How to explore Italy like a local
20/06/2025 · By Tim Hall
Expert Great Rail Journeys Tour Manager and blogger Tim Hall discusses how to explore Italy with his top tips and advice about food, drink and culture.
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Join us on a tour of six of Italy's great historic cities, encountering a wealth of artistic and cultural treasures including World Heritage sites, with guided tours of ancient Rome and the world's Renaissance capital, Florence.
With day trips to the walled Tuscan city of Lucca, Pisa's iconic tower and its gleaming white Duomo, we take a day trip to beautiful San Gimignano and complete our tour in the timeless city of Venice. Along the way, experience Italy's most iconic sights, savour local cuisine, and embrace the culture and history of this remarkable country.
Unforgettable Experiences
What’s included on the tour?
Itinerary
Your holiday begins at London St Pancras this morning, meeting the Tour Manager before boarding the Eurostar for our journey to Paris. Travelling in Eurostar Plus class, we are served a light meal at our seats.
In the French capital, we change trains and continue by First Class rail to Turin. As our afternoon journey into northern Italy progresses, we encounter snow-capped alpine peaks, before arriving in Turin where we spend the night. After checking in to our hotel, we dine at a local restaurant in this dynamic Italian city.
Additional information
Hotels
More information on the different trains that are used on this tour.
The high-speed Eurostar trains link St Pancras International in London with Paris and Lille in France as well as Brussels in Belgium.
With a smart and futuristic appearance, and sleek interiors, the Frecciargento can zip you across the magnificent colours and landscapes of Italy in a matter of hours. In English, its title means Silver Arrow and this fine locomotive can travel up to speeds of around 160 mph on certain routes.
Italy's fastest train, the Frecciarossa runs up to a top speed of 190mph and offers a slick and punctual service up and down Italy. Translating to the Red Arrow in English, the Frecciarossa is Trenitalia's premier rail service, offering four different classes - each one providing comfortable seats, air-conditioning and superb staff who are helpful and professional.
Introduced in 1981, France's TGV (Train à Grande Vitesse) was the original European high-speed train. Linking Paris with Lyon, the new service revolutionised train travel and meant that travelling by air over medium and short distances was no longer seen as the best option, even for business travel.
Connecting the romantic splendour of Italy, crisscrossing its
way through Renaissance cities, along golden coastline and around
ancient volcanoes, Trenitalia is Italy's superb rail network.
Featuring an excellent fleet of well-maintained and modern trains,
this rail company is owned by Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane, which
is run by the Italian government. Operating regional and national
services, Trenitalia prides itself on its punctuality and the huge
range of services provided by the operator, several of these which
include railways such as the Frecciarossia, the Frecciargento and
the Frecciblanco services.
Italy by rail is simply stunning. From the flowing green hills and
elegant cities of the north, to the Mediterranean climes and the
enchanting beaches of the south, an Italian rail journey is not
only one of the easiest ways to travel, but is also one of the most
panoramic and beautiful. Circumnavigating the magnificent Mt Etna,
gliding down the Amalfi Coast, entering the stunning Milan railway
station, these are all experiences which are hugely enhanced from
the comfort of an air-conditioned Trenitalia carriage.
Enhance your holiday
Many of our holidays include a final stopover in Paris en route to London. Why not extend your holiday by enjoying an extra night or two in the French capital, returning to London in your own time?
Spending a night in London before your tour can make such a difference to the first day of your holiday - you can arrive in the capital in good time, relaxed and ready to join your Tour Manager the next morning. You may even want to take in a show on the West End or dine in one of London's famous restaurants. Perhaps on your return to London, you would like to break your journey with an overnight stay before continuing home.
We can book a wide range of hotels in central London or, for our holidays beginning with a flight, at Heathrow, Gatwick, or Manchester Airport for the night before or after your holiday. If you require a quote for single occupancy at any of the hotels, please contact us on 01904 734 805.
Buying tickets for UK train services can be a tricky business - there are so many fares to choose from, each with different rules and restrictions. As you are connecting with an international departure, we strongly recommend that you book a fully flexible ticket to ensure that should the departure times for your holiday change, your rail ticket can allow for these changes.
We can book fully-flexible UK rail tickets from your local station to join your holiday whether this be a European holiday from St Pancras or a UK holiday. The prices are competitive and tickets are not restricted to a particular train or time of day, and in most cases offer you a free choice of routes.
For an up to date quote from your local station, please ask one of our Tour Advisors.
Enjoy hassle-free travel with our return door-to-door luggage transfer service from only £199 per bag.
The service includes one 20kg bag per person which will be collected from your home before you depart and will be ready and waiting for you at your first destination hotel. Your bag will also be delivered back to your home address on your return.
If your tour involves an overnight stay enroute, you'll need to travel with an overnight bag as your luggage will be delivered direct to your first destination hotel. The luggage service is not available where you are flying to or from your destination and you will need to take your own luggage with you on the flight.
Reviews
4.2 / 5 · 58 reviews
ZR
Submitted 29/May
Top of my wish list was to revisit Florence and I had always wanted to go to Venice. Rome was a place you had to go to 'When in Italy'. The other enticement was going by train and seeing the different countryside. The Tour Manager Beverly Alesbrook was excellent and made the whole trip a joy without any hassle - it was the perfect holiday. Everything appeared to run smoothly and the Group was well coordinated - we all had fun!
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Alan
Submitted 29/May
Well organised with an excellent tour manager
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Lesley Smith
Submitted 27 Sep 2024
This was my third Great Rail tour, and it fully lived up to my expectations. The hotels were comfortable and welcoming; the cities (Turin, Rome, Florence, Pisa, Lucca and Venice) were of course stunning, each in its own way. Where there were hitches - trains delayed or cancelled - the tour manager had the know-how to improvise and bring the schedule back on track. Overall, the organisation was excellent. I am already planning my next Great Rail tour.
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Pete.
Submitted 05 Jul 2024
Great holiday, fantastic itinerary, with a well informed guide who solved any issues promptly
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D I'Anson
Submitted 11 Jul 2023
Absolutely first class in all aspects. Nice to go on holiday without being concerned about hotel a travel arrangements.
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C Foxwell
Submitted 09 Jul 2023
A wonderful trip made all the better by sharing it with a great group of people. The amazing visits to Rome, Florence,Pisa and Venice were truly special and our tour manager Lisa Parker-Gomm worked tirelessly in the background to ensure that all had an amazing holiday. Definitely would recommend as gives a great introduction to the wonders of Italy.
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Rich history, diverse cultures, and stunning scenery await in Europe. Experience the Swiss Alps, indulge in Italy, explore castles in France, and much more.