Tailormade tour In the footsteps of Toulouse-Lautrec by rail and car holiday France

6 nights/7 days

Paris • Albi • Bordeaux

The life and works of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec are the focus of this holiday by rail with a hire-car as appropriate. The holiday is structured around your being able to visit key places in the artist’s life and to see the museum where much of his work is displayed, near his birthplace at Albi.
Holiday price guide

Available year-round subject to the opening period of the hotels, from £1,745 per person.

Luxury rail-drive tailormade tour in the footsteps of Toulouse-Lautrec visiting Paris, Albi and Bordeaux

Highlights

Paris • Visit Montparnasse • Albi • Visit the Toulouse-Lautrec musuem • Bordeaux • Visit Chateau Malrome • Visit Vederlais cemetery

Day by day

You travel first by Eurostar from London St Pancras to Paris, leaving late morning and arriving before 3pm. Stay two nights in Paris.

You have one day at leisure to explore Paris. We suggest spending some time taking in the atmosphere of Montmartre – the area the Henri spent much of his time and where he met and was influenced by other artists. This district was historically separate from central Paris – geographically, demographically, historically and architecturally – and provided the backdrop for the decadent fringe culture that was Henri’s home for most of his career. Today, visitors flock up the famous hill to take a picture in front of the imposing Sacre Coeur, but for a more genuine experience we recommend taking the time to explore the steep and cobbled streets that still maintain the bohemian atmosphere of village.

Depart Paris by train for Montauban, leaving at 12.30pm and arriving about five hours later. In Montauban, collect a hire car and drive the remaining 50 miles to Albi. Alternatively, you can stay on the train to Toulouse and change for Albi, collecting your car there – this takes a little longer but lessens the driving. You stay near Albi for two nights.

Enjoy one day at leisure to explore Albi and visit the Toulouse-Lautrec museum. Albi is an attractive city built with iconic pink bricks, whose historical centre is a UNESCO world heritage site. Albi’s cathedral is a remarkable monument since it is both fortified and built out of brick, whilst next door you will find the fortress of the Palais de la Berbie, home to the Toulouse-Lautrec museum. This former bishop’s palace houses some of his most famous pieces and in total there are over 1000 of his works displayed here.

Return your hire car to Montauban and take a lunchtime train to Bordeaux. From Montauban this is a direct route taking less than two hours. On arrival in Bordeaux, collect another car and drive to Martillac, 10 miles from Bordeaux. You spend two nights here.

At leisure to explore the surroundings. We suggest a visit to Chateau Malrome which was the home of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec’s mother and somewhere he often visited, and it was here where he died in 1901 and was buried in the nearby cemetery of Verdelais. The chateau is surrounded by a 40-hectare vineyard which produces seven varieties of grapes, both red and white. In the summer, the chateau offers visitors an hour’s museum tour followed by a wine tasting every day, though reservations are required in the winter months.

Return your car to Bordeaux and leave on a late morning train back to London, changing in Paris en route and arriving back in the UK at about 6pm.

Special offers for this holiday>

I would like to thank you all in getting me home under difficult circumstances on Monday 6th June. I like to give special thanks and high praise for not only organising my rail ticket home, but also organising and communicating with me of my holiday itinerary arrangements on a number of occasions both on the phone and email.
Ms I, June 2022

Holiday price guide Prices from £1,745 per person based on two people sharing a double or twin room and including standard class rail travel. Supplement for standard premier/first class from £355 per person.

Holiday Code FRBR06

Luxury rail-drive tailormade tour in the footsteps of Toulouse-Lautrec visiting Paris, Albi and Bordeaux

Special offers for this holiday>

I would like to thank you all in getting me home under difficult circumstances on Monday 6th June. I like to give special thanks and high praise for not only organising my rail ticket home, but also organising and communicating with me of my holiday itinerary arrangements on a number of occasions both on the phone and email.
Ms I, June 2022

Holiday price guide Prices from £1,745 per person based on two people sharing a double or twin room and including standard class rail travel. Supplement for standard premier/first class from £355 per person.

Holiday Code FRBR06

Our prices include ● Standard class Eurostar and second-class TGV from London to Montauban via Paris, Montauban to Bordeaux, Bordeaux to London (standard premier can be booked at a supplement)
● Hire of a group B car for 3 days in Albi and 2 days in Bordeaux
● 2 nights’ bed and breakfast in a Standard Room at the Hotel Bourgogne et Montana, Paris
● 2 nights’ bed and breakfast in a Standard Room at La Reserve, Albi
● 2 nights’ bed and breakfast in a Standard Room at Les Sources de Caudalie, near Bordeaux
● Concierge service and Expressions Holidays regional helpful hints

Our prices do not include ● Early check-in or late check-out at any hotels (although we can arrange this on request at additional cost)
● Any other services not mentioned above, such as transfers and meals except breakfast at hotels
● Personal holiday insurance. This is essential and cover should be in place from when you book the holiday.
● Local tourist tax, usually between Euros 1 and 3 per person per night, and payable locally to the hotel
● Transfers in Paris

Luxury rail-drive tailormade tour in the footsteps of Toulouse-Lautrec visiting Paris, Albi and Bordeaux

Expressions Holidays includes these hotels in this touring holiday as suggestions, but they can be substituted by others in the same region, if you have a preference to stay elsewhere.
Hotels included in this tour

Special offers

Call to make your booking and save an extra £50 per adult Call us instead of emailing us when you are thinking of booking a holiday and save an extra £50 per adult (in addition to any special offers that might be available). We want to talk to you to discuss your requirements and a phone call is usually the best way for you to define what you want enabling us to respond more accurately. We want to talk to you and you save an extra £50 per adult.

I would like to thank you all in getting me home under difficult circumstances on Monday 6th June. I like to give special thanks and high praise for not only organising my rail ticket home, but also organising and communicating with me of my holiday itinerary arrangements on a number of occasions both on the phone and email.
Ms I, June 2022

Holiday price guide Prices from £1,745 per person based on two people sharing a double or twin room and including standard class rail travel. Supplement for standard premier/first class from £355 per person.

Holiday Code FRBR06

Luxury rail-drive tailormade tour in the footsteps of Toulouse-Lautrec visiting Paris, Albi and Bordeaux

Highlights of Bordeaux

Visit vineyards and chateaux, for tasting and buying. Visit the oyster beds. Experience the Cognac distilleries, and the Romanesque architecture. Bordeaux is the historical centre for wine however you may also visit the villages of the wine region such as St Emilion.

Climate in the Bordeaux Region

Average air temperatures in Centigrade: Jan: 10.0, Feb: 9.4, Mar: 12.2, Apr: 19.5, May: 18.0, Jun: 23.7, Jul: 27.2, Aug: 25.7, Sep: 24.2, Oct: 19.7, Nov: 15.4, Dec: 11.0. Source: Direction de la Meteorologique de France

Luxury rail-drive tailormade tour in the footsteps of Toulouse-Lautrec visiting Paris, Albi and Bordeaux

Highlights of Paris

We can arrange tickets for the opera, ballet and concerts throughout France. Please let us know what you want to see and we will do our best to book tickets in advance.

Paris Climate

Average air temperatures in Centigrade: Jan: 7.5, Feb: 7.1, Mar: 10.2, Apr: 15.7, May: 16.6, Jun: 23.4, Jul: 25.1, Aug: 25.6, Sep: 20.9, Oct: 16.5, Nov: 11.7, Dec: 7.8. Source: Direction de la Meteorologique de France.

Luxury rail-drive tailormade tour in the footsteps of Toulouse-Lautrec visiting Paris, Albi and Bordeaux

Highlights of Tarn and Lot

Cultural highlights include music festival in Toulouse, Limoux wine, the ruined fortresses of the Cathars, the craggy valley of Aveyron, the mediaeval fortified village of Cordes, Gaillac wine, the Charcuterie of Lacaune, and the Goya museum at Castres.

Tarn and Lot Climate

Average air temperatures in Centigrade: Jan 12.4, Feb 11.5, Mar 12.5, Apr 17.6, May 20.1, Jun 26.5, Jul 28.4, Aug 28.1, Sep 26.1, Oct 21.1, Nov 15.8, Dec 13.5. Source: Direction de la Meteorologique de France.

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