Magnificent France — Self-Launched
10 days · France
Europamundo charges £1,380
No-markup version: ~£1,185 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of Europamundo's 10-day coach loop through France, from the Loire châteaux and Dordogne caves to Bordeaux, Lourdes, Carcassonne, Marseille, Lyon, Burgundy and back to Paris. Instead of a 72-seat coach with rushed stop-offs and rotating hotels, you'll travel by regional train and bus (or a cheap car-share/flexible rail pass), stay in hostels and budget guesthouses, and book the same headline sights — Château de Chenonceau, Lascaux IV, Padirac Chasm, Carrières de Lumières, Fontenay Abbey — yourself in advance. Expect long-ish travel days in the middle of the trip; the trade-off is more time in the places you like and roughly a third of the cost.
Day-by-day
Paris to Amboise — Loire châteaux warm-up
Amboise, Loire Valley
Take a TGV from Paris Montparnasse to Saint-Pierre-des-Corps (~1h, £25-40 booked ahead) then a local TER train to Amboise (~20 min, £5). Check into a hostel or budget guesthouse in the old town (Auberge de Jeunesse Amboise or a small chambre d'hôtes, £25-35/night). In the afternoon walk up to Château d'Amboise and stroll the medieval quarter, then cycle or take a local bus to the Château de Villandry gardens (£9 entry) for the famous formal gardens. Evening: cheap dinner at a crêperie in the old town.
🚌TGV Paris Montparnasse → Saint-Pierre-des-Corps (~£30) + TER to Amboise (~£5); rental bike for local châteaux (~£12/day)
🛏Hostel / budget chambre d'hôtes in Amboise old town
- →Château d'Amboise
- →Château de Villandry gardens
- →Amboise old town walk
Chenonceau and the Dordogne-bound train
Amboise & Limoges
Get to Château de Chenonceau early (it's ~13km east of Amboise — take the seasonal shuttle/velo route or a taxi-share, ~£10pp; entry £14). Optional detour to Château du Clos Lucé, Leonardo's last home (£12). Late afternoon, travel by train via Tours/Châteauroux–Vierzon or a Flixbus connection west to Limoges (~3.5-4.5h, £20-30). Limoges is a compact, cheap overnight stop — wander the historic centre, see Saint-Étienne Cathedral and grab a cheap dinner.
🚌Local bus/shuttle to Chenonceau (~£10); regional train or Flixbus Limoges-bound (~£25)
🛏Budget hotel / hostel in Limoges centre
- →Château de Chenonceau
- →Château du Clos Lucé (optional)
- →Limoges historic centre & Saint-Étienne Cathedral
Limoges to Rocamadour via Sarlat and Lascaux
Rocamadour / Sarlat, Dordogne
This is the day the coach tour rushes — do it better. Train from Limoges to Brive-la-Gaillarde (~1h, £12), then a regional train/bus toward Sarlat (or the Bretenoux-Biars TER with a short bus link). Drop bags, then head to Montignac for Lascaux IV — the cave replica and museum (£17, book a timed slot on the official site or via GetYourGuide). Back via Sarlat for lunch in the honey-stone old town, then on to Rocamadour. Evening: walk the Via Crucis stations and watch the sanctuary light up; take the lift back up (£2).
🚌TER Limoges → Brive (~£12) + TER/bus to Sarlat/Rocamadour (~£10); local bus to Montignac (~£5)
🛏Guesthouse in Rocamadour or Sarlat
- →Lascaux IV cave replica & museum
- →Sarlat old town
- →Rocamadour sanctuary & Via Crucis
- →Château de Beynac (optional, £10)
Padirac Chasm and on to Bordeaux
Padirac & Bordeaux
Morning boat ride into the Gouffre de Padirac (entry with boat ~£19; book online; reachable by local bus from Rocamadour/Gramat in season, otherwise a shared taxi ~£15pp). Early afternoon: train from Rocamadour/Gourdon or Souillac to Bordeaux (~3h, £25-35). Bordeaux evening on a budget: stroll the Water Mirror at Place de la Bourse, the Garonne quays and the old town; skip the Cité du Vin ticket (£22) unless it's your thing, or just do the free riverside walk. Cheap dinner at the Marché des Capucins area.
🚌Local bus/shared taxi to Padirac (~£15); TER/Intercités to Bordeaux (~£30)
🛏Hostel in Bordeaux (e.g. central auberge de jeunesse)
- →Gouffre de Padirac boat ride
- →Bordeaux Water Mirror & quays
- →Old town pedestrian streets
Bordeaux to Lourdes
Lourdes
Slow morning in Bordeaux — coffee, a market breakfast, maybe a self-guided street-art/old-town wander. Afternoon train Bordeaux → Lourdes (via Dax or direct regional, ~2.5-3h, £25-30). Lourdes is small and walkable; visit the sanctuary, the grotto and the baths, and join the candlelit torchlight procession (free, nightly in season, ~21:00). Budget guesthouse near the sanctuary walls is cheapest and easiest.
🚌Train Bordeaux → Lourdes (~£28)
🛏Budget guesthouse near Lourdes sanctuary
- →Lourdes sanctuary & grotto
- →Candlelit torchlight procession
Lourdes – Carcassonne – Narbonne – Marseille
Carcassonne, Narbonne & Marseille
A long travel day, so plan it. Early TER Lourdes → Toulouse (~1h50, £15), then train to Carcassonne (~45 min, £10). Give yourself 2-3 hours inside the Cité — the double walls and castle are free to walk, and the Château Comtal ticket is £10 if you want the interiors. Then train Carcassonne → Narbonne (~30 min, £7) for a quick look at the Occitan old town and canal, before the Intercités/TER down to Marseille (~2h30, £25). Arrive Marseille, dump bags and walk the Vieux-Port at dusk with a cheap pizza or panisse from a harbour stall.
🚌TER Lourdes → Toulouse → Carcassonne → Narbonne → Marseille (~£55 total)
🛏Hostel near Marseille Saint-Charles or Vieux-Port
- →Carcassonne Cité (walls & Château Comtal)
- →Narbonne old town
- →Marseille Vieux-Port evening
Arles, Les Baux & Carrières de Lumières — then Lyon
Arles, Les Baux-de-Provence & Lyon
Day-trip west: train Marseille → Arles (~50 min, £10) for the Roman arena and the Van Gogh trail (arena + theatre combo ~£11), then a local bus/shared taxi up to Les Baux-de-Provence (£5). The Carrières de Lumières immersive show is the highlight (£14, book a timed slot via GetYourGuide or direct). Late afternoon train back to Marseille and onward TGV to Lyon (~1h45, £30-45 booked ahead). Evening: wander Vieux Lyon's traboules and have a cheap bouchon lunch-style dinner.
🚌Train Marseille ↔ Arles (~£10 each way); bus to Les Baux (~£5); TGV Arles/Marseille → Lyon (~£35)
🛏Hostel or budget hotel in Lyon (Croix-Rousse or Guillotière)
- →Arles Roman arena & Van Gogh sites
- →Les Baux-de-Provence
- →Carrières de Lumières
- →Vieux Lyon traboules
Lyon to Dijon via Burgundy vineyards
Tournus, Beaune & Dijon
Morning in Lyon: take the funicular up to Notre-Dame de Fourvière for the free view and basilica, then the riverside walk. Midday train Lyon → Tournus or Chalon-sur-Saône (TER, ~1h15, £15) to break the journey — visit the Abbey of Tournus (£6) or hop off at Beaune instead for the Hospices de Beaune (£13) and a glass in a caveau (£8). Continue TER to Dijon (~45 min, £10). Evening: Dijon's owl-trail (Parcours de la Chouette) is free and self-guided — follow the brass owls past the medieval and Renaissance facades and the Palace of the Dukes.
🚌TER Lyon → Tournus/Beaune → Dijon (~£25 total)
🛏Hostel / budget hotel in Dijon centre
- →Notre-Dame de Fourvière & funicular
- →Tournus Abbey or Hospices de Beaune
- →Dijon owl trail & Palace of the Dukes
Fontenay Abbey, Vézelay and back to Paris
Fontenay, Vézelay & Paris
Hire a bike in Montbard or take the local bus to Fontenay Abbey (£10 entry, a UNESCO Cistercian masterpiece), then travel via Montbard/Avallon to Vézelay for the basilica and hilltop village (free to enter, magnificent light). Semur-en-Auxois is a good lunch stop if you're using the Auxerre/Dijon TER line. Afternoon train back to Paris Gare de Lyon (~2h from Dijon, £35-50 booked ahead; or ~£20-30 by Flixbus). Check into a Paris hostel and end with a cheap picnic on the Seine.
🚌Local bus/bike to Fontenay (~£8); TER to Vézelay area (~£15); train or Flixbus to Paris (~£30)
🛏Hostel in Paris (e.g. canal-side or Montmartre)
- →Fontenay Abbey
- →Vézelay Basilica
- →Semur-en-Auxois (optional)
Paris — at your own pace
Paris
No coach, no hotel drop-offs. Wake up in one place and spend the morning how you want: a free walking tour (£5-10 tip), the Marais and Île de la Cité, or Montmartre at sunrise. Book one ticketed sight if you like — Sainte-Chapelle (£13) is the best value in the city. Grab a bakery lunch and leave for the airport on the RER (£11) or a coach transfer. Trip total assumes a single base and no onward flight.
🚌RER B to CDG or Orlyval/RER to ORY (~£11)
🛏—
- →Free walking tour
- →Sainte-Chapelle (optional)
- →Marais & Île de la Cité
Self-launched vs. Europamundo
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Europamundo | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,185 | £1,380 |
| Duration | 10 days | 10 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £195 per person (14%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Europamundo-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,185
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 Magnificent France — Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,185 per person for 10 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 Europamundo?+
Yes — Europamundo charges around £1,380 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,185 — a saving of roughly £195 (14%) per person.
How long is the France trip?+
This itinerary runs 10 days, covering 10 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, slow-travel, 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?
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