Easy French Wine Map You Need to Plan Your Dream Wine Tour

Have you ever wondered where the French wine regions are located, and how best to get there?

First, when planning your wine tour to France, it’s best to see where the French wine regions are situated on a French wine map!

Then gauge how far the French wine region is from Paris, or where you will arrive initially in France.  There is no shortage of French wine regions, so pick your region, choose your dates, and go!

The most popular wine regions are Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, the Loire Valley, and Provence.

A few things to consider when looking at the French wine region map:

1. When to go: The best time to go on a wine tour to France is March-early June and October-November.  Airfares are lower and the tourist season is usually not in full swing.
2. Self-drive options: Even if you spit during your wine tastings, please avoid driving while you are tasting wine. Also, some estates are really tricky to find, even with GPS.
3. Keep an open mind: Try a region you are less familiar with and broaden your knowledge and appreciation for the region.
4. Quality over quantity: In France, the visits are thorough. Limit yourself to knowing that it’s quality over quantity when it comes to tours and tastings. 2-3 visits a day is more than enough to get a sense of place.
5. Drive Times: Where you stay is as important as the estates you visit. So make sure you are not too far from the estates you will be visiting.
6. TIP: Try for as few connections as possible..this is the key to avoiding delays! There may be updates and new routes, please contact us to confirm.

Keep distances in mind:

• You need a minimum of 2-3 hours between connecting flights at Charles de Gaulle Airport (to connect to Bordeaux, Lyon, Nice or Marseille by air)
• Most transatlantic flights touch down before hotel check-in times. Avoid waiting for a room jet-lagged and cranky, book a spa treatment for your arrival, then check in once you’re finished, feeling relaxed and revitalized.
• Bordeaux: Connect through Paris on your travel day (1-hour flight) or take the high-speed train (about 2-3 hours) from Paris or Paris CDG airport
• Burgundy: 1.5 hours by train (either Beaune or Dijon stations) OR fly into Geneva, it’s a 2-hour car ride. It’s about a 3.5-hour car ride from Paris CDG. Driver services can be arranged with your hotel. Another option is to arrive in Lyon, which is about 1.5 hours by car to Beaune.
• Rhone Valley, Avignon: Connect through Paris on your travel day (1-hour flight to Marseilles, then 45 minutes to Avignon) or take the high-speed train (about 2-3 hours) from Paris or Paris CDG airport
• Loire Valley: one hour by high-speed train from Paris, arriving at the St. Pierre des Corps station. For Nantes, connecting flights from Paris CDG are available.
• AIR TRAVEL TIPS IN FRANCE:
  • For connecting flights in France: get the better seats up front for priority boarding and more legroom. 
  • Also, carry-on limits are different than with transatlantic flights, so make sure you are familiar with this if you are bringing a carry-on. 
  • Want more information about traveling with a carry-on only?  Check out our blog post here: https://www.wine-tours-france.com/best-carry-on-size/ 
• TRAIN TRAVEL TIPS IN FRANCE:
  • There are trains from Paris and from the Paris CDG Airport, check Rail Europe for schedules and fares.
  • NOTE: Many train schedules are released only 60 days in advance. We highly recommend traveling First Class (noted as Comfort Class on Rail Europe).
• Train times, and air schedules are subject to change, contact us for the most up-to-date information at [email protected].

The infographic below is a great overview of the grape varietals in each wine region in France.  

Also, you will find interesting information on the types of wines produced in France, as well as the classification system and data on wines produced and exported in France.

This graph is courtesy of Vin-X, fine wine investment experts, and wine investment brokers.