22 • Bayeux This morning wake up in time to take in the dawn’s early light on Mont St. Michel for some amazing photographs. After breakfast at 8:30, we’ll take our first crack at the famous Normandy Cider Route in the heart of the Pays d Auge for tours and tastings. We’ll plan to visit three cider producers, LePeres Jules Cidery, Calvados Pierre Huet, and the Afterwards, we continue on to the Calvados Experience, where at 4:30 p.m. we learn about the “finest destination of the apple…Calvados! The Calvados Experience, set on the site of one of the oldest and most famous distilleries in France. In this multi-sensory journey through the centuries you learn about Calvados from the viking days to the present. You will come to have a great appreciation for this drink, not-so-common in the U.S. Afterward we’ll check into our hotel in Bayeux, our home for two nights. Evening and dinner are on your own in historic Bayeux. 

Day Six, Wed. June 23 • Bayeux Today we’ll take a guided battlefield tour of the beaches of Normandy. Our professional guide will be Mike Van Den Dobblesteen. We’ll learn about the history of the battles that took place and the sacrifices that were made 75 years ago. The tour is all day long, from 8:30 a.m. to about 5:30 p.m. Lunch is on your own at a place Mike has picked out for us. On this tour of the American sector on D-Day, we’ll visit the drop zones of the 101st and 82nd Airborne Divisions near Carentan and Sainte-Mère-Église, Utah Beach, La Pointe du Hoc, Omaha Beach and the Normandy American Cemetery. On route, as well as on location, throughout the day you will learn about the planning and preparations involved to get the largest military operation in history organized, which units were involved, what their objectives were, and how victory was achieved. You will come to know the stories of the many men and women who fought to rid us of Nazi occupation and give us back our freedom. At each of these sites there will be some free time for you to take photos, visit restrooms or enjoy a coffee. 

• Angoville au Plain

• Sainte Mère Église

• The Hedgerow countryside

• Utah Beach

• Pointe du Hoc

• Omaha Beach

• Normandy American Cemetery

Afterward, we’ll return to the hotel to freshen up, then have dinner on your own in Bayeux.

Day Seven, Thur. June 24 • Bayeux  After breakfast, we embark on another day of visiting cider and calvados makers. Today we plan to visit Calvados Roger Groult, Calvados Adrien Camut and Domaine Dupont.  Afterward, we’ll have a company dinner at Mason La Poterne right in the charming Old Town of Caen. (Dinner #3)

Day Eight, Fri. June 25 • Paris We depart this morning to drive about an hour to La Maison du Camembert for a tour and cheese tasting. This will be a journey for your tastebuds enjoying this most famous of French cheeses. 

Afterward, we continue on to Paris, have lunch along the way and get checked into our hotel, set in a charming district of Paris. The evening and dinner are on your own.

Day Nine, Sat. June 26 • Paris Today we’ll take the funicular (a vertical tram) up to visit the Montmartre District, set on a hilltop overlooking the city. It has winding cobblestone streets full of inviting cafes and bars. It’s famous for a square called the Place du Tertre, where artists create and sell their works. Lunch will be here on your own.

Afterward we’ll take a boat ride on the Seine River, admiring historic buildings on the Left and the Right Bank, including the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre and Cathedral Notre Dame. We’ll gather afterward for our farewell drink and say our farewells to our new friends. Dinner is on your own. Take advantage of this evening for one more romantic dinner in the city of love.

Day Nine, Sun. June 27 • Paris Breakfast concludes our grand tour and we say our goodbyes to our new cider friends and figure out how to carefully pack the dozens of bottles of fine French cider, Pommeau and Calvados you have somehow amassed. Take the train or an Uber to Charles de Gaulle Airport  (CDG). Most people will want to complement this tour by enjoying some days on their own in Paris before departing. (Breakfast)

* This itinerary is subject to change.

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