Country Roads of France — Self-Launched
16 days · France
Insight Vacations charges £4,740
No-markup version: ~£1,520 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of Insight Vacations' 16-day "Country Roads of France" coach tour, rebuilt for independent travellers. Same loop — Paris, Champagne, Burgundy, the Alps, the Riviera and Monaco, Provence, Languedoc, the Dordogne and back to Paris — but using budget hotels and hostels, regional TER trains and intercity coaches instead of a private coach, and self-bookable tastings, cave visits and cathedral entries instead of a guided group. Expect wine tastings you book yourself, a cable car up to the Aiguille du Midi, a day trip into Monaco by train, Roman ruins and Van Gogh's Arles, the UNESCO fortress of Carcassonne, prehistoric cave art at Lascaux, and the lavender-and-limestone villages of the Dordogne. Costs are realistic estimates for a solo traveller in shoulder season, assuming a mix of dorm and simple private rooms; expect it to run 55-60% cheaper than the operator's per-person price.
Day-by-day
Arrive Paris — Left Bank orientation
Paris
Land at CDG or Beauvais and take the RER B (about €11.80 / £10) or Roissybus into town. Check into a hostel or budget hotel near Montparnasse or the Latin Quarter — this keeps you close to Gare Montparnasse and Gare de Lyon for the rail legs ahead. Spend the late afternoon walking the Seine: Notre-Dame from the outside, Shakespeare & Company, the Luxembourg Gardens. Eat dinner at a neighbourhood bistro or grab a sandwich and wine from a fromagerie for a cheap picnic on the quai. Buy a Navigo Easy card (€2) and load a carnet of 10 metro tickets (about €17) to cover your Paris days.
🚌RER B from CDG ~£10; Paris metro tickets ~£1.80 each
🛏Hostel or budget hotel, Paris (Montparnasse / Latin Quarter) — dorm £28-40, private double £60-85
- →Walk the Seine and Île de la Cité
- →Luxembourg Gardens
- →Buy Navigo Easy card
Champagne day trip to Reims and Troyes-style old town
Reims / Champagne
Take the TGV from Gare de l'Est to Reims (~45 min, book ahead for €20-30 / £17-26). Visit a Champagne house on a self-bookable cellar tour and tasting — Taittinger, Pommery or the smaller family houses are all bookable direct or via GetYourGuide for £20-30. Walk the Reims Cathedral (free entry) where French kings were crowned. If you want the medieval half-timbered streets the tour visited in Troyes, add a cheap TER hop to Châlons or save Troyes for a separate day trip — it's 1h20 from Paris Est by TER. Return to Paris in the evening.
🚌TGV Paris–Reims return ~£34-50; TER hops ~£10
🛏Hostel or budget hotel, Paris — £28-40 dorm / £60-85 private
- →Reims Cathedral
- →Champagne cellar tour and tasting (self-booked)
- →Medieval old town wander
Paris to Dijon — Burgundy capital
Dijon
Morning TGV from Gare de Lyon to Dijon (~1h40, €25-45 / £21-38 booked in advance). Drop bags at a budget hotel or hostel near the centre. Spend the afternoon on Dijon's self-guided owl trail (Parcours de la Chouette) — a marked walking route past the Palais des Ducs, the Church of Notre-Dame and the half-timbered houses. Pick up mustard at Maille and browse Les Halles market if it's a market day. Evening: Burgundy wine bar with a flight of local pinots, £15-20.
🚌TGV Paris–Dijon ~£21-38
🛏Budget hotel or hostel, Dijon — dorm £25-35, private £55-75
- →Parcours de la Chouette walk
- →Palais des Ducs
- →Les Halles market
- →Burgundy wine bar
Beaune and the Burgundy vineyards
Beaune
Take the TER from Dijon to Beaune (25 min, about €8 / £7). Explore the Hospices de Beaune, the famous tiled-roof hospital, with a self-booked ticket (about €13). Rent a bike (€15-20/day) or walk the vineyard trails towards Pommard and Volnay. Book a small cellar tasting in the town centre or a family domaine — expect €15-25 for a flight of 5-6 wines. Return to Dijon by evening train and eat at a local bouchon-style spot.
🚌TER Dijon–Beaune return ~£14
🛏Budget hotel or hostel, Dijon — £25-35 dorm / £55-75 private
- →Hospices de Beaune
- →Bike ride through Pommard vineyards
- →Domaine wine tasting
Dijon to Chamonix — into the Alps
Chamonix
Long travel day: TER Dijon to Lyon (about 2h, €30) then connect to Chamonix via Bellegarde or Annecy — total 6-7 hours and roughly €55-75 / £47-64. Alternatively, look at a FlixBus or BlaBlaCar ride from Lyon. Check into an alpine hostel in Chamonix Sud (Les Aiguilles or similar). Stretch your legs on the easy walk to the Mer de Glace viewpoint or along the Arve, and watch the sun set on Mont Blanc from the town bridge. Grocery dinner to keep costs down.
🚌TER + regional train Dijon–Chamonix ~£47-64
🛏Alpine hostel, Chamonix — dorm £28-38, private £70-95
- →Mont Blanc views from town
- →Arve river walk
Chamonix — Aiguille du Midi and valley trails
Chamonix
Book the Aiguille du Midi cable car direct or via GetYourGuide — it's the big-ticket item at €75-85 (£65-72) but worth it for the 3,842m platform and Mont Blanc views. Alternative cheaper option: the Planpraz/Brévent lift (€30-35) for the classic Chamonix panorama. Afternoon: hike the Lac Blanc trail if you're fit and the lifts are running, or take the Montenvers train to the Mer de Glace glacier (€37). Evening: a pierrade or tartiflette dinner in a chalet-style bar.
🚌Local buses free with guest card
🛏Alpine hostel, Chamonix — £28-38 dorm / £70-95 private
- →Aiguille du Midi cable car
- →Mer de Glace / Montenvers train
- →Alpine hiking
Chamonix to Annecy to Grenoble
Annecy / Grenoble
Morning bus or train to Annecy (about 1h30, €15-20). Spend four hours in the 'Venice of the Alps' — the canals of the old town, the Palais de l'Isle, the lakeside promenade, and a swim or pedal boat if it's warm. Then take the regional train Annecy to Grenoble (1h20, €20). Check into a budget hotel near the centre and get dinner in the old town.
🚌Bus/train Chamonix–Annecy ~£15, train Annecy–Grenoble ~£17
🛏Budget hotel or hostel, Grenoble — dorm £25-35, private £55-70
- →Annecy old town and canals
- →Lake Annecy promenade
- →Grenoble old town
Grenoble to Nice — the Riviera
Nice
Take the scenic regional train or a direct FlixBus from Grenoble to Nice — roughly 5-6 hours, €35-55 / £30-47. Arrive in the afternoon and check into a hostel in the Old Town (Vieux Nice) or near the Port. Swim at the pebble beach, climb to the Colline du Château for sunset over the Baie des Anges, then eat socca and pissaladière in the market lanes. Buy a 24h or 48h Lignes d'Azur pass (€10-15) for trams and buses.
🚌Train/bus Grenoble–Nice ~£30-47
🛏Hostel or budget hotel, Nice — dorm £30-42, private £70-95
- →Vieux Nice wandering
- →Colline du Château sunset
- →Beach swim
Monaco and Èze day trip by train
Monaco / Èze / Nice
The coastal TER line is the whole trick here — Nice to Monaco is 25 minutes and about €4.50 each way. Walk part of the Grand Prix circuit, see the Palais Princier changing of the guard (11:55, free), visit the Cathedral where Grace Kelly is buried, and stroll down to Port Hercule. The Oceanographic Museum is €19 if you want it. On the way back, stop at Èze-sur-Mer and take the bus up to the medieval village and the Jardin Exotique (€8) for the 400m-high coastal views. Perfumery: Fragonard in Èze offers free self-guided visits and tours.
🚌TER Nice–Monaco–Èze return ~£10-14
🛏Hostel or budget hotel, Nice — £30-42 dorm / £70-95 private
- →Monaco Palace and cathedral
- →Grand Prix circuit walk
- →Èze village and Jardin Exotique
- →Fragonard perfumery (free)
Nice to Aix-en-Provence via Saint-Paul-de-Vence
Aix-en-Provence
Take the bus from Nice to Saint-Paul-de-Vence (about 45 min, €1.50 with the Lignes d'Azur réseau — line 400/655) and wander the medieval ramparts and galleries. Continue to Cagnes-sur-Mer or Antibes by bus, then take a TER/TGV to Marseille and a regional train up to Aix-en-Provence (about 3h total, €30-40). Check into a budget hotel or hostel near Cours Mirabeau and finish the day with a drink at a terrace café.
🚌Bus to Saint-Paul ~£2, train to Aix ~£28-36
🛏Budget hotel or hostel, Aix-en-Provence — dorm £28-38, private £60-80
- →Saint-Paul-de-Vence ramparts
- →Cours Mirabeau café terrace
Aix-en-Provence — markets and pétanque
Aix-en-Provence
Spend the morning at the big Provençal market around Place Richelme and the Hôtel de Ville (best on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday) — olives, tapenade, cheese and lavender for picnic supplies. Visit Cézanne's studio (self-booked, €7) and walk the Cézanne trail to the Terrain des Peintres viewpoint over Mont Sainte-Victoire. In the afternoon, hire a set of boules for a few euros and join a pétanque game on the Cours Mirabeau, glass of pastis in hand.
🚌Local buses ~£3
🛏Budget hotel or hostel, Aix-en-Provence — £28-38 dorm / £60-80 private
- →Provençal market
- →Cézanne studio and trail
- →Pétanque
Pont du Gard and Avignon — buses do this fine
Pont du Gard / Avignon
Take the bus/train combo via Avignon (about 1h20, €15). From Avignon, the B21 bus to the Pont du Gard runs in season; otherwise use the shuttle from the site car park. Walk across the Roman aqueduct, visit the museum and swim in the Gardon below (free with the €8.50 site entry). Back in Avignon, see the Palais des Papes exterior and the Pont Saint-Bénézet (the broken bridge) — a combined ticket is €14.50. Olive oil alternative: the Provençal estates around Les Baux run self-booked tastings if you add a day.
🚌Train/bus Aix–Avignon–Pont du Gard return ~£18-25
🛏Budget hotel or hostel, Aix-en-Provence — £28-38 dorm / £60-80 private
- →Pont du Gard aqueduct
- →Avignon Palais des Papes
- →Pont Saint-Bénézet
Arles, Carcassonne and Albi — the long transfer south-west
Arles / Carcassonne / Albi
Leave early. Train Aix to Arles (about 40 min, €10). Retrace Van Gogh's Arles with a self-guided walking map from the tourist office — the Arena (€11), the Roman Theatre, the Espace Van Gogh. Then take the train Arles to Narbonne and on to Carcassonne (about 2h30, €30) for a two-hour wander inside the UNESCO citadel and ramparts (the château is €11 extra, best skipped if you're short on time). Evening TER to Albi (45 min, €10). This is the tour's hardest travel day done independently — book the trains in advance on SNCF Connect.
🚌TER Arles–Carcassonne–Albi ~£42-50
🛏Budget hotel or guesthouse, Albi — private £55-75
- →Arles Roman Arena
- →Van Gogh walking route
- →Carcassonne citadel
Albi — Toulouse-Lautrec and the brick city
Albi
Easy day. The Toulouse-Lautrec Museum next to the monumental red-brick Sainte-Cécile Cathedral is the star — a combined ticket is about €14. Afterwards walk the old town's timber-framed lanes and the Pont Vieux over the Tarn. Optional: a local bus or hired bike to the hilltop bastide villages of Puycelsi (about 40 min from Gaillac) if you want the tour's optional Gaillac day. Slow dinner of cassoulet and Gaillac wine, £18-22.
🚌Local buses ~£5
🛏Budget hotel or guesthouse, Albi — private £55-75
- →Toulouse-Lautrec Museum
- →Sainte-Cécile Cathedral
- →Pont Vieux
- →Gaillac vineyard option
Cahors, Rocamadour and the Dordogne
Rocamadour / La Roque-Gageac
Train Albi to Cahors via Toulouse or direct TER (about 1h40, €20). Walk the Valentré bridge — the fortified medieval one — and drop into the Saturday market if your timing lines up. Then a TER to Gourdon or Souillac (€10) and a seasonal bus (or a shared taxi, €15-20) up to Rocamadour, clinging to the cliff. Climb the Grand Escalier to the sanctuaries, then base yourself in Sarlat-la-Canéda or La Roque-Gageac in a small gîte or chambre d'hôtes — Sarlat has hostels and cheap guesthouses and better onward links.
🚌Train Albi–Cahors–Souillac ~£26, local bus/shared taxi to Rocamadour ~£15
🛏Gîte or chambre d'hôtes, Sarlat-la-Canéda / La Roque-Gageac — £45-70 private
- →Pont Valentré, Cahors
- →Cahors market
- →Rocamadour sanctuaries
Lascaux II and Sarlat, then back to Paris
Sarlat / Paris
Book a timed Lascaux II ticket online in advance (€13-16) — the replica cave at Montignac, 25 min from Sarlat by bus or 30 min by bike along the Vézère. Alternatively, the original Lascaux IV complex at Montignac is a bigger, better-recommended visit. Spend the afternoon in Sarlat's golden-limestone old town with its market — buy walnut cake and foie gras country produce. Evening: train Sarlat or Souillac to Paris Austerlitz via Brive or Bordeaux (about 5-6h, €50-80 booked in advance), or take the Intercités night train. Fly or Eurostar home the next morning.
🚌Lascaux bus/bike ~£8; train Sarlat–Paris ~£50-80
🛏Last night: budget hotel near Paris Austerlitz and Montparnasse — £50-75
- →Lascaux II / Lascaux IV cave art
- →Sarlat-la-Canéda old town and market
Self-launched vs. Insight Vacations
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Insight Vacations | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,520 | £4,740 |
| Duration | 16 days | 16 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £3,220 per person (68%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Insight Vacations-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,520
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Country Roads of France — Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,520 per person for 16 days in France. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with Insight Vacations?+
Yes — Insight Vacations charges around £4,740 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,520 — a saving of roughly £3,220 (68%) per person.
How long is the France trip?+
This itinerary runs 16 days, covering 16 day-by-day stops through France.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a culture, foodie, budget trip through France, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
Drop your comment below — if you've done a similar route, tell us what worked, what you'd add, or what you'd skip.
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