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Ffestiniog Travel · Escorted tour

Les Petit Trains de France

15-day rail tour of France's heritage railways from Abbeville to Tournon

Illustration of Les Petit Trains de France

Ffestiniog Travel operates this 15-day escorted tour designed for heritage railway enthusiasts and travellers seeking a slow, immersive journey through France's railway landscape. Departing from London on a lunchtime Eurostar, the group travels via Paris to Abbeville and over two weeks explores twelve small and scenic railways spanning the Somme, Burgundy, the Pyrenees, the French Riviera, and the Vivarais hills. A tour leader from London accompanies the entire journey, managing logistics and leading all excursions. Days begin in one of six carefully chosen hotels, with the itinerary alternating between multi-night city bases and full days dedicated to a single heritage railway. Examples include a day running trains at the narrow-gauge Chemin de Fer de La Vallée de l'Ouche, a Pyrenees journey on Le Petit Train Jaune with its famous viaducts, and a final steam ride through the Gorges of the Doux on the Vivarais line. The tour ends with a return journey by coach to Valence and then Eurostar to London. This itinerary appeals to repeat rail travellers, history enthusiasts, and those who value guided comfort over independent exploration.

What to know before you look closer

  • Only one departure is listed in the evidence: July 2027.
  • The itinerary for Day 9 text appears incomplete in the source material; confirm the Perpignan to Pyrenees routing with Ffestiniog Travel before booking.
  • Single-supplement pricing is not provided in the evidence; confirm this cost before committing.

Day by day

  1. Day 1railovernight: Abbeville

    London to Abbeville

    Depart St. Pancras on a lunchtime Eurostar to Paris and onwards to Abbeville for a 3-night stay.

  2. Day 2railovernight: Abbeville

    Baie de Somme Railway

    Private transfer this morning to St. Valery for a full day on the Baie de Somme Railway. This charming railway serves both sides of the Somme Estuary, with its profusion of wetland birds and plants. We ride the train to Noyelles and on to Le Crotoy for some leisure time before the return journey.

  3. Day 3railovernight: Abbeville

    Froissy Dompierre Railway

    Morning visit by private coach to the 1916 Museum in Albert. We continue to Froissy for an afternoon journey on the WW1 line ‘petit train de la Haute-Somme’. This line is the last remaining section of the extensive military railway network built for use during the war. Froissy station also houses an excellent narrow-gauge railway museum, the largest of its type in the world, and we have plenty of time to explore it.

  4. Day 4railovernight: Beaune

    On to Beaune

    We leave Abbeville after breakfast and journey by rail via Paris to Beaune for a 2-night stay.

  5. Day 5railovernight: Beaune

    Chemin de Fer de La Vallée de l’Ouche

    A full day spent at the Chemin de Fer de La Vallée de l’Ouche running out of Bligny-sur-Ouche. We are able to ‘run the railway’ all day long and enjoy a French-style lunch break (included). We take several trips over the 60cm gauge line, with engines hauling both passenger and goods trains.

  6. Day 6railovernight: Alès

    Alès via Nîmes

    Leave Beaune on a morning train to Lyon Part Dieu, changing for Nîmes and then on to Alès for a 2-night stay.

  7. Day 7railovernight: Alès

    Train á Vapeurs des Cévennes

    Bus to St. Jean du Gard to travel the length of this standard gauge preserved line to Anduze and return. This afternoon, we visit the superb Roman aqueduct at Pont du Gard for an insight into the impact the Romans had on Southern Gaul.

  8. Day 8railovernight: Perpignan

    Alès to Perpignan

    Morning departure from Alès to Perpignan for an afternoon at leisure and 2-night stay. Our hotel is close to the railway station and there are regular buses running into the city centre.

  9. Day 9railovernight: Perpignan

    The Pyrenees

    An early morning start along the standard gauge to Villefranche where we connect with Le Petit Train Jaune, a metre gauge line in the Pyrenees boasting some fine viaducts and a suspension bridge. Journey’s end is at La Tour de Carol which is one of the few places served by railways with 3 different gauges. We retrace our steps back to Perpignan (or there is the option to return via Toulouse, completing a circuit with evening arrival).

  10. Day 10railovernight: Nice

    French Riviera by Rail

    Departing Perpignan by train, we change at Narbonne and Marseille, before travelling onwards along the renowned French Riviera coastal line to Nice where we enjoy a 2-night stay.

  11. Day 11railovernight: Nice

    Monte Carlo & Train des Merveilles

    In the morning, we ride the Train of Marvels along the Italian border to Tende, travelling through a breathtakingly beautiful railway panorama. Return to Nice late afternoon to ride the coastal line to Monte Carlo.

  12. Day 12overnight: Tournon

    Chemin de Fer de Provence

    Depart Nice after breakfast on the Chemin de Fer de Provence to Digne-les-Bains. Continuing onwards by coach, we travel through the Alpes-Maritimes and make our way towards Valence. We stop off in Soyons, the home of ‘Le Jardin des Trains Ardéchois’. This realistic representation of ‘Le Mastrou’ and other features of the Ardèche region is a wonderful introduction to the Vivarais network. Late afternoon, we then drive to Tournon for a 3-night stay.

  13. Day 13railovernight: Tournon

    Velay Express

    A day spent on a remaining but no longer connected part of the Vivarais system. We board the Velay Express and steam our way from Racoules to Saint-Agrève. The line runs for 27km around some tight curves, up steady gradients and through the meadows and forests at the foothills of the Massif Central.

  14. Day 14overnight: Tournon

    Final Day on the Vivarais

    The trip from Tournon St. Jean to the city of Lamastre has long been known as ‘Le Mastrou’. Our journey takes us through the Gorges of the Doux, a tributary of the Rhône, before it ascends into the Ardèche hills through chestnut groves to Lamastre. We have time here to explore the city before our return journey back to Tournon.

  15. Day 15rail

    Homeward Bound

    We leave Tournon by coach for Valence TGV station where we take a direct train to Lille Europe and connect with the Eurostar, arriving London late afternoon.

The moments this trip is built around

  • Day 2Full day on the Baie de Somme Railway, riding both sides of the Somme Estuary to observe wetland birds and plants, with leisure time in Le Crotoy.
  • Day 3Afternoon journey on the Petit Train de la Haute-Somme, a World War I military railway line, plus exploration of the Froissy Narrow-Gauge Railway Museum.
  • Day 5Full day running the railway at Chemin de Fer de La Vallée de l'Ouche on a 60-centimetre gauge line, with multiple trips and a French-style lunch included.
  • Day 9Journey on Le Petit Train Jaune, a metre-gauge line through the Pyrenees with fine viaducts and a suspension bridge, ending at La Tour de Carol where three railway gauges meet.
  • Day 14Le Mastrou steam train from Tournon St. Jean to Lamastre, running through the Gorges of the Doux and ascending through chestnut groves into the Ardèche hills.

Included

  • All rail travel as stated in Standard Class (using InterRail Pass)
  • All transfers as stated, including Paris on Day 4
  • All excursions as stated, including heritage railways
  • Accommodation in good quality hotels on a bed and breakfast basis
  • Services of a tour leader from London and throughout the tour

Questions travellers ask

Is all the train travel included in the price?
Yes. All rail travel in Standard Class using an InterRail Pass is included, along with access to twelve heritage railways and scenic lines. A first-class upgrade is available upon request subject to availability.
Is this an escorted tour or independent?
This is an escorted tour. A tour leader from London travels with the group throughout the 15 days, handling transfers and leading all excursions.
What hotels are used?
Hotels are three to four-star properties: Hôtel Mercure Abbeville Centre (3 nights), ibis Styles Beaune Centre (2 nights), ibis Styles Alès Centre Cévennes (2 nights), Kyriad Prestige Perpignan Centre Gare (2 nights), Nice Centre Hotel (2 nights), and Logis Hôtel Azalées Tournon (3 nights). Accommodation includes breakfast.
When does the tour depart?
The tour departs in July 2027. The price is £3,800 per person (approximately USD 5,075).
What is included and what is not?
Included: all rail travel in Standard Class, hotel accommodation with breakfast, all transfers, all heritage railway excursions, services of the tour leader, and visits to the 1916 Museum, Froissy Museum, and Pont du Gard. Meals beyond breakfast and optional first-class rail upgrades are not included.

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