Wonders of Tuscany

You meet your Tour Manager and fellow travellers at London St Pancras where you join the Eurostar service to Paris. Changing trains in the French capital, you continue to Chambéry. After a short break, you board a comfortable coach for a beautiful journey through the Alps. With stops enroute to absorb the incredible views of towering, alpine peaks, you arrive in Turin where you spend the night after your first dinner together as a group.

• Dinner

After breakfast there's time to explore Turin. Surrounded 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 six nights. Our hotel is in the modern, lower part of the town, close to the railway station and to the hot springs. On the hill above us is the medieval Old Town of Montecatini Alto. We dine this evening at our hotel.

• Breakfast, Dinner

Today you have a free day to get to know Montecatini Terme. The town is renowned for its thermal springs and the 18th-century Terme Tettuccio is well worth a visit, not only to enjoy the spa but also to see its marble-lined pools, fountains and Art Nouveau tiles. The spa is open from 7.30am to 8pm and entrance is around 6 Euros.

From April to October, the Montecatini Opera Festival takes place in different places around the city, including the spa complex. You could also visit Montecatini Alto today, using the funicular railway which runs late into the evening and has great views over the valley. The Old Town has a central piazza, surrounded by ancient buildings, pretty pavement cafés and a charming church. This is a lovely spot to relax with a drink and soak up the atmosphere. There are several eating places to choose from, near our central hotel and up in the Old Town.

• Breakfast

Today is a highlight of our tour, as we travel by rail to the Renaissance city of Florence. We're met by a local guide who introduces us to the city, showing us the striking Duomo, the medieval centre, and the Palazzo Vecchio. Our tour ends at the Ponte Vecchio, the famous 14th-century bridge, filled with jewellery shops.

From here, your afternoon is free to enjoy at your own pace. You might be inspired to climb the 414 steps of Giotto's Campanile, for stunning views across the rooftops. Or maybe wander through one of Florence's galleries, churches and Medici palaces. Please note, if you plan to visit the Uffizi gallery it's best to book ahead to avoid the queue.

Another option is to cross the river to the wonderful Boboli gardens, a peaceful green space with fantastic views of Florence. Or visit the city's largest market, Mercato di San Lorenzo, with stalls selling fresh products, local crafts, indoor and outdoor dining areas, and a Chianti wine booth. We return to Montecatini Terme by train with time to relax and refresh before dinner at our hotel.

• Breakfast, Dinner

This morning we set out by rail to the medieval walled-city of Lucca, where you have a free morning to look around. Lucca is enjoyable to explore on foot but to make the most of your time there maybe pick up a map at the Tourist Information Centre. The maze-like centre has a Duomo, beautiful frescoed churches, striking piazzas - including the amazing Piazza Anfiteatro, once a Roman amphitheatre. You could also walk along the wide path of the preserved walls to see the city from above. Lucca has a botanical garden, art galleries, and a lovely tucked-away garden at Palazzo Pfanner (entrance to the garden is around 4 Euros).

We meet after lunchtime to continue by rail to Pisa, where you can explore at your own pace. There, in an area called the Field of Miracles, you'll find the famous Leaning Tower, a true icon of Italy, and the city's white marble Duomo. There's also time to discover Pisa's lively Old Town, between the Field of Miracles and the Arno river - a medieval area with handsome piazzas, cafés, and shops. At the end of the afternoon we return by rail and have dinner at our hotel.

Please note, if you plan to visit the Cathedral, Tower or any of the attractions in the Square of Miracles, it is best to book ahead.

• Breakfast, Dinner

Your day is spent exploring Montecatini Terme at your own pace. You could choose to visit the town's thermal baths, the natural springs which make Montecatini Terme Italy's largest spa resort. Or maybe relax at the swimming pool at the Pellegrini's 'sister' hotel.

If you haven't already discovered it, you could visit Montecatini Alto, the medieval Old Town. From our central location, you could make the most of the frequent rail service to visit other Tuscan cities or towns. For example, the coastal resort of Viareggio is 50 minutes' away or the buzzing city of Bologna takes two hours to reach by train.

This evening you're also free to find dinner independently at a restaurant of your choice.

• Breakfast

Today we enjoy a coach excursion to ancient Siena, a charming Tuscan city with a fantastic history and beautiful buildings. On arrival, our local guide takes us the church of San Domenico and past the stunning Duomo. We continue to the centre of Siena, where we reach the city's incredible Piazza del Campo - a grand, shell-shaped piazza that's one of Europe's best-preserved medieval squares. Our guide tells us the history of the piazza, where the world-famous Palio horse races are held every July and August - an event that's been celebrated for hundreds of years.

After our guided tour you're free to continue sightseeing at your own pace. With its many pavement cafés, the piazza is the perfect place to enjoy a glass of Chianti or a gelato. Or you might like to try some of Siena's popular cured meats and cheeses - the local favourites are Pecorino cheese and finocchiona, a delicious salami made with fennel. We return by coach to our hotel where we have our last dinner in Montecatini.

• Breakfast, Dinner

This morning we say ciao to Tuscany as we're transferred by coach to Viareggio on the coast. From here we take the train to Ventimiglia, close to the French border, and our scenic rail route follows the coastline most of the way. When we arrive in Ventimiglia we're taken by coach into France, to the attractive resort of Saint-Raphaël on the Côte d'Azur where we spend the night, after a three-course dinner at our hotel.

**Please Note: For certain departures, there will be a change of location to Toulon.

• Breakfast, Dinner

With a little free time after breakfast, we leave Saint-Raphaël and join our train to Paris. There's time on our rail journey home to look back on our special time in Tuscany, and to exchange goodbyes with our travelling group and new friends. In the French capital we join the Eurostar service, which takes us back to London St Pancras where our journey ends.

• Breakfast