Lake Garda, Venice & Verona

DAY 1

Travelling from your home station to London for our overnight stay at the California Hotel ideally located for King's Cross and St Pancras International.

DAY 2

Enjoy a relaxing journey on the Eurostar in the upgraded Standard Premier cabin with food and beverages included. We will travel onwards by high-speed train to Basel to check-in at the elegant Hotel GAIA and, once settled, we enjoy our evening meal together at a local restaurant.

DAY 3

This morning we enjoy a little free time to explore the city using the included Basel travel card before our journey continues to Lake Garda. Our train arrives into Desenzano station where our private transfer meets us to convey us to the beautiful Villa Rosa, our tour base for the next five nights. This beautiful hotel is situated at the lakeside just a short stroll from the old town and, this evening, we dine together at the hotel's Rose & Sapori Restaurant.

DAY 4

We will spend today at leisure and can enjoy free time in the hotel to use the marvellous facilities, take a dip in the refreshing pool, or relax in the peaceful garden oasis. Or you can spend time exploring the scenic medieval centre and its numerous charming bars and cafés or discover the surrounding towns with idyllic settings and charming atmospheres.

DAY 5

After breakfast this morning, we visit the 'jewel in the crown' of Lake Garda - the picturesque peninsula of Sirmione. This enchanting city is characterised by narrow lanes, archways, and houses made of stone and we are immediately greeted by the imposing and impressive Scaligero castle. From here we travel into the countryside and discover the small chapel at San Martino della Battaglia which pays homage to this epic period of history with its astonishing 'ossary' before we continue into the hills to Trattoria da Arturo. Here we enjoy some wonderful handmade pasta with grilled meats and salad washed down with plenty of homemade wine - a relaxing and authentic Italian experience.

DAY 6

After a leisurely morning, we board our private coach to the romantic city of Verona. Famed for being the setting of Shakespeare's 'Romero and Juliet', our guided tour takes us to the 'Capulet' balcony which has a starring role in the play. We will also discover Verona's beautiful cathedral, the Castelvecchio plus the Roman amphitheatre that survived an earthquake to become the city's open-air opera house where crowds gather to experience the summer opera festival.

DAY 7

Today we travel by train to the renowned island city of Venice where stunning architecture and famous vistas await. We join our local guide upon arrival for a tour of this alluring city crossing the Grand Canal and the Rialto Bridge and passing through a labyrinth of mysterious passageways as we make our way to St Mark's Square. Here we have free time to explore the city at leisure before we journey on a waterbus along the Grand Canal and back to the station for our return train. This evening we enjoy a delicious evening meal together at the hotel's Rose & Sapori Restaurant.

DAY 8

Today, after breakfast, we bid farewell to Lake Garda as we make our way to Lyon for our overnight stop at the Ibis Styles Gare Part-Dieu. On arrival, we will enjoy our final evening meal together with chat of the highlights of our fantastic holiday in Italy before relaxing in our hotel.

DAY 9

After breakfast we take the TGV to Lille connecting onwards by Eurostar to London St Pancras for arrival in time to take your onward train to your home station.

B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, LR=Light Refreshments, D=Dinner