Eat and drink your way through three of France’s most delicious and iconic cities. Cosy up in Lyon’s bouchons, wander the famous streets of Paris, and sip wine in the vineyards of Bordeaux and Saint-Émilion. You can also add a day trip from Paris to the Champagne region.
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Itinerary
2 Nights – Lyon
2 Nights – Paris
3 Nights – Bordeaux (including trip to Saint-Émilion)
Option Extension: Extend Paris by 1 night to visit Champagne
✈️ UK to Lyon 2 nights: Flying into Lyon, at the top of your list will be to head to the UNESCO-listed Vieux Lyon. It’s full of winding cobbled streets, colourful Renaissance buildings, and pretty squares. This area is packed with traditional bouchons and atmospheric restaurants serving classic Lyonnaise cuisine. These small, often no-frills restaurants serve rich, comforting local dishes such as quenelles and salade lyonnaise with many celebrating the recipes of Lyon’s legendary female chefs, the Mères Lyonnaises. Other great areas for food lovers include Croix-Rousse, just north of Vieux Lyon, with its steep, cobbled streets and famous bakery Partisan Boulanger for out-of-this-world croissants. Presqu’île (between the Rhône and Saône rivers) is also a great choice and offers a selection of historic brasseries, modern bistros, and Michelin-starred restaurants. Also head to Halles Paul Bocuse, a huge indoor market in Part-Dieu where locals and chefs shop for everything from cheese and charcuterie to fresh oysters, pastries, chocolate and Lyonnaise favourites. The market also features wine bars and cafes where you can sample the specialities on site.
To work off some of the food, take a stroll along the river, wander round the impressive Lyon Cathedral (Saint-Jean Baptiste) or hop on the funicular to the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière for great views over the city.
🚆 Lyon to Paris (2 or 3 nights with optional extension to Champagne): You’ll take the 2-hour train trip to Paris, where iconic sights such as the Eiffel Tower, Notre-Dame, and the Arc de Triomphe are just part of what makes the city so special. With everything from bustling markets to buzzing brasseries, fine-dining restaurants, and sprawling food halls, the city is a food lover’s dream. Start your foodie wander along Rue Montorgueil, where you’ll find an abundance of boulangeries, cheese shops, and patisseries – perfect for a picnic. For something classic, head to the Latin Quarter for crêpes or explore patisseries dotted across the city for tartes, macarons and beautifully crafted pastries that look too good to eat. For classic French cuisine, including steak frites, duck confit, and coq au vin, head to the bistros of Saint-Germain-des-Prés. For gourmet shopping, visit the food halls such as La Grande Épicerie or Galeries Lafayette Gourmet. And for a taste of modern Paris, explore the 11th arrondissement’s inventive restaurants. Of course, experiencing the Parisian cafe culture is essential. So sit back, enjoy a coffee, and watch the world go by.
If you have time, you could stay an extra night in Paris and take a day trip to the Champagne region. You can easily reach Reims or Épernay by train, where you’ll find big-name Champagne houses including Veuve Clicquot, Moët & Chandon, and Taittinger. Take a tour through the underground chalk cellars where the bottles are aged and learn how Champagne is made. If you prefer something a bit more low-key, head to one of the smaller, family-run producers in one of the nearby villages.
🚆Paris to Bordeaux (3 nights): Your final train journey will take you southwest to Bordeaux, a city that’s just as famous for its architecture as it is for its wine. Bordeaux’s wines are dominated by Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc grapes, known for producing red, velvety wines. The region also has some excellent crisp whites made from Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon.
In the city centre, you’ll find plenty of ways to taste the local wines via the numerous wine bars and cavistes. Many places offer tastings and pairing dinners, and if the timing is right, you can enjoy various wine festivals that showcase Bordeaux’s wine culture. At any time of year though, a must-visit is La Cité du Vin. It’s a stunning modern museum dedicated to wine culture and history. Here, you can taste and learn about wines from around the world and enjoy panoramic views over the Garonne River from the rooftop terrace. Other highlights in the city include the elegant Place de la Bourse with its iconic water mirror, and the impressive Saint-André Cathedral.
Bordeaux is ideally placed to take a day trip to Saint-Émilion, a UNESCO World Heritage village about 40 minutes away. Known for its rich, Merlot-based wines, visit a Grand Cru Classé estate for a tour and tasting where you’ll explore the sunny vineyards and the cellars where the wine matures.
Bordeaux to UK: Time to head back to the UK, full of France’s finest food and wine.
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Anonymous
We contacted eShores having visited the website to discuss a tailor made holiday to the Sporades islands. We spoke to one of the Travel Consultants, Kadie Ryan, who was friendly, efficient and knowledgeable. We received a quote shortly following our conversation and with Kadie's help were able to book our holiday with ease the next day. We are very happy with our experience booking this holiday.
Posted 19 hours ago -
ColinMichael
Fantastic Holiday. Just returned from a great South African holiday, Cape Town 3 nights, Pilanesberg Safari 3 nights and a week in Zanzibar. Big thanks to Chris again, his knowledge helped organise and plan this vacation. This is the second long haul holiday he has booked for us. Each holiday has been faultless even though we have changed the itinerary to suit . The Safari he recommended on this trip, Ivory Tree in Pilanesberg was 5 STAR and made the holiday, another tick on the bucket list. Eshores customer service is second to none. I recommended this company to my daughter who is presently on a Canadian fly drive with them and is thoroughly enjoying it. Based on previous experience Chris has now helped us book Australia, Hong Kong & Dubai for next February, can’t wait. All their trips are good value for money, would not have any hesitation in recommending them.
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Julie
First time booking with eshores, so far So good, everything seems to be going smoothly, our adviser Chris is really helpful and communication and itinerary’s are all great.
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Susan
Gavin truly understands what we like but isn't worried about suggesting new countries or places of interest. All his suggestions have been spot on and enriched our holidays, he is a pleasure to work with. We look forward to many more adventures.
Posted 3 days ago -
Paul
Very knowledgeable and helpful Prompt replies and very quick to answer any questions
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DarrenBoyd
Very happy with what we booked, ( we asked for a trip/experience to Egypt), and Rachel put something together and within the budget we asked for. Once we reviewed it, we tweaked it several times for what we wanted in parts and Rachel did the rest. Very personable and pleasant to deal with. I think we will be looking at other experience holidays through E Shore in the future rather than your standard package holiday.
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Helen
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Ian
Emma did significant grafting on my behalf, and remained understanding when my requirements involved quite a bit of chopping & changing.
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Jacqueline
Cannot recommend our booking experience enough with Anna, friendly, very efficient and took time to help us get the trip we wanted. Would use exhorts next time we book for certain.
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Claire
Booked with eshores last year. Holiday was excellent and everything ran smoothly. We had one problem with one of the transfers in which we missed the plane and had to pay for the next flight but that was sorted and refunded when we returned home. Booked with them again for next year. Matt has been extremely helpful (and patient. We are a nightmare). Eshores are very competetive and I would not hesitate in recommending them and I hope to be using them for years to come.
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