Wichita Area Sister Cities – France Committee

Proposes:

12-day trip to Orleans, France for the bi-annual Loire River festival

FESTIVAL DE LOIREGroup Travel

September 19 to 30, 2017

FOLDER

Festival de Loire – Orléans, France 19-30 September, 2017: length of festival: 20 – 24 September FORM A

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$1.07 = 1 euro (March 20, 2017)

Organizers: Wichita Area Sister Cities , Friendship Force, Wichita Society of Gardeners.

Participation will require the sum of $2325.00 to pay air travel, ground transportation, and hotels in Normandy and Paris. A $500.00 per person deposit will need to be received by Sunflower Travel before April 15, 2017. The balance would be due to Sunflower Travel before August 1, 2017. Any particular lodging arrangement will provoke an extra cost as the home-stay in Orleans will be provided by host families for the Wichita guests.

Purpose for the visit to Orléans : to connect with the sister city of Wichita in a festive and fun manner. To allow enough structure and planning for proper results and visits, the travel agency is to be involved with ample open-ended options to allow choice during and after the festival. If finalized, Mayor LONGWELL would go as the official representative of Wichita, but would only be slightly aligned with the immediate group.

Basis for the festival: Orléans was a main trading center during the Middle Ages and Renaissance with many importation functions established. This artery functioned to supply Versailles, Chartres, and Paris with global goods by relying on the ready and abundant Loire River transportation system. The festival is to relive the activities and culture of that period, and to bear on the importance of the river and the region to current French commerce and development.

All travelers should independently budget meals, optional entertainment, and souvenirs apart from the home-stay in Orléans.

Arrival The focus is to arrive the morning ofSeptember 20, to then proceed directly to Orléans from the airport via chartered motor coach. There is an express motor way between Paris and Orléans to allow a 1.25 hour trip.

While in Orleans, the party will be hosted in the homes of members of the WASC counter-part: OW! The alternative provision would be to enable those who wish to reside in a hotel to follow their desire. (Please refer to the form B on various hotel options (located less than ¼ mile to the river) while in Orléans)

While in Orléans, the party will also be hosted to a personal tour of the Chambord chateau, an optional trip that could be done in host automobiles or by chartered bus, a 34-mile distance from Orléans. OW! has offered other visits, of which 5 Orleans garden visits are being offered. Of any of the events of the Festival, the concluding events in the evening of September 23 are not to be missed.

Return At the conclusion of the festival (morning of September 24), the party will travel via chartered coach to Mount St. Michel and to the region of Normandy. Lodging will be in hotels while in Normandy to place into operation the visit of the Omaha and Utah beaches, and the American military cemetery. There is the choice of an optional visit to two Norman gardens or to stay the day in Bayeux. Then, a brief visit to Monet’s home and gardens in Giverny will be done while on the return trip to Paris.

Once in Paris, the group will be lodged in hotels and be free to visit Paris. The return to Wichita or a move to other cities and regions will be at the option of each traveler. Air travel will be done by groups of a minimum of 10 persons each so as to preserve the group airfare rate. Transit from Paris to the airport is provided in the trip package.

  • Deposit due: $500.00 per person payable by check or credit card to reserve space at this time for trip. Final payment due – August 1, 2017
  • Travel Insurance is available and recommended. Pre-existing conditions are waived if purchased at time of deposit.
  • Cancellation: A handling fee of $100.00 per person plus any applicable vendor fees will be charged after receipt of deposit.
  • Travel Documents:Valid passport required Disclosure: When you would like to return, if not on September 30.

Contact: Bobbi HANSEN, Sunflower Travel, 1223 North Rock Road, Wichita, KS 67206 316-634-1700

FORM

March 20, 2017 (1.00€ = $1.07) (March 20, 2017) B

Hotel Accommodations FESTIVAL DE LOIRE 2017

Orléans (looking for hotels in center city at a special negotiated rate)

Hotel IBIS (Dunois quarter) 3.6-Star, $68 / night [AccorHotels member]

4, rue Mareschal Foch, 45000 Orleans

Hotel MERCURE (right bank of Loire River) 4-Star, $88 / night [AccorHotels.com member]

44, quaiBarentin, 45000 Orleans

Hotel MARGUERITE (1- minute walk from the right bank) 4-Star, $57 / night [independent]

14, place du Vieux Marche, 45000 Orleans

Hotel ESCALE (on the right bank of the river) 3-star, $75.00 / night [Oceania group]

(these hotels can be accessed in English via Google)

Current research: some hotels have exercise rooms and coffee shops, no swimming pools or restaurants.

Breakfast is included in room rate

Sunflower Travel can assist participants with the booking of a hotel room in Orléans

Transportation for a visit to Chambord or other Orléans localities has been requested of the association OW! – Orléans / Wichita

Festival de Loire / hotel stay / ground itinerary / $1.07 = 1.0 Euro / FORM
20-Mar-17 / cost / accomod / location / drive time / daytime activity / C
20-Sep / hotel option / home stay / Orleans / scheduled visits
21-Sep / hotel option / home stay / Orleans / scheduled visits
22-Sep / hotel option / home stay / Orleans / scheduled visits
23-Sep / hotel option / home stay / Orleans / Festival - final
24-Sep / hotel / Mt. St. Michel_ Bayeux / 4.00 1.5 - 1.75 / old city, souvenirs
25-Sep / hotel / Bayeux / option: Norm. gardens tapestry, cathedral,
26-Sep / hotel / Bayeux / 0.75 / Normandy beaches
27-Sep / hotel / Giverny______Paris / 2.0 1.0 / Monet: morning Paris: afternoon
28-Sep / hotel / Paris / free roam
29-Sep / hotel / Paris / free roam

Festival de Loire – September 20 – 24, 2017 FORM

Gardens to visit: D

Orléans –

Jardin des Plantes

Parc Pasteur (petit train de Wichita)

Parc Florale (largest of the Orléans parks, with butterfly pavilion)

Jardin de la Charpenterie

Jardin de la Roseraie Dupont

Exterior of Orleans –

Château de La Ferté-Saint-Aubin

Château de Cheverny

Château de Chamerolles

Château de Chaumont-sur-Loire (International Festival of Gardens: April 20 – Nov. 5, 2017)

Gardens during the extended trip (Normandy)

Les Jardins Agapanthe (Grigneuseville, FR [Normandy])

Le Vasterival (Ste. Marguerite-sur-Mer, FR [Normandy])

Monet’s Garden and house (Giverny, FR)

Parisien gardens

Jardin des Tuileries (between Place de la Concorde and le Louvre) [right bank]

Jardin Luxembourg (the neighborhood of St. Michel, the Sorbonne, and the Pantheon) [left bank]

Garden of the Rodin museum (neighborhood of the Invalides hospital and Eiffel Tower)

TOUR REGISTRATION FORM

ORLEANS, FRANCE

Please print your name as it appears on your passport or birth certificate:

______

Home/Cell/Office Phone ______Fax ______E-mail ______

Address: Street/City/State/Zip Code:______

If you will not be at the above address/phone, indicate where you can be contacted immediately prior to departure:

______

A valid US Passport is required. If you do not have one, please obtain form from nearest post office, Sunflower Travel or review and print form on web site: If you are not a US citizen, we will advice what documents are required.

Citizenship_____ Passport Number ______Expiration Date______

Birth Date (M/D/Y) :______

Please provide Sunflower Travel with a copy of the photo page of your passport.

In the event of accident or illness, please notify: Name(s)______

Relationship______Phone number______

Address (Street/City/State/Zip Code)______

During the trip, will you have a birthday ( ) anniversary ( ) Other ( )______

Medical Information: Special medical requirements,allergies______

Airline Seating Preference: Window ( ) Aisle ( ) Frequent Flyer Numbers – Delta Sky Miles or other ______Return Air Deviation Interest Yes ( ) No ( )

Credit Card Payment: Master, Visa, Discover or American Express – Credit card number, security number and expiration date______Credit Card Holder’s name as it appears on credit card/address/phone number of credit card holder______

Rooming with:______

Interested in Orleans hotel ______option Sep 20-23 Yes( ) No ( )

Deposit of $500.00 per person is payable by check or credit card to reserve space at this time for our trip.. Travel insurance is available and recommended. Pre-existing conditions are waived if purchased at time of deposit.

I/WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN A COPY OF THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS SET FORTH FOR THIS TRIP AND AGREE TO ABIDE BY THEM. I/WE DO NOT HOLD Sunflower Travel OR ITS AGENTS, RESPONSIBLE FOR ANYTHING WHILE GONE FROM HOME.

PASSERGER(S) Signature: ______DATE:______

Return to: Sunflower Travel , l223 N. Rock Road., Wichita KS, 67206 Tel: 3l6 634 l700 *

Fax: 3l6 634 l7l7 * 800 445 0563 Bobbi Hansen, CTC e-mail: