Northeastern France

Home to three major wine regions (Champagne, Alsace and Burgundy), with fairy-tale towns, Christmas markets and Gothic cathedrals.

This region includes the Grand Est region (Champagne-Ardenne, Lorraine, Alsace) and Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, and borders Germany, Switzerland, Luxembourg and Belgium to the east. The Paris Basin to the west belongs to Paris and Île-de-France, while Lyon and Savoie, south of the Jura, belong to East-Central France. The Champagne region centers on Reims Cathedral (where French kings were crowned) and the champagne cellars of Reims and Épernay. Alsace has Strasbourg's Petite France quarter and cathedral, Colmar's 'Little Venice', and wine-route towns such as Riquewihr and Eguisheim. Burgundy has the old town of Dijon, the Hospices de Beaune, the Grand Cru vineyards of the Côte d'Or (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), Vézelay and Fontenay Abbey. Also worth a visit are Place Stanislas in Nancy and the Centre Pompidou-Metz in Lorraine, and the citadel of Besançon and the Jura lakes in Franche-Comté. Common itineraries: a day trip from Paris to Reims by TGV; 2–3 days in Alsace based in Strasbourg or Colmar, touring the Wine Route by car or regional train; and 2–3 days of wine tasting in Burgundy by car. The whole trip takes about 7–10 days. From late November through December, the Christmas markets bring crowds and high hotel prices. Winery visits mostly require reservations, and if you are driving, remember that France has strict drink-driving limits.

Destinations

Itineraries

Eastern France Rail Grand Route: Reims to Lyon – Connect the historic cities of Champagne, Lorraine, Alsace, and Burgundy by rail, from Paris to Lyon.
Alsace Wine Route – Drive south from Strasbourg to Colmar, connecting historic castles and half-timbered wine villages.
Reims & Épernay Champagne – A short Champagne route from the coronation cathedral in Reims to the cellars of Épernay, passing through mountain wine…
Burgundy Grands Crus & Auxois – Self-drive through Dijon, the ancient villages of Auxois, and the wine villages of the Côte d'Or, balancing wine countr…
Besançon & Jura Saltworks, Lakes, and Waterfalls Loop – Starting from Besançon, loop through the Loue Valley, Royal Saltworks, wine country, and Jura waterfalls.
Paris, Versailles, Giverny and Reims in – Four days on Paris's core landmarks, plus three day trips by train to Versailles, Monet's Gardens at Giverny, and Reims…
Heidelberg, Alsace & Black Forest Railway – A Germany-France border rail loop connecting Heidelberg, Baden-Baden, Strasbourg, Colmar, and Freiburg.