Puy du Fou: Le Grand Tour, a Belle Époque show train, is unveiled

The Grand Tour du Puy du Fou has unveiled its Belle Époque show train: twelve carriages, five prestigious stops and a six-day journey departing from Paris, presented in late October 2026 as it awaits the green light to operate.

It hasn’t pulled into the station yet, but it has never seemed closer. The Grand Tour du Puy du Fou, the Belle Époque show train announced in 2021, revealed a little more of itself at la Confidence, the Vendée park’s annual conference, on Wednesday, October 21, 2026. Twelve carriages, five stops and a six-day journey departing from Paris: the project is finally taking shape.

The first proposal, moreover, envisaged setting off from Gare de l’Est, in the 10th arrondissement—the very station from which the Orient-Express departed for Constantinople in 1883. A railway nod that says a lot about the ambition behind the journey.

What is the Puy du Fou’s Belle Époque train like?

Nicolas de Villiers, president of Puy du Fou, unveiled the first images of this theater on rails. The train consists of twelve cars and two locomotives and stretches for more than 350 meters. Its décor draws on the sophistication of Art Deco and the atmosphere of the Belle Époque, one of the most prosperous periods in our history.

Puy du Fou : le Grand Tour, train-spectacle Belle Époque, se dévoile — © ARTHUR AUMOND

On board, 22 cabins will accommodate 44 passengers, alongside a bar car, a kitchen car and a dining car named Alexandre. The first carriages have already rolled out of the Ateliers de Fabrication Ferroviaire, located in northern France.

What are the stops on the Grand Tour?

The journey spans 4,000 km and six days, with five major stops that paint a postcard-perfect picture of France:

Burgundy, with a private tour of the Hospices de Beaune, a hospital founded in the 15th century that still serves its original purpose.
The area around Narbonne, to discover Fontfroide Abbey and the Cité de Carcassonne.
The Arcachon Bay, where the Martin family, who run the Dubourdieu boatyards, reveals the secrets behind making its pinasses, before a boat trip between Arcachon and the Dune du Pilat.
Château de Chenonceau, nicknamed the Ladies’ Château, where travelers might encounter Catherine Briçonnet, Diane de Poitiers, Catherine de’ Medici or Louise Dupin.
Puy du Fou as the final stop or, when the park is too busy with its seasonal events, the Palace of Versailles.

This final choice amuses Nicolas de Villiers, who wanted a terminus worthy of the park. Versailles was therefore chosen, echoing Louis XIV’s Dream, the major show scheduled to open at Puy du Fou in June 2027.

What happens aboard the show train?

The show doesn’t unfold only along the riverbanks. On board, everything is staged with the help of the 16 crew members. Passengers can have unexpected encounters along the way and even follow a murder investigation led by a certain Inspector Gallimard, like an Agatha Christie novel they’re living from the inside.

When it comes to dining, the menu is by Alexandre Couillon, a Vendée-born chef awarded three Michelin stars, who heads La Marine in Noirmoutier. Every dinner becomes a destination in its own right.

How much will the trip cost, and when will the train depart?

The ticket remains reserved for a select few: expect to pay €8,450 per person for six days and five nights, including accommodation and meals, according to Alouette. Bookings can be made by phone or by appointment through the official Grand Tour website.

One decisive step remains: authorization to operate on the national rail network, which is expected soon. No date has yet been set for the first departure. After several delays since 2023, the project now seems to be nearing the platform.

While we wait to climb aboard, Puy du Fou is also coming to us with Mousquetaire, its new show at La Seine Musicale, opening in November 2027. And for lovers of legendary trains, we’re keeping an eye on the Orient Express restaurant conceived by Yannick Alléno.