The Tour

We have already booked our tour, but there are still a couple of spaces available! We have included the current price range below, but be aware that summer prices are creeping up and the exchange rate is subject to changes as well. Please click the button below so we can keep you informed. Watch this space for updates!

Our 10-Day Tour arrives in Villefrance-de-Rouergue on Friday, 19 July 2024 and departs on Monday, 29 July. You will attend both weekends of the Festival, and you will have a Passport that admits you to every event offered! First, you’ll have a couple of days to settle in and recover from the long journey and jet-lag before the Festival kicks into high gear.

Current cost range: $1,975-$2,800 per person. Double-occupancy hotel rates are the lower and of this range, and single people in a room alone can expect to fall on the higher end of the range.

What’s included?

Both tours include:

• Hotel accommodation at Les Fleurines, in the medieval heart of Villefranche-de-Rouergue, and walking distance to all Festival venues.

• VIP Festival Patron Passports, which include entrance to all performances and masterclasses, as well as exclusive receptions with the performers, faculty, French Board members, and the Mayor of Villefrance-de-Rouergue.

• Bus or van transportation to each excursion, along with the Tour Host, Gwen MacDonald, who is the wife of Festival Director and Founder Jonathan Eaton. Gwen’s father lives just 20 minutes from Villefranche-de-Rouergue so she is very familiar with the whole area. Each excursion will also include a translator, or we will arrange for English-speaking tours.

• Many meals are included, including a gourmet feast at a Chateau with an opera aria concert, lunch with the Festival founder, and a luncheon at Michelin-recommended Le Sénéchal.

• A variety of excursions selected to treat you to the pleasures of the history, gastronomy, culture, and people of this extraordinary corner of France. There’s plenty of down time as well, to explore on your own. When you book your tour, you can opt out of planned excursions if you wish, and we will suggest alternative ones you may wish to plan yourself.

Getting to France:

We are pleased to partner with Biju Abraham of Cosmos Travel, Inc.

Several guests have requested that they travel together, or coordinate travel times so that we can send the tour bus to transport from Toulouse to Villefranche-de-Rouergue. Biju will book flights for you to accomodate this request.

Please email Biju to arrange your flight, and add “Lyric Arts France Tour 2024” in the subject line.

Otherwise, feel free to make your own bookings to arrive in VdR on Friday, 19 July or Monday, 22 July.

If you book your own flights, getting to VdR from Toulouse is pretty easy. There is a dedicated bus that goes from the airport to the central train station in Toulouse. From there, there are direct trains to Villefranche that run regularly (more frequently during rush hour.) The hotel is a 10-minute walk from the train station.

Flight Watch!

Current lowest economy prices as of March 4:

BOS-TLS $1,189

PIT-TLS $1,282

DFW-TLS $1,136