Experience the very essence of Italy as we discover the Eternal
City of Rome, Vatican City, Renaissance Florence, labyrinthine
Venice, and iconic Pisa with its unmistakable Leaning Tower
Highlights
Uncover a different side of Rome with a tour of its best-kept secrets, including the ‘foodie’ neighbourhood of Trastevere
Explore Renaissance Florence with a guided tour and free time
See the iconic Leaning Tower at the Field of Miracles in Pisa
Visit the walled city of Lucca, a delightful historic Tuscan gem
Enjoy a guided tour of Venice and dinner at an elegant Venetian palace
Meet at our St Pancras Departure Office for the Eurostar to
Paris, continuing to Lyon where we overnight. On Day
2, we journey to Milan, changing trains for Rome (Standard
Class). Known as the 'Eternal City', Rome is an endless treasure
trove of historic, cultural and artistic delights. We check into
our hotel for 3 nights, the 4-Star Hotel Massimo d'Azeglio, in the
heart of the city.
Includes
Day 1 - Eurostar Meal, Dinner
Day 2 - Breakfast, Dinner
Day 3 - Exploring Rome
Enjoy a guided tour of Rome today, which introduces us to its
most revered sights. See the Colosseum, the largest amphitheatre
ever built in the Roman Empire, the Roman Forum, the center of
Roman public life for centuries, and Trevi Fountain, a world-famous
Baroque masterpiece. Pause en-route for ice cream at charming
Giolitti, the oldest gelateria in the city, which dates back to the
late 1800s. Purportedly a favourite of Pope John Paul II, Giolittai
is also famous as the ice cream parlour which Audrey Hepburn and
Gregory Peck visit in the 1953 film 'Roman Vacation'. The rest of
your day is at leisure in Rome.
Includes
Breakfast
Day 4 - Hidden Rome
We venture off the beaten track today to see some of Rome's
lesser known gems. First, discover the whimsical architecture of
the Quartiere Coppedè district, an unexpected delight tucked away
from Rome's more famous streets. A combination of historic
architectural styles compete for attention here, and the dizzying
blend of Baroque, ancient Greek, Art Nouveau and medieval
structures give the neighbourhood a magical, otherworldly quality.
Continue to the Basilica of Santo Stefano Rotondo, Hungary's
'national church' in Rome, dedicated to both Christian martyr St
Stephen, and Stephen I, the first king of Hungary. This is one of
Rome's most unique churches; dramatic frescoes line the circular
walls of the interior, each depicting the death of a different
martyr, which lends an eerie effect to the undoubtedly beautiful
structure. Our final visit is to bohemian Trastevere, an authentic
Roman neighbourhood known for its incredible food, which we sample
during lunch at a local restaurant.
This afternoon is free. Perhaps visit the Vatican City? The tiny
principality includes captivating museums and the famous Sistine
Chapel, with superb frescoes painted by Renaissance artists
including Michelangelo and Botticelli.
Includes
Breakfast, Lunch
Day 5 - Discover Florence
Today we travel by rail to the beautiful city of Florence, the
Renaissance capital of the world, where we spend 3 nights. This
afternoon, enjoy a guided tour of the city's treasures, including
the Duomo with its iconic red-tiled dome and the Ponte Vecchio a
14th-century bridge that is home to 43 jewellers' shops. Tonight,
enjoy dinner at a local restaurant.
Includes
Breakfast, Dinner
Day 6 - Florence at leisure
Today you are free to explore Florence under your own steam.
Much of the beauty of the city is found indoors, with a fifth of
the world's Renaissance art on display in Florence, including 1,700
masterpieces in the famous Uffizi Gallery. Known as 'the heart of
the Renaissance', this world famous gallery features art by
Botticelli, Giotto, Cimabue, Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and
Raffaello, to name some of the most famous. Otherwise, the Giardino
Bardini, or 'Bardini Gardens' have a typical Tuscan feel, and are a
pleasure to visit.
Includes
Breakfast
Day 7 - Pisa and Lucca
Today we travel by rail (Standard Class) across the wonderful,
rustic countryside of Tuscany, where rolling vine-covered hillsides
stretch as far as the eye can see and acres of olive groves and row
upon row of cypress, walnut and bay trees surround the railroad
lines. We pass remote farmhouses and isolated villages as we head
to Pisa, the city famous for its leaning tower. In Pisa we enjoy a
guided tour that includes the city's incredible Field of Miracles.
Here we see the iconic Leaning Tower, and the marvellous white
marble Duomo, one of the finest examples of Romanesque
architecture, with sublime Moorish mosaics.
Later we continue to the beautiful city of Lucca - a place of
true beauty that has managed to escape the tourist crowds; one of
Italy's best kept secrets. The heart of the city is filled with
charming piazzas, small community churches and fabulous art
galleries, linked together by narrow cobbled streets and intricate
passageways, and we have time to explore the city at leisure.
Splendid Renaissance architecture mingles with historic buildings
from the Middle Ages, making the city a pleasure to explore on
foot.
Includes
Breakfast
Days 8-10 - Venice
This morning we leave Florence by high-speed rail, traveling in
Standard Class to the floating city of Venice. On arrival, we
transfer to our hotel for three nights, the Hyatt
Centric Murano Venice hotel on the island of Murano. There
is time for you to start your exploration before dinner
tonight.
On Day 9 we enjoy a guided tour in
the heart of Venice, beginning in St Mark's Square, which is
dominated by the magnificent Basilica di San Marco and the
venerable Palazzo Ducale, or Doge's Palace. This afternoon you are
free to soak up the atmosphere of this romantic city. For a bird's
eye view of the city, take the opportunity to climb the Campanile
de San Marco, which offers incredible vistas over the buildings
clustered around the center and the shimmering lagoons further
out.
On Day 10 you are at leisure to
further soak up the atmosphere of this romantic city. For a bird's
eye view of the city, take the opportunity to climb the Campanile
de San Marco, which offers incredible vistas over the buildings
clustered around the center and the shimmering lagoons further out.
Or, you could choose to take an enchanting gondola ride through
Venice's iconic labyrinth of waterways. On the evening of Day 10 we
head into the heart of Venice for a farewell meal in a splendid
Venetian palace - a truly remarkable end to our adventures in
Italy.
Includes
Day 8 - Breakfast, Dinner
Day 9 - Breakfast
Day 10 - Breakfast, Dinner
Days 11-12 - To Turin and London
Today we travel to Turin for the night. On Day
12 we travel to Paris, by high-speed TGV, before
taking the Eurostar service to London.
For this tour, we recommend arriving to, and departing from,
London Gatwick or London Heathrow airport (LGW or LHR). London
Gatwick is approximately 30 miles from your start and end point,
and London Heathrow is approximately 19 miles from your start and
end point.
Visa Requirements
It is your responsibility to check and fulfil the passport,
visa, health and immigration requirements applicable to your
itinerary. We do not accept any responsibility if you cannot
travel, or incur any other loss because you have not complied with
any passport, visa, immigration requirements or health formalities.
You agree to reimburse us in relation to any fines or other losses
which we incur as a result of your failure to comply with any
passport, visa, immigration requirements or health formalities.
Departure times
Provisional departure and return times, where available, can be
found together with our dates and prices by clicking on the 'Prices
& Availability' button. We write to all booked customers
approximately 10 weeks prior to the start of their tour to advise
the exact departure and return time for their particular group.
I will never need to travel with another company again. Great Rail Journeys are 5 star in every respect. Fantastic vacation.
Katiefrom Great Rail Journeys
This is wonderful to hear, thank you for sharing! We're thrilled your time in Italy was so fantastic and hope to welcome you on another Great Rail Journeys vacation soon.
1
Mr D Marsland
Submitted Oct 13, 2018
We didn’t waste a single moment! We made new friends. Had lots of laughs!
Mr K Godden
Submitted Oct 09, 2018
Thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience,well organised and well looked after by Rosie Edwards,also our fellow travelers.The tour guides were also a great asset to the whole experience.Weather helped as well!!!!
Mr M Jones
Submitted Oct 08, 2018
The first day was quite a long slog. We traveled from our home to London the day before and although we anticipated a long first day it was much tougher than we'd anticipated. Traveled from London to Paris and onto Milan leaving at arring at the hotel at 10.30pm. However from the srcond day with the exception of some early rises the vacation itself was very good. The balance between your own time and guided tours was perfect. All the local guides were very knowledgeable. The hotels seemed to get better as the vacation progressed with the hotel in Rome being very good and the staff very helpful with booking tickets to the Opera. However the best was in Venice on the island of Murano where we had a lovely room and a courtyard to sit and relax in, in the evening after dinner.
I have to say we covered some miles on foot during the tour but it was all well worth it. So much to see and do in all the places we visited. The days we had in Venice were very good, completely different to the rest of the tour. Our tour manager worked tirelessly to ensure everything was spot on and after an initial issue it certainly was. My only critiscism of the tour is that it is advertised as 1st Class travel but we didnt experience this. Although the trains were generally clean, comfortable and punctual although a scramble to get on. Made so many new friends as well....
Miss P Booth
Submitted May 05, 2018
I filled in the survey as the trip ended!
Anonymous
Submitted May 01, 2018
Well organised. Relaxing. Visited exceptional cities and had guided tour in each along with days to experience places by oneself.
