Ranked, with the working shown

The best train tours in France

366 hotel-based trips in France had enough verified data to score; hostel and self-guided rail-pass trips are not ranked here. The ranking below is fully mechanical; here is exactly how it works:

  • Eligibility: only hotel-based tours are ranked. Trips built around hostels or self-arranged accommodation are left out, since these guides recommend hotel-inclusive tours for the general traveller.
  • Rail share (35%): the percent of the trip actually on trains, from the itinerary.
  • Value (20%): price per day against the other hotel-based trips on this page (cheaper per day scores higher).
  • Data completeness (25%): full day-by-day itinerary, imagery, inclusions, and verified price.
  • Departure breadth (20%): how many months the operator publishes departures for.
  1. 23-day rail journey from Paris to Venice through Alps and Italian Riviera

    Rail share
    85
    Value
    62
    Completeness
    100
    Departures
    100

    23 days · from $6,795 ($295/day)

  2. Eight days from London to Lake Maggiore via Gotthard Pass, first class rail

    Rail share
    85
    Value
    83
    Completeness
    100
    Departures
    75

    8 days · from $1,607 ($201/day)

  3. London to Venice on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express with Alpine rail and three nights in

    Rail share
    100
    Value
    14
    Completeness
    100
    Departures
    100

    6 days · from $6,693 ($1,116/day)

  4. London to Venice and back aboard the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express.

    Rail share
    100
    Value
    14
    Completeness
    100
    Departures
    100

    6 days · from $6,693 ($1,116/day)

  5. London to Venice and back on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express in first class

    Rail share
    100
    Value
    12
    Completeness
    100
    Departures
    100

    6 days · from $7,229 ($1,205/day)

  6. 6
    Treasures of Lake Garda

    Great Rail Journeys

    78.5

    Ten-day escorted rail journey from London to Lake Garda and Venice

    Rail share
    65
    Value
    54
    Completeness
    100
    Departures
    100

    10 days · from $3,349 ($335/day)

  7. 778.1

    Independent rail from London through Alps to Rome via Umbria

    Rail share
    100
    Value
    91
    Completeness
    100
    Departures
    0

    12 days · from $2,076 ($173/day)

  8. Luxury rail journey from London through Spain's northern coast aboard El Transcantábrico

    Rail share
    85
    Value
    16
    Completeness
    100
    Departures
    100

    12 days · from $13,259 ($1,105/day)

  9. 9
    Classic Glacier Express

    Great Rail Journeys

    77.8

    Nine-day Swiss Alps rail tour from London via Glacier and Bernina Express trains

    Rail share
    75
    Value
    33
    Completeness
    100
    Departures
    100

    9 days · from $4,153 ($461/day)

  10. Nine-day First Class rail circle through Swiss Alps from London via Glacier and Bernina

    Rail share
    85
    Value
    26
    Completeness
    100
    Departures
    88

    9 days · from $5,091 ($566/day)