Bespoke Tours
Arblaster and Clarke Wine Tours offer an exclusive Private Tour service. It is available to many of the destinations in the brochure where we have inspected many hotels in popular regions including family auberges, deluxe hotels and wine châteaux.
We can arrange for a chauffeured minibus or large car with a Wine Guide if required.
We are very good at designing bespoke itineraries, but it is very time consuming and will work out to be expensive for individuals, because of this we prefer to quote for a minimum of 8 people which is far more economic, but we can quote on any size of group. Arrangements should be made at least 8 weeks before travel, and you should travel outside the harvest period.
There are many Arblaster & Clarke Wine Tours which you can join in on having self-driven to the destination. Please call us to discuss which tours are most suitable. You will find some of these tours in Champagne Self Drive and in Wine Breaks.
If you are looking to design your own tour, or are a couple on a budget, we strongly suggest that you go to the www.wineroutes.co.uk website.
Private Bordeaux Wine Tour
More than any other wine region in France (and probably in the world) good introductions can open doors. We can arrange visits to the top chateaux and to other very interesting producers. This is an area we visit more than almost any other and we know which are the best hotels in each category, and which restaurants are not to be missed. If you are interested in buying wines, the less well known corners of Bordeaux or in more extensive tastings we can certainly point you in the right direction!
A sample itinerary might include flying to Bordeaux, spending two nights in Margaux in a delightful small château hotel, and being chauffeur driven by a knowledgeable driver / guide.
A minimum price for a party of 8, (not in harvest time), with 2 nights and 2 meals at châteaux would be £800 (US $1600 approx) per person.
Travel Options
Self-Drive: Catch the ferry from Portsmouth to Le Havre, Cherbourg or Caen. For a shorter ferry crossing, but longer drive in France, use Dover-Calais. Consider using the Loire Self-Drive Tour as a ‘stopover”. If you book both tours at the same time, there is reduction off the whole booking.
Flying: There are currently several direct flights from London a day with both British Airways and Air France. There are various other flight options, such as Bristol- Bordeaux too. Alternatively fly to Paris and catch a connecting local flight to Bordeaux. As there are so many flight options, it is not practical for us to choose a flight to meet. The airport is an easy 20 minute taxi drive or there is a regular shuttle bus to the city centre.
Train: Travel by Eurostar to Paris and TGV to Bordeaux.
Private Burgundy Tour
The French team at A&C inspected virtually all the hotels in Burgundy this Spring, so we know which are lovely and which are a bit tired. Of course we have great connections in this region and your visits would include leading negociants, elite estates and some great value buying stops.
For a four night, self-drive tour taking in Burgundy and Champagne, with 2 private cars, ferry crossing, accommodation in 3 star hotels, and a series of wine visits including excellent producers, a party of 8 would expect to pay from £599 per person.
Travel Options
If you choose to fly, the pick-up and drop off airport is Lyons. (For details of the flight we meet, see the detailed itinerary sent to you before you book).
If you drive, you might consider breaking the journey in Champagne, (where a visit can be arranged) although it is easy to drive to Beaune from the UK in a day.
