Luxury Self-drive Holiday in France: Champagne to Bordeaux
9 nights from $5,305pp
Experience the ultimate luxury self-drive holiday France has to offer, journeying from Champagne to Bordeaux through Burgundy and the Loire Valley.
This ten-day grand tour invites you to explore France’s most celebrated wine regions at your own pace, with curated tastings, scenic routes, and luxurious stays that define the essence of French self-drive holidays.
Highlights of our Luxury Self-Drive France Holiday
- Return Eurotunnel travel to France
- Rest your head for two nights in château-style accommodation with a breathtaking view of the vineyards of the Montagne de Reims in Champagne
- Enjoy a full day’s private wine tour visiting three boutique Champagne estates; meet the wine makers and taste up to ten wines coupled with a memorable Michelin-star Champenoise lunch
- Relax in a luxury boutique hotel in one of the most famous villages of Burgundy
- Explore the region with private guides visiting vineyards in Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune, where you will taste up to 30 wines
- Unwind for three nights at a luxury spa hotel surrounded by the lush vineyards in Bordeaux
- Explore the world-famous wine region of Bordeaux with a private expert wine guide, coupled with a two-star Michelin lunch along the way
- Rest in the comfort of an 18th-century château in the Loire Valley and admire the blissful gardens and breathtaking scenery of the final region of your trip
Day 1: Self-Drive Arrival in Champagne
Travel across to France on the Eurotunnel and drive down to Champagne. After settling into your luxury château-style hotel, enjoy a bottle of bubbly on the terrace with panoramic views of the surrounding vineyards. The perfect start to your luxury self-drive holiday in France.
Day 2: Privately Guided Full-Day Champagne Tour
Today is a full-day private Champagne tour. Your dedicated driver and wine guide will collect you from your hotel and you’ll set off to explore the Côtes des Blancs and Grand Cru Village vineyards. You will visit three wine estates today where you’ll meet the makers and be invited to explore their cellars, taste their wines, and share their passion whilst you learn about the production process.
You’ll sample up to ten champagnes throughout the day with a stop for a leisurely local Champenoise picnic lunch. This day tour includes a visit to the village of Hautvillers with the Abbey Saint-Pierre, where the famous Champagne wine was born. Here you will have a chance to see the tomb of Dom Pérignon – the monk to whom we owe a thank you for these beautiful bubbles! In the late afternoon, your guide will take you back to your accommodation.
Day 3: Self-Drive from Champagne to Burgundy
Travel south towards Beaune in France’s Burgundy region. A leisurely drive from door-to-door is about three hours, but you may wish to stop for lunch along the route in Troyes, one of the most alluring of charming medieval French towns.
Unwind for two nights in a former winery, meticulously converted into a luxury boutique hotel, escape the crowds and enjoy tranquility among the vines.
Day 4: Private Full-Day Burgundy Tour
Meet with your private guide after breakfast. Your Burgundy experience continues with a drive through the famous Côte de Nuits or Côte de Beaune region. The day starts with an enlightening oenological tour where you’ll learn all about the local terroir, grape varieties and processes that go into making these famed and formidable wines.
With your appetite well and truly stoked, it’s time for your five-course grand tasting lunch, where you’ll get the chance to sample a selection of the region’s finest wines, including Aligoté, Chassagne, Puligny-Montrachet, Meursault, Pernand-Vergelesses, Rully, Les Sétilles, Saint-Aubin, Volnay and Pommard.
On your return to Beaune, enjoy a special visit to the headquarters of the famous Burgundy wine house in Chassagne-Montrachet. Here you’ll see how some of the finest crus of Côte de Nuits, Côte de Beaune and Côte Chalonnaise are produced. In the evening, you will dine in a cellar restaurant in the heart of Beaune.
Day 5: Self-Drive from Burgundy to Bordeaux
After breakfast there’s just enough time for you to explore the famous food market along Beaune’s cobbled streets (and maybe grab a picnic to enjoy en-route), before bidding farewell to the capital of Burgundy wines.
It’s a full-day’s drive to Bordeaux, with an option to stop in the Dordogne for a night along the way – please ask for details. Arrive in a stunning five-star spa hotel surrounded by the lush vineyards. Choose from a terrace or balcony with a view of the vineyard or lake – yours alone for the next three nights!
Before dinner, relax with some treatments at the vinotherapy spa, take a dip in the pool or explore the lush hotel gardens with an apéritif. You’ll also have the option to enjoy a two-star Michelin tasting menu for dinner.
Day 6: Privately Guided Full-Day Bordeaux Wine Tour
The following day, your private wine guide will collect you after breakfast and you’ll be chauffeured to a Premier Grand Cru Classé château in Saint-Émilion to explore its cellars and winery before a morning wine tasting. Unwind with a memorable three course lunch in a two-star Michelin restaurant with accompanying wines.
The final tasting of the day is at a Grand Cru Classified Château in Pomerol. At each venue you’ll taste the wines and meet the wine makers behind this world-renowned wine region. Alternatively, should you prefer Cabernet Sauvignons, we offer a similar day tour of Bordeaux’s left bank – the Médoc region.
Day 7: A Day at Leisure in Bordeaux City
A day to relax, use the spa and unwind or visit Bordeaux city. Soak up the ambience of its many brasseries and bars and see for yourself why Bordeaux is a designated UNESCO World Heritage site. A stroll along one of Europe’s longest shopping esplanades is also a must, passing over 350 historical monuments along your way. Discover the world of wine in Bordeaux’s La Cité du Vin.
Alternatively, there is of course the option to include a full-day tour on the illustrious left bank and discover the Médoc if you prefer. Please ask for details.
Day 8: Self-Drive from Bordeaux to the Loire Valley
Today you travel deep into the Loire Valley. Relax like royalty in a privately owned château, located in the heart of the Loire Valley’s wine region and nearby to the historic town of Tours.
With free time to explore, lose yourself in Tours as you wander the graceful, café‑lined squares of the old town, admiring the half‑timbered houses and the luminous stained glass of the Cathédrale Saint‑Gatien.
Then follow the Loire’s riverside paths at sunrise, browse the gourmet stalls of Les Halles, or drift into a museum like the Musée des Beaux‑Arts for a quiet moment of colour and culture.
Day 9: Private Loire Valley Wine Tour
Enjoy a full-day private chauffeured Loire Valley wine experience with an English speaking wine guide in Anjou Noir and Anjou Blanc. In the morning visit a wine estate located in the vicinity of Angers, Anjou Noir, followed by a tasting of a selection of wines from the estate.
Lunch will be a relaxed traditional picnic, with of course wines to accompany. The afternoon will be devoted to the Anjou Blanc vineyards. Visit a wine estate located in the vicinity of Bourgueil, Chinon and Saumur, near the western border of the Touraine appellation – where you’ll find “tuffeau” limestone underground. Following the tour, enjoy a final wine tasting before your guide returns you to your château accommodation.
Day 10: Your Final Day in the Loire Valley
Spend your final day relaxing at your hotel – hire bikes and explore the nearby area, enjoy the pool and massage facilities or make a final visit to Blois, a hillside city on the Loire.
Or visit the historic town of Tours and wonder through its medieval streets and squares, half-timbered houses, and paved narrow streets before bidding farewell to France’s noblest of wine regions.
Where You Could Stay in France
Château de Sacy
Lovingly restored from a 19th century ruin, the Château de Sacy is an intimate, romantic hotel set within the rolling vineyards of Champagne, just 20 minutes’ drive from Reims.
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Domaine Les Crayères
Set within seven hectares of beautifully manicured grounds on the edge of Reims, Domaine Les Crayères is an elegant, chateau-style property built in 1904 for Louise Pommery, Marquise of Polignac.
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Hostellerie de Levernois
Set amidst the verdant vineyards of Burgundy, Hostellerie de Levernois is a charming hotel from start to finish.
Read more
We craft each itinerary just for you. Contact our Travel Designers to plan an unforgettable self-drive journey across France, from Champagne to Bordeaux.
Start PlanningFAQs about our Luxury Self-Drive Holiday in France
Can I rent a car for this self-drive tour of France?
Yes, we can absolutely craft your bespoke self-drive tour through France to include a hire car! While many of our UK and European clients prefer to drive in their own vehicles, if you’re flying in from outside of Europe, we can handle all of the rental care arrangements for you so you can still enjoy a cost-effective way to explore France’s wine regions at your own pace.
Will I have to drive to the vineyards and tastings myself?
No, you won’t have to drive to the actual tastings throughout your trip. Instead, you’ll enjoy days in between tours driving from one region to the next, then on your tour days, a private guide will pick you up in the morning from your hotel and take you to your wine tastings. This way, you can relax and enjoy your wine tastings in comfort without having to worry about how you’ll get back to your hotel.
How long do you need to travel around France?
How long you need to travel around France depends on how much you want to see in a single trip and where you want to go. This self-drive holiday is 10 days, taking you to four regions. As a rough estimate for self-driving, we recommended dedicating at least one or two full touring days for each day you spend driving from region to region.
Have more questions?
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