A grand tour to remember in France with Albatross, from Paris to Nice
It's handy to know and see what else is out there. With this in mind, I was doubly looking forward to my La Grande France tour with Albatross, an award-winning company that has specialised in small-group, European-based tours for more than 30 years but had eluded me until now. Of all their many enticing itineraries, this 16-day Gallic tour particularly piqued my wanderlust, promising a compelling mix of classic sights and comparatively hidden gems.
Beginning in Paris, the tour would snake south via the historic Loire, Dordogne, Limousin, Languedoc-Roussillon and Provence regions before finishing in Nice on the French Riviera. Marshalled by our multilingual, Italian-born tour manager Massimo, and whisked around expertly by French driver Laurent (affectionately nicknamed 'Lolo'), there are 18 of us on this early June tour. That's four fewer than the average group size with Albatross, which caps its tours at 28 guests, but still uses full-size coaches, ensuring passengers have more than enough room. On the longer days on the road, there are comfort stops at motorway service stations where you can use restrooms and grab a coffee. Our coach has wi-fi and USB ports, so we can keep camera and phone batteries charged and stay connected with loved ones back home (and send them regular holiday snaps — and believe me, there are so many to take on this trip).
The intimate group size means you'll get to know your fellow travellers fairly well. You'll likely remember everyone's name and maybe even those of their children, grandchildren, pets, favourite travel destinations, and Aussie rules (or rugby) teams.
There are retired teachers and lawyers, still-working tradesmen and technicians. Most are in their 60s or 70s. Most are couples. There's a handful of solo travellers. Everyone rubs along well. Nearly all are spending a month or two in Europe. Some are also touring the UK, Italy, Germany, or cruising the Norwegian fjords. About half are new to Albatross, and others are returning customers.
They tell me they like the Albatross itineraries and the fact you usually stay several nights in one place, so don't have to pack and unpack as regularly as with some other tour companies.
Complementing the good vibes in our group are the sights and places on our schedule. There are two or three per day, and too many highlights to mention. But here's a sprinkling: visiting the splendid old royal chateaux and gorgeous gardens of the Loire Valley, boating past soaring limestone cliffs on the idyllic Dordogne River, and roaming the picturesque old streets of Sarlat-la-Caneda with guide Bruno — one of the charismatic local storytellers we meet along the way.
I also won't forget the mighty medieval citadel of Carcassonne, the ancient Roman amphitheatre of Nimes, and the awe-inspiring Pont du Gard aqueduct. Some of the window scenery on our route is postcard-perfect — from the bucolic to the rugged — but we also find magic in the numerous caves and chambers that pockmark so much of France. We marvel at Monet's works projected on to the walls of a former quarry, peruse bizarre stalagmites and stalactites on a surreal underground boat ride, and sample varieties of Roquefort on a cheese-tasting outing.
Fromage — many different types — is a staple of our daily breakfasts, along with cured meats, croissants, pains au chocolat and other goodies you'd expect at French petit dejeuners (fruits, cereals, yoghurts) and others you might not (scrambled eggs and bacon).
Three-course group dinners are included on almost half the evenings (some at the hotels, others at local restaurants). Dietary requirements are catered for, otherwise it's generally a case of you get what you're given.
A few dishes are nothing to write home about, but most range from satisfactory to good. You may have crab tartine or duck confit, mushroom risotto or veal with ratatouille followed by delectable patisserie-style cakes or chocolate mousse or apple crumble.
There's a complimentary glass of wine, beer or soft drink with each dinner. Some hosts are more generous than others, notably when we dine alfresco at a countryside winery in the sun-drenched south of France, where staff keep refilling our glasses with white, red, rosé — whatever we fancy.
You'll have ample opportunities to dine alone (or as a couple) on this trip. Most lunches, we're free to munch where we like — whether it's a baguette in the park or a sit-down feast on a tree-shaded town square (most have countless eateries offering three courses for around $40-$50 per person and reasonably-priced a la carte options too).
While there are occasional grumbles within our group — 'we wish we had a bit more time here', 'this afternoon feels a bit rushed' — the tour is mostly well paced considering how ambitious the itinerary is. There's a lot packed in and a few steps to climb here and there, but also a decent amount of free time to slowly amble by yourself, catch up on some laundry, or relax at the hotel (all the ones we stay at have swimming pools).
Massimo ensures we're punctual. We often have appointments with tour guides and pre-booked slots at visitor attractions. It's not all cracking the whip, though. In certain places, when the schedule allows, we're asked if we wish to stay longer, and Massimo also sweetens us with intriguing history, anecdotes and delicacies as we venture through the regions. I especially enjoy the gateau a la broche — a cone-shaped cake he buys in the Aveyron, a largely rural area north of Montpellier, a vibrant but laid-back university city where we spend five enjoyable nights at Le Metropole, a hotel from a bygone era with lovely restored features — including a vintage 19th-century lift — plus contemporary rooms and mod-cons.
Montpellier is on the remaining two La Grande France itineraries for 2025 (starting in Paris on August 17 and August 31). But things are being tweaked next year, when the tour will become even grander. Saying 'au revoir' to Montpellier, but keeping the same day trips to the likes of Pont du Gard and Nimes, the tour will instead stay in Pezenas (two nights) and Villeneuve-les-Avignon (three), while La Rochelle and Bordeaux will join the itinerary. Guests will stay in the latter for three nights, sufficient time to savour Bordeaux's historic core and enjoy tastings and a wine-fuelled lunch in the feted vineyards of nearby Saint-Emilion.
Now, here's the truth. It would be possible to plot an itinerary fairly similar to La Grande France (either the 2025 or 2026 version) and do it independently. You'd have more freedom, and no one to please but yourself. You could do it on a smaller budget. But believe me, it would be a mission, before and during. You'd have to arrange pretty much everything yourself: car hire, hotels, porterage, routes, meals, activities, entry tickets. You'd have to drive the best part of 2000km (on the 'wrong' side of the road), pay all the road tolls, find parking spaces, stick to one glass of wine — or less — for lunch. Rely on your basic/rusty French more times than you'd like (not everyone you'll encounter speaks decent English). It would be exhausting.
Doing an escorted tour strips away so many of the logistical headaches and offers countless luxuries, from having an affable chap like 'Lolo' drive you everywhere, to visiting stunning places you'd perhaps otherwise miss, and meeting good (and interesting) people you'd otherwise never know.
Bref —
a word the French use to mean 'to cut a long story short' — this was a tour I'll cherish for years to come.
+ The 2025 La Grande France tour: Paris to Nice costs $10,987 per person (based on two sharing) or $14,087 (solo). For the 2026 itinerary, which has three extra nights, and has departures from Paris on May 17, June 7, August 23, and September 13, it's $15,887 per person (twin) and $20,887 (solo). The prices include all tips for tour manager, driver and local guides. See
albatrosstours.com.au
+ To help plan a trip to France, see
france.fr
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