The Best Trips and Tours in Italy

There are few greater joys in life than exploring Europe by train, and that romantic notion was the inspiration behind this Rail Trip which, thanks to Italy’s excellent rail network, takes you to Rome, Florence, Bologna, Milan and Lake Como in just nine days. We’ll meet in Rome, where our Local Insider will give you an expert tour of the capital, including a queue-skipping visit to the Colosseum. We’ll hit the tracks to Florence for another city tour, as well as a trip out into the Tuscan countryside, where we’ll visit Siena and go for lunch and olive oil tasting at a winery near San Gimignano. The foodie theme continues in Bologna, the culinary capital, where you’ll be taken on a tastebud tingling gourmet tour. We’ll also day trip to the Emilia-Romagna countryside, eating ham in Parma, visiting a balsamic vinegar production house and sampling Parmigiano Reggiano at a local dairy. Back onboard we hop, zipping over to our final destination, Milan. We’ll explore the city’s ever-lively streets and day trip via regional train to Lake Como, before tucking into one last Italian feast in the fashion capital.

If your idea of la dolce vita is a little more coastal, then have we got the trip for you. Both sides of southern Italy are dotted with gorgeous little fishing villages and pristine Mediterranean beaches. This dreamy 10-day road trip starts in the pulsating old streets of Naples – no city better exemplifies the Italian lust for life – where we’ll embark on an incredible street food tour. Tuck into the most authentic pizza you’ve ever had, and expect some surprise treats, both sweet and savoury. We’ll wind down the Amalfi Coast, swapping roads for waters on a boat cruise, before heading east towards the coast of Puglia. First stop is Matera, the surreal mountain town made famous by James Bond in No Time to Die (2021). We’ll check out the adorable trulli huts of Alberobello and the sophisticated whitewashed alleys of Locorotondo before exploring the Itria Valley’s vineyards and olive groves by e-bike. We’ll eventually reach the ocean, starting with the shimmering waters and beautiful beaches of Polignano a Mare. We’ll go olive oil tasting and check out other coastal towns like Ostuni – AKA the White City – and Lecce, the Florence of the South.