Annecy
Annecy
Room with a View
Annecy
Annecy
Lake Annecy
Montenvers Railway
Lake Annecy
Les Grillons Chef
Yvoire
Les Grillons
Les Grillons
Les Grillons
Les Grillons
Les Grillons
Glorious lake and mountain scenery
Superb family owned Les Grillons hotel – a Travel Editions’ favourite for 20+ years
Pretty lakeside villages - Yvoire is delightful
Spa towns - Evian is an elegant resort
Cable cars or rack railways - Chamonix offers both
Lake Annecy is one of the most beautiful areas of France and our Lake Annecy by train tour offers the opportunity of a relaxing break close to the attractive lakeside village of Talloires. Visits are made by coach to the stunningly pretty town of Annecy itself, majestic Mont Blanc and Chamonix, Lake Geneva, the spa town of Evian, the medieval village of Yvoire and Geneva.
This is the 6 night/7 day version of this tour but we also have a 7 night/ 8 day tour available too. Please click here for more information.
Available Departures |
From |
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| 18 - May - 2025 | £ 1649.00 | Travel Info Book Now |
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Provisional Timings St Pancras Departing: 18th May 2025 at 09:01 Returning: 24th May 2025 at 15:30 |
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| 21 - September - 2025 | £ 1649.00 | Travel Info Book Now |
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Provisional Timings St Pancras Departing: 21st September 2025 at 09:01 Returning: 27th September 2025 at 15:30 |
Day 1: Travel by Eurostar and TGV from St Pancras to Lyon via Lille.
On arrival, transfer by coach to Talloires (approx. 2 hours) and the Hotel Les Grillons.
Day 2: Full day tour to Chamonix.
A busy and cosmopolitan town, Chamonix sits at the foot of Mont Blanc surrounded by the best of mountain scenery – glaciers, snow-capped peaks and lush green meadows. It is the base for all mountain based activities, in summer and winter - for spectacular views take the Aiguille du Midi cable car up Mont Blanc itself, or, for those who aren’t big fans of heights, try the Montenvers rack railway which will take you to the foot of the Mer de Glace glacier.
Day 3: Full day tour to Annecy.
One of the most attractive and popular resorts in the French Alps, the town of Annecy sits on the banks of the lake surrounded by breath-taking alpine scenery. The imposing château on the hill and the Palais de l’Ile provide much historical interest, and you’ll find the canals and narrow passages of the 16th century old town enchanting, especially when the town’s many flowers are in bloom.
Day 4: A full day free to explore or relax at your leisure.
Day 5: Full day tour to Lake Geneva, Évian and Yvoire.
The expanse of Lake Geneva (or Lac Léman to the French) forms a natural border between France and Switzerland. The awe-inspiring scenery and fine climate made the shores of the lake popular for health resorts the most well-known being Évian-les-Bains, where you can take a lovely stroll along the tree-lined waterfront. Take a bottle along to taste the famous water from the Source Cachat on the Avenue des Sources. Picturesque Yvoire is a lovely medieval village of narrow cobbled streets and stone houses sloping down to the edge of the water. The castle and two stone gateways date from the 14th century.
Day 6: Full day tour to Geneva.
In terms of being international and cosmopolitan there aren’t many cities that can compare with Geneva. Its location is fantastic, strung along the shore of mountainbacked Lake Geneva, and it is the place that many international organisations choose to base their European headquarters – you may see the UN, WHO and Red Cross. The museums here are world class and the old town is wonderfully picturesque – heading up the 16th century St Peter’s Cathedral gives great views over the city, lake and mountains beyond.
Day 7: Transfer back to Lyon station to catch the return TGV to Lille. At Lille, board the return Eurostar service to St Pancras.
NB: Exact order of itinerary may vary according to local conditions and tour manager's discretion.
Please note the maximum group size on this tour is 35 passengers.
INCLUDED
NOT INCLUDED
PLEASE NOTE: As with most trains, passengers are responsible for carrying baggage onto and off the train. Baggage can be stored on overhead shelves or at the entrance to the carriages.Trollies are available at St Pancras and Paris, but bags do need to be carried on to the platform.
Travel Editions recommends a luggage delivery service called thebaggageman, where your suitcase can be picked up from your home before departure and delivered straight to your hotel; therefore removing the worry about carrying your cases onto and off the trains. Please click here for more information and we have arranged a 10% discount exclusive to Travel Editions clients off the thebaggageman service. Tel: 01844 264890
Les Grillons Hotel, Talloires
The three-star family-run Les Grillons Hotel (now in its 3rd generation of the Casali family) is located 2km south of the lakeside village of Talloires, which is 10km south of the town of Annecy. The hotel is located on the lake and facilities include extensive grounds, swimming pool (seasonal opening), jacuzzi, bar, restaurant, lift to all floors and comfortable rooms with all modern amenities including air-conditioning, wifi, safe, telephone and TV. Dinner is served each evening in the atmospheric restaurant with 100% home-made food with fresh products from the local area all cooked by the chef Steve. Guests will receive a friendly welcome at this family-run hotel with a welcome drink on arrival.
Les Grillons Hotel Website
OUR VIEW ON THE HOTEL
Many, many past clients have described Les Grillons as 'first class', 'excellent' and 'superb' - it has been receiving rave reviews for over a decade. You will receive a lovely warm welcome from the charming staff, and the hotel's position in lovely grounds is tranquil and beautiful. The hotel is just two kilometres outside the popular resort town of Talloires and offers views over the lake, surrounding mountains and meadows.
Pre-tour accommodation is available at the Premier Travel Inn, London Kings Cross St Pancras, about a 5 minutes walk from St Pancras International, at an approximate rate of £90 per room. Bookings can be made direct with the hotel on 0871 527 8672 or visit their website.
Lovely group and very well arranged as always. Realised I had been with Gill before, great. So pleased I made it at the third time!
Review by Hughes who travelled 29-September-2024
Time allotted for stops seemed long but proved just right. Flexibility of days of trips essential. Hints on toilets and coffee places invaluable.
Review by Rose who travelled 29-September-2024
My rating of ‘good’ for the train journey is only because the compartment on the TGV section had inadequate luggage space which caused some anxiety in an otherwise perfect holiday. Our tour manager Gill was extremely helpful, keeping guard over our luggage in the vestibule by the main doors. Of course, TGV’s luggage storage is not something that Travel Editions has any control over, but I felt it worth a mention. I shall definately travel with your company again. Thank you.
Review by Rich who travelled 29-September-2024
A lovely group to be with. Realised that I had travelled with Gill before, great ! My biggest problem was getting from my home to St Pancras with a late bus and signalling problems on the train resulting in two changes and that was nothing to do with you.
Review by Anonymous who travelled 29-September-2024
Cannot fault this holiday, it was a 10 out of 10. Train journey via Lille was excellent with a stress free interchange and the space of first class was a real win. I did not feel stressed by the train journey at all! Coach transfer was impeccable with a modern coach with large windows and room to spread out. Hotel was above expectations with enormous room and bed. Food was excellent of top quality and giving lots of the local cheese and wine to try. The itinerary was revised by the manager to reflect the best and worst of the weather and the highlight was the last day with the trip to Chamonix and Mont Blanc. Getting to the top of the glacier and seeing amazing views and having lunch watching as it started to snow was something else. Really could not fault this trip and Gill the tour manager was excellent - I really could not think of anything I would change or improve! Would love to see more similar holidays and I could see myself doing more of them - I am a solo traveller and soon after the start of the holiday any anxiety about being in this position had evaporated and I had a great time with many great memories.. Thank you!
Review by Warner who travelled 29-September-2024
Review by Parkin who travelled 22-January-2025
All excellent, well planned excursions with free time to explore independently.
Review by Anonymous who travelled 29-September-2024
The less good day was to Geneva when it poured and we all got soaked and there was little shelter. I would have preferred instead another day in the Lake Annecy area - in particular seeing the other side of the Lake. Apart from this it was very good with a splendid hotel.
Review by Anonymous who travelled 29-September-2024
The transfer to and from lake Annecy was long and the TGV from Lille to Lyon was cramped and uncomfortable. BUT , this is the only complaint I can muster. This was a wonderful holiday in a beautiful area of France. Our guide, Gill, was excellent. She was extremely competent, knowledgeable and friendly. Les Grillions hotel was marvelous: comfortable with friendly, well trained staff. The piece de resistance was the food! Absolutely delicious! The chef surely deserves a Michelin Star. Our trips out were all great. Such a lovely region of France to explore and learn about. The weather gave us a few challenges, but Gill cleverly rearranged the itinerary to give us the best of chances to see everything in the sunshine. I would not hesitate to recommend this trip to anyone.
Review by Clear who travelled 29-September-2024
Travel Editions feedback:
We are delighted that the tour was such a success, and glad that the transfer and busy train did not dent your enjoyment of it.
Very enjoyable trip Excellent tour guide and excellent hotel! I liked the way we had free time to explore places in your own time.
Review by Simmons who travelled 29-September-2024
Our tour manager made the whole experience enjoyable. The hotel was also excellent and very friendly.
Review by Anonymous who travelled 29-September-2024
Review by Ogilvy who travelled 22-September-2024
The hotel and staff were excellent, although we found the four course dinner a bit of a trial. Karen was beyond excellent - endless patience and very organised.
Review by Stockell who travelled 22-September-2024
Karen was an excellent tour manager. Her personal knowledge of the area was invaluable. She was very caring and attentive. The train journeys were good, except for the problem of getting all the luggage of a large group stowed. The only thing I would change is to bring the time of dinner forward to avoid indigestion! Overall a wonderful trip to a very beautiful part of the world.
Review by Sargeant who travelled 22-September-2024
Review by Anonymous who travelled 22-September-2024
We can't praise Karen Dean enough for her very caring attitude to all on this trip and her helpful advice about places to visit each day even down to checking current prices of tickets. The hotel was exceptional in it's cuisine and cleanliness and only the times we had rain tried to mar things but it didn't! Only one thing, could you possibly have a visit to Aix- les- Bains rather than Geneva as you only visit it at the Xmas in the Savoie tour now. We enjoyed your Summer trip to that wonderful chateau very much and it would show your clients a different Lake too.
Review by Waller who travelled 22-September-2024
Travel Editions feedback:
We are very pleased that the tour was such a success with Karen. In relation to Aix- les- Bains we do regularly review destinations and excursions, and this is one we can look at again.
An excellent holiday. I went with a friend who was older than me and needed me to look after her. The Lake Annecy holiday was different from the other holidays with you as it involved public transport over which you do not have control. I enjoyed it but it the distances between the hotel and the resorts which we visited were longer than I expected and were tiring. Karen our tour manager was fantastic and so kind and caring.
Review by Thorniley who travelled 22-September-2024
Travel Editions feedback:
Thank you for your feedback and we are very pleased that overall, the tour was a success.
Karen, our tour Manager was superb and I would go on another trip with her. The hotel was amazing and way above its 3 star rating. The staff went above and beyond to help. Will go back to there in the future.
Review by Ryan who travelled 22-September-2024
I wish there was a column for more than excellent for the tour manager. Karen was excellent and we felt that she added so much more to an excellent tour.
Review by Tonkinson who travelled 22-September-2024
Review by Anonymous who travelled 22-September-2024
Review by Anonymous who travelled 22-September-2024
Tour Manager, Karen, was excellent. Always available for help and info, going out of her way to forsee help needed. She gave interesting facts about each visit on the coach while travelling, clearly having a passion for the whole area we were in. On the journey there and back she was always with us, checking on everyone and helping sort out tickets and even loading cases on the crowded trains, willingly.
Review by Anonymous who travelled 22-September-2024
Harder work than expected getting bags on and off trains and stowed aboard. Hotel staff were wonderful. Food excellent and well served.
Review by Dunford who travelled 24-September-2023
We have done this trip before, pity there was no visit to the cheese factory an/or the Resistance museum. For the latter through Karen and the hotel we hired a taxi privately and 4 other members of the group joined us they were extremely grateful that they ha the opportunity. We didn’t go to Geneva as we felt a trip out on the last day was too much for us to cope with
Review by Stewart who travelled 24-September-2023
I thought the outward journey was rather long. The hotel was good and glorious scenery.
Review by Anonymous who travelled 24-September-2023
The tour manager, Karen Blackwell, was, in my opinion, excellent. She was knowledgeable, well organised and helpful. We could ask for nothing more in a tour manager.
Review by Tomlinson who travelled 24-September-2023
On some train journeys we were not seated together. Storing luggage was a problem. We almost prefer to fly. I will email you later concerning Baggageman who failed to collect our case on the agreed date. Our guide Karen was excellent
Review by Anonymous who travelled 24-September-2023
Satisfactory for the price paid. Loved the location and some trips very interesting. Others were unnecessarily long and padded out.
Review by Fennell who travelled 24-September-2023
Disappointed that the food in the hotel did not live up to our expectations.The new chef has yet to perfect his menu.Many of the dishes just didn’t seem to work. Journey home from Lyon to Lille was a complete shambles at the start due to the fact that we were told by our tour manager to go into the wrong carriage because he hadn’t read the message sent to him about the carriage changeThis resulted in several quite elderly people having to negotiate a very busy train dragging their luggage to the correct carriage.
Review by Ash who travelled 12-May-2023
We were wondering why we did not take a train to Annecy rather than wait a long time at Lille. Steve our tour manager was okay but we think he could have been more attentive to the travellers on our tour who needed more assistance on and off trains. The hotel was excellent in every way, but the journey was very tiring.
Review by Bruce who travelled 12-May-2023
The train journey was tiring. The 4 hour wait at Lille for the train to Lyon made it an extremely long day, leaving St Pancras at 09:00 and not arriving at the hotel until after 21:00. There was a mix up on the return journey where the Tour Manager missed seeing a message saying that the first class passengers seats had been changed. It caused an unpleasant incident with the other passengers whose seats we were sitting in. We had done this trip a few years ago and although the hotel was up to the same standard we found that the food was not.
Review by Hutchins who travelled 12-May-2023
Review by Anonymous who travelled 12-May-2023
The trip was very satisfactory apart from the too long changeover in Lille going out - 3 hours! Also it would have been useful to know beforehand that the hotel is 40 minutes by bus from the town of Annecy.
Review by Lennard who travelled 12-May-2023
travel out to Lake Annecy had a very long gap of nearly 4 hours in heavy rain at Lille awaiting the TGV transfer. If possible would have preferred a much shorter time even if it meant a higher price. Alternatively a clearer suggestion and a map of Lille for what was available to do in that time. The return ( in sunshine) was a much better 2 hours. 3 of the 4 in my party tested positive for covid on our return though of course not the fault of the tour company at all.
Review by Anonymous who travelled 12-May-2023
Couple of things. The actual itinerary seemed a bit tired. The weather didn't help but I would drop Geneva and perhaps replace with a visit to a house or a boat trip. The food was good at the hotel but we had duck twice and chicken twice. Probably more thought needs to go into the menu selection. The tour manager was great and the staff at the hotel were lovely.
Review by Eccles who travelled 12-May-2023
Fabulous holiday in the most exquisite hotel. Staff , accommodation, meals and location exceptional. Highly recommend this tour. Lake Annecy is such a beautiful location and I have every intention of revisiting.
Review by Parmiter who travelled 25-September-2022
Review by Pigott who travelled 25-September-2022
Excellent tour manager super hotel but missed a kettle in the morning but poor weather was disappointing -not your fault - great group but possibly on the large side - having used Eurostar on and off since it's inauguration I would never ever use it again unless travelling standard premium - has SNCF heard of step free access, do they not have platform staff for passenger support - one tour manager cannot possibly care for a group spread throughout the train - but she did!! 9 am starts possibly too early for me but I appreciate the distances for the tours - would probably go independently in early summer flying to Geneva etc !! Hope this isn't too much of a moan but Annecy is a joy and a treat to get to Geneva, Evian and of course Chamonix - many thanks VP
Review by Anonymous who travelled 25-September-2022
In spite of it being rather wet, the weather didn't really spoil any of the tours.. Les Grillons is a really good choice of hotel - hard for you to beat? As before, we found Gill a fountain of information and good company.
Review by Dean who travelled 25-September-2022
Found the journeys very long and tiring - in particular the long waits at Lille. Also, why did we not use the train all the way to Annecy? Loading luggage on and off the very steep-stepped trains was also very difficult.
Review by Griffith who travelled 25-September-2022
Superb hotel with the warmest welcome. Wonderful location. Had a sensational week with the trip to Chamonix a particular highlight. One tiny criticism is that we could have done with more time in Geneva. I would have liked to have visited another museum or gallery or just walked around more. We arrived back to the hotel very early, so I think it could be accommodated.
Review by Graham who travelled 25-September-2022
My first trip abroad with Travel Editions, having done only UK ones until now. We benefitted enormously from having Gill as our Tour Leader. Her wealth of knowledge, from the history of the area down to where the loos were, was invaluable. Enjoyed the trip enormously.
Review by Anonymous who travelled 25-September-2022
I was very happy with the tour which was exactly as described. Gill, our tour manager, was absolutely excellent and had an in-depth knowledge of not only the places we visited but many other aspects, much further afield. The hotel and Talloires were lovely. Les Grillons is a gem. A very good tour and good value.
Review by Taylor who travelled 09-September-2019
The tour manager was exceptionally good - pleasant, knowledgeable and well organised. The hotel, though outstanding in many ways, lacked certain modern amenities. The food was good but somewhat over-elaborate for repeated dining on successive nights. Departure from St.Pancras was chaotic but not the fault of Travel Editions!
Review by Platts who travelled 09-September-2019
Review by Anonymous who travelled 09-September-2019
Really enjoyed this holiday. Tea-making facility in the hotel room would have been much, much appreciated.
Review by Leather who travelled 09-September-2019
This was an excellent holiday. Made all the better by your representative Jill Thompson. We have travelled with other companies and we can say this was the best organised trip by rail so far. Everything was perfect, venue, hotel staff, food , fellow guests, and a rep with an extensive knowledge of everything we saw and visited . It goes without saying your company is first choice for our rail holidays in the future. Mr & Mrs Robert J S Long M.B.E.
Review by Long who travelled 09-September-2019
Although the accommodation was excellent and the staff were very friendly and helpful I think that the hotel should consider having tea/coffee making facilities in the rooms. My wife, in particular likes to have a hot drink immediately before retiring to bed.
Review by Nicholson who travelled 09-September-2019
Tour manager Gillian was the best tour manager that we have encountered and deserves special praise. She really made all the tours special
Review by Sainsbury who travelled 09-September-2019
Our tour guide Gill Thomson was absolutely brilliant. I wasn't very well during part of the trip and she couldn't have been more kind or more helpful. The TGV was very very busy on the return journey. Since there were only 2 departures for the 6 night tour it would seem better to avoid Spring Bank Holiday week if possible. The hotel was lovely.
Review by Frost who travelled 24-May-2019
Delighted with our first holiday with Travel Editions.
Review by Mason who travelled 24-May-2019
A relaxing break in a very scenic part of France. Enjoyed the cable car to the peak of Mt. Blanc though almost put off, as some were, by warnings of possible altitude sickness. All passengers seemed fine. Party number just right at 19 so we became a friendly group. Great hotel with excellent meals.
Review by Beales who travelled 02-June-2018
A wonderful tour, which I would do again, as there is so much more to do (especially on the 7 night version, which I will do next time). Beautiful location, fabulous hotel (facilities, food and staff) and an excellent tour manager. The weather can be changeable, but we were lucky and the rain (and thunderstorms) stayed away until late afternoon/evening - otherwise very warm and sunny. Thanks for another great Travel Editions experience - next stop Lake Orta!
Review by Price who travelled 02-June-2018
We had a thoroughly enjoyable time. Our tour manager Karen was very knowledgeable and helpful in every aspect of our holiday. The tours were excellent giving us plenty of time at each destination. We couldn’t fault the accomodation at hotel Les Grillions and the food was excellent.
Review by Cleveland who travelled 02-June-2018
Hotel was excellent food tremendous and Karen was very good ,helpful , informative and generally very good.. The train journey going was fine , but coming back having to change at Lille was time consuming and then having to lug cases upstairs to upper level on train was very very difficult. We could not understand why our group was put upstairs , one man had to his case his wife’s then helped two others. Not a good experience. I would recommend tour and hotel but not journey
Review by Willis who travelled 02-June-2018
Two aspects of the holiday deserve particular comment. Karen our tour manager was outstanding - well organised, friendly and with detailed information on the area and its historical features. The hotel was also excellent with a friendly staff and an outstanding restaurant. The dinners were imaginative and very enjoyable but we would have liked an addition of green vegetables.
Review by Salmon who travelled 02-June-2018
Hotel food was set menu. I did not enjoy evening meal. Food was new cuisine meat and veg small portions padded out by a bread and cheese course. The various cheeses were very mild and rather rubbery. We would have preferred a buffet or more choice. Breakfast was good choice.
Review by Monk who travelled 27-May-2018
Review by who travelled 27-May-2018
A wonderful tour which lived up to all expectations. An upgrade on Eurostar meant breakfast and lunch were served on the direct route to Lyon. Les Grillons hotel, nestled by Lake Annecy near the pretty village of Talloires, is charming and the four course gourmet dinner served each evening was exceptional. Excursions to Annecy, Chamonix, Evian and Geneva were made even more interesting by Tour Manager Gill Thompson’s amazing knowledge of both the history and geography of the area. This really was a Tour de France! Gill wins the Tour leaders Yellow Jersey. The King of the Mountains Jersey is well earned by Rémi, our driver, with his sleek black coach, (equipped with both WiFi and USB Charge points), who drove us up to 4,900 feet with as much skill as Chris Froome cycled up Monte Zoncolan. As all round fantastic holiday. Thank you, Travel Editions.
Review by Richardson who travelled 27-May-2018
Review by Prof John Gregory who travelled 13-May-2017
Best trip yet with Travel Editions. Everything excellent especially the hotel. Only thing I would change is the trip to Geneva as I was not impressed with the city - too expensive and is just like any other city.
Review by Miss Christine Penistone who travelled 13-May-2017
The hotel was fabulous and the food exceeded expectations. The staff wonderfully friendly and even the weather was good. Our room had a "wet room" shower which, no matter how careful you were, soaked the rest of the bedroom floor and a fridge would have been nice! Angela isn't really a people person, but she's very efficient. Many thanks!
Review by Mrs Eileen Wilkinson who travelled 13-May-2017
Review by Mr Peter Silverman who travelled 13-May-2017
A much easier journey getting the Eurostar all the way to Lyon.
Review by Mr Leonard Hutchins who travelled 13-May-2017
Tour manager Angela, excellent - lovely personality, knowledgable, friendly, and keeping an eye on everyone to make sure we were ok. Great hotel. Lovely location, great food and attentive staff. Would go there again.
Review by Mrs Barbara Thomas who travelled 13-May-2017
Terry Reagan was extremely helpful and informative. Hotel Les Grillons was idylically situated and the owners were very friendly and accommodating.
Review by Mr M Doell who travelled 25-September-2016
Overall a good experience though we felt some of the excursions involved too many long journeys for not much reward. Nice hotel though the chef was sometimes trying a bit too hard maybe. Staff were very good all round.
Review by Mr Brian Walsh who travelled 25-September-2016
Our first holiday with you was to Montpellier, the second to Avignon and they were both very well run and most enjoyable. Serge was extremely good. This time, to Annecy, was extremely well organised and Terry was an amazingly knowledgeable guide and looked after us all very well. Les Grillons was very comfortable and the staff all very friendly. Our driver was very professional too. The only suggestion would be to have 2 choices at dinner instead of only the one.
Review by Mrs C Langford who travelled 25-September-2016
An extremely good tour and we were very well looked after by Terry. Cannot fault anything apart from difficulty storing the luggage on the TGV and lifting the luggage on and off, especially if one is upstairs.
Review by Mrs C Forster who travelled 25-September-2016
Terry was an exceptional tour manager - his historical knowledge added very considerably to our enjoyment. The food at our accommodation was extremely good.
Review by Mr Timothy Murphy who travelled 25-September-2016
I'm not sure you can do much to improve on the annecy trip other than preclude the Geneva visit as there isn't much of interest in the city. Replace it with some other venue. Other than that the holiday was brilliant
Review by Mr Kevin Dolan who travelled 25-September-2016
Everything was fine, and we shall be looking at other tours you offer. Our tour guide was exceptionally helpful, well informed and an excellent communicator. She made the best of the very poor weather we experienced.
Review by Mr Alan Baker who travelled 28-May-2016
we where very happy with this trip, look forward to going with this company again
Review by Mr Jack Cornwell who travelled 28-May-2016
Hotel food, accommodation and staff really made our 30th anniversary trip memorable. Thank you and thank Jill for making everything trouble free and very interesting.
Review by Mr Paul Arkell who travelled 28-May-2016
Our fourth visit to Les Grillons and the visit was to the same high standard, apart from the rain!!. however it did not spoil the holiday as the scenary and walks are fantastic The tour manager Gill was very good and dealt with the possible train strikes in France very efficiently putting us at ease. we look forward to our next visit
Review by Mr Gordon West who travelled 28-May-2016
Review by Mr Gordon Dispain who travelled 28-May-2016
Our Tour Manager - Jill - was excellent. Weather could have been better!
Review by Mr Ken Hornett who travelled 28-May-2016
hospitality and food in the hotel were excellent.
Review by Mr Brian Peaper who travelled 16-May-2016
2nd time we have travelled with your company and like our 1st time it was excellent. Our tour manager (Steve) was very knowledgable ,informative and organised which made the holiday what it was
Review by Mr James Wetherill who travelled 16-May-2016
Tour manager rearranged outings to very good effect so that we had glorious day in Chamonix and wonderful views of the mountains.
Review by Mr James Milligan who travelled 16-May-2016
Review by Mrs Patricia Burke who travelled 16-May-2016
A very enjoyable holiday with great accommodation. The food was excellent. I liked the fact you send out the tickets, labels etc and I didnt have to print them off, wonderful! Very friendly and interesting group. Hope to use you again. Thank you.
Review by Mrs Moira Shearer who travelled 07-May-2016
Hotel and food to a very high standard. The coach driver was excellent. The tour was made special by Steve the tour manager. Always well informed about the places we visited, he had a wonderful sense of humour and fun and really made the trip very memorable.
Review by Mr Paul Simmonds who travelled 07-May-2016
Tour manager very professional with interesting commentary based on extensive knowledge and experience. Hotel was excellent, especially the food and we would recommend it to others.
Review by Mr Leslie Webb who travelled 07-May-2016
a very enjoyable and packed few days The company really pulled the stops out to enable us to have this holiday at really short notice as our original plans were cancelled at very short notice.
Review by Mrs Janet Cooke who travelled 04-October-2015
Hotel excellent, staff very helpful, food good. Tour guide also excellent, overall a well run trip. Thank you.
Review by Mr John Reed who travelled 04-October-2015
A splendid break. The hotel was the best I've ever known, the delightful staff and wonderful gourmet food! Just a pity it wasn't warm enough to use the pool. The excursions were very good but I felt that the town stops could have been a half hour shorter - so a slightly later start or earlier return. Given the general age of us all, a "comfort stop" would have been appreciated on most journeys. After 50 years of driving/navigating the length and breadth of France is was wonderful to be driven so expertly by the excellent "Stan", and Angela is a brilliant leader.
Review by Mrs Kathleen Fearnley who travelled 04-October-2015
The hotel food was excellent!
Review by Dr Robert Hadley who travelled 04-October-2015
Hotel Les Grillons is excellent.
Review by Mr Ian Birkinshaw who travelled 04-October-2015
Tour Manager much better at shepherding the group on to trains and coaches than providing in-coach commentary. Hotel is outstanding for comfort and eating."Overall impression" actually somewhere between good and excellent.
Review by Mrs Jean Garrett who travelled 12-September-2015
Just the one: the split level dining room meant that breakfast tended to be an up and down process. We didn't mind fetching our food from the upper level though carrying cups of coffee or tea could be tricky. A waiter service just for pouring the drinks would go some way to solve this problem.
Review by Mrs Patricia Adelman who travelled 12-September-2015
This holiday was recommended to us by several people we met on previous TE trips, and did not disappoint. Beautiful region, outstanding hotel where the welcome, comfort and food could not have been bettered. Our only minus was that the coach journeys were rather long.
Review by Mr Colin Lewis who travelled 12-September-2015
Review by who travelled 12-September-2015
Possibly the outings could have lasted longer. We seemed to return to the hotel with more time than necessary to be ready for the evening meal.
Review by Mrs Susan Harrington who travelled 12-September-2015
Review by Mr Ian Wilson who travelled 12-September-2015
Our first tour with Travel Editions and hopefully it won't be the last.Travel to and from went smoothly, the excursions were well planned (apart from Geneva having a holiday on the day we went). The hotel, Les Grillons, is a real gem, lovely staff, comfortable rooms, delicious food, a beautiful setting.None of the group wanted to leave! Mustn't forget our driver, unflappable Stan and our knowledgable and helpful guide Karen. A great holiday.
Review by Mr Martin Thaw who travelled 06-September-2015
Les Grillons was an excellent hotel and the service was second to none. The staff were great and consequently this really made the holiday very enjoyable. We liked the tour manager a lot and she gave us lots of good information. The only reasons we have not marked her as excellent was that she was not totally up to speed with certain information eg she got the price of tickets for cable car at Chamonix wrong, she gave us wrong info about the price of coffees at the hotel. She also miscounted the number of people on board on one occasion, which nearly resulted in a couple being left behind.
Review by Mrs Susan Filer who travelled 06-September-2015
The tour manger was first class and the hotel was excellent with great food and wonderful staff. This was the first holiday of this sort and we have become converts! Congratulations to your company.
Review by Mr Richard Crail who travelled 06-September-2015
Review by Mr Richard Guy who travelled 06-September-2015
Very enjoyable tour, Karen Blackwell was very helpful and even helped my husband arrange flowers for my birthday. She also looked after the party very well on the journeys by train as we were split up. We were on our own with her and the rest seemed to be together in second class, this was a shame because it would have been nice to have met the others on the outward trip. Karen managed admirably with this small problem and we all got to the correct carriages . Could you please tell me why we were booked to travel apart from the main party. As we had used your tours before we did know a bit about finding carriages in France.
Review by Mrs Jacqueline Hobbs who travelled 06-September-2015
Another great TE trip.=beautiful scenery that first glimpse of Mt. Blanc is breathtaking. Our hotel was excellent with really friendly staff and great food.. Finally our tour guide Helene was friendly and helpful
Review by Mr Roger Postlethwaite who travelled 25-May-2015
We found the Geneva trip shallow & short - too far for a day trip. Would have preferred longer in Evian & Yvoire. Impressed by the adaptability of the Tour Manager, Karen Dean in making suggestions for the free day and weather monitoring daily to maximize success of visits.
Review by Mr C Lynch who travelled 06-June-2015
We don't feel able to give good scores for the admin /brochure because you failed to make it clear there was no lift or downstairs bedrooms in this otherwise super hotel nor did you explain we were booked upstairs on train to Lille.these are important factors to us and will have been pointed out to you before,I feel sure.
Review by Mr M Hargrave who travelled 06-June-2015
The hotel staff were extremely friendly and efficient. The food was also excellent. Karen Dean deserves special mention as she was very efficient, friendly, conscientious and informative. She looked after all of us in a caring manner. "An all round good egg" as a fellow guest said. Thank you.
Review by Mr D Kiehl who travelled 06-June-2015
This is the best hotel we have stayed in in all of the trips with you and the others were pretty good. Service, accommodatiuon and food were excellent. Karen, our tour guide was excellent in every respect, a real credit to Travel Editions.
Review by Mr B McCansh who travelled 06-June-2015
Karen was really helpful, informative and good company. Lack of lift not good - 34 steps up added to long corridor to get to room 33. Both over 80 with some problems so daunting. Pity as it is such a nice well run hotel. Why no mention in brochure?
Review by Mrs Margaret Foley who travelled 06-June-2015
We thoroughly enjoyed the holiday. The owners and staff at the hotel were extremely welcoming , the room was very pleasant, and the food excellent. Steve, the tour manager, was exceptionally good and handled the problem of missing the return train at Lyon skillfully and effectively. He always made himself available for any queries that arose.
Review by Mr Edward Alexander who travelled 31-May-2015
I have rated flight/train/ferry as only 'satisfactory' because the journey home was rather unfortunate. I'm sure you are already aware that the train from Lyon to Lille was missed by the group because the coach did not get us to the station in time. However I have nothing but praise for our courier Steve Hartnell and the way he handled the situation. Missing the train was not of his fault, and in the end we were not as late arriving in London as we had anticipated. We arrived home very tired but as we live in London no onward travel was involved.
Review by Mrs Joan Russell who travelled 31-May-2015
Travel Editions feedback:
Thank you for your comments and we were very pleased to learn you enjoyed the tour overall. A great shame the end to the tour was marred by the coach driver getting lost on the way to the train station for the TGV. This is not acceptable and we have taken the matter up with the coach company hired for this tour.
All good except for the journey back to Lyon where the Lady driver got lost so we missed the train. This caused delays and frustration also addition expenditure. Steve's organisation minimised the delays Steve and Stan were a first class team on the tours
Review by Mr Colin Price who travelled 31-May-2015
Our third visit to Les Grillons (what more can you say to recommend this holiday?) and we stayed an extra two nights at the end - cut short by another day due to possible rail strike before we went. Marvelous weather, food and hospitality, not forgetting Steve who always looks after everything and makes a good holiday even better!
Review by Mr Gordon West who travelled 31-May-2015
The outgoing journey was fine. The return journey was ruined as a result of the inability of the coach driver to find Lyon station.We missed our train.This was not the fault of Steve Hartnell who did an excellent job in finally getting us home, some 3 hours behind schedule.We were also very impressed with service from Eurostar, having been prompted by Steve. Overall, it was a brilliant holiday. The hotel was one of the best we have ever stayed in .In addition to sorting out our travel problems, Steve did a top rate job throughout the whole holiday. After our problems going to Lake Orta last year I am sure that you had hoped to not hear from me this year!!. However, we thoroughly enjoyed our holiday, and look forward to travelling with you in the future. Regards, Maurice Coker
Review by Mr Maurice Coker who travelled 31-May-2015
1. need to re-think outward travel as alot of waiting time at rail stations - most people have an overnight stay in London for the 9am Eurostar 2. day trip to Geneva could be done in 1/2 day 3. Les Grillons is an excellent base and a top quality hotel but no lift.
Review by Mr Paul Stoneley who travelled 31-May-2015
Excellent holiday. The hotel in Talloires was really good, with superb food, service and staff. No negative points to make: will certainly hope to travel with you again.
Review by Mr Robert Bayley who travelled 25-May-2015
Fantastic holiday and hotel staff wonderful. Food amazing and we are a walking testament to that! Cannot praise courier or hotel enough, thank you!
Review by Mrs Bronwyn Maconachie who travelled 25-May-2015
Do not use Paris if possible right pain in the backside.
Review by Mr Alan Parnell who travelled 25-May-2015
Travel Editions feedback:
Thanks for the feedback and we agree but always use Lille where we can but are often forced by train availability.
This our second trip to Hotel les Grillons, and we were just as pleased with the tour this time as we were when we went in 2004. The weather was pleasantly sunny, the scenery is magnificent, and the food at the hotel is first-class.
Review by Mr Roy Howard who travelled 25-May-2015
Hotel Les Grillons was lovely. Beautiful views, nice rooms, fabulous food and super proprietors and staff. Bit of a drag crossing Paris for TGV only downside. Return journey via Lille much better.
Review by Mrs Glynis Yeardley who travelled 25-May-2015
Wonderful hotel and staff. Tour guide, Helene excellent.
Review by Mrs Christine MacDonald who travelled 25-May-2015
Excellent trip but a bit a lot of travelling made it a bit tiring. Personally would have preferred two free days rather than just one.
Review by Mr Robert Stamp who travelled 25-May-2015
Excellent holiday made more so by the super weather. Might have to readjust timings if weather bad. Time in Annecy could have been too long without the food market,which was great. Tour guide struck exactly the right note with good info but not intrusive or prescriptive. Had choices and independence.
Review by Mrs Cathleen Freer who travelled 08-May-2015
Karen Dean performed her duties with a drive and enthusiasm far beyond what we would have expected. She is a credit to herself and your company and helped to make our holiday extremely enjoyable
Review by Mr Alan Rodway who travelled 08-May-2015
All the pillows at Les Grillons were very thick. I asked for a flat one but they said they only had one type, deep and square. I couldn't sleep on it so had to fold up my gillet and put in the pillow case.... Another lady was the same and used the cover on the end of the bed in the same way.
Review by Mrs Ann Randall who travelled 08-May-2015
Karen Dean was excellent. Trips too far, lots of more local sights to enjoy. We would have liked a lift to Talloires on demand. Staff charming, made us feel very welcome. Lifting our luggage onto train was difficult, though Karen helped us.
Review by Mr Ian Haynes who travelled 08-May-2015
Standard Eurostar seating is extremely uncomfortable.
Review by Mr & Mrs J Flood who travelled 02-October-2014
The four of us had an excellent holiday which was exactly as described in the brochure, but enhanced by the tireless efforts and care by tour manager Karen who deserves a very special mention.
Review by Mrs Janet Hall who travelled 26-September-2014
We had a lovely holiday. We have travelled with you once before so we knew we were in very good hands.The area was beautiful ,the hotel and staff first class and the excursions perfect .Gillian is a exceptional guide and all those ingredient gave us a memorable holiday with some beautiful photos to look back on---many many thanks.Yvonne & Kevin Smyth
Review by Mrs Symth who travelled 02-October-2014
First time we have been with Travel Editions.Well organised through out.A well spent six days
Review by Mr Alan Edgar who travelled 02-October-2014
Karan our tour manager was great in all respects. She did not put a food wrong. 10/10. Would like to be on my next trip with you.
Review by Mr Peter Wiseman who travelled 26-September-2014
Review by who travelled 20-September-2014
apart from confusion about travelling from Ebbsfleet - we had a good time and will look forward to receiving new brochure for the future. Karen our guide was impressive and helpful
Review by Mr R Howe who travelled 26-September-2014
Food and service at the hotel was exceptionally good.
Review by Mr Edwin Roberson who travelled 20-September-2014
hotel accommodation & food (Les Grillons) was particularly good.Our courier (Karen Dean) was excellent very informative and efficient.Good range of included excursions with v.comfortable coaches.A most enjoyable holiday and good value for money.Our 1st holiday with Travel Editions was a great success.
Review by Mr F Gadsdon who travelled 26-September-2014
We enjoyed our trip very much and would not hesitate to use you again
Review by Mr Clive South who travelled 20-September-2014
great holiday loved the hotel very splendid pool and the meals were great ,We were very pleased with the courier Terry who most helpful In all a most enjoyable holiday
Review by Mrs Rachael Woodward who travelled 07-September-2014
All facilities and the food at Hotel were excellent. Terry, our tour guide was outstanding
Review by Mr Brian Launder who travelled 07-September-2014
Most enjoyable trip all round.
Review by Mr Donald Mckay who travelled 07-September-2014
Review by Mrs Avis Hilder who travelled 07-September-2014
I thought the whole package was superb. Terry Regan did a fantastic job as Tour Guide despite having to deal with some tricky situations.
Review by Mr Frank Ashworth who travelled 07-September-2014
A lovely holiday. For us, too many excursions, so we decided to have 2 days' doing nothing at the hotel but that was our choice.
Review by Mr Donald Sanders who travelled 07-September-2014
Everything went so smoothly - which was especially important for Syd, who was recovering from Open Heart surgery and thus couldn't carry anything, and everyone was so helpful. The hotel is super, the food exceptional! And lots of kudos to Steve, particularly because he studied the weather forecast every day to ensure that we saw Chamonix and the Mont Blanc with the very best weather. And hats off to Stan the bus driver! We will surely travel with you again!!
Review by Mr Sydney Darlington who travelled 01-June-2014
Our second visit to Les Grillons - that speaks for itself. Very high standard as last year, Steve was our rep again and always helpful and approachable, Would recommend this trip
Review by Mr Gordon West who travelled 01-June-2014
Review by Mr Alastair Burry who travelled 01-June-2014
Review by Mr Alastair Burry who travelled 01-June-2014
Review by Mr Martin Hexter who travelled 11-May-2014
Travel Editions feedback:
Again we felt the trips out were too long and we ended up just killing time until the coach took us back to the hotel. \also felt a slightly later start time for the excursions would be better to save getting up too early in the mornings, after all we were on holiday.
TGV a great disappointment. Seating cramped, no luggage space and a train failure! Back to airlines I'm afraid. Otherwise excellent friendly organisation.
Review by Mr Alan Windsor who travelled 11-May-2014
Travel Editions feedback:
We are sorry you had a bad first experience on the TGV, as we do carry a large number of passengers each year on a varietie of itineraries and have very few breakdowns. Hoepfully we can convince you to try the 'train' again in the future.
A little too long in Geneva
Review by Mr Robert Milverton who travelled 11-May-2014
An excellent hotel and staff.It would have helped if a shuttle bus service could have been available to Talloires some days for people with limited waking abilities.Some days we were left far to long to wander round some of the places e.g. Evian and Geneva
Review by Mr & Mrs J Horrocks who travelled 11-May-2014
Excellent holiday, have left a review online with trip advisor to that effect.
Review by Ms Margaret Joyce Ovens who travelled 11-May-2014
Due to long travel time and average age of group I would suggest local trip 1st day or even a rest day.Karen was one of the best tour managers we have experienced.
Review by Mrs Rita Holliday who travelled 29-April-2014
Hotel was superb. Lovely staff, nothing too much trouble and the food was fantastic. So often on escorted tours the food is indifferent, mass catering and a bit 'school dinners' but at Les Grillons they don't fall into that trap and every meal was excellent. The trips generally were good, although we passed on the day in Geneva. We thought Evian was a long way to go for not much, but would have liked more time in Yvoire to do the gardens. On our day off it poured with rain and Terry organised a trip to the Resistance memorial and museum which was fascinating and well worth a visit. Thanks to him for going the extra mile!
Review by Mr & Mrs J L Phillips who travelled 05-May-2014
Hotel owners and staff very professional and welcoming. Courier, Terry Regan, very through, knowledgeable, efficient and attentive,
Review by Mrs Elaine Adams who travelled 05-May-2014
The Hotel was probably the best we have stayed in with great food, great service, friendly owners and staff, and very comfortable rooms with fabulous view. Nothing was too much trouble for Karen our tour manager. She was well organised and very well informed but treated us like adults! Will definitely look at Travel Additions first when seeking our next foreign holiday
Review by Mrs Ann Colthorpe who travelled 29-April-2014
Karen Dean was a most pleasant,efficient and knowledgeable manager. Stan a wonderful driver. Aurelie and Sebastien made us so comfortable in their lovely hotel and along with the delicious food made for a a very enjoyable holiday
Review by Mayhew who travelled 29-April-2014
