As if soaring helplessly 30,000 feet up in the skies wasn't enough to make certain travellers a tad nervous on their journeys to greener pastures, the latest debacles involving Ryanair's last minute cancellations and Monarch's insolvency have provided flyers with a brand new fear- the fear of being stranded!

Many passengers have found themselves either stranded in their holiday destination with no means of getting home or even worse, stranded at home with no means of getting to their holiday destination!

Specialist wine tour operator are encouraging taking the train for a tipple, travelling to the French wine regions by high-speed rail. With a stress-free 30 minute check in time, it takes just over two hours on the Eurostar to reach Paris from London Saint Pancras, and the festive, fizzy Champagne region is just 45 minutes from Paris by TGV.

Including return rail travel, Grape Escapes offer an astonishing range of flexible packages, available for travel anytime, from just £394 per person. Their most popular break, based in the vibrant city of Reims includes two nights' accommodation with breakfast and a full day guided and transported Champagne tour with lunch. For these fantastic prices, guests will have the opportunity to visit three Champagne Houses, including one of the best known producers.

For red wine lovers, Bordeaux is now the perfect destination by rail following the recent opening of the new Atlantique high-speed line. The city can be reached in little over two hours from Paris!

Prices for a two night Grape Escapes break in Bordeaux including return rail travel start from £550 per person. Not only does this price include accommodation with breakfast, the package also includes a fascinating tutored tasting session, a full day wine tour to the visit the breath-taking Châteaux of the Médoc or Saint-Emilion, and a wine tasting dinner in a gourmet restaurant in the city.

What better way to travel than relaxing in your comfy seat and watching the beautiful French countryside whizz by at 200mph? And don't worry, Champagne is available on board!

For more information on Grape Escapes wine tours, call +44 (0) 1920 46 86 66, e-mail info@grapeescapes.net  or visit www.grapeescapes.net.