Go Backpacking

  • About
  • Travel Tips
    • Accommodations
    • Budgeting & Money
    • Adventure Travel
    • Food & Drink
    • Gear & Gadgets
    • Packing Tips
    • Travel Blogging
    • Travel Insurance
    • Trip Planning
    • UNESCO Sites
  • Destinations
    • Africa
      • Botswana
      • Egypt
      • Ethiopia
      • Morocco
      • Rwanda
      • South Africa
      • Tanzania
    • Asia
      • Cambodia
      • China
      • Hong Kong
      • India
      • Indonesia
      • Japan
      • Laos
      • Malaysia
      • Nepal
      • Philippines
      • Thailand
      • United Arab Emirates
      • Vietnam
    • Europe
      • England
      • France
      • Germany
      • Greece
      • Iceland
      • Ireland
      • Italy
      • Portugal
      • Spain
      • Switzerland
      • Turkey
    • North America
      • Canada
      • Costa Rica
      • Cuba
      • Guatemala
      • Mexico
      • Nicaragua
      • Panama
      • United States
    • Oceania
      • Australia
      • French Polynesia
      • New Zealand
    • South America
      • Argentina
      • Bolivia
      • Brazil
      • Chile
      • Colombia
      • Ecuador
      • Peru
  • Advertise
menu icon
go to homepage
  • About
  • Travel Tips
    • Accommodations
    • Budgeting & Money
    • Adventure Travel
    • Food & Drink
    • Gear & Gadgets
    • Packing Tips
    • Travel Blogging
    • Travel Insurance
    • Trip Planning
    • UNESCO Sites
  • Destinations
    • Africa
      • Botswana
      • Egypt
      • Ethiopia
      • Morocco
      • Rwanda
      • South Africa
      • Tanzania
    • Asia
      • Cambodia
      • China
      • Hong Kong
      • India
      • Indonesia
      • Japan
      • Laos
      • Malaysia
      • Nepal
      • Philippines
      • Thailand
      • United Arab Emirates
      • Vietnam
    • Europe
      • England
      • France
      • Germany
      • Greece
      • Iceland
      • Ireland
      • Italy
      • Portugal
      • Spain
      • Switzerland
      • Turkey
    • North America
      • Canada
      • Costa Rica
      • Cuba
      • Guatemala
      • Mexico
      • Nicaragua
      • Panama
      • United States
    • Oceania
      • Australia
      • French Polynesia
      • New Zealand
    • South America
      • Argentina
      • Bolivia
      • Brazil
      • Chile
      • Colombia
      • Ecuador
      • Peru
  • Advertise
search icon
Homepage link
  • About
  • Travel Tips
    • Accommodations
    • Budgeting & Money
    • Adventure Travel
    • Food & Drink
    • Gear & Gadgets
    • Packing Tips
    • Travel Blogging
    • Travel Insurance
    • Trip Planning
    • UNESCO Sites
  • Destinations
    • Africa
      • Botswana
      • Egypt
      • Ethiopia
      • Morocco
      • Rwanda
      • South Africa
      • Tanzania
    • Asia
      • Cambodia
      • China
      • Hong Kong
      • India
      • Indonesia
      • Japan
      • Laos
      • Malaysia
      • Nepal
      • Philippines
      • Thailand
      • United Arab Emirates
      • Vietnam
    • Europe
      • England
      • France
      • Germany
      • Greece
      • Iceland
      • Ireland
      • Italy
      • Portugal
      • Spain
      • Switzerland
      • Turkey
    • North America
      • Canada
      • Costa Rica
      • Cuba
      • Guatemala
      • Mexico
      • Nicaragua
      • Panama
      • United States
    • Oceania
      • Australia
      • French Polynesia
      • New Zealand
    • South America
      • Argentina
      • Bolivia
      • Brazil
      • Chile
      • Colombia
      • Ecuador
      • Peru
  • Advertise
×
Home » Destinations » Europe » France

Enjoying the French Vineyards Backpacker Style

Modified: Jun 7, 2016 · Published: Oct 2, 2013 by Guest Blogger |

Bordeaux: Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte
Bordeaux: Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte (photo: Megan Mallen)

[O]n a European inter-rail trip France is one of the most popular destinations.

As well as the obligatory trip to Paris many backpackers also want to explore the famed French countryside.

Favored by a host of iconic artists and poets, rural France offers a unique landscape and color palate that is both charming and romantic.

The other big draw for backpackers in rural France are the vineyards where some of the world's most celebrated wine is produced.

Traveling on a shoe-string budget doesn't mean that you have to miss out on a wine tour of the country. Below you will find two ways you can appreciate French wine country backpacker style.

Volunteering

One of the most popular and rewarding ways to see France's vineyards is by volunteering at one.

By making use of websites such as WWOOF and WorkAway it is possible to find a number of vineyards that are currently seeking volunteers.

Help is predominantly needed during the grape harvest but it is possible to secure positions all year round.

By offering a few hours a day in exchange for food and board you can enjoy the classic wine regions of the Loire Valley, Bordeaux and Champagne on a modest backpacking budget.

Volunteering also presents the opportunity to get immersed in the French wine making culture and meet local people, adding to the truly authentic traveling experience.

Cycling

If you don't fancy volunteering then that doesn't mean you have to miss out on the vineyard experience. Another fairly low-budget way to enjoy one of the wine regions of France is to book into a hostel and hire push bikes.

Cycling around the French countryside visiting vineyards for wine tasting makes for a highly enjoyable and low-cost activity for a few days or even a few weeks.

Package vineyard tours, by bicycle or otherwise, can be expensive. By planning your own itinerary and hiring bikes it is possible to enjoy all the same perks at a much lower price. Just make sure you don't get too carried away with the wine tasting before the cycle back to the hostel.

Try part of the EuroVelo6 route, which links the Black Sea to the Adriatic, to take in the vineyards of Southern Burgundy, as well as some intriguing historic sites and medieval towns dotted along the unbroken route.

Make sure you stop off at Provence and Languedoc for some excellent wine tasting, amazing honey, bread and olives in the south of France too.

However you choose to do it, exploring the wine regions of France is one of the most classically European activities to enjoy on a tour of the continent.

_______

This post was brought to you by one of our partners.

Related Stories

  • Trekking in Romania (photo: Andrei Tanase).
    10 Life Lessons You Can Learn From Traveling
  • Cala del Moraig beach in Spain (photo: Eduardo Kenji Amorim).
    Traveling to Spain? Here Are Some Things To Keep In Mind
  • Sailing Casco Bay, Maine (photo: Kristel Hayes).
    Choosing the Right Boat for Your Sailing Adventure
  • Sphinx and Great Pyramid in Giza (photo by Dilip Poddar, Unsplash).
    Kind Tourists Are Staying Away From Camel Rides in Egypt
93 shares
  • Share
  • Email

About Guest Blogger

This post was written by a guest contributor. Please reference the author's byline in the post above for more information. If you would like to guest post on Go Backpacking, please read our submission guidelines. For information on advertising opportunities, go here.

Dave at Ahu Ko Te Riku on Rapa Nui (Easter Island), Chile.

Hi, I'm Dave

Editor in Chief

I've been writing about adventure travel on Go Backpacking since 2007. I've visited 68 countries.

Read more about Dave.

Footer

back to top

About

  • About
  • Archive
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy

Follow Us

Contact

  • Contact
  • Work With Us
  • Submissions

Copyright © 2025 Go Backpacking

93 shares
  • 91