Tailor-Made Travel in France: How a Bespoke Food and Wine Trip Really Works

A winegrower's kitchen in Burgundy at eleven in the morning, the table already covered with glasses, a terrine and a loaf of country bread, and a dog asleep under the chair. A cheese cellar in the Jura where the wheels of Comté are turned by hand. A table for four by the window in a Paris bistro that never answers its phone. None of these moments can be booked online. They come from relationships built over years, and that is the whole point of a tailor-made trip.

Tailor-made travel in France means a trip designed entirely around you: your interests, your pace, your budget and the people you travel with, blending culture, history and gastronomy. With Gastronomos, every itinerary is created and followed personally by me, Karen Goldman, from the first conversation to the last dinner, with private guides, drivers, wine estates, artisans and restaurants chosen for you rather than taken from a catalogue.

What does tailor-made travel actually mean?

It means there is no package. Two couples who both love wine will not receive the same trip: one may want grand Bordeaux châteaux and a Michelin dinner, the other small natural-wine growers in the Loire and long lunches in the village. A family with grandparents and teenagers needs a different rhythm from honeymooners. A tailor-made trip starts from those differences instead of trying to fit everyone into the same itinerary.

It also means balance. A good trip mixes the places you have always dreamed of with discoveries you would never have found alone, and leaves room to breathe: a free afternoon, a market stroll, a long lunch with no plan.

How does planning a bespoke trip with Gastronomos work?

1. A first conversation. We talk about who is travelling, when, for how long, what you love, what you do not, and the budget you have in mind.

2. A personal proposal. I send you a proposal with a narrative of each destination, a detailed day-by-day itinerary, what is included, and a selection of hotels, always boutique, historic or full of personality.

3. Adjustments. We refine it together until it feels exactly like your trip, not mine.

4. Bookings. Hotels first, especially in Paris and Provence, where the best addresses fill up early, then guides, drivers, tastings and experiences.

5. Restaurants, closer to the date. Reservations at the right tables are made when bookings open, with suggestions that match each day of your trip.

6. During your trip. I remain available while you travel, to adjust a plan, solve a problem or simply share a last-minute recommendation.

What can a tailor-made trip include?

Almost anything you can imagine around food, wine and culture: private guides who speak your language, a driver for the wine regions, tastings with small growers and grand houses, cooking classes with chefs, market visits, cheese and pastry tours, truffle hunts in season, private museum visits, picnics in beautiful places, and the hotels and restaurants that fit your style. For groups and companies, it can also include private events and team experiences.

Many of our trips are cultural journeys first, woven with food experiences and reservations at the right restaurants. In Normandy, for example, travellers who come to see the D-Day landing beaches receive a complete trip: an expert guide on Omaha Beach, Pointe du Hoc and the American Cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer, and, between the memorial sites, a cider and Calvados farm, a Camembert maker, oysters by the sea and a good table in Bayeux or Honfleur. History and the table are never separate in France, and a well-designed trip lets you feel both.

The difference is often in the small details nobody sees in a brochure. I have organised family competitions inside the Louvre to keep children excited from room to room, and arranged help with luggage on the train for older travellers, so that the journey between two regions stays a pleasure rather than a worry.

Why use a local travel designer instead of booking everything online?

Because France changes all the time. Restaurants open, close or change chefs, a beloved bistro is sold, a wine estate stops receiving visitors, and online reviews and printed guides rarely keep up. I live in France and test places continually, so the recommendations you receive are current and personal, not copied from a ranking.

Access is the other reason. Many of the best experiences, a family Champagne house, a winegrower who only opens his cellar to people he knows, an artisan's workshop, a table at a restaurant that does not take online bookings, depend on relationships. My recommendations are based on quality and on what fits you, never on commissions.

Where in France can a tailor-made food and wine trip take you?

Everywhere the table is worth the journey: Paris, of course, and then Champagne, Burgundy, Bordeaux, the Loire Valley, Normandy, Brittany, Provence, the French Riviera, Alsace, the Jura, Lyon and the Rhône Valley, the Basque Country, Corsica and Occitanie. Many trips combine Paris with one or two regions, for example Paris with a few days in Lyon, the capital of French gastronomy, or a day in Champagne with a family grower and a grand house.

If you prefer to start smaller, our tours, tastings and day trips are a lovely way to discover Paris and its surroundings, and for companies we design group and corporate experiences.

Frequently asked questions

What is a tailor-made trip to France?

A trip designed entirely around the traveller, with a personal itinerary, hotels, guides, drivers, experiences and restaurants chosen to match their interests, pace and budget, rather than a fixed package.

How far in advance should I plan a tailor-made trip to France?

Ideally three to six months ahead, and earlier for spring and autumn, the harvest season or travel to Paris and Provence, where the best hotels fill up quickly.

Can a tailor-made trip combine culture, history and food?

Yes, and most of our trips do. A visit to the D-Day beaches in Normandy, for example, can be combined with cider farms, cheesemakers and restaurant reservations, so that the whole journey is organised, not just the meals.

Can a tailor-made trip include only a few days or a single experience?

Yes. Some travellers ask for a full itinerary across several regions, others for a single day in Champagne, a food tour in Paris or a private tasting.

Is a tailor-made trip only for luxury travellers?

No. A tailor-made trip is built around your budget. What changes is not the price level but the fact that every choice is made for you.

If you are dreaming of France through its tables, vineyards and people, I would love to hear about it. Tell me about your trip and we will design it together.