France

At Great Rail Journeys we offer our guests a variety of escorted rail tours in France covering everything from a romantic Seine cruise to a short break in the rustic Dordogne region or a longer relaxing stay on the shores of Lake Annecy. Whichever you choose, you can be sure that our French rail breaks offer excellent value. The price of your trip covers travel to, from and within France, accommodation of a high standard, an itinerary of excursions designed to highlight the best aspects of each French destination and a selection of meals.

You'll stay in hotels that we've personally selected for their quality and value to ensure that you enjoy the best comfort, service and facilities. Where possible you'll stay in family-run hotels which we find are more relaxed and give our guests a more personal service.

France's modern history is a story of invasions and conflicts for control. The region of Europe originally known as Gaul was ruled by Celtic tribes until the Roman Empire, under Julius Caesar, took control in 58BC. When Rome fell, Gaul was ruled by a heathen tribe - the 'Franks', who gave the country its name and its first king: Charlemagne. The monarchy continued despite an attempted invasion by the English during the 'Hundred Years War' between 1337 and 1453. They were defeated thanks to the army-rallying efforts of a young French peasant called Joan of Arc. By the seventeenth-century, ruled by King Louis XIV France had become a European superpower but a subsequent financial crisis and disillusionment with the monarchy sparked the French Revolution in 1789. The monarchy was abolished and France became the republic that it remains today.