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Tailor Made Rail · Tailor-made rail holiday

Grand Tour of France by Rail

21-day tailor-made rail tour through France from London

Illustration of Grand Tour of France by Rail

Tailor Made Rail operates this 21-day, 20-night independent rail holiday through France, starting and ending in London via Eurostar. The route runs south from Strasbourg, where the UNESCO-listed Grande Île and Petite France canals fill three nights, to Lyon for Renaissance streets and traditional bouchon cuisine, then on to Cannes on the Côte d'Azur for the Promenade de la Croisette and an optional boat trip to Île Sainte-Marguerite. From there the journey continues to Provençal Avignon, medieval Carcassonne with its fortified Cité, and Bordeaux, where La Cité du Vin and an optional vineyard day trip mark the wine region. The final stops are Tours, a base for Loire Valley châteaux including Chenonceau and Amboise, and two nights in Paris before the return to London. This is a self-guided trip: Tailor Made Rail provides tickets, hotel bookings, and travel documentation, while travelers plan their own days in each city. Fully tailor-made, the route, hotels, and rail class can all be adapted.

What to know before you look closer

  • Every hotel on the route is listed as 'or similar,' meaning the exact property booked in each city can vary from the one named.
  • The single supplement for solo travelers, First Class rail upgrade, and luxury hotel upgrades are all priced separately and not included in the from-price.

Day by day

  1. Day 1railovernight: Strasbourg

    London to Strasbourg

    Eurostar from St Pancras to Lille, change onto a train to Strasbourg. 3-night stay at the BW Plus Monopole Metropole (or similar).

  2. Day 2overnight: Strasbourg

    Strasbourg

    UNESCO-listed Grande Île, Gothic cathedral, Petite France district canals and half-timbered houses.

  3. Day 3overnight: Strasbourg

    Strasbourg

    Second day in Strasbourg, Place Kléber, boat cruise, Alsatian specialities.

  4. Day 4railovernight: Lyon

    Strasbourg to Lyon

    Train journey (under 4 hours) to Lyon. 3-night stay at the Grand Hotel des Terreaux (or similar).

  5. Day 5overnight: Lyon

    Lyon

    Vieux Lyon Renaissance streets, traboules, Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière, food markets.

  6. Day 6overnight: Lyon

    Lyon

    Second day in Lyon, traditional cuisine in a bouchon.

  7. Day 7overnight: Cannes

    Lyon to Cannes

    Continue south to the coast. 3-night stay at the OKKO Hotel Cannes Centre (or similar).

  8. Day 8overnight: Cannes

    Cannes

    Promenade de la Croisette, Le Suquet old quarter, Marché Forville, optional boat trip to Île Sainte-Marguerite.

  9. Day 9railovernight: Cannes

    Cannes

    Optional regional train to Nice, Monte Carlo, Grasse or Antibes.

  10. Day 10overnight: Avignon

    Cannes to Avignon

    Travel to the historic Provençal city of Avignon. 2-night stay at the Novotel Avignon Centre (or similar).

  11. Day 11overnight: Avignon

    Avignon

    Palais des Papes, Pont d'Avignon, medieval walls, optional day trip to Aix or Orange.

  12. Day 12overnight: Carcassonne

    Avignon to Carcassonne

    Continue north to the medieval city of Carcassonne. 2-night stay at the SOWELL HÔTELS Les Chevaliers (or similar).

  13. Day 13overnight: Carcassonne

    Carcassonne

    Free day exploring the fortress of La Cité, Château Comtal, Canal du Midi, regional cassoulet.

  14. Day 14overnight: Bordeaux

    Carcassonne to Bordeaux

    Travel north to the elegant city of Bordeaux. 2-night stay at the Mercure Bordeaux Gare Atlantique (or similar).

  15. Day 15overnight: Bordeaux

    Bordeaux

    Place de la Bourse, La Cité du Vin, optional vineyard day trip.

  16. Day 16overnight: Bordeaux

    Bordeaux

    Second day in Bordeaux.

  17. Day 17overnight: Tours

    Bordeaux to Tours

    Travel to Tours, base for exploring the Loire Valley. 2-night stay at the Best Western Plus L'Artist Hotel (or similar).

  18. Day 18overnight: Tours

    Tours

    Loire Valley châteaux (Chenonceau, Amboise, Villandry), Tours old town, Place Plumereau.

  19. Day 19overnight: Paris

    Tours to Paris

    Round off the tour in Paris. 2-night stay at the Observatoire Luxembourg (or similar).

  20. Day 20overnight: Paris

    Paris

    Eiffel Tower, Notre-Dame, Arc de Triomphe, Louvre, Musée d'Orsay.

  21. Day 21

    Paris to London

    Gare du Nord for the return journey to London and on to your local station.

The moments this trip is built around

  • Day 2The UNESCO-listed Grande Île in Strasbourg, its Gothic cathedral, and the canals and half-timbered houses of the Petite France district.
  • Day 8The Promenade de la Croisette in Cannes, the Le Suquet old quarter, and an optional boat trip to Île Sainte-Marguerite.
  • Day 13A free day exploring the fortress of La Cité in Carcassonne, the Château Comtal, and the Canal du Midi.
  • Day 15Place de la Bourse and La Cité du Vin in Bordeaux, with an optional vineyard day trip.
  • Day 18Loire Valley châteaux including Chenonceau, Amboise, and Villandry, based from Tours.

Included

  • All rail journeys, in standard class
  • Seat reservations where required
  • 20 nights' hand-picked hotel accommodation with breakfast
  • Easy-to-follow travel documentation
  • Despatch of tickets by email
  • Proactive rerouting in case of strikes or disruptions

Not included

  • Single supplement (for sole occupancy)
  • First Class rail upgrade (optional extra)
  • Luxury hotel upgrades (optional, priced separately)

Questions travellers ask

Is the train travel included?
Yes, all rail journeys are included in standard class with seat reservations where required, using high-speed TGVs and regional trains throughout France.
Is this trip guided or independent?
Self-guided and independent. Tailor Made Rail provides tailor-made itinerary support, easy-to-follow travel documentation, and tickets despatched by email.
Which cities does the route visit?
Strasbourg, Lyon, Cannes, Avignon, Carcassonne, Bordeaux, Tours, and Paris, starting and ending in London via Eurostar.
What is included in the price?
All rail journeys in standard class, seat reservations, 20 nights of hand-picked hotel accommodation with breakfast, travel documentation, ticket despatch by email, and proactive rerouting in case of strikes or disruptions.
Can the itinerary be changed?
Yes. Tailor Made Rail describes the trip as fully tailor-made: dates, route, train and hotel upgrades, and extra nights or destinations can all be adapted.
What does it cost?
From £2,699 per person in low season (November to March) or £2,999 in high season (April to October), per person twin or double share in standard class.

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