Paris, Normandy, the Loire Valley and Bordeaux by train

Whether this is your first visit to France or a welcome return, you will almost certainly want to tick at least one iconic destination off your wish list. Taking the train in France is easy and effective, and part of the fun of exploring. One great train journey that takes in several great destinations includes Paris to Normandy, the Loire Valley and Bordeaux over the course of a few days or longer. Three of France’s most popular holiday regions in one easy trip.

By the end of your holiday, you’ll have enjoyed the cultural sights of the French capital and Normandy, plus key chateaux in the Loire Valley and elegant Bordeaux with its surrounding vineyards.

Paris

Paris was dubbed ‘The City of Light’ in recognition of being amongst the first major cities in Europe to use gas street lighting in 1820, and you can expect world-famous views and unique buildings to come thick and fast in this most romantic of cities. The Eiffel Tower. The Louvre. The Seine. You may want to take in a museum, stroll down the Champs-Elysées, or just chill out at a pavement café and soak up the unique ambiance of this beguiling city.

For foodies, there are specialist tours and cookery classes, wine and cheese tastings, and dinner cruises. Or go off piste with a tour of the catacombs, the city’s covered passageways, or a shopping tour round the fashion boutiques of the stylish Marais district. Impressionist fan? Visit to the Musée d’Orsay. Iconic view? Take the lift up the Arc de Triomphe to see the multiple avenues leading off the huge roundabout in star formation. Or maybe join a full-day tour to the palace and gardens designed for ‘Sun King’ Louis XIV, Versailles – combined with a visit to Monet’s house and gardens in Giverny, or a Champagne day to Reims and Epernay.

Bayeux and Normandy’s D-Day sites

*Mont-Saint-Michel photo copyright Jeremy Flint*

From Paris, take a morning train through the Normandy countryside, to your base for exploring this lovely region.

Bayeux still retains much of its medieval charm, so you can spend the afternoon visiting Notre Dame Cathedral and the Bayeux Tapestry that graphically depicts the story of William the Conqueror’s invasion of England in 1066. But prepare for a surprise. This wonderful medieval stitching is not in fact a tapestry, but an embroidery in wool on linen!

Maybe take a tour of the key D-Day sites and walk the broad sands of Utah and Omaha beaches, once bloody battlegrounds but today fringed with low-key seaside resorts. Find out the story of the airman whose parachute became caught on the tower at Sainte-Mère-Eglise and visit Pointe-du-Hoc promontory where American Rangers scaled sheer cliffs to neutralise German guns. And finally visit the beautiful American Cemetery and visitor centre, last resting place of more than 9000 soldiers.

Explore Mont-Saint-Michel, set on a mound rising out of a shallow bay. Fancy some gentle exercise? Then visit the site by e-bike or take a half-day e-bike tour to Arromanches to see the remains of the artificial harbours and visit the newly revamped museum.

Chateaux of the Loire Valley

Take a train to Tours, a great base (four hours from Bayeux) in the heart of the Loire Valley, famous for its Renaissance castles and high quality wines. Listed by UNESCO for the combination of its built and natural heritage, this section of the Loire is a delight to anyone who loves river scenery and vineyards, flamboyant castles and landscaped gardens. Many of its architectural gems are very easy to visit by train. First Chenonceau, a fairytale castle that spans the river Cher, a tributary of the Loire. Tour the sumptuous rooms, always decorated with wonderful flowers, and learn about the two famous ladies who lived here at different times, one of them the king’s mistress, the other his wife. Then stroll through their formal French gardens overlooking the river.

From Tours you can also take a train to Ambois, where there are two castles, one of which is where Leonardo da Vinci spent his final years. And on to Blois with its historic castle and lovely town. From here you can take a 30-minute bus ride to to Chambord, a magnificent turreted property built by young king François I in a vast park, purely for hunting parties and entertaining. Hard to believe, but the castle was often empty for weeks on end.

Or from Tours take a tour to both Chenonceau and Chambord in one day with Ophorus with an English speaking local guide and air-conditionsed transport.

Bordeaux

Your 2-hour train journey from Tours delivers you to Bordeaux to explore the elegant avenues, museums and river banks of this world-famous wine city. Discover wines from all over the world at the Cité du Vin, finishing off with a glass of your favourite vintage at the rooftop Belvedere for panoramic views over the Garonne. Then maybe try a different wine over dinner at one of Bordeaux’s many restaurants – reputedly one for every 285 inhabitants! Take a 3-hour walking tour with Ophorus to discover the city’s most legendary landmarks from the UNESCO-listed district to the hidden gems.

Next day, discover some of Bordeaux’s most prestigious wines – take the train to Saint-Emilion! You could also take a day tour from Bordeaux to the vineyards of the Médoc. Think Pauillac, Margaux and Saint Julien with the welcome bonus of not having to drive home!

And there you have it, three iconic destinations in France in one go, by train! And there’s always more – after all, Nice and the French Riviera are only a train ride away. Just saying …!