Tours of Europe Blog | European Focus

Paris, Provence and Cote d’Azur Micro-Group Itinerary Offer

By jim · Comments (0)

Wednesday, February 22nd, 2012

February 22, 2012
For Sarasota, FL and area residents. The objective is for people to meet one another in a social setting before making a commitment to the trip.
Deadline for sign-ups is March 12.

This tour will be led by Jenean Derheim

Gordes, Luberon will be one of our multiple night stays during this relaxed journey in southern France.

PARIS, PROVENCE & CÔTE D’AZUR
Micro Group Tour for June, 2012 (Max 5 adults)

This trip starts off with two nights in one of the world’s most enchanting cities, with a guide who knows how to make the most of your time here. We then move away from the cities and to explore several distinct regions of Provence – from fragrant and visually stimulating markets in some of the most scenic villages in France to taking in the wonderful cuisine of the regions. Finally, we move on to the Côte d’Azur, staying right on the sparkling Mediterranean in a quaint but bustling old fishing village.

If there’s interest within the group there is much more to experience, including:
• Plenty of exposure to remnants of the Roman world in their Gaulish territories
• Experiencing unmatched and diverse natural beauty and landscapes (picque-nique anyone?)
• Relatively slow-paced
• History from pre-Roman, Roman, Middle Ages to present

12 days starting from (depending upon number of people and ratio of singles versus doubles – no shared rooms among strangers we promise)
EURO 4,599

Package Offer for Sarasota Area Residents ONLY Includes:

• All meals and drinks (up to two glasses of wine per person
@ dinner)
• All lodging
• Transportation costs, fuel and tolls
• Tips
• Admission fees (except for special requests such as parasailing on a beach or bullfights for instance)

European Focus Private Tours

Private European Travel Specialists since 1996

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Categories : Europe Tours, France Tours

Tags : 2012, azur, cote, d, france, group, micro, paris, private, provence, tour

So, do you have any trips scheduled for this year?

By jim · Comments (0)

Tuesday, February 21st, 2012

February 21, 2012

Our most common question from customers at our retail store “European Focus Village” in the heart of Sarasota. The answer is, “yes, yes, yes!” But the twist is that European Focus does not just plan a “big bus tour” and then hope to fill it. We have turned the entire concept of escorted travel on its head, and we design trips built around our guests’ wishes, dreams and desires. This formula has been successful since 1995.

Due to all of the questions, however, we are going to try promoting a “Small Group Tour” with one caveat – all of the guests must either live full or part-time in the Sarasota, FL area. This way, our guests can meet one another and do a compatibility check before they make their commitment.

These tours will be promoted in our store only. A “Meet and Greet” event, hosted by James and Jenean Derheim, will determine if the mix of people is a success.

Local Sarasotans and those who live in Southwest Florida, stay tuned.

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Categories : Europe Tours

Travel Opportunities for March and April

By jim · Comments (0)

Monday, February 13th, 2012

European Focus Tours founder and co-owner James Derheim hates to twiddle his thumbs between tours. That’s why he’s offering amazing rates for the periods of March 19 to 29 and April 11 to 18. This is a great opportunity for a short tour in the heart of Europe. Jim recommends Italy (lovely at this time of the year) or the heart of Europe where there is still plenty of snow up high in the Alps to make those gorgeous postcard photos. If you have yearned to travel with European Focus then now is the time. Allow James to put together an offer for you or your family or group of friends – you will be enticed more now than ever!

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Categories : Europe Tours, Private Tours in Europe

Tags : april, best, deal, europe, march, private, tours, travel

Just booked – tour in Ireland, Edinburgh and London

By jim · Comments (0)

Sunday, February 5th, 2012

A couple walked into our retail store on January 28 and after a short conversation, started the process of booking their adventure this June in Ireland, Scotland and Ireland. Jim will be taking this couple, who spend part of their winter in Sarasota, to Cashel in Tipperary, Counties Kerry and Cork and Dublin city plus Edinburgh and London. The trip starts on June 18 and ends on June 29.

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Categories : Europe Tours

2012 Private Tours Schedule

By jim · Comments (0)

Thursday, February 2nd, 2012

Updated on February 21.

These are the trips we have booked thus far. This schedule will be updated as we book more trips with our private tour clients.

We have an apartment in Rothenburg ob der Tauber, upper Bavaria, Germany. This is our home base while we work in Europe.

Jim’s departure for Germany: March 7
Jim is not scheduled to return to the United States until after Halloween.

Tour with family of four from March 11 to 18 in Germany & Austria

Jim is available for a short tour between March 18 and 29.

Jim’s tour with a couple from Canada to Rome, Orvieto, Montepulciano and Venice starts on March 31 and ends on April 9.

Jim is available for a short tour between April 11 and 19

Tour with a couple of repeat clients (4th tour) starts April 20 in Berlin
Tour ends on April 30 in Vienna. These clients found our company by purchasing an item at our retail store, European Focus “Village” in the heart of Sarasota, FL which is our winter home.

Jenean’s departure for Germany: May 1
Jim and Jenean lead a tour together in Italy, Austria and Germany from May 9 to 19 (Second tour with these clients)

May 20 to 26: Jim and Jenean are scouting new tour locations in France
May 27: Jim and Jenean’s tour with a family of three from Sarasota in Belgium and France
June 9: Tour ends in Paris

Jim’s tour with a couple in Ireland, Scotland and London starts in Shannon. Ireland on June 17 and ends in London on June 28.

All of July and all of August: Open at this time (subject to change, please check our web site for updated calendar)

September 7 to 19: Jim’s tour with two clients in Germany (family history tour)

September 21 to October 7: Jim and Jenean’s tour with two repeat clients (their 5th trip) in Germany, Slovenia, Croatia and Italy

October 8 to 28: Jim and Jenean’s tour with two people (their second trip with European Focus) in France.

End of regular season. Jim and Jenean return home in early November.

Our third guide, Jeff Gabardi, is available for some trips in select areas during the times that Jim and Jenean are both occupied.

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Categories : Europe Tours

Tags : 2012, calendar, private, tour

How to Have a Successful Family History Trip to Europe

By jim · Comments (0)

Monday, January 30th, 2012

European Focus Private Tours provides the expertise, experience and guidance on the “Ultimate Experience,” visiting your ancestral villages or towns in Europe. Many family historians just don’t know where to start, and are not yet ready for that ultimate experience. Here are some tips from on how to get started on your quest.

Begin with your own family. Write down everything they know about family history. Gather family documents, like birth certificates, marriage records. As you start asking around, it isn’t unusual to find relatives who have informally been family historians. They often have the proverbial shoebox with a lot of information and old photos in it.

Use online resources. The Internet has made family history search so much simpler and faster. On Facebook, for example, people can easily search others with the same surname globally. Other sites offer more than 500 free courses and online ask-a-question forums to connect with a community of people worldwide who can help you with your personal research for free. Sites to help you include: RootsWeb, ancestry.com, archives.com, findmypast.com and myheritage.com. The site deadfred.com helps to identify old photos, such as the date and region of origin.

Contact archives abroad before you travel. If you plan to visit archives in another country, get in touch in advance of your trip. In many countries, the record custodians or archivists do not like drop-ins and require appointments. Elsewhere in the world, there is not necessarily open access and it is not so public-service oriented. (Note – European Focus Private Tours organizes archives visits for all of our clients who go on our custom-designed, private trips)

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Categories : Family History

Prime Dates Going Fast for 2012 Travel

By jim · Comments (0)

Saturday, January 28th, 2012

January 28, 2012

With the celebration of our 18th year as private tour guides, and the overall company’s 23rd year in business as “European Focus” we’re proud to announce that our 2012 calendar of tours is filling even faster than usual. Repeat clients, spoiled rotten by our attention and excellence, have returned again and again, oftentimes choosing the dates of their next tour while they’re still enjoying their first one. (Or second, or third) Recent exposure on Foxnews.com also resulted in many contacts and inquiries.

Calendars for James and Jenean Derheim are nearly full with the exception of some availability in July and August. Our third guide, Jeff Gabardi, who joined European Focus in 2011 is still flexible enough to allow for some touring in Italy and central Europe. If you’re “on the fence” about traveling with us in 2012, now is the time to hop on down and contact us to get started on the planning for your exclusive adventure in Europe.

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Categories : Europe Tours

Tags : 2012, in europe, private, tours

So, do you have any trips scheduled for this year?

Travel Opportunities for March and April

Just booked – tour in Ireland, Edinburgh and London

2012 Private Tours Schedule

How to Have a Successful Family History Trip to Europe

Prime Dates Going Fast for 2012 Travel

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