About  us
 
Robert and I separately discovered the magic of France in the late 1970s, returning together in 1984 and working on hotel barges in Burgundy, Alsace and Southern France. Between jobs, we lived in our lockhouse on the Burgundy Canal, near Montbard.
 
We came home to New Zealand in 1987, but we hadn’t finished with France, by a long way. We formed Bespoke France in 1990 to develop an annual French Food & Wine Tour, which included a barge cruise. Looking back, this seems a rather ambitious start, but in 1991 we took our first party of 21 to New Orleans and Paris en route to a ten day luxury barge cruise in Burgundy.
 
A few years later we added independent travel to our portfolio and, after a month of intensive research, Robert designed and wrote the first of our Freewheeling France self-drive motoring circuits. These have become firm favourites with our clients, who appreciate Robert’s encyclopaedic knowledge of hotels, restaurants, market days, vineyards and the most scenic routes to get there.
We still love the French waterways and believe a boating holiday is one of the best ways to see the country, whether on a self-drive rental boat or a luxury hotel barge.
 
Each September and October we take a small group on an escorted tour around some of the best bits of France, with Robert at the wheel and me translating and navigating. Sometimes we include a week of boating, some gentle walking, or a hot air balloon ride, and there’s always great food and wine and good company.  
 
Our lockhouse, Burgundy Canal, 1980s
MORE SNAPS FROM THE BESPOKE FRANCE ALBUM.....
Mushrooming in the Morvan
Serrabona Priory, Pyrenees-Orientales
BESPOKE FRANCE
Robert Buchanan & Barbara Keen
PO Box 5489 DUNEDIN, NEW ZEALAND
ph :  03 472 7856 fax :  03 472 7855
email :    bestour@xtra.co.nz
        info@bespokefrance.co.nz
 
On the garden island of St Erasmo, Venice
Robert & Barbara at the Romanee-Conti vineyards in Burgundy  (a few years ago)
The Board - Clem, Kuba & Ollie*
Robert  and friend inflate a hot air balloon
*Our two much-loved senior board members, Kuba & Ollie, died in 2007. They are still greatly missed.
Clemmie now shares the boardroom with Lucca (below right.)
And here’s a full list of holidays that BESPOKE FRANCE can arrange and combine for YOU - Freewheeling France - self-drive motoring itineraries for independent travellers starting at around $1000 p.p.  Our nine sample six night programmes form the basis of most trips, but every holiday is customised to some degree. Freewheeling France gives you the freedom of independent travel with the security of pre-booked hotels and an "invisible escort", in the form of a detailed route guide, full of useful hints for a hassle-free holiday.    Backroad Discovery - a wide choice of independent cycling & walking holidays, for all levels of fitness, experience and ambition. All routes include accommodation, most meals, detailed route guides, maps and luggage transfers.   Hotel barge cruising - the ultimate unwinding holiday. Fully crewed barges sleep 4-20 in air-conditioned, en suite cabins. The price includes all meals, wine, excursions, bikes and transfers, usually to and from Paris, so they're very easy and convenient. We even have a barge in Burgundy which is wheelchair friendly. Most barges take individual bookings as well as whole boat charters, which let you tailor excursions to your party's interests (wine, golf, cooking, architecture, art, etc). In addition to barges in France, we have them in Germany, UK, Holland and Ireland, plus the six-passenger La Dolce Vita, exploring Venice and the islands of the Venetian Lagoon.   In the low season some barges offer B&B cruises, which do not include dinner and on-shore excursions, but bicycles are carried, daily cruising distances are small and the overnight mooring will be close to a restaurant.  Some clients take their own vehicle, and cycle or taxi back to collect it every day or two.    Canal Boats - self drive, self catering holidays on the extensive French canal network - we'll find the best boat on the best route for you.  Boats for 2-10 people, including some in the Midi and Southern Burgundy which are designed for wheelchair passengers. On some routes it's possible to hire a pilot to drive the boat. We also have boats in Italy, Germany, Belgium, Ireland, UK and Netherlands. Language & cooking courses - Ecole des Trois Ponts in Roanne, an easy and picturesque train ride from Lyon, offers week-long French language courses at all levels, in the friendly and relaxed atmosphere of the Chateau de Martel, plus they have six night Cooking and Gastronomy Tours with an English speaking guide. Roanne is also home to the 3-star restaurant Troisgros.  Annual escorted tours - each September we take a small group to our favourite places. Tours are designed for people who enjoy good food and wine and the intimacy of a small, flexible tour, travelling by minibus with Robert driving and Barbara guiding. Customised tours - we organise tours for groups of 4 - 20 people. Boating is great for groups, both self drive rentals and hotel barge charters. For landlubbers, we can arrange a special cycling tour, a convoy of cars or motorbikes, or your own private driver-guide.  For the more active we can also offer escorted cycling holidays in Provence and Burgundy.  Our specialist areas are food, wine and gardens, but ask us about any special interest tour you have in mind - Robert loves a challenge!  Bonus services - Anyone who books one of our holidays goes away with all sorts of useful information and tips (train connections, airport transfers, restaurants) and we can book additional accommodation in Paris or elsewhere in France from our long list of tried and tested character hotels.   Barbara & Robert