French Escapade - San Leandro, California

Anne A.

It was a wonderful week in a beautiful and inspiring setting in the Provence area. . The guides (Marie & Christine) were knowledgeable, helpful and informative. The hotel was excellent, the staff friendly and helpful and the food was delicious! David Daniels is an amazing artist and instructor. I had a productive art week and learned many exciting techniques. I look forward to finding another French Escapades adventure in the future.

Karen C.

I want to praise the exceptional travel experience I had with French Escapade during my recent trips to the Loire Valley and Bruges. Under the guidance of Jackie and Valerie, my travels were nothing short of outstanding, marking them as a first-class operation in the travel industry.

From the moment of my arrival, I was treated to beautifully arranged and comfortable accommodations, complemented by gourmet meals that consistently exceeded my expectations. The attentiveness and care demonstrated by Jackie and Valerie were evident throughout the entire journey; they were not only responsive to every need but also incredibly in tune with the unique preferences of each traveler in our group.

Due to this remarkable experience, I am already planning another trip with French Escapade for next year. I highly recommend their services to fellow travelers seeking a worry-free and enriching adventure.
Karen C.

Pamela G.

Just returned from my first painting workshop with French Escapades, wow! I have done several art retreats and this experience blew me away. So thoughtfully planned, it ran so smoothly with 2 of the most incredible local guides. The location was beyond excellent. The food was fantastic. The artist, Rose Irelan, was amazing. I'll definitely use French Escapades for another art retreat!

Laura

French Escapade is the best tour group in Europe hands down. My mom and I are watercolor sketchers and discovered them through our teacher. We took our first painting trip with FE in 2013 and had such a great time that we have come back for different trips every year since. Jackie & Valerie run a fantastic company where the guests are taken care of from the minute you are met at the airport, until you are dropped back at the airport at the end of the week. Not only do they take care of all of the details so that the guests can relax and have fun, but they have discovered amazing villages away from most of the tourist activity with fantastic accommodations as well as excellent food. Our trips with French Escapade are the highlight of our year!

Marcia H.

French Escapade provides the BEST experience for people that want to connect with other artists and have a FUN learning experience. My many trips have included people from all stages of their art journey - beginners (which was me on my first trip) to very experienced. Jackie and Valerie - co-founders of French Escapade - have created the perfect and safe environment for everyone to connect and have fun learning from the art instructors and from each other as well. The art instructors - many who are well known across the globe - all have a long history of working with French Escapade and that comes through in their wonderful teaching styles - they love working with Jackie and Valerie because they take care of every detail and they have such a great sense of humor! Each trip included excursions associated with the area which added to the camaraderie. If you're thinking of an art workshop where you'll have equal doses of learning and fun, this is your happy place.

Pia G.

I have used FE for so many years. Most of the trips were art related. I have taken trips with them in the states and in Europe. All of the trips were very organized! Valerie and Jacquie were available for the entire trip - they ensured my comfort, good transportation, and good information for excursion's and outside tours. They even brought lunch and carried chairs. Both Valerie and Jacquie are very kind and so much fun to be with. I would absolutely recommend them and French Escapade - you will have a great trip! I am actually scheduled for my next trip with them later this year!

Corrin P.

Two years ago, I had never left my country and was slightly afraid to travel alone to places where I didn’t speak the language. After a lot of research, I decided upon a painting trip to Spain with French Escapade. Looking back, I now realize how unfounded my fears were. Jackie and Valerie made me feel totally at ease with everything involved with this trip. They manage to find the most beautiful places in the world for their trips. The accommodations are second to none, the painting sites are every artists dream, and the teachers are at the top of their fields. The meals, guides, in country transportation, all of it is amazing. And the minute I got back from Spain, I booked Italy. Jackie and Valerie are not only wonderful people, but they have given me two of the greatest experiences of my life. And I can say with one hundred percent certainty that I will be back.
I’ve been talking up French Escapade like crazy! Hopefully you’ll get a couple new folks. So technically I’m already a walking testimonial

Kathy G.

You can put your mind to rest when signing up for a tour developed and run by French Escapade, aka Jackie and Valerie. I've taken two tours with them in two years (so far) and each time not only is my sketching and watercolor much improved, I come away having developed new sketching friends. Jackie and Valerie have done the work to provide trips that are well-organized and well-run such that the instructor can concentrate and their job, and we the nervous students, can relax and enjoy learning in the beautiful places we find ourselves. The only problem with the tours are they get booked before I even know about them!