Luxurious Self-Drive Holidays in France

At a glance

Trip Summary

After breakfast on day two, you will be met at the hotel by an English-speaking specialist driver/guide, who will accompany you throughout the day on a private basis. You will be transported in a spacious Mercedes Viano-style vehicle and your guide will follow the necessary safety procedures whilst regaling you with tales and anecdotes of the history of Champagne and its vineyards, introducing you to the particularities of the region. You will firstly be welcomed as the VIP guests of Champagne Taittinger. Here, you will be taken on a private tour of the estate and cellars followed by tastings of three Taittinger Champagnes including their Prestige Cuvée, Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs.

You will then be taken to the famous hilltop village of Hautvillers, the “cradle of Champagne”. As well as having time to admire the spectacular views across the vineyards and visit the Church where Dom Pérignon is buried, a comparative tasting session of three single varietal Champagnes will take place in a quaint tasting boutique in the village. Platters of cheeses and gourmet local delicacies will also be served. Please rest assured that all restaurant partners will follow strict safety guidelines, respecting social distance and hygiene rules. After lunch, you will be taken out into the vineyards to visit a small, family-run producer of Champagnes for a private tour of the fascinating Champagne making process from press to bottle, followed by at least three tastings of the estate’s Champagnes.

Ending the day in true style, you will then visit the prestigious estate of Veuve Clicquot. Here you will explore some of the estate’s 1600 year old chalk pits before enjoying a tasting of 4 Champagnes from the Veuve Clicquot range. Your guide will take you back to the hotel at the end of the afternoon. In the evening, a six course Champagne tasting dinner will be served in the hotel’s Michelin-starred restaurant. Each course will be perfectly paired with Champagnes from one of the region’s prestigious Maisons.

For those staying a third night, the four day package includes a second, slightly shorter day of tours with your driver/guide. You will firstly be taken to a pretty Champagne-making village, where you will visit a premium, up-and-coming boutique Champagne House. Your private tour will be followed by a delicious three course lunch served in the private dining room, alongside a selection of the estate’s Champagnes.

In the afternoon, you will be taken on a private river cruise in a beautiful vintage wooden cruiser with a bottle of Champagne served on board. This is a great way to experience the vineyards from a different perspective and see local sights such as The De Castellane tower and the locks and dams in Cumières. After such a substantial lunch, you may not be feeling hungry this evening. We therefore recommend the hotel’s fabulous bar snack menu, which you may wish to enjoy on your balcony or terrace with some more bubbles.

After a leisurely breakfast and check out on your final day, drive back to the UK, taking the Eurotunnel at your convenience. If you would like to extend your trip to France and visit other regions (for more wine or just to relax), we would be delighted to provide inspiration.

Region Map

Outline Itinerary

Day Three (Optional)

• After breakfast, your driver/guide will return and accompany you throughout a second day on a private basis. Your tour day will comprise of:
• A private tour and three course lunch with tastings at a boutique Champagne House.
• A private river cruise with Champagne served on board.
• For a lighter dinner this evening, we recommend the hotel’s excellent bar snack menu, which you may wish to enjoy on your balcony or terrace.

Final Day

• After a leisurely breakfast and check out, make your way back to the UK, taking the Eurotunnel from Calais to Folkestone at your convenience.

(ii) The outline itinerary is indicative and is subject to minor changes depending on supplier availability. Availability cannot be guaranteed until we have received a confirmed booking, together with the deposit payment (or payment in full where the dates of travel are in less than 60 days). If the named accommodation / visits are not available, we will endeavour to find suitable alternatives of a similar grade; this may be subject to a supplement or a rebate depending on the price available.

Package Prices

• These prices are per person and based on two people travelling together and sharing a twin or double room.
• These are realistic guide prices, based on travel in standard season (usually April to the end of October). Discounts often apply for travel out of season (usually November to the end of March) or if there are more than two of you travelling together. Please let us know your preferred travel dates for a definitive price.
• Although we propose specific hotels as part of our standard packages, we enjoy excellent relationships and preferential rates at the majority of the hotels in each of our featured destinations. Therefore if you would prefer to stay in a different hotel, this can be arranged. Please contact us for the relevant supplements/discounts.
• Other room grades are available at most of the hotels that we work with. Just let us know which hotel you prefer and we will send you the relevant supplements for the various room grades.
• Single supplements and extra night prices are available upon request.

Special Offers

Further Information