Italian Explorer

Welcome to Rome! A cityscape of treasures, you’ll soon see why this is one of Europe’s most romantic cities. After dinner, should you fancy something sweet, a gelateria is a short walk away. You know what they say, when in Rome!

Stay: Three Nights, Smooth Hotel Rome Termini

• Dinner

HOT TIP!

At the Trevi Fountain, don’t forget to throw a coin over your shoulder to ensure your return to Rome.

Step back in time this morning, taking in history around every corner, with a guided walking tour which includes seeing the Roman Forum, Colosseum, Piazza Venezia and Pantheon, before finding the Trevi Fountain. The rest of the day is yours to explore. Or, simply lap up 'la dolce vita' lifestyle and sample the city’s street food.

• Breakfast

Today, linger over breakfast before taking in Rome independently. Perhaps unlock the mysteries of the Vatican Museums and admire Michelangelo’s frescoes in the Sistine Chapel. Or, relax outside in St Peter's Square and people watch at one of the largest churches in the world.

• Breakfast

There’s no better way to see Italy than by train. Today, it's the high-speed Le Frecce taking you to the cradle of renaissance: Florence. Don’t forget your camera for the walking tour, as the Florence Duomo and Vecchio Bridge are great from all angles. You'll then coach through the Tuscan countryside to your hotel.

Stay: Three Nights, Montecatini Terme, Grand Hotel Francia & Quirinale

• Breakfast
• Dinner

Make the most of your free day. Watch the world go by at the Parco delle Terme, unwind in the thermal waters at Terme Tettucio, or tempt your taste buds with a Tuscan sweet – the Bargilli Cialda artisan wafer biscuit.

• Breakfast

Travel by rail to the walled city of Lucca and stroll back in time. In the afternoon, arrive in Pisa. Home to the world’s most beloved architectural mistake, take the ultimate cliché photo at the Leaning Tower. After, enjoy other impressive structures in the Piazza dei Miracoli.

• Breakfast

The railway tracks lead you to Venice today. Pity the day trippers as you check in to your Venice hotel, before a guided walk of St Mark’s Square and the Basilica. Tonight, you'll dine at a local restaurant.

Stay: Two Nights, Venice, Hotel Belle Epoque

• Breakfast
• Dinner

HOT TIP!

If quirk is your thing, visit Libreria Acqua Alta, also known as ‘the bookstore of high water’. Here, its owner has adapted to constant flooding by stacking books in bathtubs, barrels, canoes and gondolas.

Take time to explore Venice on your own during a day of freedom. Be serenaded on a gondola cruise along the Grand Canal, view the former political heart of the Venetian Republic at Doge’s Palace or watch the waterway from atop the Rialto Bridge.

• Breakfast