This New Luxury Train Journey Around France Is a Wine Lover's Dream-Here's What to Know

"Le Grand Tour isn't just a 6-day, 5-night train journey around France-it's a moving work of art. With only 36 guests aboard 18-cabins, this luxuriously restored Belle Époque-style train travels from Paris through the famed regions of Champagne, Bordeaux, and the Loire Valley in a jagged circular path. This is boutique travel at its most poetic, a seamless blend of cultural immersion, fine dining, and slow luxury."

"The journey begins in the northeastern city of Reims, the unofficial capital of Champagne, where Gothic grandeur and effervescent indulgence coexist. Make time for the Reims Cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage site where 33 French kings were crowned, and the adjoining Palais du Tau, a cultural landmark once the Archbishop of Reims' palace. As the train glides into the Champagne region, guests disembark for the possibility of exclusive access to the chalk cellars of Maison Ruinart, the oldest established Champagne house."

"Onboard, expect more than just white-glove service. Theater artists and storytellers perform vignettes Throughout the journey, weaving historical anecdotes and local legends into the itinerary. It's not uncommon for a costumed noble to pass through the dining car mid-dinner or a violinist to serenade passengers at sunset. Off-train excursions are equally curated. In the northern town of Épernay, stroll down the famous Avenue de Champagne-often called the richest avenue in the world due to its quantity of champagne stored in underground cellars-where guests are granted private tastings, like the one at the houses Moët & Chandon."

Le Grand Tour is a 6-day, 5-night luxury train experience with 36 guests in 18 cabins aboard a restored Belle Époque-style train traveling from Paris through Champagne, Bordeaux, and the Loire Valley. The itinerary blends cultural immersion, fine dining, and slow luxury with curated off-train excursions and private tastings. The journey includes visits to Reims with its cathedral and Palais du Tau, possible access to Maison Ruinart's chalk cellars, and stops in Épernay for tastings on Avenue de Champagne. Onboard entertainment includes theater artists, storytellers, costumed performers, and musical serenades at sunset.

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