Loving Italy by Rail with Cinque Terre Stay | 12 Days

DAY 1:                  ROME

Upon arrival, you will be transferred to the hotel by a private car. Rest of the day is at leisure to explore the Eternal City. In the evening, we recommend a walk in the Trastevere district, full of typical Roman restaurants. Overnight in Rome.

DAY 2:                   ROME

After breakfast, discover Imperial Rome on a group tour to the Forum and the magnificent Colosseum. The rest of the day is free to explore the city. Overnight in Rome. (B)

DAY 3:                   ROME – NAPLES – POMPEII – ROME

After breakfast at the hotel, make your own way to Rome Termini station. Board the high-speed train to Naples; the journey takes about 1h 15′. Upon arrival, you will begin a full day excursion to Pompeii and Naples. You will first discover the famous archaeological site of Pompeii, the ancient Roman city destroyed by the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD and then you will immerse yourself in the undisputed charm of the city of Naples. In the evening, return to Rome by train. Make your own way to the hotel. Overnight in Rome. (B)

DAY 4:                   ROME – FLORENCE

After breakfast at the hotel, make your own way to Rome Termini station to board the high-speed train to Florence; the journey takes about 1h 30′. Upon arrival, make your own way to your hotel with free time available for an independent visit of the city, the ‘cradle of the Renaissance’. Among the places that are worth being seen include Piazza della Signoria, the medieval heart of the city, Piazza Santa Croce with its past noble families’ buildings, and the home of Dante, the Supreme Poet author of the Divine Comedy, or the Accademia Gallery, which houses the original of Michelangelo’s famous statue of David. Overnight in Florence. (B)

DAY 5:                   FLORENCE – SIENA – SAN GIMIGNANO – MONTERIGGIONI – CHIANTI AREA – FLORENCE

After breakfast at the hotel, enjoy a full day tour. Begin with a visit to Siena, where you will discover the suggestive Piazza del Campo, Piazza Duomo, the Cathedral, Palazzo Pubblico and the famous Torre del Mangia. After Siena, continue to the walled town of San Gimignano, famous for its white wine, the world renowned Vernaccia, and its skyscrapers – also declared a World heritage Site by UNESCO! Then, visit Monteriggioni, with its still intact medieval walls, and Chianti area and a wine tasting experience of the Chianti red wine. Return to Florence in the evening. Overnight in Florence. (B)

DAY 6:                   FLORENCE – LA SPEZIA – MONTEROSSO AL MARE

After breakfast at the hotel, make your way to the train station to board the regional train to La Spezia. The journey takes about 2h 30′. La Spezia is the starting city to explore the famous Cinque Terre, the stretch of coast with 5 fishing villages perched over the sea: Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore. Upon arrival in La Spezia, change trains for Monterosso. Upon arrival, make your own way to the hotel. The two-day Cinque Terre Train Card is included, which allows access to the National Park area and the use of regional trains and local buses that connect the villages. Overnight in Monterosso al Mare. (B)

DAY 7:                  MONTEROSSO AL MARE – CINQUE TERRE – MONTEROSSO AL MARE

After breakfast, day is at leisure to visit the Cinque Terre villages with the train card. Overnight in Monterosso al Mare. (B)

DAY 8:                   MONTEROSSO AL MARE – LA SPEZIA – MILAN

After breakfast at the hotel, make your own way to the station and board the train to La Spezia and then the intercity train to Milan. The journey from La Spezia to Milan takes about 3h 20 ‘. After arriving, make your own way to the hotel with free time to visit the city of Milan at your own pace. We suggest exploring the famous sites of Milan; the Duomo, the Castello Sforzesco, the Basilica of Sant’Ambrogio and the Navigli, the famous canals, the very hub of the Milanese nightlife. Overnight in Milan. (B)

DAY 9:                   MILAN – COMO – LAKE COMO – MILAN

Breakfast at the hotel and then make your own way to the station to take the regional train to Como. The journey takes about 40 min. Discover the city of Como and its famous lake on your own. A day ticket is included for the hop-on / hop-off public boat to discover the lake, where you can choose to stop off for a walk according to the departures of the boats and the time of the train back to Milan. Enjoy some free time in Como to get to know the town and shop in the many local boutiques. Make your own way to the station and return to Milan in the evening. Overnight in Milan. (B)

DAY 10:                                MILAN – VENICE

After breakfast at the hotel, make your own way to the train station and board the high-speed train to Venice. The journey takes about 2h 30′. Upon arrival, make your own way to your hotel. In the afternoon there will be a 30-minute gondola ride with commentary via an app on your mobile phone. Overnight in Venice. (B)

DAY 11:                                VENICE

Breakfast at the hotel, then full day dedicated to discovering Venice or its lagoon. Take this opportunity for a guided walking tour through the famous points of the city; Piazza San Marco with the Basilica and the Clock Tower, the Rialto Bridge, Campo Santa Maria Formosa, or a skip-the-line guided tour of the Doge’s Palace, with the Doge’s luxurious apartments and the famous Bridge of Sighs. Alternatively, you can go on a boat trip to the islands of the Venice lagoon: Murano, known all over the world for its famous glass craftmanship; Burano, famous not only for its lace, but also, for the picturesque fishermen’s houses all painted in bright colours; and Torcello, the first settlement centre in the lagoon. Overnight in Venice. (B)

DAY 12:                                VENICE

Breakfast and check-out of the hotel. End of our services. (B)

Accommodation (or similar):

STANDARD CLASS:

ROME: Hotel Kennedy 

FLORENCE: Hotel Corona D’Italia 

MONTEROSSO: Hotel 5 Terre 

MILAN: Hotel Flora

VENICE: Hotel Carlton Capri 

SUPERIOR CLASS:

ROME: Hotel Gambrinus 

FLORENCE: Hotel Executive 

MONTEROSSO: Hotel Palme 

MILAN: Nyx Hotel Milan 

VENICE: Hotel Carlton on the Grand Canal or Hotel Amadeus  

Includes:

• 3 nights accommodation in Rome
• 2 nights accommodation in Florence
• 2 nights accommodation in Monterosso
• 2 nights accommodation in Milan
• 2 nights accommodation in Venice
• 11 breakfasts at the hotel
• 1 Wine tasting in Chianti Area
• Colosseum & Roman Forum Group tour (3hrs) – includes: local guide/entrance ticket. Pick up from the hotel not included
• Full Day Tour to Naples and Pompeii from Naples railway station – includes: transportation/local guide and entrance ticket to Pompeii. Pick up from hotel not included
• Full Day Tour (by coach) to Siena, San Gimignano and Chianti Area from Florence – includes: bus/multilingual assistant/wine tasting. Pick up from hotel not included
• 48hrs Cinque Terre Train Card
• One day free circulation ticket on the public boat on Lake Como – departure from Como – An unlimited number of trips are allowed between the ferry ports of COMO and BELLAGIO, including intermediate stops
• 30 minutes Gondola ride with commentary on app to be downloaded on your smart phone (English/Spanish) – gondola shared with other passengers
• Private arrival transfer from Rome Fiumicino Airport to Hotel in Rome city centre
• Round-trip high-speed train tickets from Roma Termini to Napoli Centrale – 2nd class
• 2nd class^ high speed train ticket from Roma Termini to Firenze Santa Maria Novella station
• Regional train ticket from Firenze Santa Maria Novella station to La Spezia Centrale – 2nd class without seat reservation
• Intercity train ticket from La Spezia Centrale to Milan Centrale – 1st class
• Round-trip regional train tickets from Milano Centrale to Como Centrale – 1st class without seat reservation
• 2nd class^ high speed train ticket from Milano Centrale station to Venezia St. Lucia

Excludes:

• Transfers from/to the rail stations. Note: The hotels are located walking distance from the rail stations.
• Tourist city taxes, to be paid on the spot
• Lunches and dinners unless specifically mentioned
• Porterage service
• Optional tours and experiences

Things to Note:

–          Accommodation is subject to change without notice.

–          Hotel rooms may not be available for check-in before 2:00 p.m.

–          City taxes are not included and are to be paid directly to the hotel.

–          The days of excursions may be modified for technical reasons. In any case, all visits and excursions mentioned on the itinerary will be guaranteed or replaced by similar ones.

–          Child policy: Children aged 0-2.99 years travel free of charge, however, a seat on the train will NOT be provided. The seat on the train and the bed in the hotel will be shared with the parents. Baby cots are on request and a supplement may need to be paid directly to the hotel.

–          ^Class of rail ticket is based on 2^nd class unless the optional upgrade to 1^st class has been selected at the time of booking.

–          Between La Spezia and Le Cinque Terre, clients have to use the Cinque Terre card