No-fly Italy by Rail

Depart London St Pancras 0931 / arrive Paris Gare du Nord 1247

Starting your trip among the Victorian extravagance of St. Pancras International, you’ll board the Eurostar for the channel-tunnel hop. Travelling in Business Premier, you’ll be treated to lounge access, a 10-minute check-in and a meal by Raymond Blanc before you sweep through the French countryside and into Paris, staying in a prestigious location within the Golden Triangle in Paris' 8th Arondissement, in a traditional Haussmann building. From here, you’ll have all the delights of the French capital. Between the headline acts of the Louvre, Notre Dame and Eiffel Tower, be sure to find time to wander the city’s leafy boulevards, pausing at pavement cafés.

Depart Paris Gare de Lyon 1443 / arrive Milan Garibaldi 2149

After some further time in Paris to stroll along the Seine or marvel at the Arc de Triomphe, you'll make your way to the 19th century beauty of Gare de Lyon. The Milano Palazzo Moscova is housed in a historic neoclassical building once used to house Milan's railway station, located in the Porta Garibaldi area, close to places of interest such as Corso Como or Porta Nuova and just a few minutes walk from La Scala. as well as being within easy reach of four subway stations and two railway stations, 

Stay: Milano Pallazo Moscava (Superior)

Depart Milan Centrale 1058 / arrive Rome Termini 1410

After breakfast, make your way to Milan Centrale station for your next journey to Rome, travelling south past the gastronomic capitals of Parma, Modena and Bologna, then towards Florence before traversing the scenic hills of Tuscany, with ancient hilltop towns and villages, vineyards, and contrasting colours as you approach Rome. Enjoy three days in the Eternal City. Built on seven hills along the banks of the River Tiber in the Lazio Region, Rome is a collision of ancient empires and a modern metropolis. Glamorous locals sip espressos in the central piazzas or zip past the cities Roman structures on pastel-coloured Vespas, while priests clothed in monastic robes wander amid the holiest of sanctuaries – Vatican City.

Depart Rome Termini 1050 / arrive Florence Santa Maria Novella 1227

After breakfast, make your way to the station where you’ll board your rail journey to Florence. You’ll arrive with plenty of time to explore this Renaissance gem where evocative narrow streets constantly surprise with stunning basilicas, world-class art galleries and grand medieval piazzas. Don’t miss out on the Galleria degli Uffizi and its Renaissance classics, the city’s cathedral whose intricately detailed pink, white and green marble façade is capped by a giant red-tiled dome or the Ponte Vecchio Bridge’s medieval tumble and the citywide views from the Piazzale Michelangelo are a must. Your central, marbled accommodation is perfectly poised to take it all in, housed in a historic building in the old town.

Depart Florence Santa Maria Novella 1020 / arrive Venice Santa Lucia 1234

After breakfast, make your way to the station – you’ll catch the train to Venice. Your hotel here is situated on the Grand Canal in a magnificent Venetian palace, with the city's backalley maze of atmospheric laneways and waterways on their doorstep. You'll also explore with an included tour, focusing on the famous Piazza San Marco, where cathedrals shine in burnished gold, palaces arch out over the waters and bell towers strike towards the sky. You’ll end with a gondola ride through the canals, watching the river life play out in front of you as you duck historic bridges.

Depart Venice Santa Lucia 1618 / arrive Geneva Cornavin 2354

Leave the splendours of Venice behind today as you head to the Venezia Santa Lucia Station to board your train. Cross Italy to Milan before heading north and skirting the banks of Lake Maggiore and entering the Alps via The Simplon Tunnel connecting Domodossola in Italy with Brig, where you pass through Lucerne, and follow the shores of Lake Leman into Geneva on its southern tip. Surrounded by the Alps and Jura mountains, the city has views of dramatic Mont Blanc.

Stay: Hotel Bristol, Geneva (Superior)

Depart Geneva Cornavin 1029 / arrive Paris Gare due Lyon 1347

Depart Paris Gare du Nord 1703 / arrive London St Pancras 1832

You'll return from Geneva by TGV Lyria to Paris Gare de Lyon, where once again you can choose to take a taxi or the Metro to Gare du Nord for your onward journey. Returning to London on the high-speed Eurostar, you'll enjoy Standard Premier comfort with included meal and wine, before your arrival in the UK.