Everything you need to know to plan, budget and run a successful group tour, whatever your profile or destination.
Why organise a group tour of France rather than a simple stay?
France is one of the most visited tourist destinations in the world, and the country offers an exceptional diversity of landscapes, heritage, cuisines and regional cultures. For groups who want to make the most of this richness, the organised multi-stop tour is an unrivalled formula: it covers several regions or several themes in a single trip, combining accommodation, meals and visits in a turnkey programme.
Unlike a fixed stay in a single hotel, a tour offers a geographical progression and a variety of experiences that keep the group enthusiastic from the first day to the last. Each stop brings a new discovery, an encounter with a different local area or heritage, and every meal becomes a chance to taste local specialities.
Organising such a tour does, however, require precise logistics. Coordinating hotel stops, restaurants, tourism providers and transport takes time, good local knowledge and reliable partners. That is precisely the mission of CircuitGroupes, founded in 2010 within France’s leading group of independent hotels and restaurants to offer organisers turnkey tours, designed from start to finish for group travel.
This guide will help you understand how a group tour works, which group profiles the format suits best, which themes to favour depending on your interests, which regions to explore and how to organise your stay in practice with complete confidence.
What is a group tour in France?
A group tour is a multi-stop tourist programme, prepared in advance, that combines accommodation, meals and activities in several locations. It differs from a simple stay in that the group moves from one stop to the next, usually every day or every other day, following a set itinerary.
The components of a turnkey tour
A well-designed group tour brings together four essential components. Transport covers travel between stops, usually by touring coach for groups of more than twenty people. Accommodation ensures a comfortable night suited to the group at each stop. Meals offer quality dining, often rooted in regional cuisine, with pre-set group menus. Visits and activities give each stop its sightseeing, cultural or gastronomic content.
CircuitGroupes brings these four components together in detailed all-inclusive programmes, with net prices per person, one free place for every twenty paying guests and a guarantee that the advertised prices, schedules and services will be honoured. Organisers therefore have full visibility of the cost and content of the stay before they even confirm.
Organised tour or tailor-made tour: what is the difference?
CircuitGroupes offers two complementary approaches. The organised tour is a ready-made programme, with stops already identified, hotels selected and visits included. Organisers choose from the available selection and adapt the dates to their schedule. This formula is perfect for agencies and coach operators who want to put together a reliable programme quickly without starting from scratch.
The tailor-made tour, on the other hand, starts from the organiser’s specific requirements: preferred destination, length, theme, budget and type of group. The CircuitGroupes team then builds a suitable programme, selecting the best-placed hotels, restaurants and providers from its network. This formula suits groups with very specific expectations or organisers looking for an original, personalised experience.
The average length of a group tour
Group tours in France generally last from two to seven days. Short tours of two to three days are themed weekends or trips close to home for groups who do not want to be away for long. Medium-length tours of four to five days remain the most popular format with organised tour groups: they cover several stops without causing excessive fatigue. Long tours of six to seven days or more are aimed at groups of enthusiasts or in-depth themed tours.
Which types of group choose a tour of France?
Group tours attract a wide variety of profiles. Understanding the expectations of each one helps you build a suitable programme and choose the most relevant stops.
Organised tour groups: coach operators, agencies and incoming operators
Coach operators, travel agencies and incoming tour operators are CircuitGroupes’ longest-standing and largest clientele. These professionals put together programmes sold to the general public and need reliable partners at every stage of their tours. They expect stable net rates, fast confirmations, replies to enquiries within 48 hours and services that match exactly what was advertised.
For them, CircuitGroupes acts as a trusted intermediary: by including certified hotels and restaurants in its programmes, the network saves them hours of prospecting and guarantees a consistent level of quality throughout the tour. The annual brochure published by CircuitGroupes lets them build their programmes in just a few pages, without multiplying contacts.
Senior groups and associations
Retirees’ clubs, friendly societies, cultural associations and senior groups are among the most active segments of the tour market in France. These groups mainly travel off-season, in March, May, September, October and November, which makes them particularly attractive to hotels and restaurants looking to fill their quieter periods.
Their expectations centre on comfort, conviviality and good food. They appreciate tours at a moderate pace, with enough free time to rest or wander, and visits that blend heritage, gastronomy and scenery. Accessibility for people with reduced mobility is an increasingly important criterion for these groups, some of whose members have mobility difficulties.
Works committees and corporate groups
Works committees and corporate travel organisers are increasingly choosing a tour of France over a destination abroad, for economic and environmental reasons and for logistical simplicity. A three- to four-day tour in a wine-growing or cultural region is an excellent alternative to a trip abroad, with better budget control and simpler organisation.
These groups appreciate tours that combine cultural discovery, convivial moments and time to relax. They attach particular importance to the quality of the food and to original activities, such as tastings, workshops and private visits, that create shared memories.
Leisure groups: sports clubs, hikers and enthusiasts
Themed tours built around hiking, cycling, nature or outdoor sports attract groups of enthusiasts who want to enjoy their favourite activity while discovering a new area. These groups have specific requirements: hotels with secure storage for equipment, energy-rich meals suited to physical exertion, and local providers able to lead the outings.
For mountain-biking or hiking clubs, the tour should alternate active stages with time to rest and enjoy the local food. The quality of the landscapes along the way matters as much as the comfort of the accommodation.
Family groups and multigenerational trips
Large families who want to travel together, with several generations in tow, sometimes choose a tour of France as the setting for a special reunion. This format lets everyone discover a region together, share memorable meals and create common memories in an organised setting that saves anyone from having to handle the logistics.
These groups need flexible programmes that can adapt to different paces depending on age, with activities that everyone can enjoy and plenty of free time.
The tour themes available
CircuitGroupes organises its programmes around six main themes, each corresponding to a specific type of experience and a selection of particularly well-suited stops.
Culture and Heritage
France has one of the richest architectural and historic heritages in Europe. A Culture and Heritage tour can take a group to the châteaux of the Loire, the medieval villages of Burgundy, the trails of the Norman abbeys or the ancient sites of Languedoc. These tours combine guided visits, meetings with local craftspeople, and concerts or performances in exceptional historic settings.
For senior and cultural groups, this type of tour is often the most popular formula. The pace can be adjusted to allow enough rest while making the most of the sightseeing. The CircuitGroupes partner restaurants chosen for these stops offer menus that showcase the local cuisine of each region along the way.
Hiking, Cycling, Nature
Demand for nature and outdoor activity tours has been growing for several years. France offers exceptional hiking country, from the Massif Central to the Pyrenees and from the Alps to Brittany, by way of the Gorges du Verdon and the volcanoes of Auvergne. Cycling tours, especially along major cycle routes such as La Loire à Vélo, La Vélodyssée and ViaRhôna, are attracting more and more groups.
These tours call for specific logistics: transporting equipment, safe routes, supervision by qualified guides and accommodation able to handle staggered arrivals. CircuitGroupes selects hotels and restaurants that can meet these requirements with a level of service suited to active groups.
Gastronomy
French gastronomy is one of the most powerful drivers of group tourism in France. A gastronomy tour follows a journey through local terroirs, vineyards and regional culinary traditions. It can take a group to the vineyards of Bordeaux, Burgundy or Champagne, to the markets of Provence, to farms producing foie gras, cheeses or cured meats, or to restaurants that showcase local produce with flair.
These tours naturally draw on the RestoGroupes network, a CircuitGroupes partner, which lists independent restaurants suited to groups in every region. Gastronomy thus becomes the common thread of the trip, with every meal as much a moment of discovery as a shared pleasure.
Event
Some tours are built around a particular event: a festival, a regional celebration, a food fair, a Christmas market or a sporting event. These programmes give the group a highlight to remember, linked to a local cultural or festive event, while discovering the surrounding area.
Organising a tour around an event requires a lot of planning ahead, particularly for accommodation, which fills up quickly at such times. CircuitGroupes has a network of partner establishments that make it possible to secure availability several months in advance.
New Year’s Eve
Celebrating New Year’s Eve or Christmas Eve as a group is a market in its own right. Many groups want to mark these occasions in an exceptional setting, away from home, with a programme that blends celebration, gastronomy and discovery. CircuitGroupes partner establishments offer special festive packages with a gala dinner, entertainment and accommodation included, in carefully selected settings.
These programmes are booked very early, often from September for the end-of-year festivities. Organisers who plan early have a wider choice of establishments and better rates.
Snow
Snow tours are aimed at groups who want to discover the Alps, the Pyrenees or the Massif Central in winter, without necessarily skiing. Snowshoe walks, resort visits, dog sledding, mountain traditions and local meals in high-altitude farms: these tours offer a friendly, accessible alternative to classic ski holidays, perfectly suited to senior groups or families with young children.
The must-visit regions for a group tour in France
Mainland France has thirteen regions, each with its own personality, landscapes and specialities. CircuitGroupes has a network of partner establishments throughout the country, making it possible to put together programmes in every region.
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
This region combines exceptional assets for group tours: the UNESCO-listed volcanoes of Auvergne, the Allier gorges, Le Puy-en-Velay and its famous cathedral, the Alps for snow and nature tours, and Lyon for gastronomy. Senior groups particularly enjoy the volcanic landscapes and spa towns, while active groups find unrivalled playgrounds in the Alps and the Massif Central.
Bourgogne-Franche-Comté
Burgundy is one of France’s leading destinations for food and wine tourism. A tour in this region takes the group through UNESCO-listed vineyards, into wine merchants’ cellars, to the markets of Beaune and Dijon and to the restaurants that champion Burgundian cuisine. Franche-Comté adds a nature and cheese dimension with the Jura, its waterfalls and its cheese dairies.
Brittany
Brittany appeals to groups through the diversity and strength of its cultural identity. A Breton tour can combine the wild coasts of Finistère, the Carnac stones, seafood markets, traditional crêperies and fishing villages. The region is as well suited to nature and heritage tours as to gastronomy tours centred on seafood.
Centre, Loire Valley
The Loire Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is one of the most sought-after destinations for cultural tours in France. Chambord, Chenonceau, Villandry, Cheverny: the châteaux line the river and offer groups an itinerary of unrivalled richness. The region also has excellent group restaurants specialising in Loire Valley cuisine.
Grand Est
Alsace, Champagne and Lorraine make a first-rate destination for gastronomy and history tours. The Alsace Wine Route remains one of the most iconic group tours in France. The Alsatian Christmas markets attract tens of thousands of visitors in groups every year. Champagne has cellars and prestigious houses open to groups for exclusive tastings.
Normandy
Normandy offers a well-balanced mix of historic remembrance and gastronomic discovery. The D-Day landing beaches and commemorative ceremonies attract groups from all over the world. Mont-Saint-Michel, the Norman bocage, cider farms and cheese dairies round off a particularly rich programme of culture, nature and gastronomy.
Nouvelle-Aquitaine
France’s largest region offers remarkable diversity. Bordeaux and its UNESCO-listed vineyards, the Pyrenees and their mountain resorts, the Landes and their wild coastline, the Périgord and its prehistoric heritage, the Basque coast and its distinctive architecture: a tour in Nouvelle-Aquitaine can combine several of these themes in a week. The group restaurants listed by CircuitGroupes in this region offer menus that showcase the many local specialities, from duck confit to Basque ewe’s milk cheeses and Bergerac wines.
Occitanie
Occitanie combines the Cathar and medieval heritage of Languedoc, the landscapes of the Lot and Aveyron, the Pyrenees and their exceptional biodiversity, and the elegant cities of Montpellier and Toulouse. Occitan cuisine (cassoulet, foie gras, Roquefort, Cahors and Pic Saint-Loup wines) offers a gourmet richness that lends itself perfectly to gastronomy tours.
Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur
Provence remains one of the most popular regions for group tours in France. Provençal markets, hilltop villages, lavender fields, the Camargue, the Calanques and art cities such as Avignon and Arles make for a naturally rich programme. CircuitGroupes’ partner restaurants in Provence offer menus that give pride of place to olive oil, wild garrigue herbs and Mediterranean produce.
How much does a group tour in France cost?
The budget for a group tour varies considerably depending on the length, the standard of the establishments, the region and the activities included. Here are the market benchmarks you need to budget your programme.
Price ranges by formula
Average prices per person (including VAT, all-inclusive)
2-day, 1-night tour: €120 to €200 per person
3-day, 2-night tour: €200 to €350 per person
4-day, 3-night tour: €300 to €500 per person
5-day, 4-night tour: €400 to €650 per person
7-day, 6-night tour: €600 to €950 per person
These prices include accommodation, meals (half board or full board), admission to sites and entertainment. Coach transport is usually charged separately.
What is included in an all-inclusive CircuitGroupes tour
CircuitGroupes programmes always include accommodation in shared double rooms, buffet breakfasts, dinners at a host’s table or in a group restaurant with a set menu, admission to the sites included in the programme, the entertainment or tastings indicated, and one free place for every twenty paying guests.
Coach transport, lunches on certain free days, tips and personal expenses are generally paid by the group. These items are clearly specified in each programme to avoid any ambiguity.
How region and season affect the price
As with individual hotel stays, the region and the season have a direct impact on the cost of a tour. Provence and the Côte d’Azur are more expensive in summer, while inland regions such as Auvergne and the Périgord offer attractive tours at more affordable prices, especially in spring and autumn.
Low-season tours, in October, November, March and early May, often benefit from preferential rates from partner establishments looking to fill their quieter periods. These are also the times when groups enjoy better availability at tourist sites and a more authentic atmosphere.
How do you organise a group tour in practice?
Organising a group tour calls for a rigorous method and good forward planning. Here are the steps to follow to ensure a successful programme.
Define the framework of the tour before you start
Before contacting an operator or an establishment, define the key parameters of your tour. The destination or theme, the desired length, the number of participants, the budget per person, the dates you have in mind and the profile of the group are the basic information without which no programme can be seriously put together.
Also specify the level of comfort expected and any particular constraints: participants with reduced mobility, dietary requirements, the preferred pace of visits, preferences for the activities included. The more precise your request, the faster and better suited CircuitGroupes’ reply will be.
Contact CircuitGroupes for a personalised quote
CircuitGroupes undertakes to reply to all enquiries within 48 hours. This responsiveness is one of the network’s core commitments, because professional organisers often handle several files at once and need a quick answer to move forward with their planning.
Quotes can be requested directly online at www.circuitgroupes.com, via the contact form or by downloading the annual brochure presenting the programmes available. The CircuitGroupes team then analyses your request and puts together a proposal suited to your profile.
Approve the programme and confirm the stops
Once the programme has been proposed, the organiser usually has an option period to confirm availability with no financial commitment. This step allows you to check the stops with the group before making a final confirmation.
Firm confirmation involves paying a deposit, usually between 20% and 30% of the total amount, and providing practical information about the group: final number of participants, any dietary or mobility requirements, transport arrangements. CircuitGroupes then handles coordination with the partner establishments at each stop.
Booking lead times by season
For a low-season tour with a standard-sized group, four to six weeks’ notice may be enough. For a high-season tour, especially in summer in very popular regions such as Provence or the Loire châteaux, you need to plan three to six months ahead. For tours built around a specific event, such as an Alsatian Christmas market, the grape harvest in Burgundy or the Avignon festival, allow six to twelve months.
CircuitGroupes: the leading network for group tours in France
Founded in 2010, CircuitGroupes grew out of HotelGroupes and RestoGroupes, France’s leading group of independent hotels and restaurants. The network draws on more than twenty years of expertise in hosting groups and on a network of partner establishments selected in every French region.
Turnkey programmes for every profile
CircuitGroupes offers a wide selection of themed and regional tours, designed entirely for group travel. Each programme includes hotels chosen for their ability to host groups in good conditions, partner restaurants serving quality menus, and local tourism providers able to offer authentic, memorable experiences.
All CircuitGroupes programmes honour five core commitments: detailed all-inclusive programmes, quality services, replies to enquiries within 48 hours, one free place for every twenty paying guests, and respect for the advertised prices, schedules and services. These commitments guarantee that organisers receive exactly what was agreed, with no unpleasant surprises.
A network that is a member of Atout France
CircuitGroupes is a member of Atout France, the national agency responsible for promoting French tourism abroad. This membership gives the network added credibility with professional travel buyers and international organisers looking for reliable partners for tours in France.
This affiliation also guarantees that CircuitGroupes meets the quality standards and requirements set by the French tourism authorities, which reassures foreign travel buyers who want to offer France as a destination to their clients.
The annual CircuitGroupes brochure
Every year, CircuitGroupes publishes a handy brochure listing all the tours available for the season. This brochure, essential for coach operators and travel agencies, presents the programmes with their details, prices and conditions. It makes it quick to build a programme tailored to a group’s expectations, without multiplying contacts and research.
The brochure comes with a list of partner establishments, with detailed profiles, capacities and special features. It is a practical working tool for group tourism professionals who want to put together tailor-made itineraries with selected, certified partners.
CircuitGroupes’ partner hotels and restaurants
CircuitGroupes relies on a network of independent establishments in every region of France, from the Hauts-de-France to Provence and from Brittany to the Grand Est. They include charming inns, family-run hotel-restaurants, mountain resort establishments, Logis de France and The Originals Relais hotels. This diversity makes it possible to put together programmes for every budget and every type of group.
Each partner establishment undertakes to meet the network’s standards for quality of welcome, respect for pricing commitments and responsiveness to enquiries. This collective commitment guarantees organisers a consistent level of quality throughout the tour, whatever the stops along the way.
How to find your tour on CircuitGroupes
The www.circuitgroupes.com platform gives you access to all the tours available along two main lines: the destination region and the theme you are interested in. These filters let you zero in very quickly on the programmes best suited to your group.
Search by region
Every mainland region is covered by the CircuitGroupes network: Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, Bretagne, Centre-Val de Loire, Corse, Grand Est, Hauts-de-France, Île-de-France, Normandie, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Occitanie, Pays de la Loire and Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur. For each region, you can access a selection of available tours and the list of partner establishments located there.
Search by theme
Six main themes structure the CircuitGroupes offer. Culture and Heritage covers historical, artistic and architectural itineraries. Hiking, Cycling, Nature brings together outdoor and active tours. Gastronomy gathers programmes centred on local produce, vineyards and regional cuisine. The Event theme helps you find tours built around a local event. The New Year’s Eve theme offers end-of-year packages. The Snow theme opens up winter tours in the mountains.
How to make an online enquiry
On each tour page, an enquiry form lets organisers enter their dates, number of participants and any constraints. The CircuitGroupes team analyses the request and comes back within 48 hours with a price proposal and a detailed programme. For organisers who want to build a tailor-made tour, a dedicated contact form lets them describe their project freely.
The keys to a successful group tour in France
Organising a group tour in France combines the best of organised travel and authentic discovery. The variety of regions, the wealth of heritage, the quality of the food and the density of specialist providers make France an ideal destination for every type of group, from culture-loving seniors to nature-loving sports groups, and from works committees seeking team spirit to families gathered for a special occasion.
A successful tour rests on three pillars: the quality and coherence of the programme, the reliability of the partners selected at each stop, and the responsiveness of the organiser coordinating it all. CircuitGroupes provides all three guarantees through a single point of contact, drawing on more than fifteen years of experience in group tourism and on the strength of a network of selected, certified establishments in every region of France.
Ready to build your next group tour?
Browse our programmes by region and theme at www.circuitgroupes.com
Download the annual CircuitGroupes brochure to put together your itinerary.
Send your enquiry online and receive a reply within 48 hours.
1 free place for every 20 paying guests. Stable net rates. All-inclusive programmes.
About CircuitGroupes
CircuitGroupes was founded in 2010 within France’s leading group of independent hotels and restaurants. The network offers turnkey tours, fully adapted to groups, in every French region.
Member of Atout France. Part of the HotelGroupes and RestoGroupes family.
