There was no "secret service" as such - that was the sort of thing that dastardly foreigners did, and there were problems later in setting up things like Naval Intelligence for precisely that reason, and it was too late a date for the "grand tour" as such, which is probably why you haven't got any useful hits. However, if Mycroft were travelling abroad in a quasi-official capacity with the understanding that he would keep his eyes and ears open, it would not cause any surprise if he took Sherlock along; in fact it would probably (and mistakenly) be seen simply as a bit of cover. I presume this would be during the summer, when it would not interfere with his education.
Well, from July 1870 you have the Franco-Prussian War; in September the French Army is utterly defeated at Sedan, the French 3rd Empire collapses, Napoleon III is deposed and the 3rd Republic declared. From September until the following January you have the Siege of Paris from which the Minister of the Interior, Leon Gambetta, can escape only by hot air balloon. All stirring stuff, and a good reason for the British Government to send agents/observers/couriers, but a very good reason not to take one's teenage brother
( ... )
Cover story? Desperately searching for a friend/relative last heard from in (city of choice) and feared in danger in the war. Eloped sister, misguided Bonapartist university friend, run-away cousin whose father wants to forgive him before he dies, whatever. Should ensure sympathy from good-hearted natives, and maybe even help from local authorities. I'm *sure* they could carry the deception off.
You should also look up the "Great Game" which was in full swing during this period as Russia and Great Britain worked furiously to consolidate their positions in Central and South Asia. Who would rule Afghanistan was a crucial issue (it turned out that the answer would be neither as Dr Watson could attest) because it was seen as the gateway to India which the Russians were pretty determined to take from the British and the British were equally, if not more determined to keep at all costs.
For obvious reasons, most of the actual spying was done far from European capitals, but plots and machinations on the Russian side were put together by the big brains in St. Petersburg and if anyone in London had any sense (a debatable point), they should have worked hard to put someone in a position to get intelligence right at the source to give them time to counter the moves thousands of miles away.
As an interesting side note, that may help with the Sherlock problem, is Rudyard Kipling's novel Kim which is about the Great Game. While not totally relevant, since it is set in India, there is some fascinating stuff about how they use the titular character as a British spy, and his youth plays a significant role in the novel. You might look up "Kim's Game" (which is a Boy Scout game that emerged from the novel), which is used to train Kim in observation for spying.
I think one of those Mary Russell & Holmes novels sets itself in the Great Game - ah, this one.
Can't speak for the quality of the story itself as I got about three chapters in and gave up, but it implies that Holmes spent time in India (which he may have done after he disappeared in TFP) and knew of Kim. Which may not be super-helpful for the OP but it may be worth checking out as a source for further info.
Given Sherlock's moody, nervous disposition, he might have been the reason to travel to Paris and St. Petersburg. Intrigue's always fun, but there's no reason they can't have fallen into it while Mycroft was taking Sherlock abroad for his health.
(Irrelevant perhaps, but I'm fairly sure a late-teens Peter Wimsey, sometime in the early 1900s, went to Paris for his university hols to hang out with his wicked uncle, learn about sex, and escape his dreary family.)
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You should also look up the "Great Game" which was in full swing during this period as Russia and Great Britain worked furiously to consolidate their positions in Central and South Asia. Who would rule Afghanistan was a crucial issue (it turned out that the answer would be neither as Dr Watson could attest) because it was seen as the gateway to India which the Russians were pretty determined to take from the British and the British were equally, if not more determined to keep at all costs.
For obvious reasons, most of the actual spying was done far from European capitals, but plots and machinations on the Russian side were put together by the big brains in St. Petersburg and if anyone in London had any sense (a debatable point), they should have worked hard to put someone in a position to get intelligence right at the source to give them time to counter the moves thousands of miles away.
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Can't speak for the quality of the story itself as I got about three chapters in and gave up, but it implies that Holmes spent time in India (which he may have done after he disappeared in TFP) and knew of Kim. Which may not be super-helpful for the OP but it may be worth checking out as a source for further info.
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(Irrelevant perhaps, but I'm fairly sure a late-teens Peter Wimsey, sometime in the early 1900s, went to Paris for his university hols to hang out with his wicked uncle, learn about sex, and escape his dreary family.)
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