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Top Ten Holidays by Rail

Many people swear that there is no better way to travel than by train. Certainly, you are able to appreciate the scenery much better than you can from a plane or a car, and it is environmentally friendly too, leaving a much fainter carbon footprint. The vast majority of our French holidays (and some Swiss ones, too) can be reached comfortably in a day from London St Pancras or Ebbsfleet; here we list our ten favourites.

Meanders of the Lot Walk, Lot. This is one of our gentlest walking holidays, so arriving in a leisurely fashion by train seems very fitting. Besides the walking itself, which takes in châteaux and medieval villages as it explores the lazy meanders of the River Lot, one of the holiday’s great features is the accommodation: you stay in three 3-star hôtelleries de charme.

Marine Self-Catering Apartment, Provence. Nestling amid quintessential Provençal landscapes with views that stretch as far as the Alps in clear weather, this self-catering apartment is a fittingly idyllic retreat. The interior is charmingly decorated, having retained original features such as wooden beams and exposed stonework which lend it plenty of character. Travelling there by rail helps to set the tone for a week of relaxation and leisurely exploration.

Brittany's Land's End Cycle, Being in northern France, Brittany is one of the regions that you can reach most quickly from London (in under six hours) and, unsurprisingly, a large proportion of our customers choose to travel there by rail. For such a relatively short journey, the difference in climate is impressive: summers are much longer and warmer than they are in Britain, making it perfect for days of leisurely cycling along the rugged coast and long picnics on the beach.

To the Pont du Gard Walk, Roman Provence. This is the walk that we always recommend to anyone looking for a holiday on which the emphasis is just as much on the hotels and the gastronomy as it is on the walking. The scenery is beautiful, as is the 3- and 4-star accommodation in which you stay, and the cuisine is truly outstanding. To really start your holiday in the style in which you mean to go on, we recommend upgrading to first class on your rail journey!

Ancient Périgord Cycle, Dordogne. As the train crosses gently undulating hills coated with fields of corn and sunflowers and dotted with honey-coloured farmhouses in the yards of which strut ducks and geese, it is hard to stop your mind from wandering to the dinners that await you. The rich regional cuisine is a real highlight of this holiday (and all our other holidays in the Dordogne), with duck, truffles and foie gras featuring widely on menus. As you cycle from 22-47 kilometres each day, you have plenty of excuse to indulge!

Mountains of the Auvergne Walk, Massif Central. The train ride into the Massif Central is another journey that really whets your appetite for the week ahead: the anticipation mounts in line with the height of the surrounding peaks. Like the Heart of the Alps Walk, this is one of our most challenging walking holidays, offering a real sense of satisfaction and achievement to keen walkers as it leads from valley to valley along panoramic broad ridges.

Medieval Villages of the South-West Cycle, Aveyron. The Eurostar and TGV high-speed trains may be a modern marvel, but the villages that you discover as part of this holiday are filled with an almost tangible sense of timelessness. Cycling through the cobbled alleyways and arcaded market squares of fortified bastide villages such as Castelnau-de-Montmiral, Puycelci and Cordes-sur-Ciel is to be transported back in time.

Along the Tarn Valley Walk, Tarn. Of all the walking holidays in our Top Ten, this route has featured in our programme the longest, and has always been a popular choice among customers wishing to travel by rail. What makes it such a long-standing classic is the combination of friendly hotels, unspoiled scenery that becomes increasingly Mediterranean as you progress eastwards, and good regional cooking, all complemented by the feeling of being in a little-discovered corner of France.

Luberon Valleys & Villages Cycle, Provence. It is fitting that one of our newest holidays makes use of one of France’s newer TGV lines. The Luberon is quintessential Provence, and as you cycle from village to village you discover enchanting landscapes so beautifully captured in Pagnol’s Jean de Florette and Manon des Sources.

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