Steam in Gascony and the Pyrenees

This all-new tour visits the Atlantic region of southwestern France, where there are numerous railway attractions and cultural sights to enjoy.

• Take advantage of efficient high-speed connections and travel by Eurostar and TGV to quickly reach the elegant city
  of Bordeaux.
• Enjoy the splendour and majesty of Bordeaux, with its spacious squares, classic palaces and distinctive Francophone flair.
  A complimentary public transport rover ticket will allow you to explore its extensive tramway too!
• Make a short day-trip from Bordeaux to Saint-Emilion, one of France’s most charming and dignified wine-growing towns. You will visit a vineyard and taste the world famous red wine.
• Stay at the historic city Bayonne, right next to the sophisticated French seaside resort Biarritz, a beautiful old town located right on the rugged Atlantic coast
• Experience the thrill of steam in the steam in the Dordogne at the Haut Quercy heritage railway, a line embedded along scenic rock formations and quaint towns.
• Travel on the famed teak-bodied trains of the legendary La Rhune rack railway, one of the most charming mountain railways in southwestern Europe and from where there are stunning summit views of both the Atlantic and the Pyrenees.
  

Thursday 28th August
London to Bordeaux by rail
You travel from London St Pancras to Paris Nord by Eurostar, before changing to Paris Montparnasse and continuing from there on a TGV high-speed train to Bordeaux. On arrival, you check into your centrally located hotel and will be given a complimentary public transport rover ticket, allowing you to make use of the excellent tram system. Dinner tonight is at the hotel. (D)

Friday 29th August
Saint-Emilion and vineyard visit
Today you visit the picturesque wine-growing town of Saint-Emilion in the heart of the Bordeaux region. This 12th century fortified town is wonderfully well preserved, home to architectural and historical wonders like Ursuline’s Convent, where the famous Saint-Emilion macaroons were created, the Great Wall, and magnificent Brunet Gate, one of six medieval gates to admire. Many of Saint-Emilion’s cobbled streets, called ‘Tertres’, have metal handrails to help you climb the dramatic steep inclines. Located just east of the city, you visit a local vineyard for a wine-tasting experience. After leisure time in the old town, you return to Bordeaux in the afternoon. (B D)

Saturday 30th August
Leisure, museums and tramways in Bordeaux
Today you may enjoy the city of Bordeaux and all it has to offer. Beautiful, vibrant Bordeaux is France’s sixth biggest city, home to a variety of fascinating attractions. The Miroir d’Eau, for example, is the world’s largest reflecting pool, an impressive 3450 square metres of black granite on the quayside. The Cathédrale St-André, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, dates way back to 1096, and the city is home to numerous world-class museums. You can use your complimentary public transport ticket to ride the extensive tramway or enjoy admission to the famed Musée des beaux-arts de Bordeaux, which has a collection of famed 19th and 20th century French painters and is located in a stately gallery. Tonight you are free to sample the best of French cuisine at a city restaurant of your choice. (B)

Sunday 31stAugust
Steam in the Dordogne at the Haut Quercy heritage railway
In the morning you make a direct coach transfer through the Aquitaine region to the Haut Quercy heritage railway, where a charming steam train operates on the hilly terrain between Martel and Saint-Denis-les-Martel. The railway, which is affectionately known as ‘Le Truffadou’ features both French and Polish-built steam locomotives as well as attractive fresh-air open-sided coaches that provide superb views of the surrounding scenery. Once part of the old Bordeaux - Aurillac main line, much of the preserved route passes along numerous noteworthy rock formations. After a full round-trip on the 13 km long line you have time to sightsee the pretty town of Martel before returning to Bordeaux in the afternoon. Martel’s unique skyline offers seven enormous medieval towers to admire. The glorious Palais de la Raymondi, built between 1280 and 1330, was once home to the town’s tax collector. Saint Maur’s church looks more like a fortress than a place of worship. Tonight dinner will once again be at the hotel. (B D)

Monday 1st September
On to Bayonne and Biarritz
After a leisurely breakfast you continue in the late morning by TGV to the historic city of Bayonne, framed by a beautiful cathedral and located at the confluence of the Rivers Adour and Nive. This beautiful Basque seaside town is near the Bay of Biscay has been a fashionable destination since the 1800s, when Napoleon’s wife Empress Eugénie decided to spend her summer holidays here. The city offers countless inviting cafés, excellent fine dining and pâtisserie boutiques. Full of history, elegance and French flair, you get to enjoy Bayonne and nearby Biarritz and all it has to offer for the next four nights. (B D)

Tuesday 2nd September
La Rhune rack railway in the Pyrenees
Opened in 1924, the rack railway from Col de Saint-Ignace to the summit of La Rhune at 881m above sea level is the main mountain railway in southwestern France and technically noteworthy as it still operated using its original teak-bodied coaches and vintage Swiss locomotives. During the ascent, there are sweeping vistas of the mountains and the Atlantic Ocean, including the view down to Biarritz. After the full-round trip journey, you make the short return by coach to Bayonne and have more late afternoon time at leisure in this lovely city and neighbouring Biarritz. Tonight you are once again free to find your own favorite restaurant. (B)

Wednesday 3rd September
By rail to Saint-Jean-de-Luz and Hendaye
Travelling along the Atlantic seaside you make the short railway excursion from Bayonne via Biarritz to the fishing village and seaside town of Saint-Jean-de-Luz. Colorful houses frame the waterfront, which also includes a sandy beach. Railway enthusiasts will enjoy making the short continuation from Saint-Jean to Hendaye, France’s southwestern most port and border station with Spain. This is where the standard gauge railway network also ends. At the pretty station of Hendaye you will have ample time to watch trains or walk across the pedestrian border bridge to Irun, Spain. In the evening you rejoin your fellow travellers for a final group dinner at the hotel in Bayonne. (B D)

Thursday 4th September
Return to London
The time has come to bid France’s Atlantic Coast a fond farewell, as you travel from Bayonne to Paris Montparnasse and then transfer to Paris Nord for the return with Eurostar to London St Pancras. (B)