For millions of people around the world, France is more than a destination. It is the place where a family story began.
Across the centuries, French men and women left their villages to seek new opportunities abroad. Some crossed the Atlantic to New France, Louisiana or the American colonies. Others settled in Canada, South America, the Caribbean, South Africa or Australia. They departed because of war, religious persecution, economic hardship, military service or simply in search of a better life.
Generations later, their descendants often feel a powerful desire to reconnect with those origins—not simply to discover where an ancestor was born, but to understand the places, people and events that shaped their family's story.
That is exactly what Genealotours® is all about.
Where History Becomes Personal
For millions of people around the world,
France is more than a destination. It is the place where a family story began.
Across the centuries, French men and women left their villages to seek new opportunities abroad. Some crossed the Atlantic to New France, Louisiana or the American colonies. Others settled in Canada, South America, the Caribbean, South Africa or Australia. They departed because of war, religious persecution, economic hardship, military service or simply in search of a better life.
Generations later, their descendants often feel a powerful desire to reconnect with those origins—not simply to discover where an ancestor was born, but to understand the places, people and events that shaped their family's story.
That is exactly what Genealotours® is all about.
Combining Genealogy, DNA and Local History
Genealogy has changed dramatically over the past decade.
Many people first discover their French roots through DNA testing with companies such as AncestryDNA, MyHeritage, FamilyTreeDNA or 23andMe. A DNA test may reveal French ancestry, identify distant cousins or uncover unexpected family connections—but it rarely tells the whole story.
That is where our complementary expertise becomes invaluable.
Loïc Duchamp is a professional genealogist and a specialist in the interpretation of genetic genealogy (DNA). His expertise allows us to analyse DNA results alongside traditional documentary research, helping to confirm family connections, identify new ancestral branches and answer questions that historical records alone cannot always resolve.
Together, we combine DNA analysis with parish registers, civil records, military archives, census records, notarial deeds and countless local historical sources. We also work closely with archivists, local historians and heritage specialists whenever their knowledge can enrich your family's story.
This combination of scientific research, historical investigation and local expertise allows us to build a much richer picture of your ancestors' lives.
From Family Tree to Real Life
Our work begins months before your arrival.
We reconstruct your family tree, identify ancestral villages, locate churches, cemeteries and historic properties connected to your family, and search for original documents bearing your ancestors' names and signatures.
But unlike traditional genealogy services, our work does not stop when the research is complete.
Instead, it becomes the beginning of your journey.
Together, we design a completely bespoke itinerary following your ancestors' footsteps across France.
Imagine standing in the church where your great-great-grandparents were married. Walking the streets where your family once lived.
Visiting the cemetery where generations of your ancestors rest. Discovering the landscapes they farmed, the vineyards they cultivated or the villages they left behind when they crossed the oceans in search of a new life.
Whenever possible, we arrange visits to local archives where you can see—and sometimes even hold—the original documents that preserve your family's history. Reading the marriage register signed by an ancestor three centuries ago is an unforgettable experience that no digital family tree can ever replace.
Names become faces.
Dates become stories.
History becomes deeply personal.
Every Journey is Unique
No two Genealotours® are ever the same.
Some families spend a day exploring a single ancestral village. Others follow the story of several generations across different regions of France. Whether your ancestors were winegrowers in the Languedoc, merchants in Bordeaux, fishermen on the Atlantic coast, craftsmen in Alsace or farmers in rural France, every itinerary is designed exclusively around your family's own history.
Our role is not simply to guide you through France.
It is to reconnect you with the people whose decisions, sacrifices and dreams ultimately made your own life possible.
Because genealogy is not about the past.
It is about understanding who we are today.
Your ancestors once left France to build a new future. We invite you to return and rediscover where their story began.
