Find your next holiday
Filter Holidays
Last-Minute Holidays
Look forward to a holiday departing soon!
Enchanting Festive Breaks
Book early to guarantee your place!
Basque Country, Carcassonne, the Languedoc & the Dordogne
Discover the delights of the beautiful Basque Country, a region in the western Pyrenees shared by both France and Spain. Our holiday begins with an overnight crossing from Portsmouth or Plymouth to Santander, on board Brittany Ferries’ Pont Aven, whose features including a cocktail piano bar and entertainment area for your enjoyment. Arriving on the Spanish side of the terrain we first visit Guernica, then head for San Sebastián, a stunning resort town on the Bay of Biscay. After that, it’s another day of Basque delights but this time on the French side, taking in Biarritz & St. Jean de Luz. Our tour doesn’t end there, with a few gems thrown in between, this carefully thought-out itinerary also covers the fortified town of Carcassonne and the spectacular setting of Rocamadour, plus much more.
Tour Includes
- 8 nights hotel with continental breakfast
- 5 evening meals
- Overnight ferry crossing from Portsmouth or Plymouth to Santander with Brittany Ferries in a two-berth en-suite inside cabin (meals at extra cost)
- Convenient regional joining points
10 days from £1,289pp
Travel Options
Outbound &
Inbound Travel
Outbound
Travel
Inbound
Travel
On-Tour
Experiences
Steps to booking your Holiday
-
Tour Details Find a day-by-day breakdown
of the tour -
Select your Departure Browse the available
departure dates -
Checkout Follow our secure checkout
process to book your place
Itinerary
Please choose your preferred 10 day itinerary
Please note: When you board the ferry at Portsmouth/Plymouth you will require a small overnight bag containing any essential items such as medication. Please note that this small bag (no larger than a small rucksack) is counted as part of your overall luggage allowance.
Evening arrival in Santander, then travel to Zarautz for a two-night stay.
Included excursion, first to Guernica which was infamously bombed by the Nazis during the Spanish Civil War. The haunting museum is well worth a visit (admission is extra). Later, we head to San Sebastián with its stunning setting on a sweeping, shell-shaped bay. San Sebastián, or Donostia (its Basque name), is renowned for beautiful sandy beaches, and has many excellent seafood and tapas restaurants.
Includes Breakfast
Included Highlights
We begin our day with a journey along the French Basque coast where we make a stop in glamorous Biarritz, a famed playground for the French rich, with a seafront lined with grand buildings. We later continue to the small French resort of St. Jean de Luz, with its sheltered, sandy beaches and pretty old town. We continue on to Carcassonne for a three-night stay.
Includes Breakfast
Includes Dinner
Included Highlights
Spend a full day in the medieval, walled town of Carcassonne, famous for the defences of the medieval city. The city exists in two parts – the more modern ‘Bastide St Louis’, which contains the Cathedral of St. Michel, and the walled ‘Cité Medieval’ whose fortifications were built over many centuries and featured in the religious wars between the Cathars and Albigenses. The walled ‘Cité Médieval’ with its cobbled lanes, is a joy to explore with spectacular views towards the Pyrenees from the medieval walls.
Includes Breakfast
Includes Dinner
Included Highlights
Optional excursion around the Languedoc region, which takes us first to the hill-top town of Béziers, once a Roman staging post and now an important wine-growing town. The imposing Cathedral has impressive views over the surrounding countryside, and the Canal du Midi crosses the River Orb by means of an amazing 240-metre long aqueduct. We continue to Narbonne, which boasts a pretty medieval core, and a fine Gothic cathedral.
Includes Breakfast
Includes Dinner
Optional Excursions
Our optional excursions are a great addition to enhance your holiday experience and are highly recommended.
| 2025 | 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Béziers & Narbonne | 2025 £23 | 2026 £24 |
The optional excursions will be available to book during your tour.
Prices are per person and are subject to change. Payment will be in Euros (cash payments only).
We head to the rose-red town of Albi, birthplace of the artist, Toulouse-Lautrec. See the impressive 13th century Palais de la Berbie, now a museum, containing a comprehensive collection of his work. We continue along the Lot Valley, to the pretty town of Cahors, situated on a loop of the Lot River. The town’s long and sometimes turbulent past is best represented in its architecture, with Gallic, Roman, Moorish and English influences. We continue to Rocamadour for two nights.
Includes Breakfast
Includes Dinner
Included Highlights
Included excursion to the charming town of Sarlat in the Perigord-Noir, a fascinating town with some of the best-preserved medieval buildings in France. In the afternoon, we return to Rocamadour for time at leisure. Spectacularly perched on a limestone cliff overlooking the gorge of the River Alzou, Rocamadour is an important pilgrimage site for the French, where Saint Amadour was reputed to have lived as a hermit. There are many small chapels, including the Chapelle de Notre Dame with its famous Black Madonna, a 12th century carved wooden depiction of the Virgin Mary holding baby Jesus.
Includes Breakfast
Includes Dinner
Included Highlights
To the Paris area for an overnight stay. En route we stop in the Remembrance village of Oradour-sur-Glane, scene of a German SS massacre of the villagers. The ruined village has been left exactly as it was during World War 2.
Includes Breakfast
Included Highlights
Return home.
Includes Breakfast
Accommodation
You will stay for two nights at the 3-star Hotel Zarauz in Zarautz, then three nights at the 3-star The Originals Hotel in Carcassonne or similar, followed by two nights at the 2-star Hotel Lion d’Or in Rocamadour.
Overnight stay in the Paris area will be in a city-style hotel.
On the overnight sailing, accommodation will be in two-berth, en suite cabins.
Brittany Ferries
Sail on Brittany Ferries’ cruise ferry, the Pont-Aven, enjoying the stunning features this wonderful ship has to offer. There’s a pool and leisure area, cinema, wrap-around promenade for scenic, leisurely strolls around the deck – and even an impressive five-deck high atrium, complete with panoramic views from the lifts.
Hotel du Lion D'or
This family-run hotel is steeped in character and tradition, located in an exceptional setting in the heart of the medieval city of Rocamadour.
Hotel Facilities
Need further information? Fill in our enquiry form and we'll get back to you as soon as we can
General
- English Speaking Staff
- Guest Lounge
- Restaurant
- Lift
- Central Location
Room
- TV
- Hairdryer
- Extra Pillows and Blankets
- Non-Smoking Rooms Available
- Shower and Bath
- Telephone
- Free Wifi
Service
- Safe Box in Reception
- Iron at Reception
- Laundry Service
Accessibility
- Fridge Available for Medical Requirements
- Disabled Rooms Available
- Wheelchair Access
Food & Drink
- Vegetarian Meals
- Gluten Free Menu
Hotel
- English Speaking Staff
- Guest Lounge
- Restaurant
- Lift
- WiFi Available
Brit Hotel Carcassonne - Bosquet
The Brit hotel is located close to the medieval city, and UNESCO World Heritage site, of Carcassonne. The fortified city, perched on a hilltop, is host to one of France's most picturesque old towns.
Hotel Facilities
Need further information? Fill in our enquiry form and we'll get back to you as soon as we can
General
- 3 Star
- English Speaking Staff
- Bar
- Restaurant
Room
- Tea and Coffee Making Facilities
- Hairdryer
- Extra Pillows and Blankets
- Air Conditioning
- Non-Smoking Rooms Available
- Bath
- Telephone
- Free Wifi
Service
- Safe Box in Reception
- Iron at Reception
Accessibility
- Fridge Available for Medical Requirements
- Disabled Rooms Available
- Wheelchair Access
- Ground Floor Rooms on Request
Food & Drink
- Vegetarian Meals
Transport
- Bus Stop Nearby
Hotel
- English Speaking Staff
- Bar
- Restaurant
- WiFi Available
Hotel Zarauz
Located just a 3-minute walk from the beach, the Hotel Zarauz is set in the heart of the Basque Country, just over 9 miles from the city of San Sebastian.
Hotel Facilities
Need further information? Fill in our enquiry form and we'll get back to you as soon as we can
General
- 3 Star
- English Speaking Staff
- Guest Lounge
- Bar
- Restaurant
- Lift
- Central Location
Room
- TV
- Hairdryer
- Fridge
- Non-Smoking Rooms Available
- Bath
- Telephone
- Free Wifi
Service
- Safe Box in Reception
- Room Service Available
- 24 Hour Front Desk
- Iron at Reception
- Laundry Service
Food & Drink
- Vegetarian Meals
- Gluten Free Menu
- Lactose or Dairy Free Menu
- Vegan Menu
Transport
- Bus Stop Nearby
- Train / Tram Nearby
Hotel
- English Speaking Staff
- Guest Lounge
- Bar
- Restaurant
- Lift
- WiFi Available
Silver Service Coach
More than simply your method of transport, Silver Service offers a coach with added comfort and facilities, such as deluxe reclining seats with leather headrests, an onboard entertainment system, and a spacious rear lounge so you can socialise with your fellow passengers.
Silver Service Features
- Specially designed reclining seats, with leather headrests, footrests and extra legroom.
- A spacious rear lounge where you can relax, socialise and get to know your fellow passengers.
- Our onboard entertainment and satellite navigation system makes your journey fly by.
- Free personal headphones mean you can tune into the music channel, listen to the radio or watch DVDs being played by your crew.
- Personal tables so you can enjoy your refreshments in comfort as you take in the passing scenery.
Reviews
4.3 Out of 5 ( 8 Reviews )
Reviews
Quality
4.3 / 5
Value for Money
4.5 / 5
Barbara Routledge, 1 year ago
We saw a lot of places but it was too crammed in.Like a lot of other people on the tour,we would rather visit one place rather than two in a day.The hotels were disappointing apart from the one on the last night in the Paris.Food was also poor.The coach drivers were friendly and helpful.As said by some others,Cathor was a waste of time.
Verified, collected via Trustpilot
Brian A Gallagher, 1 year ago
While I enjoyed the holiday as a whole the hotels were basic especially in Rocamador, also I was disappointed to be in the annex and not in the main hotel. The visit to Cahors was a waste of time, much better to have spent more time in Albi and arrive in Rivals for earlier.
Verified, collected via Trustpilot
William Wade, 1 year ago
Excellent drivers, wonderful scenery across pyrenees, drivers needed to be good. Carcassonne was good but not ideal to visit on Sunday. Plenty to see in all towns except cahors.
Verified, collected via Trustpilot
Sue kiernan, 1 year ago
Great trip down a history lane
Verified, collected via Trustpilot
Tony, 1 year ago
I think they tried to do too much in the time available but this is obviously a very personal view. Also think that it would be good for them to produce some handouts about the various towns/places visited. It always took some time to visit the Tourist Office to get a map/information which meant less time to go to see the local attractions. It was very good not having to worry about moving one's luggage about.
Verified, collected via Trustpilot
Pauline, 1 year ago
This was a wonderful tour and great value for money
Verified, collected via Trustpilot
Departure Dates
