This New Luxurious Prepare Journey Round France Is a Wine Lover’s Dream—This is What to Know

Le Grand Tour isn’t only a 6-day, 5-night practice journey round France—it’s a shifting murals. With solely 36 visitors aboard 18-cabins, this luxuriously restored Belle Époque-style practice travels from Paris by the famed areas of Champagne, Bordeaux, and the Loire Valley in a jagged round path. That is boutique journey at its most poetic, a seamless mix of cultural immersion, tremendous eating, and sluggish luxurious. Whether or not you’re new to France or looking for a recent perspective, this curated expertise presents a brand new approach to sip champagne, each actually and figuratively. Beneath, what to see, do, and eat aboard this practice tour. 

What to See

The journey begins within the northeastern metropolis of Reims, the unofficial capital of Champagne, the place Gothic grandeur and effervescent indulgence coexist. Find time for the Reims Cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage website the place 33 French kings have been topped, and the adjoining Palais du Tau, a cultural landmark as soon as the Archbishop of Reims’ palace.

Because the practice glides into the Champagne area, visitors disembark for the opportunity of unique entry to the chalk cellars of Maison Ruinart, the oldest established Champagne home. Right here, a guided descent into the luminescent caves unveils centuries of winemaking custom—capped by a tasting, after all.

What to Do

Onboard, anticipate extra than simply white-glove service. Theater artists and storytellers carry out vignettes all through the journey, weaving historic anecdotes and native legends into the itinerary. It isn’t unusual for a costumed noble to cross by the eating automobile mid-dinner or a violinist to serenade passengers at sundown.

Off-train excursions are equally curated. Within the northern city of Épernay, stroll down the well-known Avenue de Champagne—typically known as the richest avenue on the planet as a result of its amount of champagne saved in underground cellars—the place visitors are granted non-public tastings, just like the one on the homes Moët & Chandon. Within the Loire Valley, Le Grand Tour visitors might discover themselves having fun with an after-hours château go to—no crowds, simply candlelight and clinking glasses.

The place to Eat

Meals on Le Grand Tour are excess of sustenance; their narrative experiences. Three-star Michelin chef Alexandre Couillon, who’s the proprietor of the Michelin Inexperienced Star restaurant La Marine, curates menus impressed by the villages you traverse. Assume: scallop carpaccio with Champagne French dressing, or duck breast with cherries and a discount produced from native Pinot Meunier. Every course is paired with wines and champagnes chosen by an onboard sommelier. 

In Reims, if you happen to prolong your keep pre- or post-tour, don’t miss Brasserie Excelsior for an Artwork Nouveau ambiance and recent seafood; or town’s two-star Le Parc restaurant at Domaine Les Crayères resort, for traditional French delicacies like duck foie gras and herb coulis. 

The place to Keep

Whereas your suite aboard Le Grand Tour is lavish, with plush linens, en-suite bogs, and panoramic home windows, the practice itself appears like a historic five-star resort on rails. For these staying in Reims earlier than boarding, La Caserne Chanzy Hôtel & Spa was as soon as town’s centralfire station earlier than reworking right into a luxurious resort simply steps from the Notre-Dame Cathedral. In Épernay, Les Suites du 33—a resort owned by the Champagne de Venoge home—presents 4 vineyard-adjacent rooms and one house. 

Closing Toast

France’s Champagne area has lengthy been synonymous with magnificence, however Le Grand Tour elevates the expertise into one thing transcendent—as a result of each sip tells a narrative, each window frames a chapter, and each mile deepens your sense of place. 

Notice: Scheduled dates for the 2026 season haven’t been launched but. 

Jennifer Schwartz is a member of Journey + Leisure’s A-Checklist and focuses on Iceland, France, and Meals & Wine journeys. You’ll be able to create a tailored itinerary with Schwartz by contacting her at [email protected].