Journeys in Genealogy
Fall 2026
Tour Overview
This will be the third tour we have done with the wonderfully sharp, proven, and gracious Cathy Sturgell, focusing on more ancestry hometowns of the many French settlers who came to Avoyelles Parish. The tour will include plenty of days where the genealogy is optional - giving you time to explore some lovely French cities and towns on your own.
The tour will start on September 13th (latest departure date) and returns to the USA on September 27th, 2026. The daily itinerary is as follows:
Day One: Fly to Paris
Day Two: Land in Paris. Group meet-up. Visit Monet's gardens and beautiful home in Giverny. Arrive into Rouen. Hotel check-in. Optional walking tour of a very historic city center, including the cathedral and the monument to Joan of Arc, who was martyred there. OVERNIGHT: ROUEN
Day Three: We'll head up to do a few family ancestry stops - and those who wish to stay behind in Rouen are welcome to do so. There will be an ancestry walk in Rouen when we return from our visits. OVERNIGHT: ROUEN
Day Four: We'll head to a famous church in Le Havre for more genealogy discoveries, before heading to the charming harbor town of Honfleur for some delicious food and some free time to explore. We'll then head into the invasion beachhead area and focus on some famous WWII history. We'll make our first WWII stop at Pegasus Bridge, the first objective seized in Operation Overlord, before making our way to Bayeux. Depending upon time, there will be other stops of great interest on our way to our hotel. We'll check in, give everyone some time to get settled and freshen up, and then head out for a little orientation walk, before turning people loose for dinner. OVERNIGHT: BAYEUX
Day Five: Today will be all about D-Day. We'll start with the Airborne Museum in Sainte-Mère-Église, and then head out to Utah Beach for a stroll among the monuments and out onto the beach, while David gives periodic history talks about the invasion. We'll eat lunch before stopping at Pointe-du-Hoc, the famous cliffs scaled by American Rangers during the invasion, for a visit. We'll then head over to Omaha Beach and wrap up our day at the well-maintained, serene, and somber Normandy American Cemetery. We'll have a group dinner at a beautiful village on the Normandy coastline, before returning to our hotel. OVERNIGHT: BAYEUX
Day Six: We'll head southwest to visit the famous abbey and accompanying village of Mont Saint-Michel - built on a rock out into the Channel. We'll then turn south for some family ancestry stops on our way to Le Mans for our next two nights. OVERNIGHT: LE MANS
Day Seven: We'll spend the whole day in Le Mans. Made world-famous by its 24-hour car race, it is also home to the Cité Plantagenet: twenty hectares of cobbled streets and half-timbered buildings, sheltered by a Roman wall and overhung by a cathedral. Saint-Julien cathedral, half Romanesque, half Gothic, is also one of the largest in France. We'll have a group walking tour around the city, but you are also most welcome to enjoy the day as you wish. No driving! OVERNIGHT: LE MANS
Day Eight: We'll have a short drive down to Chinon, a very historic old town in France which was once home to King Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine. There are some other incredibly interesting chapters of French history here, including Joan of Arc and the Knights Templar. We'll visit the Royal Fortress, before heading to the 900-year-old abbey in Fontevraud, where four family ancestors are memorialized. OVERNIGHT: CHINON.
Day Nine: We'll head southwest to the coastal port city of La Rochelle, first stopping at several Acadian ancestry villages of great importance to Louisiana history. We'll make a few other genealogy stops before arriving in the afternoon in gorgeous La Rochelle. OVERNIGHT: LA ROCHELLE
Day Ten: We'll have the whole day to explore La Rochelle - with the group or on your own, with one possible short field trip to a famous citadel that has some Louisiana genealogical relevance to it as well. OVERNIGHT: LA ROCHELLE
Day Eleven: We'll head to historic Poitiers, France for some genealogy and some incredible architecture and magnificent churches. We'll then head north towards Bourges, France, close to more ancestral places of interest. OVERNIGHT: BOURGES
Day Twelve: We'll have some great options for this day... including a visit to Sancerre and the wine harvest or to a chateau or two along the Loire River valley. It will be a welcome day of enjoyment and relaxation after a long drive the day before! OVERNIGHT: BOURGES
Day Thirteen: We'll have two more genealogy stops on our way north to Paris. We'll arrive mid-afternoon and get checked into our hotel, head out for a little orientation walk, and enjoy a group farewell dinner. We'll do this on our first night, so that we can take our time and enjoy ourselves with an easy day ahead. OVERNIGHT: PARIS
Day Fourteen: There will be a LOT of options on this day - from the amazing art gallery of the Musee d'Orsay, to the famous Louvre and Notre-Dame, the war museum and Napoleon's tomb at Les Invalides, and the Eiffel Tower. It will be your day to explore as you wish, though we'll have a few genealogy excursions planned for those who wish to join. OVERNIGHT: PARIS
Day Fifteen: Fly home!
Fine Print
Tour cost is $5000.
Cost will include the following:
- full time tour guide/historian/culinary expert (David)
- expert genealogist (Cathy)
- all hotels (highly-rated 3-star and 4-star hotels only)
- all breakfasts, save the morning of departure
- three group dinners
- all admissions to planned group stops
- all ground transportation from meet-up point at the beginning of the tour until the tour's end in Paris.
*First half of the tour cost will be due within a week of commitment to going.
*Second half will be due a month before travel.
***Trip insurance is recommended for those who have any doubts, as our budget will be fixed according to the number of people going. If you are able to secure a swap with another couple, then you would most certainly be entitled to a full refund, but our tour cost and offerings will be centered on the people who have committed to going - and we will not shift the financial burden onto others who make the trip. The price is fixed for all who sign up.
Our group size will be smaller than our previous tours. We are going in two large vans, with David Campbell as the driver and tour director, covering the WWII stops, as well as translation, food, culture, etc. We will have one other driver, as well as our esteemed genealogist and her sister, leaving space for six couples. Single travelers will need to be partnered up or pay an estimated $2,750 for their own hotel rooms. We will help those single travelers who want to share a room and work to provide separate beds with each hotel.
Upon filling up our tour, we will confirm all hotels and distribute the hotel list to all, and you'll receive a very detailed daily itinerary within a week of departure for France in September.
Payment will be accepted via Venmo, PayPal, or Zelle.
We will assist with all air transportation needs.
If interested, contact Cathy Sturgell immediately, as space is limited! Contact David Campbell with all questions and needs related to purchasing flights, payment conditions, travel insurance, and packing. David will distribute a recommended packing list, as well as many valuable travel suggestions on power converters, phone usage and dialing, tipping, etc.
Cathy Sturgell - 615-268-0796
David Campbell - 504-722-4000