French Rail Roamer

DAY 1

Travelling by Eurostar from London St Pancras to Lille, then onwards to Chambéry and our hotel for three nights, the Hotel Actuel, where we check in and enjoy our first evening meal together.

DAY 2

Today, we begin our exploration of the dramatic Rhone Alps Region of France by travelling to St. Gervais and onwards to Chamonix on the metre-gauge line. From here, we take the fantastic Montenvers Railway climbing the steep track to a stunning vantage point above the Mer de Glace - an amazing glacier. We enjoy some free time to explore and to take lunch with spectacular views before returning to Chambéry for an evening at leisure.

DAY 3

After breakfast this morning, we enjoy more scenery from the train window as we ride the line along the Tarentaise Valley through the mountains and into the heart of the French Alps at Bourg-Saint-Maurice. Here, we have free time to explore this charming town, discover the delightful town centre, or visit the quaint cafés before retracing our steps to Chambéry.

DAY 4

This morning, we travel by rail to Valence for a TGV ride onwards to Nîmes where we have time to discover this historic city and explore its wealth of Roman heritage including the magnificent amphitheatre. This afternoon, we journey on the scenic single-track route through tunnels, over impressive viaducts, and through the spectacular Allier gorge to Clermont-Ferrand and, on arrival, we transfer to the Ibis Styles for our two-night stay.

DAY 5

Today, we experience another scenic single-track route into the Massif Central travelling over the magnificent viaduct to Aurillac, passing picturesque villages, and dropping down through chestnut forests to the rural town of Figeac. Here, we have free time to enjoy refreshments in one of the charming riverside cafés before returning, later in the day, to Clermont-Ferrand.

DAY 6

We bid farewell to Clermont-Ferrand and to France, returning by rail to Paris, where we will join the Eurostar service to London St Pancras.

B=Breakfast, D=Dinner