The Railway Touring Company · Escorted rail tour

Steam in Dordogne and the Pyrenees

Steam in Dordogne and the Pyrenees, a rail journey with The Railway Touring Company

An 8-day escorted rail holiday through southwestern France, based in Bordeaux and Bayonne, taking in Saint-Emilion, the Haut Quercy heritage railway and the La Rhune rack railway in the Pyrenees.

Day by day

  1. Day 1railovernight: Bordeaux

    London to Bordeaux by rail

    Eurostar from London St Pancras to Paris Nord, then TGV from Paris Montparnasse to Bordeaux. Check into a centrally located hotel with a complimentary tram rover ticket. Dinner at the hotel.

  2. Day 2overnight: Bordeaux

    Saint-Emilion and vineyard visit

    Visit the 12th-century fortified wine town of Saint-Emilion, including the Ursuline's Convent, the Great Wall and Brunet Gate, plus a vineyard wine-tasting experience nearby. Return to Bordeaux in the afternoon.

  3. Day 3overnight: Bordeaux

    Leisure, museums and tramways in Bordeaux

    Free day in Bordeaux to see the Miroir d'Eau reflecting pool and the UNESCO Cathedrale St-Andre, using the complimentary tram ticket, with optional admission to the Musee des beaux-arts de Bordeaux.

  4. Day 4railovernight: Bordeaux

    Steam in the Dordogne at the Haut Quercy heritage railway

    Coach transfer through Aquitaine to the Haut Quercy heritage railway ('Le Truffadou'), a 13km round trip between Martel and Saint-Denis-les-Martel with French and Polish-built steam locomotives and open-sided coaches. Time to sightsee Martel before returning to Bordeaux.

  5. Day 5railovernight: Bayonne

    On to Bayonne and the Basque Country

    TGV to the historic city of Bayonne, at the confluence of the Adour and Nive rivers, near the Bay of Biscay. Base for the next three nights, exploring Bayonne and nearby Biarritz.

  6. Day 6railovernight: Bayonne

    La Rhune rack railway in the Pyrenees and a visit to Spain

    Ascent of La Rhune (881m, opened 1924) on the rack railway from Col de Saint-Ignace, using original teak-bodied coaches and vintage Swiss locomotives, with views to the Atlantic and a stroll across the Franco-Spanish border at the summit. Coach on to Biarritz.

  7. Day 7railovernight: Bayonne

    By rail to Saint-Jean-de-Luz and Hendaye

    Short railway excursion from Bayonne via Biarritz to the seaside town of Saint-Jean-de-Luz, continuing to Hendaye, France's southwestern-most border station with Spain, with time to walk the pedestrian border bridge to Irun. Final group dinner in Bayonne.

  8. Day 8rail

    Return to London

    Travel from Bayonne to Paris Montparnasse, transfer to Paris Nord for the return Eurostar to London St Pancras.

Included

  • Eurostar Plus seating on all Eurostar services
  • First Class seating on TGV and other train services (where possible)
  • 7 nights quality hotel accommodation with breakfast included
  • 5 dinners
  • All visits as detailed in the itinerary
  • All seat reservations and transfers
  • The services of a UK Tour Manager throughout

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