Dragaud Custom Sojourns was established to offer travelers an alternative to the usual impersonal form of mass travel. It is simply not enough to see the world through bus windows. To truly appreciate a country you must smell, taste, feel, and hear as well. My goal is a different, more rewarding kind of vacation, traveling at a slower pace and allowing you to savor the many nuances of a particular country or region. I offer you an inside view of these fascinating corners of the world by traveling in small groups and taking the time to saunter along the scenic back roads, moving in concert with the rhythm of daily life and savoring the many nuances a place has to offer.

Webster's defines sojourn as "a brief stay" and that is precisely my aim. I strive to make you feel not like a tourist, but a guest. To that end I design exclusive, tailor-made vacations, working with you on a one-on-one basis to find what best fits your interests, budget, and conveniences. You will find that a great deal of emphasis is placed on the quality of accommodation and dining, as it is in the home and at the table that the character of a people is revealed. I eschew large, faceless corporate entities and focus instead on superb B&B's, elegant manor houses, magnificent chateaux, and luxury boutique hotels owned and operated with love by the owners themselves. A 13th-century creeper-clad water mill in northern Wales, a 17th-century thatched-roof cottage on the south coast of England, and even a 15th-century chateau in the heart of France owned and operated like a home by personal friends of mine are just some of the unforgettable places that await you. Evening meals, from traditional country fare to candle-lit seven course dinners, can only add to the indelible memories you are certain to bring home with you.

Prices are determined entirely by the dictates of the client and, although they can vary greatly, are on average in line with those of the major tour companies when figured on a per-day basis.

I have been leading these small group tours to Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and Brazil for over nine years now and the personal nature of the business has given me great satisfaction. I believe that you, too, will appreciate this different way of traveling. All consultations are free of any obligation and are given at no cost to the client. It is always a pleasure to share with like-minded people my love of this world and her many diverse cultures and I can assure you of my personal care and attention throughout. I hope you will join me in my ongoing quest to seek out unusual and special places that immerse one in the multitude of flavors to be found in every culture.