Explore the villages and vineyards of the Bordeaux region, where each day reveals historic cities, UNESCO-listed wonders and exquisite vineyards

Your holiday begins today as we meet at London St Pancras and join the Eurostar to Paris. From here, we travel by coach and rail through the French countryside to Bordeaux, where we board our ship on the banks of the Garonne River.

Take some time to settle into your cabin and explore the ship's inviting lounges or the open deck, where you can take in the riverside scenery. This evening, we enjoy a welcome cocktail before our first dinner, accompanied by an evening of entertainment.

Due to navigational considerations and tidal influence, the order of the itinerary may change.

Following breakfast on board, we begin delving into this famous wine town's allures on a guided tour. Beautiful Bordeaux brims with 18th-century grandeur and 21st-century energy. As the world's largest urban World Heritage site - with diverse architecture, welcoming boulevards and a quaint Old Town - Bordeaux is also the heart of one of the world's most renowned wine regions.

Famous for its exceptional vintages, the city offers an excellent choice of wine bars and museums dedicated to its rich wine-making heritage. This sets the perfect stage for our upcoming journey along the Médoc wine route, where we will discover some of the region's most prestigious vineyards and châteaux.

Returning to the ship this evening, we enjoy a wine tasting to sample Bordeaux's bold and flavourful wines and then settle in for dinner.

This morning, we set off on our first cruise on the Dordogne to Libourne. Stepping ashore this afternoon, we travel by coach to St Émilion for a guided coach tour of this UNESCO-listed city. According to legend, a Benedictine monk named Émilion sought refuge in one of the natural caves in the area to escape the celebrity status bestowed on him for performing a miracle. We see this very cave on our tour, as well as the largest monolithic church in Europe and other sites that tell the story of this medieval commune.

Visiting a family-run vineyard next, we have our first tasting of some popular local wines before returning to our ship, where we sail to Cussac during dinner, mooring overnight.

This morning we wake in Cussac, a sleepy village on the banks of the Gironde river. On a guided tour through the celebrated Médoc wine route, we're treated to our second tasting at a vineyard along the Route des Châteaux, famous for its collection of medieval castles and wine estates stretching from the south to the north of the Alsace region. We learn about the unique blend of soil, climate, and tradition that contributes to the rich flavours of the renowned wines produced in this region.

Following lunch, we spend the afternoon on board sailing from Cussac to Royan, a coastal town with beautiful beaches, a seaside promenade and art deco architecture. We moor here for the night and have dinner this evening alongside some entertainment.

After breakfast, we travel by coach to Rochefort, an ancient maritime city on the banks of the Charente River. On a tour into the city's intriguing past, we visit the Corderie Royale, a historic rope-making factory which supplied the French navy for centuries.

We then continue to one of the most historically important seaports on the European Atlantic coast, La Rochelle. After lunch at a local restaurant, we tour the natural and man-made architecture that makes this destination so unique. You then have time at leisure in La Rochelle to explore the Old Town and harbour, or you could visit one of the city's many museums.

Setting sail again early this morning, our ship moors in the fortified 13th-century town of Cadillac on the banks of la Garonne. With two excursions today, we begin with a tour of the medieval Roquetaillade Château, named after the troglodyte caves underneath. Built in 1306 as the last English castle in France, it is has been owned by the same family for 700 years. It was opened to the public in 1956 and there's a working farm with Bazadais cattle, as well as a vineyard that produces the famous white wine, Chateaufort de Roquetaillade.

Later, we enjoy a short guided walking tour of Cadillac to uncover this medieval town. With streets of limestone buildings, Cadillac's focal point is its stately 15th-century Ducal Château. We return to our ship and set sail for Bordeaux. This evening, we enjoy a gala dinner, a memorable conclusion to our cruise.

After a final breakfast onboard, it's time to say goodbye to our crew this morning. We head to the station by coach and board the train to Paris, where we connect with the Eurostar back to London St Pancras.

Our holiday comes to an end here and you can make your way home with new memories of the castles, towns and vineyards of the Bordeaux region from the city's 18th-century architecture to tasting local wines on the Médoc wine route and exploring Rochefort, La Rochelle, Roquetaillade Château and Cadillac.

Please note that while every departure of this tour will feature the same excursions, the order may differ from that shown above.

Step aboard the high-speed international rail service, linking London St Pancras to Paris and Lille in France, Brussels in Belgium and Amsterdam in the Netherlands.

Eurostar's Standard Class coaches feature two seats on either side of the central aisle, most of which are arranged in an 'airline' seating configuration with drop-down tray tables. There are two tables for four per carriage. Passengers travelling in Eurostar Standard Class coaches can take advantage of the Bar-Buffet which sells a range of snacks, meals, and hot and cold drinks - including Champagne!

The highest class of Eurostar travel available for leisure customers is Plus class. In your dedicated Plus carriage you'll find a less dense seat configuration, meaning the seats are larger and you have ample space to relax and stretch out. As part of the service, you'll enjoy complimentary drinks and refreshments, served at your seat by friendly, helpful waiting staff.

For the class of travel used on your chosen tour, please refer to the 'What's Included' section of the tour page.

We enjoy this river cruise aboard the MS Cyrano de Bergerac which offers great cuisine, an exciting package of included shore excursions and modern amenities on every deck - all combining to make for a wonderfully enjoyable cruise.

MS Cyrano de Bergerac offers great cuisine, comfortable cabins and modern amenities on every deck. These include a lounge and bar area with a dance floor, an elegant restaurant, a sun deck with loungers and a terrace area. Wi-Fi and air-conditioning are featured throughout and there's also a 24-hour reception - all combining to make for a wonderfully enjoyable cruise.

Your holiday begins the moment you meet your Tour Manager at St Pancras International and board the Eurostar train for mainland Europe. If you wish to get your holiday off to an extra special start, why not consider upgrading your on-board accommodation from Standard Class to Plus Class?

As well as all the amenities enjoyed in Standard Class, Plus Class travellers benefit from extra spacious, comfortable seats, complimentary newspapers and magazines and a light snack with drinks served at your seat during the journey. Before 11am, the light snack comprises breakfast pastries, yoghurt, fruit juice and tea or coffee. After 11am there is a choice of 2 main dishes and a dessert, accompanied by soft drinks, wine or beer and tea or coffee.

Prices for an upgrade from £110pp each way. Please call us for more details.

Spending a night in London before your tour can make such a difference to the first day of your holiday - you can arrive in the capital in good time, relaxed and ready to join your Tour Manager the next morning. You may even want to take in a show on the West End or dine in one of London's famous restaurants. Perhaps on your return to London, you would like to break your journey with an overnight stay before continuing home.

We can book a wide range of hotels in central London or, for our holidays beginning with a flight, at Heathrow, Gatwick, or Manchester Airport for the night before or after your holiday. If you require a quote for single occupancy at any of the hotels, please contact us on 01904 734 805.

Buying tickets for UK train services can be a tricky business - there are so many fares to choose from, each with different rules and restrictions. As you are connecting with an international departure, we strongly recommend that you book a fully flexible ticket to ensure that should the departure times for your holiday change, your rail ticket can allow for these changes.

We can book fully-flexible UK rail tickets from your local station to join your holiday whether this be a European holiday from St Pancras or a UK holiday. The prices are competitive and tickets are not restricted to a particular train or time of day, and in most cases offer you a free choice of routes.

For an up to date quote from your local station, please ask one of our Tour Advisors.