Deux passionnés
de la vraie France
We started Douce France Voyages because we were tired of tours that skimmed the surface. France deserves better. So do you.
How it all
began
In 2009, Sophie Marchand left her job as a Paris journalist and moved to a crumbling farmhouse in the Luberon with €8,000 and a determination to learn how to make cheese. Her neighbour Olivier Bertrand, a former geography teacher from Lyon, had arrived two years earlier with similar intentions and a bicycle.
They spent five years getting lost — in the best possible way. Learning regional dialects, memorising market schedules, befriending winemakers who didn't speak English and didn't need to. Building a map of France that no published guidebook contained.
When friends started asking them to plan trips, they realised they had something genuinely rare: not just knowledge of France, but relationships with the people who make it what it is.
Douce France Voyages was founded in 2014. The name comes from a line in an old French song — “Douce France, cher pays de mon enfance” — Sweet France, dear land of my childhood. It captures exactly the tenderness we feel for this country, and the emotion we want our travellers to discover.
Sophie moves to the Luberon
Olivier joins; they begin mapping hidden France
Douce France Voyages founded
First group of 12 travellers from the UK
2,000th traveller guided through France
Now running 40+ tours per year
“We never wanted to run tours. We wanted to share a France that we were lucky enough to find — and that most visitors never see.”
Sophie Marchand, Co-FounderTravel that gives
more than it takes
Slow travel is, by nature, more sustainable. But we go further. Our commitment to France means protecting the landscapes, communities, and traditions that make it worth visiting.
Small Groups Only
We cap every guided tour at 12 people. Not because we have to — because it's the right way to travel. Smaller groups mean lighter footprints and deeper connections.
Local First
Over 90% of every tour fee stays in the local economy. We use family-run gîtes, village restaurants, and artisan guides — never international hotel chains.
Carbon Offset
We offset 125% of all travel-related carbon through certified French reforestation projects. Our travellers can track their offset through our annual impact report.
Community Partners
We work with 47 local producers, artisans and guides across France. Many have been our partners since 2014 — we invest in their success as much as our own.
The people behind
your journey
Sophie Marchand
Co-Founder & Route Designer
Provence & Languedoc specialist
“Every route I design, I've walked or cycled first.”
Olivier Bertrand
Co-Founder & Head Guide
Bourgogne & Loire specialist
“I have eaten at every restaurant I recommend. Twice.”
Camille Rousseau
Tailor-Made Trip Designer
Alsace & Normandy specialist
“The best trip is the one designed just for you.”
Jean-Pierre Aumont
Senior Guide, South-West
Périgord & Pays Basque
“I grew up hunting truffles. Now I share the secret.”