A Grand Tour of France Touring Holiday

11 nights and 12 days
A touring holiday of great variety, the Grand Tour of France allows you to traverse the country - from northern Calais to southern Carcassone - in pursuit of the most famously beautiful regions that France has to offer. Witness the shape of the landscape evolve as you journey southwards, and visit a broad selection of France's greatest attractions at will. Accommodation selections draw upon our own experience of France and aim to provide you with comfortable, stylish and characterful spots, conveniently located to aid your exploration.

Suggested itinerary for this touring holiday:
The classic grand tour! Starting at the gateway to France, Calais, drive cross-country south-eastwards through the Pas-de-Calais and Picardy, reaching first the vineyards of Champagne then those of Burgundy, with its Romanesque churches and abbeys. As you drive south, this touring route runs parallel with the Saône River all the way up until you reach Lyon, the point of confluence with the mighty Rhône. From here, drive alongside this mighty river, following its course further southwards, admiring the changing scenery as you go until you reach the bright skies, cypress trees and red terracotta roofs of Provence. Delight in this charming region, ancient province of the Romans, land of poets and painters, and then continue even further southwest across the Languedoc-Roussillon and towards the great mountain range of the Pyrenees, where the culture is unquestionably Catalan. Drive along the foothills of the Pyrenees, through Cathar country to Gascony, land of sunflowers and the Three Musketeers, then continue northwards to the picturesque Dordogne, the quintessence of rural France. Witness the continually developing scenery from your car as you journey on from region to region and, when you reach the Loire Valley you can also bask in a more temperate climate. Majestic châteaux, regal gardens and hunting forests all characterise this region. Finally, your self-drive touring holiday will terminate in Normandy, where you will feel yourself nearing home as its close links with Britain over the years remain obvious. Our Grand Tour of France is a luxurious tapestry of different textures and colours, reflecting the variety of the regions of France and the diversity a touring holiday in France can reveal.

Driving times for this touring holiday:
Calais to Épernay: 3 hours
Épernay to Dijon: 3 hours
Dijon to Avignon: 3 hours 45 minutes
Avignon to Perpignan: 2 hours 30 minutes
Perpignan to Carcassonne: 1 hour 15 minutes
Carcassonne to Marçay: 6 hours 15 minutes
Marçay to Calais: 5 hours 30 minutes

For this touring holiday, we include:
• One night’s bed and breakfast at R oyal Champagne in Champagne
• One night’s bed and breakfast at the Château de Gilly in Burgundy
• Two nights’ bed and breakfast at La Magnaneraie in Provence
• Three nights’ bed and breakfast at the Relais des Chartreuses near Perpignan
• Two nights’ bed and breakfast at the Domaine d’Auriac near Carcassonne
• Two nights’ bed and breakfast at the Château de Marçay in the Loire Valley
• P&O return ferry crossing from Dover to Calais for car and passengers

From £1815 per person, self drive.