For European Experiences it now takes a team… a team of very special people.

Rewind to our beginning, in early 2005. While our family was living in the Luberon region of Provence for 6-1/2 months, my husband Charley and I had an idea for a one-week, small-group tour in the area. We started researching some initial plans for a possible trip and scouting around for possible accommodations. After returning home to the USA in August 2005, I began working on this potential project more seriously. Finally, in September 2006, we hosted our first two Luberon Experience trips. The company involved just my husband Charley and me; we welcomed three people in our first group and six people in the second.

Fast forward 20 years to this new year, 2025. This year were offering 30 trips in 15 different destinations, involving more than 300 travelers.  This growth now takes a team, and Im fortunate to have a core team of very special people.

Our European Experience trips are based on the foundation we set at the very beginning. Our approach has always emphasized:

• A small group of like-minded travelers
• Helpful, knowledgeable and enthusiastic leaders
• A Slow Travel philosophy
• Unique experiences and connections with local people
• Memorable meals
• Flexibility and fun
• Outstanding value

Weve always wanted to offer a trip that feels like traveling with friends, a goal that also hasnt changed. But for European Experiences it now takes a team& not just Kathy and Charley working part-time.

We now have 76 enthusiastic Google reviews as well as other positive reviews and comments on Facebook and JourneyWoman. I especially love to read traveler comments, like these, that mention other members of our team:

Jennifer is a delight! Shes passionate about Paris and we were able to peek into places that I dont think a big-box tour would ever go. The people she knows are super interesting and experts in their fields. Mindy from Massachusetts

A bonus was that Kelly, Kathys daughter, co-led with humor, insightful knowledge, and a steady hand.  Kent from North Carolina

Christian is a great addition to Kathys team. His patience, sense of humor and familiarity with the area, plus fearless driving skills, added to our enjoyment of the trip.  Kathleen from Massachusetts

Jennifer chose the most amazing activities to get us to understand and appreciate the culture and people of Morocco. Kesslyn from Alaska

&.Kelly and Drew were a delightful plus to it all. Love that young energy and enthusiasm! Kathy from California

Kathy and Kelly are expert curators of the best sites to visit, the most lovely places to stay, opportunities to explore together and time on our own, great sips, tasty meals.  Cathy from Iowa

& Thanks to Drew who was so helpful pre-trip. Carol from California

Right from the beginning Jennifer and JP were very welcoming and helpful. The week felt like being shown around by two friends and not an organized tour. They both went out of their way to ensure we experienced French culture and visited beautiful places&. Julie from Australia 

At European Experiences, it now takes a team!

As we get ready to begin this year—our 20^th year of European Experiences trips—I want to introduce and recognize our core team: Jennifer, Kelly, Drew, Christian and JP.  (Jennifer and Drew are pictured above, meeting up last year at a Paris train station.). These are the people responsible for multiple trips and who also manage many of the developmental and organizational activities before and after our trips.

Charley

Although he’s now getting ready to fully retire from European Experiences, I first want to recognize my husband Charley, co-founder of European Experiences. We traveled together in Europe several months a year, from 2006 to 2019, researching trips and leading groups. We hosted 119 groups in those early years. After he “mostly” retired at the end of 2019, Charley continued to co-lead the Cornwall and European Christmas trips with me.

I think we’ve been a great team—in this work and in life.  Everyone has always appreciated Charley’s warmth and humor, his stories, his wine expertise, and his skilled piano-playing—and his care and concern for others.

Charley (far right) with our Cornwall Experience group in the Isles of Scilly (April 2024)

Last month was Charleys last European Christmas trip, and our Cornwall Experience trip in April will be his last trip as an official co-leader. You may still enjoy his company on some trips from time-to-time, and he’ll always be my sounding board and cheerleader behind the scenes.

Jennifer

There were several “silver linings” for me during the COVID shutdown, and perhaps the most important was having the opportunity to partner with the remarkable Jennifer Dugdale.

I first met Jennifer in 2017 at a travel show in Los Angeles. An American expat living in Provence, she had many years of experience in tourism. We met in person several times in France and had a few long phone conversations. We were kindred spirits with very similar philosophies about small group tours, and we shared a commitment to helping women travel& we hoped to find a way to work together.  Then in March 2020, in those early, scary days of COVID, the company she was working with abruptly closed their travel business. Voila! In these difficult times, we had the opportunity to team up.

During the 2020-2021 COVID travel shutdown, Jennifer and I worked together long-distance, spending several hours a week on Zoom and FaceTime. I ran webinars, many led by Jennifer, and we developed plans for several trips that she would lead beginning in 2022.  Many of our travelers got to know her through those webinars.

Jennifer works with European Experiences on a part-time basis. As a senior trip developer and leader, weve named her Vice President of our company. Since 2022 she has developed and led six outstanding new tours for us involving over 300 European Experiences travelers: The Mediterranean Provence Experience, The Riviera Hillsides Experience, The Paris Experience, The Morocco Experience, Inside Paris, and Inside Bath. Shes busy finalizing our next new trip, The Portugal Experience, which launches this October.

Jennifer (left) and group among the aromatic plants (Riviera Hillsides  2023)

Jennifer has traveled extensively around the world. While raising her family, she lived in England, the Middle East and France, and has made her home in Provence for 20 years. She founded the leading gourmet walking tour in Aix-en-Provence and started a similar business in Bath, England. She also started and managed a small group tour business for a media company focused on France, including tours for women. Jennifer is especially passionate about food and wine; she has a special certification as a wine professional and has worked in a wine chateau. Fluent in French, she is a skilled and creative tour designer and leader and delights in sharing special places and other cultures with our groups.

Kelly

Our daughter Kelly Wood has grown up with European Experiences since those very early days. As a teenager, she was often with us on our summer tours and was always warmly received by our travelers.

Now in the last few years of her PhD program in French History at New York University, Kelly has extensive experience living, traveling, studying, and researching in France and other European countries. She recently returned to the USA after living in Paris for 3-1/2 years for her dissertation research and earlier spent a year in London working on her masters degree.

Kelly assisted with the development of our trips in the Cotswolds, the Pérgord, and Alsace, and she took a lead role in developing our Normandy Experience trip. (In fact, it was her idea.) Fluent in French and with a strong expertise in the World War II era in Europe, Kelly has now co-led 12 European Experiences trips: The Luberon Experience, The Périgord Experience, The Alsace Experience, The Normandy Experience, and The European Christmas Experience. This year she’ll lead our Périgord Experience trip and co-lead The European Christmas Experience.

Kellys developing a new trip, Inside Bordeaux, that we’ll offer in 2026& and were talking about a Scotland Experience for 2027. She also continues to support European Experiences in many other ways, including managing our annual photo contest.

Kelly (right) with group members on the Dordogne River (The Perigord Experience  2022)

Kellys a fun person who enjoys cats, good food, and outdoor activities. Shes an experienced solo traveler in Europe and the USA. In addition to her language skills, knowledge of history and culture, and attention to detail, our travelers recognize Kellys strong service-orientation. She truly cares about our travelers.

Drew

Our team expanded with the addition of Drew Fedorka in late 2022.  We met Drew through Kelly; like Kelly, he was a PhD candidate in French History at New York University.

Now officially “Dr. Drew,” Drew received his PhD from NYU in mid 2024.  He works part-time with European Experiences as our Special Project Manager and is responsible for managing many of the organizational and communication activities for our trips. Every European Experiences traveler interacts with Drew several times before their trip, and hes always responsive to their questions. Drews strong research, computer, and project management skills are very important in enabling our growing business to improve. Jennifer and I really appreciate all he does to help us manage our trips.

A man of many talents, Drew is a passionate European traveler and a skilled communicator with a strong expertise in French culture and history. Hes spent several years in France and is fluent in French.

Drew (third from left) with our Normandy Experience group in Honfleur (2024)

Drew is now the co-leader for several of our trips in France. He was the co-leader for our two  Normandy Experience trips in 2024 and will co-lead our 2025 Normandy trip.  In 2025 hell also co-lead The Alsace Experience and The Périgord Experience, and hell lead an exciting new trip he’s developed, Inside Lyon, offered for the first time this year.

In addition to his work with European Experiences, Drew leads historical walking tours and teaches in New York City.

Christian

We met Christian Linke through mutual friends in the Luberon, and he joined our team in September 2021. Originally from East Germany, Christian served in the military and was involved in peace keeping missions in Sarajevo and Prizren/Kosovo. He met his Canadian wife Kim while working in Canada, and they have now lived in the Luberon for almost 20 years. Christian loves introducing others to the Luberon; he enjoys the area at all times of year, but especially in the spring and autumn when we welcome our Luberon Experience groups. He also shares his passions for photography and the Luberon through his Instagram page, Living in Provence.

Christian (center) with frequent travelers Pam and Carol in the Luberon (2023)

Christian has now worked with me to co-lead 12 Luberon Experience trips and two Luberon Christmas Experience trips.  In 2025, in addition to our May and September Luberon Experience trips, he’ll co-lead Return to the Luberon, a special trip for “alumni” travelers.

Christian is fluent in German, French and English and also speaks some Russian. Everyone values Christian’s local knowledge, his service attitude, and positive, cheerful attitude. Its really a pleasure to work with him.

JP

JP Lichtlé is the newest member of the European Experiences team, joining us in early 2023.

JP is French and grew up in a small village in the center of France. He lived for many years in the UK, working in various French restaurants in London and finishing his career there in a top hotel. He has a degree in modern languages from Birmingham University. Bilingual in French and English, he moved back to France about 25 years ago and lives outside Aix-en-Provence where he has a translation business.

JP (second from left) and other men in our Riviera Hillsides group at the perfume-making workshop (2024)

JP has been an outstanding addition to our European Experiences team as the co-leader for The Mediterranean Provence Experience and The Riviera Hillsides Experience. He’ll co-lead The Portugal Experience in October 2025 and has also been involved with our Morocco trip. In addition to his work with our groups, JP now coordinates our European Experiences vehicle rentals. Our travelers appreciate his international experience, language skills, food and wine expertise, good humor, and safe driving.

Other co-leaders and partners

Ive introduced our core team, but our larger team also includes other great people who work with as co-leaders or partners on specific trips.  You can learn about the rest of our team on our website or better yet, on one of our trips!

Were also supported by a large team of other partners, local guides, and friends who welcome our groups to their villages and neighborhoods, hotels, restaurants, wineries, farms, workshops, and private homes. They are a very important part of the European Experiences team.

From 2006 until now& weve hosted over 200 groups. We appreciate the many people whove entrusted us with their vacations, and were looking forward to welcoming this years groups for another year of amazing experiences and adventures.

For European Experiences it now takes a team& a special team& to create memorable experiences in beautiful places for our travelers.  Im proud and honored to work with all these enthusiastic and dedicated professionals.

Enjoy these other blog posts from the European Experiences team:

Living the Life I Imagined From 2010& the story of how my life changed after our familys sabbatical in Europe.

Celebrating Charley and his 119 European Experiences From 2019& as Charley transitioned to retirement from European Experiences, we both looked back on his 14 seasons of groups.

An Autumn of Traveling Virtually From 2020& during COVID we involved our partners in Europe through Virtual European Experiences webinars and welcomed Jennifer Dugdale to our team.

Signs and Symbols: Remembering the Unique Past of Alsace by Kelly Wood

Encountering Lyon: One of France’s Best Kept Secrets by Drew Fedorka

� Along with her husband Charley, Kathy Wood founded European Experiences in 2006, offering week-long “slow tours” in some of the most beautiful areas of Europe. European Experiences' trips include The Luberon Experience in Provence, France, named one of the top 50 tours in the world by National Geographic Traveler magazine. Kathy has personally organized and hosted over 170 Experience groups. She hosts Experience weeks in the Luberon, the Chianti region of Tuscany, Puglia, Alsace, the Dordogne, Normandy, Cornwall, and the Cotswolds, Charley is now retired but will continue to occasionally be a "special guest" on trips with Kathy Kathy has been traveling in Europe for 30+ years and loves sharing her special places in Europe with other travelers. The Woods have a second home in their beloved village of Bonnieux in the Luberon. Read more about Kathy here. Slow Travel Tours is an affiliation of small-group tour operators who offer personalized trips in Italy, France and other European countries. �