Highlights of Tuscany

We meet at London St Pancras, where we take the Eurostar service to Paris. Travelling in style in spacious Standard Premier Class, we're served a light lunch at our seats. Changing trains, we continue by rail across France, passing the Italian Alps as we travel to the city of Turin where we spend the night. We have our first dinner together in this handsome Italian city.

Please Note - For departure 28/04/2024 you will overnight at the Mercure Chambery hotel in Chambery

• Dinner
• Eurostar light meal

After breakfast this morning there's time to explore Turin. This dignified city is an important centre of business, finance and technology, but is also a showcase of Baroque, Renaissance and modern architecture. Fringed by the Italian alps, the city's wide boulevards and grand public squares are lined with enticing cafés and bars. Around midday, we continue to Florence by rail. From here, we transfer to Montecatini Terme for seven nights. This picturesque spa town is set in glorious Tuscan countryside and is split into two parts. We are based in the lower part of Montecatini Terme, close to the hot springs. On the hill above us is the Old Town of Montecatini Alto. We dine this evening at our elegant spa hotel, renowned for its friendly family-run service and excellent facilities.

• Breakfast, Dinner

There's nothing like waking up in new and lovely surroundings, and today you have a free day to get to know Montecatini Terme. Our beautiful family-run hotel has been offering guests a warm welcome for many years. It has a generous outdoor swimming pool and a sun terrace for warmer days. The spa town is renowned for its thermal springs. The extravagant 18th-century Terme Tettuccio is well worth a visit, not only for its healing waters but for its beautiful Liberty architecture, marble-lined pools and fountains and Art Nouveau tiles. From April to October each year, the Montecatini Opera Festival takes place in various venues around the city, including the spa complex. Montecatini Alto can be reached by a funicular railway, which runs late into the evening and offers wonderful views over the valley. Here are many delightful piazzas, pretty pavement cafés and a charming church.

• Breakfast

Today is a highlight of our holiday, as we travel by rail to the beautiful Renaissance city of Florence. We enjoy a guided tour of the city's treasures, including the impressive red-tiled Duomo, the Santa Maria Novella Church and the legendary Ponte Vecchio, the famous 14th-century bridge. Your afternoon is free to enjoy at your own pace. Labyrinthine streets and pretty piazzas are only part of the city's appeal, as a fifth of the world's Renaissance art is kept and displayed indoors - in Florence's galleries, churches and Medici palaces. If you're planning to visit the Uffizi gallery it is important to book ahead.

When you've had your fill of art and buildings, maybe make your way to one of the city's roof terraces for lunch or stroll across the river to the wonderful Boboli gardens, a peaceful green space with fantastic views of Florence. Alternatively, Mercato di San Lorenzo is the city's largest market with an abundance of fresh products, leather and local crafts, an indoor and outdoor dining area, and a Chianti wine booth. A place to warm up or cool down, depending on the season!

• Breakfast, Dinner

We travel to the lovely walled-city of Lucca, where you are free to explore. Bicycle hire is included, with a choice of single, tandem, or four-seater bikes, and a gentle ride along the ancient ramparts is a great way to see the city. Lucca is also a pleasure to explore on foot, but do pick up a map at the Tourist Office, where our day starts. The maze-like centre has a Duomo and other frescoed churches, striking piazzas - including the Piazza Anfiteatro, once a Roman amphitheatre - a botanical garden, art galleries, and a tranquil ornamental garden at Palazzo Pfanner, all inside the city walls. We enjoy lunch in a local trattoria before continuing to Pisa, where a guided tour introduces us to the famous Field of Miracles. Here, we see Pisa's iconic Leaning Tower, and the striking Romanesque Duomo, which glows in white marble.

• Breakfast, Lunch

Today starts with an excursion into the gorgeous Tuscan countryside, among ochre-coloured hills, dotted with cypresses and secluded farmhouses to San Gimignano, an extraordinary medieval hill town. This perfectly-preserved town is known for its thirteen towers, one of which - Torre Grossa - can be climbed. We have free time over lunch and into the afternoon to explore this gem of a Tuscan town. Later this afternoon, we venture to Castello di Verrazzano, in the heart of the Chianti Classico area between Florence and Siena, set on a verdant hillside among terraced vineyards. We enjoy a guided tour of the castle's gardens and cellar before a tasting of the organic wines produced on the estate. Afterwards, we sit down - either inside the castle or on the terrace - to a wonderful dinner prepared from delicious local produce. Specialities include cured Tuscan ham, Pecorino cheese, various meat dishes, and freshly-made pasta with a rich tomato sauce and Tuscan herbs.

• Breakfast, Dinner

Your day is spent exploring Montecatini Terme at your own pace. If you haven't already discovered it, you could explore charming Montecatini Alto, the medieval old town. Here, you can admire views across the Tuscan hills and wander among the ancient townhouses, churches and medieval walls before choosing a café in which to enjoy lunch. Typical Tuscan cuisine is humble yet mouth-watering, with simple dishes executed well. Try crostini di fegato, warm bread topped with chicken liver pate, or pasta drizzled with olive oil and shaved truffles, foraged from the surrounding hillsides. Another appealing option is to make the most of the frequent rail service to visit the coastal resort of Viareggio (50 minutes), the buzzing city of Bologna (2 hours), or possibly to revisit Florence, Lucca or Pisa.

• Breakfast

Today we travel by coach to medieval Siena, a charismatic Tuscan city where a labyrinth of narrow streets open out onto charming piazzas. The Duomo here is one of Italy's most magnificent, boasting statues by Donatello and Michelangelo, as well as an elaborate mosaic floor. The city's most famous sight, however, is the incredible Piazza del Campo - a grand, shell-shaped piazza that's regarded as one of the continent's best medieval squares. This is the site of the world-famous Palio horse races, an extraordinary event which the city has celebrated since the 17th century, now held twice a year in July and August. We discover the city's sights on a guided tour before some free time, during which you could sample some of the cured meats and cheeses that are popular here. Maybe opt for Siena's best-loved cheese, Pecorino, or finocchiona, a delicious local salami made with fennel.

• Breakfast, Dinner

Bidding farewell to Montecatini Terme, our journey continues to France today. We transfer to the coastal town of Viareggio for a scenic rail journey along the stunning Ligurian coastline, passing the pastel-coloured houses of the Cinque Terre and enjoying ever-changing scenery. When we reach Ventimiglia, close to the French border, we continue by coach, travelling along the attractive French Riviera to the stunning Côte d'Azur. We spend the night here, enjoying a final dinner together with fellow travellers and new friends.

• Breakfast, Dinner

This morning we start our journey homewards and, as we travel by First Class rail to Paris, we have time to savour the new memories we've created on our Tuscan adventure. In the French capital, we change for the Eurostar service, which takes us back to London St Pancras where our journey ends.

• Breakfast
• Eurostar light meal