CULINARY TREASURES & CULTURE OF FRANCE & SPAIN BY RAIL

27 April 2024: As Your Tour Manager, Vicky Bryant Welcomes You On This Journey

27 April 2024: Your Accompanying Tour Doctor For This Journey Is Dr Claudia Lee

Our journey begins with a private transfer to our luxury hotel, Le Bristol, and an afternoon to explore or simply enjoy our opulent surroundings. With the exclusive Rue de Faubourg at our doorstep, the spoils of Paris are just steps away. Our evening commences with a private tour of Paris in a vintage Citroen DS car. Inspired by the film Midnight in Paris, the hour-long tour includes iconic destinations, such as the Eiffel Tower, Musee du Louvre, Montmartre, the Latin Quarter, and the Moulin Rouge cabaret. 

For dinner, you have the choice of two of our hotel’s epicurean restaurants. Taste the gastronomic wonders of renowned chef Éric Fréchon at the three-Michelin-starred Epicure, which remains unapologetically traditional in its approach to the finest of French cuisine. Alternatively, you may like to dine at 114 Faubourg, our residence’s second Michelin-starred restaurant. 

After breakfast at Le Bristol, a host of Your World experiences await:

— Connoisseurs of wine can join a first-class rail journey to Champagne to enjoy a full day of private tastings and learn about the different sub-regions and styles of the famous sparkling wine. Visit the prestigious Champagne House Pommery located in the heart of the city of Reims. Here, you’ll discover the history of this Champagne in a majestic setting dating from the 19th century. This castle contains no less than 18 kilometres of cellars to explore. You’ll then visit the Clos Pompadour vineyard, fermenting room and caves, followed by a Champagne tasting. Lunch is a paired tasting affair, sampling a different Champagne over three courses.
— Take a full day "Ville Lumière" tour of Paris to see the city’s most famous sights with a private guide and car at your disposal. Discover the extraordinary collection at Musee Du Louvre, followed by a Ducasse Ferry cruise along the Seine with a lunch menu designed by renowned chef Alain Ducasse, alongside chef Jean-Philippe Berens. Then take a trip to the top of The City of Light’s most famous structure, Tour Eiffel, and take in the spectacular panorama.
— Available in 2025: Those with a nose for fine fragrance will be attracted to our exclusive visit to Fragonard Perfume Museum. This former mansion now houses artefacts from thousands of years of perfume-making. Our sensual odyssey includes a workshop where we will make our very own scent under the guidance of a master perfume maker. 
— For those who would simply like to see the sights, enjoy free time to wander the city at leisure. 

This evening, our Welcome Dinner takes place at Pavillon Ledoyen, which proudly possesses three Michelin stars. Chef Yannick Alléno has also had the honour of being named Chef of the Year. Ranked as one of the world’s 50 best restaurants – and one of Paris’s most celebrated – Pavillon Ledoyen is famous for its contemporary and creative French cuisine. 

And so, we bid adieu to the City of Light but not before one final unique Parisian experience. We ascend to the terrace of the Arc De Triomphe where a private breakfast will be served alongside a panoramic view of Paris like no other. From here, we make our way to the famous wine region of Bordeaux by first class rail. 

Our residence is the prestigious Chateau Cordeillang-Bages, a venerable chateau in the Medoc region set amongst vineyards and verdant pine forests. The afternoon is ours to wander or relax as we please. 

Come evening we embark upon a voyage aboard a river vessel and cruise down the famed Gironne River past famous landmarks including the Pierre Bridge, the Chaban Delmas Bridge, the Cité du Vin and the Aquitaine Bridge. Our vessel features a private central lounge where tastings of a variety of Bordeaux famous vintages will be accompanied by the region’s finest cuisine over a two-course meal.

After waking to breakfast at our chateau, we are free to spend the day how we wish. Take the time to discover the local vineyards independently, or for those looking for a curated experience, embark on the full day tour to Arcachon Bay. 

This unique location features rolling sand dunes, quaint seaside towns and some of the best oysters in the world. We stop at Gujan-Mestras to sample oysters straight from the grower’s huts, paired with local white wine. We then head for the seaside village of Arcachon and the elegant Winter Town to view its collection of imposing 19th century villas. From Archenon’s picturesque waterfront, we board a private launch to explore the bay. From our luxury vessel we view Île aux Oiseaux or Bird Island, an aptly named ornithologist’s delight as well as the fishermen villages of the Cap Ferret peninsula. 

Upon our return to our chateau, we sit down to dinner at Café Lavinal, the hotel’s 1930s-inspired brasserie embodying the rich traditions of Medoc.

In Bordeaux, we have the choice to spend the day exploring the region at our leisure or head out on a curated day trip to Saint-Emilion, the first vineyard region to receive World Heritage Listing from UNESCO. 

The town itself remains steeped in history with some of the fortifications and buildings dating back to the 12th Century. We picnic in a chateau and then board the Great Vineyards Train, a small trolley bus for a short journey that winds through the Saint-Emilion region before finishing with a tasting of local wines. We then make our way back to our chateau to relax and toast the day with dinner on site.

Today, we embark on another first-class rail journey, this time to Hendaye. This picturesque French Basque enclave is nestled on the border with Spain. We then board a luxury coach to cross the border into Spain and on to the stunning seaside city of San Sebastian, one of the jewels in the Basque crown. 

Our destination is the Hotel Maria Cristina where after an exquisite lunch of local Basque favourites we will check in to our premium riverview rooms to relax. 

Tonight’s dinner is at the green Michelin-rated Restaurante Zelai Txiki where fine dining is elevated to new levels with sophisticated technique and the region’s incredible produce.

Beyond the glorious seaside, San Sebastian’s enticements include architecture, art, fashion, wine, and, of course, dining on delectable small plates at pintxos bars. 

Gain a thorough appreciation of the region’s gastronomy with a Your World experience: 
— Keen cooks might wish to opt for a private Basque cooking class. Spend six hours in the company of one of the finest local chefs, who will take you on a personal journey into the art of the region’s famous cuisine. 
— Those looking to explore the city can join a half-day tour visiting famous sites, such as La Concha Bay; La Bretxa central market; the Romantic Area, with its prestigious Old Casino and Buen Pastor Cathedral. Our tour will be punctuated by stops at the best bars and cafés to sample the local fare, mainly pinxtos (small tapas-like dishes). 
— Join your expert local guide for a coastal drive to the town of Getaria, part of the Txakoli wine area. See how the white wines produced here differ to those made elsewhere in Spain. Enjoy a tasting along the sunny terrace of a local winery, boasting magnificent views across the surrounding countryside. After your visit, savour some freshly caught grilled fish at a local restaurant. 

Tonight, we have a choice of the best dining experiences in the seaside city.

After a leisurely morning and a casual lunch in San Sebastian, we board a luxury coach to transfer to Bilbao with a stop off at the gorgeous coastal town of Guetaria. 

Upon arrival in Bilbao, we board our privately chartered Costa Verde Express. This train is as much a boutique hotel as it is a mode of transport. We depart Bilbao and wind through the Spanish countryside before coming to a rest at Carranza for dinner and a night’s rest in our Grand Class rooms aboard the Costa Verde Express.