Highlights of Tuscany

Our Tuscan getaway starts at London St Pancras, where we meet our Tour Manager and the rest of our group before joining the Eurostar service to Paris. Travelling in spacious Standard Premier Class, we're served a light meal at our comfortable seats.

Changing trains in Paris, we continue our journey in First Class rail across France, passing the Italian Alps to the elegant city of Turin, where we spend the night. After checking in to our hotel in the heart of Turin's historic centre, we gather for a three-course dinner at a nearby restaurant.

• Dinner
• Eurostar light meal

After breakfast, your morning is free to explore the nearby attractions of Turin. This dynamic city is one of Italy's leading centres of business, finance and technology, but remains a showcase of fantastic Baroque, Renaissance and modern architecture. Our hotel is close to Porta Nuova, and a short walk away from a stylish pedestrian shopping quarter. Fringed by the Italian alps, Turin's wide boulevards and grand public squares are lined with enticing cafés and bars.

Shortly after midday, we are transferred to the railway station for our First Class journey to Florence, which takes us to the end of the afternoon. On arrival in Florence we are transferred to Montecatini Terme, our delightful base for the next seven nights. This picturesque spa town is set in glorious Tuscan countryside and is split into two parts. Our elegant hotel is in the lower part of Montecatini Terme, while on the hill above us is the Old Town of Montecatini Alto. After some free time to settle in and look around the neighbourhood, we gather for dinner at our hotel, renowned for its friendly family-run service and excellent facilities.

• Breakfast, Dinner

There's nothing like the feeling of waking up in new and lovely surroundings, and today you are free to see more of Montecatini Terme independently. Our beautiful family-run hotel has been offering guests a warm welcome for many generations. Among the facilities are an inviting outdoor swimming pool and a sun terrace for warmer days.

You may wish to visit the 18th-century Terme Tettuccio, a drinking spa, where you can sample the different healing waters and look around its lavish Liberty architecture, marble-lined pools and fountains and Art Nouveau tiles.

Each year from April to October, the town hosts the Montecatini Opera Festival in various venues, including the spa complex. The historic quarter above us, Montecatini Alto, is an enchanting place to explore, and can be reached by a funicular railway, which runs late into the evening and offers wonderful views over the valley. Here are many delightful piazzas, pretty pavement cafés and two charming Romanesque churches - the Pieve di San Pietro and the Pieve del Carmine. Montecatini Alto offers an excellent choice of eating places, from relaxed osterias to traditional ristorantes.

• Breakfast

Today is a highlight of our holiday, as we travel by rail to the beautiful Renaissance city of Florence. We enjoy a guided tour of the city's treasures, including the iconic red-tiled Duomo, the Santa Maria Novella Church and the Ponte Vecchio, the legendary 14th-century bridge.

The afternoon is yours to enjoy at your own pace. Apart from breathtaking buildings and pretty piazzas, the city is the world capital of Renaissance art, which you can find in its many galleries, churches and Medici palaces. If you're planning to visit the Uffizi gallery it is important to book ahead.

Another wonderful way to experience Florence is to make your way to a rooftop terrace for lunch or stroll across the river to the wonderful Boboli gardens, a peaceful green space with fantastic city views. Mercato di San Lorenzo is the city's largest market with fresh products, leather and local crafts, an indoor and outdoor dining area, and a Chianti wine booth. A place to warm up or cool down, depending on the season!

We make our return journey by train then walk the short distance back to our hotel where we dine together this evening.

• Breakfast, Dinner

This morning we travel by rail to the lovely walled-city of Lucca, where you are free to explore for two hours. Bicycle hire is included, with a choice of single, tandem, or four-seater bikes, and a gentle ride along the ancient ramparts is a wonderful way to see the city.

Lucca is also a pleasure to explore on foot, but do pick up a map at the Tourist Office where our day starts. The maze-like centre has an impressive Duomo, some unique churches, outdoor sculpture, and striking piazzas - a 'must see' is the Piazza Anfiteatro, which was once a Roman amphitheatre. The city also has a botanical garden and a tranquil ornamental garden at Palazzo Pfanner, both inside the city walls. We regroup for a leisurely 3-course lunch in a local trattoria.

This afternoon we continue by rail to Pisa, where we tour the famous Field of Miracles. Here, we see Pisa's iconic Leaning Tower, and the striking Romanesque Duomo - a cathedral which glows with white marble. We return to Montecatini Terme by train at the end of the afternoon, where you are free to dine independently.

• Breakfast, Lunch

Today starts with a coach excursion into the gorgeous Tuscan countryside, among ochre-coloured hills, dotted with cypresses and secluded farmhouses, to San Gimignano - an extraordinary medieval hill town. This perfectly-preserved town is known for its thirteen towers, one of which - Torre Grossa - can be climbed. The number of towers in San Gimignano has dwindled from around 65 in the middle ages, but the skyline is so unique that it has been dubbed 'the Medieval Manhattan'. We have free time over lunch and into the afternoon to explore this absolute gem of a Tuscan town.

Later this afternoon, we visit the gorgeous Renaissance-era Villa Machiavelli, once home to the famous political philosopher, Niccolò Machiavelli and now a 'home museum'. We look around the museum and the fascinating cellar of this historical home before indulging in drinks and dinner in a glorious alfresco setting.

• Breakfast, Dinner

Today is another chance to get to know Montecatini Terme at your own pace. If you haven't already discovered it, you could visit Montecatini Alto, the medieval old town. Here, you can admire views across the Tuscan hills and wander among the ancient townhouses, churches and medieval walls before choosing a café in which to enjoy lunch. Typical Tuscan cuisine is humble yet mouth-watering, even simple dishes are prepared with pride and great care. Try crostini di fegato, warm bread topped with chicken liver pate, or pasta drizzled with olive oil and shaved truffles, foraged from the surrounding hillsides.

Another appealing option is to make the most of the frequent rail service to visit the coastal resort of Viareggio (50 minutes), the buzzing city of Bologna (two hours), or possibly to revisit Florence or Lucca. Of course you may be content to simply relax and enjoy the facilities of our hotel. For dinner this evening you are spoilt for choice, in both Montecatini Alto or the town centre. Among the restaurants nearby is the highly-rated Bistrò Del Corso, run by a mother and daughter duo.

• Breakfast

Another highlight of our holiday awaits today as we drive to medieval Siena, a charismatic Tuscan city where a labyrinth of narrow streets opens out onto sun-kissed piazzas. Starting at the Santa Barbara Fortress, a guided tour takes us past the Duomo, one of Italy's most magnificent, with statues by Donatello and Michelangelo and an elaborate mosaic floor. Our tour ends at the city's most famous sight, the incredible Piazza del Campo - a grand, shell-shaped piazza that's regarded as one of the continent's most beautiful medieval squares. This is the site of the world-famous Palio horse races, an extraordinary event which the city has celebrated since the 17th century, now held twice a year in July and August.

After our tour, there's time to wander Siena's ancient streets independently, and you may like to try some of the cured meats and cheeses that are popular here. Maybe opt for Siena's best-loved cheese, Pecorino, or finocchiona, a delicious local salami made with fennel. We return to our hotel at the end of the afternoon and this evening we gather for a special farewell dinner, to mark our last night in wonderful Tuscany.

• Breakfast, Dinner

Bidding farewell to Montecatini Terme this morning, our journey continues to France today. After an early breakfast we transfer by coach to the coastal town of Viareggio where we take our First Class seats for a scenic rail journey along the stunning Ligurian coastline, passing the pastel-coloured houses of the Cinque Terre and enjoying ever-changing scenery as we travel towards Ventimiglia, close to the French border.

On arrival in the border town of Ventimiglia, we continue by coach into France, driving along the superb French Riviera to the stunning Côte d'Azur. We spend the night in the town of Saint-Raphaël, overlooked by the striking coastal mountain range known as the Esterel Massif. After checking in to our hotel there's time to look around this attractive seafront town before gathering for a final dinner with fellow travellers.

• Breakfast, Dinner

This morning we start our journey homewards and, as we travel by First Class rail to Paris, we have time to savour the new memories we've created on our Tuscan adventure. From the stylish city of Turin to the marvellous spa town of Montecatini Terme, the wondrous art and architecture of Florence and Lucca, the unique hilltop town of San Gimignano and stupendous Siena, to the glowing French Riviera, this holiday is certain to have warmed our spirits. In the French capital, we change trains for the Eurostar service, travelling in spacious Standard Premier Class with a light meal served at our comfortable seats. We arrive back in London St Pancras where we say goodbye to our Tour Manager and new friends before heading homewards.

• Breakfast
• Eurostar light meal