Last reviewed: · Prices are approximate and for orientation only.
Route at a glance
Our flagship two-week loop across France by high-speed rail: Paris, Versailles, Loire Valley, Lyon, Provence, Nice & the Côte d'Azur, Alsace (Strasbourg & Colmar), and Bordeaux. Every transfer is timed around direct SNCF TGV InOui, Ouigo, or regional TER trains so you spend your vacation in bistros, museums, and markets rather than highway traffic.
Estimated per-person budget (€2,100 – €3,600) includes mid-range boutique hotels, advance TGV seat reservations, timed museum entries, and daily boulangerie breakfasts plus bistro formules.
Day-by-day plan
Paris Arrival, Île de la Cité & Seine River Cruise
Arrive via CDG RER B (€13.00) or Orly Metro Line 14 (€13.00), load a Navigo Easy card, walk past Notre-Dame and Sainte-Chapelle on Île de la Cité, and board a sunset Vedettes du Pont Neuf boat cruise before steak frites in Saint-Germain-des-Prés.
Louvre Masterpieces, Tuileries, Le Marais & Montmartre Sunset
Enter the Louvre at 9:00 AM with a timed ticket, stroll through Jardin des Tuileries, lunch on falafel or Jambon-Beurre in Le Marais around Place des Vosges, and climb to Sacré-Cœur in Montmartre for golden-hour views.
Musée d'Orsay, Eiffel Tower & Left Bank Bistros
Tour the Impressionist galleries at Musée d'Orsay, picnic on the Champ de Mars beneath the Eiffel Tower with a Baguette de Tradition and Comté cheese, and dine at a classic Left Bank bistro.
Day Trip to Palace of Versailles & Hall of Mirrors
Ride RER Line C (40 min) to Versailles-Château-Rive-Gauche for the Hall of Mirrors, Grand Trianon, and Queen's Hamlet before returning to Paris for an evening in Canal Saint-Martin.
Loire Valley Royal Châteaux: Chenonceau & Amboise
Catch the 1-hour TGV from Paris Montparnasse to Tours/Amboise; explore Château de Chenonceau spanning the Cher River and Leonardo da Vinci's Clos Lucé in Amboise with a Vouvray wine tasting.
TGV to Lyon (1h55): Vieux Lyon Traboules & Fourvière Basilica
Board a morning SNCF TGV InOui from Paris Gare de Lyon to Lyon Part-Dieu (1h55). Ride the funicular to Notre-Dame de Fourvière, descend through Renaissance traboules, and eat Quenelle de Brochet at a certified Bouchon Lyonnais.
TGV to Avignon (1h05): Palais des Papes & Pont du Gard
Hop the morning TGV south to Avignon, tour the 14th-century Papal Palace and Pont Saint-Bénézet, and take an afternoon excursion to the three-tiered Roman aqueduct at Pont du Gard.
Luberon Hilltop Villages or Aix-en-Provence Cours Mirabeau
Explore Gordes, Roussillon's ochre cliffs, and Sénanque Abbey in the Luberon, or stroll fountain-lined Cours Mirabeau and Atelier Cézanne in Aix-en-Provence.
Coastal Rail to Nice: Vieux Nice, Socca & Promenade des Anglais
Travel along the Mediterranean to Nice-Ville. Sample wood-fired socca at Cours Saleya market, climb Colline du Château at sunset, and walk the Promenade des Anglais.
Villefranche-sur-Mer, Eze Village & Monaco by Coastal TER
Ride the scenic SNCF TER Zou! train along cliffs to Villefranche-sur-Mer and Cap-Ferrat's Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild, continuing to cliffside Eze and Monte-Carlo.
Alsace Express: Strasbourg Cathedral & Petite France Canals
Take the high-speed TGV to Strasbourg to admire the 142m pink-sandstone Cathedral, Astronomical Clock, and half-timbered Petite France tanners' houses over Tarte Flambée.
Colmar Little Venice & Eguisheim Grand Cru Vineyards
Ride the 30-minute TER to Colmar for Petite Venise canals, the Unterlinden Museum's Isenheim Altarpiece, and a Riesling tasting in medieval Eguisheim.
Bordeaux Place de la Bourse, Miroir d'Eau & La Cité du Vin
Arrive at Bordeaux Saint-Jean by TGV, ride Tram C to Place de la Bourse and Miroir d'Eau, and taste world vintages atop the decanter-shaped Cité du Vin.
Saint-Émilion UNESCO Wine Village & Return to Paris (2h04)
Take the 33-minute TER train to medieval Saint-Émilion for monolithic limestone cellars and Merlot Grand Cru tastings before the 2-hour TGV back to Paris Montparnasse.
Transport & rail pass notes
Book point-to-point SNCF TGV INOUI / Ouigo tickets 60–90 days ahead or pair with a €49 Carte Avantage.
What to book ahead
- Book SNCF TGV InOui and Ouigo tickets 2 to 4 months ahead on SNCF Connect when fare buckets open at €19–€39.
- Reserve timed-entry slots for the Louvre, Eiffel Tower, Sainte-Chapelle, and Palais des Papes at least 3–6 weeks before departure.
- Always greet staff with 'Bonjour' and ask for 'une carafe d'eau, s'il vous plaît' at lunch and dinner for complimentary chilled tap water.
Ways to adapt this route
- Swap a museum afternoon for a neighborhood food market and wine tasting
- Add a regional TER day trip using the SNCF Connect app