Itinerary Change for 2027: Now Bordeaux, the Dordogne & Biarritz (No Paris, No Lyon)
Just got word today of a few changes to newish Paris, Dordogne & Bordeaux land tour. While I think it was ok to drop Paris, I had suggested starting in Lyon and am disappointed that Lyon was dropped completely. Also looks like too much free time. Good news: now that tour is shorter, price actually dropped! p.s. I've been to Lyon for Christmas markets...amazing!
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We are days away from leaving for this tour, current iteration. We’ve been to Paris many times, but it never gets old. We’re glad it starts there and it sure makes flying in a lot easier. One of the reasons we booked was Lyon; probably would not have if that city was excluded. Only positive change for 2027 (my opinion) is extra time in Biarritz.
Have a great time & I look forward to your review.
I'm shocked at how quickly this trip has changed. We were going to take it last year but went on our own because we wanted to see a famous garden in the Dordogne and have more time in that region. I can't imagine missing Lyon - love that city - for more days in Biarritz. But, if you do go, when you visit St-Jean-de-Luz on day 8, rather than go back to Biarritz you might want to take a 20 minute train to Bayonne, spend the afternoon there, and then take maybe a 10 minute train (or taxi) back to the hotel in Biarritz. We did that on one of our non-Tauck trips.
I agree with Folsomdoc about Paris but you can take a TGV train from Paris to Bordeaux.
I also recommend Bayonne; I was there for the fall Chocolate Festival in 2024 in between visits to Bilbao & Bordeaux. The region's easy enough to do on your own, though I did have to take 2 Flix buses, as trains do not go to the smaller towns.
That's a shame. I was looking at this trip down the road and now I'll be looking at other company's tours.
Also, looking at the Alsace/Champagne tour, they don't go to Strasbourg. Really?
It appears Tauck is trying not to duplicate visiting cities/towns that are available on other of their tours. I like this approach. Since there are so many repeat Tauck guests, it looks like they are trying to offer new places to visit.
We took this tour in 2025 and loved it. It was the first year this itinerary was done and midway during the year, Tauck made slight tweaks for the better. The new itinerary goes in the opposite direction from 2025.
The hotel in Bordeaux looks to be an improvement. Adding days in Biarritz is also an improvement. We skipped the Basque tour to enjoy the beautiful hotel and seaside (it was cool in October but still lovely.) I don't remember a walking tour there.
I was looking forward to seeing Lyon. The poorest stops on our trip were Lyon and the garden tour in Dordogne.
I can see why they eliminated Lyon. In Lyon, the guide was very poor. We were rushed through the market (basically he stood at the door and showed us a mural of Bocuse and told us to be on the bus in 20 minutes - not enought time at all to go through and buy anything. No tour of the actual premises. We were not given a tasting there. The group meal at the Bocuse restaurant was not good and the waiters were rude and inattentive. They appeared to be neophytes. However, people who ate there on their own later were satisfied with their meals. The silk demo was the best thing we saw. $$$ scarves! I think Lyon is vastly overhyped in the media these days. Although Lyon is not included in the new tour, I think that should not be the sole determinant not to take the tour.
I am surprised that the 2027 tour does not go to the renowned Les Jardins de Marqueyssac listed in the 2026 tour. They took us to the Gardens of Eyrignac Manor listed in the 2027 tour. That description misrepresents Eyrignac as "where meticulously scultpted greenery reflects centuries of artistry and care." It does not. It was created in the 1960s. One of the daughters dressed in a historical dress gave a rudimentary tour. The change in gardens back to Eyrignac was likely a timing issue, essentially a filler. We were not there long. Some people might like it. As a snarky garden historian I was not impressed, especially since Marqueyssac is nearby.
One of our most enjoyable stops was on our way from Lyon to the Dordogne in a small restaurant in the small town of Orcival. It was a pleasant stop on the longest drive on the tour from Lyon.
We loved starting in Paris but in this itinerary we would do it on our own and then travel to Bordeaux. That said, the itinerary in Paris was fun - not too busy with nice visits to Montmartre and the Cluny Museum.
Overall, great meals, good timing, food and wine tastings and local culture on the tour. The small group size made a big difference also.
I hope you get to see Marqueyssac some day. It is truly unique, unlike Eyrignac. We had wanted to go on this tour but because Marqueyssac wasn't included we chose to go back last Fall on our own. That garden, however, takes time and I suspect Tauck would not allow enough time to absorb it.
I had talked to Tauck about our hiring a driver to take us to Marqueyssac and then join up with the group but they said it wasn't possible. I can't remember why. But, with this new tour perhaps the garden lovers could check with Tauck about the feasibility.