How do you define luxury? For me, it is simple – it is space and time.

In a life that seems crowded with to-do lists and having to be somewhere in less time than I ever allocate, travelling – the journey, not the destination – is often the pain endured to attain the gain.

So what a gift it was to cover the 1,100km between London to St Tropez almost entirely by train instead of crowding into stressful airports.

I stopped in Paris and Vaucluse to savour walks through the French capital and then the vineyards and markets of Provence, before boarding the TGV to one of the world’s most iconic beach destinations.

The first leg on Eurostar was a zero-stress experience, during which I lost myself in books and daydreams as I sped from one capital to the other. Two-and-a-half hours later, the train pulled into Gare du Nord, easily one of the best-connected stations in Europe.

My hotel – Le Grand Mazarin, in the heart of the Marais district – was just 1.5km away, and though the metro to Hotel de Ville would have taken me almost to its door, with a light bag and an even lighter afternoon, I opted to walk.

Fashion hot spot

Le Marais, spreading across the third and fourth arrondissements on the city’s Right Bank, is always in fashion, packed with restaurants and bars, culturally fascinating – French, Jewish, Chinese, LGBTQ+.

It’s a joy to discover on foot, so whether strolling from the station or taking a guided tour, suggesting clients linger around here is an excellent idea.

I did both: the team at Le Grand Mazarin had booked Gary’s Paris Tours and in two hours, Gary took the group through 600 years of Le Marais’ history.

We explored tales of the oldest house in Paris – Auberge Nicolas Flamel, which was built in 1407 – through to one of its most beautiful squares, Place des Vosges, and onwards to the 14th-century Hotel de Ville.

Another high point was the old Jewish Quarter (also known as Pletzl), where you’ll find plenty of synagogues, kosher shops and historic buildings. 

Part of the Maisons Pariente collection, Le Grand Mazarin opened in 2023 as the Pariente family’s fourth hotel in France, and their first in Paris. Created by hotel and restaurant designer Martin Brudnizki and his studio, MBDS, the property has 61 flamboyant rooms (including 14 suites) and is just a 15-minute walk from Notre-Dame and the Ile de la Cite.

This accessible hotel, as enchanting as Le Marais itself, celebrates joie de vivre in style: chandeliers, silk-lined walls and ornate mirrors impress with their opulence, while the restaurant – Boubale, specialising in Levantine cuisine – draws Paris’s most elegant residents and their children: there is even a special child’s menu. 

In addition, there is a fine spa and wellness centre that includes the spectacular swimming pool, built into an excavated basement.

Hitting the rails 

Next up were two nights in Vaucluse – a two hour and 40-minute train journey from Paris to Avignon, followed by a 50-minute drive to reach the exquisite Crillon Le Brave – another Maisons Pariente property.

This dream of a residence, on a hill with mesmerising views of Mont Ventoux, is elegance par excellence. Set within several 17th and 18th-century village houses, each one of its refined 17 rooms and 17 suites (nine more coming soon) are immaculate.

In some, the colour theme is aniseed green, saffron yellow, almond green and white ceruse, while in others, vintage furniture sets the mood. 

There is also swimming pool, a spa – providing tailored treatments using organic products – and a fitness suite, in a converted church. Plans for a second pool are well under way, with completion scheduled for April 2026.

Also continuing to evolve is the already-fabulous restaurant, La Table du Ventoux. Overlooking the mountain, and with vineyards that stretch to meet it from all directions, the menu offers some of the finest dishes I have ever eaten, and that goes for its vegetarian and vegan selections, too.

A highlight was the Camargue black rice served with baby carrots and pink grapefruit and pistou, which had even the meat lovers who were tucking into Sisteron lamb and asparagus asking for a taste. Children won’t miss out, as there is a special menu for them here too.

Provence perfection

Outside, the countryside is as perfect a representation of Provencal beauty as is possible to find.

Beyond the immediate vicinity are several villages that are rightly considered the jewels of Provence. Among them is Carpentras, which is famous for its black truffles; L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, known for its weekly antique fairs; and Vaison-la-Romaine, an absolute beauty where the weekly market tempts with everything from local honey to handcrafted clothes.

Visitors can easily do the market in the morning, and a vineyard in the afternoon – as I did. Crillon recommended Chene Bleu, and even arranged a picnic for me to have after the wine tasting.

The final part of my France-by-rail trip saw me travel from Avignon to St-Raphael-Valescure Station, the closest to Maisons Pariente’s Lou Pinet hotel in St Tropez. In total, the journey took just a little under three-and-a-half hours – two by rail, and the rest by road.

Lou Pinet, which is open from May to October, markets itself as a family home – to which I say, “I can but dream.” The accommodation – a cluster of 34 rooms and suites in houses painted in the colours of summer – are the picture of relaxed refinement.

Sitting in landscaped gardens surrounding the large swimming pool, they are spacious and channel all the glamour (but none of the over-the-top glitz) of St Tropez, and are as welcoming to couples and singletons as they are to families with young children. It is also accessible to guests with disabilities.

The food is excellent – the one reservation being that the Beef Bar restaurant is unlikely to appeal to vegetarians, despite catering for them, since the sight and smell of hunks of meat on every table may be off-putting for some.

Height of glamour 

St Tropez, with its abundant designer shops, see-and-be-seen marina and restaurants, is less than 2km away from the hotel, and a frequent, free shuttle service transports guests not wishing to walk between the two.

Of course, St Tropez has a well-earned reputation as a playground for the well-heeled, but there is far more to it than that, including pleasures that satisfy the mind rather than the body.

The old village, with its cinnamon-coloured streets, and Glaye Beach in nearby Ramatuelle, shows a slice of life people rarely associate with the peninsula, and one they will be forever glad they discovered. Especially if they let the train take the strain.