Compare Paris, Barcelona and Madrid Tour by Discovery Nomads vs France and Spain with Lourdes by Europamundo Vacations

Day 1-3: Paris

Accommodation: Accommodation Pulitzer Paris or similar.

Explore fascinating Paris, visit the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, take a walk through the creative Montmartre, visit Sacre Coeur Cathedral and in the evening you will have free time to explore the nightlife of the city.

Day 3-5: Madrid

City tour in Madrid with local guide, see the Gran Via, the Puerta del Sol & Plaza de Espana and take an opportunity to stop at the Hard Rock Cafe with welcome drink. Additionally you can visit the Prado Museum, Reina Sofia Museum where you will see the works of Picasso and Dali, or you can go to a bullfight in the evening (please book the tickets in advance).

Day 5-7: Barcelona

Accommodation: Negresco Princess or similar

Today you will fly to Barcelona, exploring this beautiful city, visiting the Gothic Quarter and Las Ramblas, Sagrada Familia, Parc Güell, and in the evening go to try tapas and Spanish wine.

Day 1: Paris - Blois - Tours - Villandry - Amboise

Today’s Highlights: Loire Valley. Villandry gardens. Dinner included. We will start the day by going to the south of France, to the area of the Loire Valley with a stop at Blois, a picturesque city where we recommend visiting the castle. After this we continue to the Loire Valley, visiting Tours, the regional capital on the banks of the Loire River, where you will be able to take a stroll and have lunch. In the afternoon we will visit the Chateau De Villandry, famous for its gardens and flowers (entrance to the gardens are included). Then we will journey on to Amboise, a city with a fascinating medieval quarter. Dinner included. Note: Sometimes the accommodation may be offered in the city of Tours.

Day 2: Amboise - Chenonceaux - Chambord - Limoges

Today’s Highlights: Castles of Loire. A day to learn more about the Loire region. First a stroll through Amboise in the early hours to the Clos Lucé mansion where leonardo da Vinci spent the last 3 years of his life. Exploring the Loire region in a little more depth, we visit Chenonceau Castle (tickets included), built like a bridge over the River Cher. We continue to Chambord, the largest castle of Loire (entrance to the park included). We will then travel to the centre of France, making a stop for coffee in Argenton Sur Creuse, a small medieval town on the banks of the Creuse River. We continue to Limoges, a city known for its porcelain, where we recommend a stroll in the centre to see its cathedral.

Day 3: Limoges - Sarlat - Beynac - Rocamadour

Today’s Highlights: Dordogne Valley of unforgettable villages. Lascaux cave museum. Beynac medieval castle. Dinner included. We will leave Limoges for the Dordogne. Few regions contain so many villages full of charm and unforgettable countryside. We arrive at Lascaux, we will include admission to the museum and replica of the caves, we will learn about the site’s prehistory with the magnificent cave paintings. After that we see Sarlat, a world heritage town with an incredibly well-preserved Renaissance historic centre, where there will be time to stroll and have lunch. In Beynac we see a medieval castle overlooking the river (admission included). Rocamadour, a beautiful medieval village with an important sanctuary “hung” over a ravine; we suggest you walk down the via crucis and come back up in the lift. Dinner included.

Day 4: Rocamadour - Padirac - Collonge La Rouge - St Emilion - Bordeaux

Highlights: Padirac Caves, Midi Region and winemakers. We will go to the impressive Padirac caves, where we include a boat ride on the river 75 metres underground. A stop at Collonge La Rouge, a very picturesque village built with red stone on the Way of St James. Time for lunch. After lunch we travel to St. Emilion, at the heart of the Bordeaux wine producing region. Time for a stroll. Bordeaux, arrival at the end of the afternoon. NB: The caves may be closed in November or due to the weather conditions.

Day 5: Bordeaux - Lourdes

Today’s Highlights: Cite du Vin in Bordeaux. Lourdes. Dinner included. The entire centre of Bordeaux has been declared a world heritage site. You will be amazed by the “water mirror” and stroll through the old town with its pedestrian streets and 11th century cathedral. We will include admission (free visit with audio information in Spanish, French or English) to the Cite Du Vin, an impressive interactive museum that recounts the history of the wine and its production; wine tasting included at the viewpoint over Bordeaux. You will have free time later to stroll and have lunch on the banks of the Garonne River, an area full of small restaurants. We continue our way towards the Pyrenees, arriving to Lourdes in the mid-afternoon. We have time to see the sanctuary (we recommend attending the candle procession). Dinner included.

Day 6: Lourdes - Saint Bernard - Carcassonne – Andorra

Today’s Highlights: Medieval villages of St. Bertrand or Carcassonne. Skirting the Pyrenees, we will stop in Saint Bertrand, a medieval village perched on the mountainside, dominated by its great cathedral. Time for a stroll before travelling on to Carcassonne, a city surrounded by beautiful walls. We continue through the Pyrenees on a journey between the, often, snow-capped summits, and cross into the small country of Andorra. Dinner included.

Day 7: Andorra - Montserrat - Barcelona

Today’s Highlights: Catalonia region. Montserrat Monastery. Rack train climb. We will have free time in Andorra for shopping and exploring. After lunch, we will continue our trip and head to Catalonia. The mountain countryside leads us to the impressive site of the Montserrat Monastery, where you will go up the mountain on a rack train to see its fantastic scenery. Following this we will continue to Barcelona, arriving in the late afternoon.

Day 8: Barcelona

Today’s Highlights: Barcelona city tour. “Spanish Village” visit and evening transfer to Las Ramblas district. Today we will explore Barcelona, an impressive city right on the Medi­terranean Sea. Starting by an informative city tour with a local expert (note: If the group has fewer than fifteen people, explanations can be given by our guide.) We will also visit the city’s historic central area with its Gothic neigh­bourhood dating back to the Middle Ages. We will visit the area where the Olympic Games took place. We will also get the chance to see La Sagrada Fa­milia Basilica, the masterpiece designed by the architect Gaudí. Following this, we include the entry ticket to visit ‘Poble Espanyol’ (meaning ‘Spanish Village’). This open-air architectural museum is situated in one of the most emblematic areas of Barcelona. Enjoy the Spanish craftsmanship and discover the architectural styles, traditions and folklore of the different regions that make up Spain. You will then have some free time to explore the city at your own leisure. In the evening we provide a transfer to Las Ramblas and the Plaza Cata­lunya area for dinner, where you can choose from a wide variety of restaurants. We will return to the hotel in the late evening.

Day 9: Barcelona - Peniscola - Valencia - Madrid

Today’s Highlights: visit Peniscola, a beautiful walled town and its castle by the sea. Discover Valencia’s City of Arts and Sciences. Evening transfer in Madrid. We will journey south along the Mediterranean, making a special stop in Peniscola, a small walled town on the shores of the sea and where we have time for a stroll. We will then travel to Valencia, the third largest city in Spain. After time for lunch in its historic city centre, at 16.30 hrs, we will continue our route to Madrid after passing through the avant-garde City of Arts and Sciences of Valencia where we can take a picture. Arrival to Madrid at the end of the day and transfer to the Plaza Mayor where we can relax at some typical taverns. Note: Depending on the number of passengers, the journey between Valencia and Madrid may be done by high-speed train.

Day 10: Madrid

Today’s Highlights: Madrid city tour. Stroll through the Retiro Park. Visit to the Las Ventas bullring. Evening transfer. The morning starts with a comprehensive tour through the centre of Madrid including the Paseo del Prado, Cibeles, Neptuno, the Gate of Alcalá, Plaza de Colón and Plaza Mayor. We then will visit Retiro Park, an oasis in the city centre, where we will see the lake and the Glass Palace. A visit to Las Ventas Bullring (admission included) is next. This is one of the most famous bullrings in the world where we will learn about the tradition of the “corridas” at the Bullfighting Museum. Enjoy the rest of the afternoon at your own leisure. At sunset we will provide a transfer to Plaza de Oriente, opposite the Royal Palace, an elegant and bustling area with many restaurants serving different cuisines, such as local Spanish food, international and Chinese. Enjoy a pleasant dinner of your choice. At the end of the evening we will return to the hotel together.

Day 11: Madrid

After breakfast, end of our services.