Tailormade tour Paris, Strasbourg and Lyon by train France

Begin this rail holiday of three French cities with a journey on Eurostar from London to Paris. Departures are hourly and the journey takes approximately 2 hours 30 minutes. Choose a departure time to suit although we suggest taking a mid-morning departure to arrive into Paris in the afternoon. Spend three nights in Paris.

You have two full days at leisure to explore Paris. The hotel we suggest is situated on the Left Bank, a stone’s throw away from La Place de la Concorde, the Assemblée Nationale and Les Invalides. Highlights to visit include the Eiffel Tower, perhaps the most famous of Paris’s monuments, where you can take a lift to the top floor at 899 feet and enjoy the view across Paris. Other places to visit include the Champs-Elysées and the Arc de Triomphe which dates from 1836. Spend some time taking in the atmosphere of Montmartre where you can find the Sacre-Coeur basilica. Montmartre is one of the most charming areas of Paris, and it is worth exploring the narrow winding streets that make it so appealing. Another appealing district is Le Marais, on the right bank. Here you can find the elegant Place des Vosges, an attractive square known formally as the Place Royale built in the early 1700s. There are also many museums on offer. Notable museums include the Louvre, Musée Rodin and Musée d’Orsay. Take a break from sight-seeing and enjoy one of the many pretty gardens such as the Jardin du Luxembourg or the Jardin des Tuileries.

After a final breakfast in Paris, take a taxi to the Gare de l’Est where you board a direct TGV service to Strasbourg. The train departs just after 10:00 hrs arriving into Strasbourg about two and a half hours later. The journey takes you eastwards into the Champagne region and then into Lorraine before crossing the northern Vosges mountains into the rolling landscape of Alsace with its hop fields and pretty half-timbered houses. Take a taxi to your hotel in Strasbourg.  

You have one full day in Strasbourg to explore the city and surrounding region. Strasbourg is a bustling city on the river Rhine. Discover the gothic cathedral of Notre Dame and wander the cobbled streets lined with shops and cafés. The old quarter, known as la Petite France, is worth visiting with half-timbered buildings, typical of the Alsace region. Museums to visit include the Museum of Alsace and the Museum of Fine Arts.

Today you will travel by rail from Strasbourg to Lyon. There is a direct service which departs from Strasbourg just after 09:00 hrs arriving into Lyon Part-Dieu at approximately 13:00 hrs. Today’s journey by train is particularly scenic as you head south skirting the vineyards and the Vosges mountains to your right, stopping at Colmar and Mulhouse before entering the Franche-Comté and the wooded hills of the foothills of the Alps. You pass the rich vineyards of Burgundy and Beaujolais that lie between Dijon and Lyon. Check-in to your hotel for two nights.

Lyon has much to offer, with history dating back to Roman times. The old town is located on the banks of the River Saone. Spend time exploring the narrow, cobbled streets with medieval buildings and a variety of restaurants to choose from. Visit Place Bellecour, an impressive square with a statue of Louis XIV on horseback as its centrepiece. Stroll to Place des Terreaux and admire the fountains dotted about the square. The striking Notre Dame Basilica, situated in Fourviere, can be accessed on foot up several steps or by funicular. Enjoy panoramic views over Lyon from here. Lyon is also home to around 30 museums including the Museum of Fine Arts and the Museum of Gallo-Roman Civilisation. Dine in one of Lyon’s many restaurants or try the Michelin starred restaurant, Les Loges, at your hotel.

Depart from Lyon on a mid-morning train to Lille, retracking your route north into Burgundy towards the Champagne region.  At Lille, change onto a Eurostar service. You will arrive back into London just after 16:00 hrs.