7-Day France and Germany Tour Packages

Insider tips: Recommended 7-day France And Germany tour itineraries

Compiled by

NinaFrance and Germany travel expert at TourRadar

• 7 Day France & Germany Itinerary, incl. Marseille and Paris

  From French Provence to German Black Forest, this 7-day route reveals Arles' Roman sites, Burgundy's wine regions, and Baden-Baden's elegant spas. Alsace's Germanic towns and Frankfurt's modern cityscape lead to a Paris finale.

  

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  • Day 1

    Provence to Lyon

    Get an early start in Marseille to avoid traffic. Visit the Roman amphitheater and Van Gogh sites in Arles during the morning. Visit Carrières de Lumières in Les Baux before 11 AM when tour buses start arriving. Stop in Avignon for a 2-hour lunch break near the Palais des Papes. Drive to Lyon and take the funicular to Notre-Dame de Fourvière to watch the sunset over the city.

    
  • Day 2

    Burgundy Wine Route

    Drive 1.5 hours north from Lyon to Tournus. Visit the abbey then continue to Beaune, the wine capital. Enjoy lunch in the historic center and tour the 15th-century Savigny Castle with its vehicle museums. Reach Dijon by late afternoon to see the Palace of the Dukes before dinner time at 7 PM.

    
  • Day 3

    Alsace Region

    Begin in Besançon at the citadel. Drive 2.5 hours to the colorful town of Colmar. Walk through the Little Venice quarter and try traditional tarte flambée. Stop in medieval Riquewihr for wine tasting. The local Riesling goes perfectly with Alsatian dishes. End your day in Strasbourg. As one visitor said, "The cathedral area is magical at night when all the tourists leave - grab dinner at a winstub in Petite France."

    
  • Day 4

    Black Forest

    Take a morning boat tour through Strasbourg's canals before crossing into Germany. Visit Freiburg's medieval center and drive the scenic Black Forest roads to Triberg. Plan to see the waterfalls in mid-afternoon when the lighting is best for photos. End your day in Baden-Baden. Bring swimwear if you want to try the thermal baths.

    
  • Day 5

    Rhine Valley

    Visit Speyer's Romanesque cathedral first. Take the cable car to Heidelberg Castle before 10 AM to avoid parking issues. Drive 1.5 hours to Frankfurt for lunch at a traditional beer garden in Römerberg Square. Try the local "Handkäse mit Musik" cheese served with onions and dark bread.

    
  • Day 6

    Luxembourg to Champagne

    Drive 2 hours to Luxembourg City and explore the old town fortifications before lunch. Head to Reims (2.5 hours) to see the Gothic cathedral where French kings were crowned. Continue to Paris. If you arrive during rush hour (4-7 PM), take the A4 instead of A3 to avoid heavy traffic.

    
  • Day 7

    Paris Departure

    Your tour ends after breakfast in Paris. If your flight is later, spend the morning exploring the Marais district or Canal Saint-Martin.

    

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• 7 Day Western Europe Itinerary, incl. Amsterdam and Paris

  

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  • Day 1

    Amsterdam

    Begin your European journey in Amsterdam. Book an evening canal cruise after 6 PM when the tourist boats thin out. A recent visitor wrote: "The twilight canal tour gave us the perfect introduction to Amsterdam's layout. The city looks magical when the bridges light up at dusk."

    
  • Day 2

    Rhine Valley & Heidelberg

    Start early for a 4-hour drive to Germany's Rhine Valley. Take a 2-hour river cruise from Boppard to St. Goar and sit on the right side for the best castle views. After the cruise, it's a 90-minute drive to Heidelberg. Visit the castle platform near sunset for beautiful city views.

    
  • Day 3

    Black Forest to Lucerne

    Drive south through the Black Forest and stop at Hofgut Sternen to see traditional cuckoo clock making. Visit the Rhine Falls at Schaffhausen for lunch. Plan to arrive before 2 PM to avoid peak crowds at the viewing platforms. From there, it's 2 hours to Lucerne where you'll spend two nights.

    
  • Day 4

    Lucerne

    Spend the day exploring Lucerne. Visit Chapel Bridge before 9 AM to avoid crowds, then see the Lion Monument mid-morning when sunlight hits the rock face. A visitor noted: "Don't rush through the Old Town. The hidden frescoed buildings and tiny squares reveal themselves when you wander slowly. The lake promenade is gorgeous at sunset."

    
  • Day 5

    Journey to Paris

    Travel through Alsace and into France. Stop in Beaune, Burgundy's wine capital, for photos and a quick break. You'll reach Paris by early evening in time for the Eiffel Tower light show at dusk. Book a hotel in the Marais or Saint-Germain areas to be within walking distance of major sites.

    
  • Day 6

    Paris Highlights

    Visit the Louvre at opening time (9 AM, closed Tuesdays) before the crowds build. Walk through the Tuileries to Place de la Concorde and up the Champs-Élysées. Book advance tickets for the Arc de Triomphe viewing platform at sunset. One traveler noted: "The skip-the-line tickets for major monuments are worth every penny in Paris. We saved hours of waiting."

  • Day 7

    Final Paris Morning

    Start early in Montmartre (aim for 8 AM). Take in one last view of Paris from the Sacré-Cœur steps. For afternoon flights to the US from Charles de Gaulle, leave at least 3 hours for airport transfer and check-in.

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• From Basel to Amsterdam : The Treasures of the Celebrated Rhine River (port-to-port cruise)

  Your passage through Franco-German treasures visits 14 destinations from Basel to Amsterdam. Daily excursions balance cultural sites with scenic cruising through both countries' historic heartlands.

  

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  • Basel Switzerland

    33 mi

  • Breisach Germany

    10 mi

  • Colmar France

    41 mi

  • Black Forest Germany

    26 mi

  • Strasbourg France

    99 mi

  • Mainz Germany

    47 mi

  • Andernach Germany

    20 mi
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  • Konigswinter Germany

    5 mi

  • Bonn Germany

    14 mi

  • Cologne Germany

    21 mi

  • Dusseldorf Germany

    58 mi

  • Nijmegen Netherlands

    10 mi

  • Arnhem Netherlands

    50 mi

  • Amsterdam Netherlands

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