Departure from USA

Fly directly into Lyon, or fly to Paris and take the 2-hour direct train that departs from Charles de Gaulle (no train transfer into Paris required).

To give you a rough idea of the landscape, here’s a high level wine region map of France. Hard to believe you can get all the way from Paris to Lyon in 2 hours!

Day 1

Arrive Lyon. Explore this beautiful city, the gateway to the Rhone wine region. The city is divided between the old and new sections, where the Rhone and Saone Rivers cross.

Overnight at a beautiful hotel in the old part of the city, the luxurious Cour des Loges. Power through your jet lag by walking the streets of Lyon, including a funicular ride up to the Cathedral St. Jean Baptiste, then head back down to the old city by foot to enjoy expansive views.

Begin your introduction to the Rhone wine region by sipping local wines overlooking one of the rivers late afternoon for aperitifs. Dinner at a quintessential French bistro near the hotel.

Day 2

Sleep in and enjoy breakfast at the hotel before departing for the vineyards, about an hour’s drive into the countryside. I tend to focus on the northern and central Rhone, from the St. Joseph, Crozes-Hermitage, and down to Chateauneuf du Pape.

Four nights at the Hotel de la Villeon in Tournon-sur-Rhone. This is a gorgeous property, with views of the vineyards and river. It’s a block from all the action, but it’s tucked away on a quiet side street. For anyone wanting quiet time with a fabulous view, they have private natural terraces accessible from the back of the hotel – you can literally climb up all the way to the top of the mountainside if your heart desires.

*There are some fabulous Airbnb’s in Tain and Tournon. Reach out to the lovely Jenny via her property’s website (La Batie) – she has 3 riverfront apartments that are absolutely stunning, well-equipped and comfortable.

Below, photos from the gorgeous Hotel de la Villeon, if that’s more your speed.

Day 3

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel or a local cafe – your choice. There are boulangeries and cafes near the hotel where you can get a great coffee and croissant for a few euros. Breakfast at the hotel is 20 euros, and offers more options.

After breakfast, we’ll visit the Cave de Tain, a cooperative of local wine producers. This will help us get a good overview of the region on our first full day in wine country. Pending weather, we’ll enjoy a guided hike through the nearby vines, then have a picnic lunch in the vineyards with wines from the Cave.

In the afternoon, walk over to the “City of Chocolate,” the headquarters of a widely known brand of chocolates called Valrhona. They offer unlimited tastings of every variety…and, um, there’s A LOT of varieties.

There are riverside bars and cafés where you can enjoy a leisurely afternoon watching barges float by before dinner at a local bistro.

Day 4

After breakfast, head an hour south to Chateauneuf du Pape for the day. Visit the hilltop village and ruins of the chateau where the Pope once made his summer residence. Following lunch in the village, visit a local wine producer for a tasting before heading back to Tain.

If you want to read up on this area’s wines from an approachable source, check out this Wine Folly site. Very down-to-earth explanations we can all understand!

Day 5

Take a day off from touring, with maybe a wine tasting before a casual café lunch.

Active options include renting bikes for a ride along the Rhone River, or taking any number of other vineyard hiking paths, or strolling around town.

Day 6 – Thursday, October 17

After breakfast, depart for Lyon, where you have unlimited options – hit the airport and head stateside, stay a few more nights to explore Lyon, or hop a train to pretty much anywhere in Europe.

My preferred site for booking train tickets is Trainline.com. I suggest downloading the app and creating a profile before we depart the USA, including your credit card info. Makes it simple to book tickets at the last minute, and also saves your boarding pass on your phone. There are plenty of sites where you can book train tickets, though, so use whatever you prefer.