11D The best of Italian cities by train and private transfers, Private Premium tour 5 star hotel and services.

SERVICES : Driver  – Hotel

Welcome to Italy!   At Milan Airport you will be met by your Private Driver and accompanied to your centrally located 5* Hotel in Milan, the major Italian Capital for centuries of Business and more recently Fashion from the 1980s, thanks to the international success of Milanese houses (like Armani, Versace and Dolce & Gabbana), which heralded Milan as one of the world's fashion capitals of the period.

Time to explore and window-shop, around this glissening metropoli, which is home to some of the best known fashion and shoe stores.     

Besides being  such an attractive place nowadays, its history goes much further back than 200 B.C. when ancient Roman settlements were present and later, throughout the centuries, Milan was fought over by many powerful invaders, but it always emerged as a alluring commercial trading place, multiplying itself throughout the years, to reach today’s immense fortunes handed down from centuries of Art and Culture.

Our VOUCHER has lots of suggestions too that will point you in the right direction of things you wish to see and do.

Overnight in Milan 5 star hotel

Some suggestions for your FREE TIME:

Take a pleasant walk around the center of Milan, which has so much to offer through history, art, gorgeous architecture, anecdotes and curiosities, and you will undoubtedly enjoy the atmosphere of this dynamic and modern city!

Visiting some of the highlights and famous attractions of Milan at your own pace you can satisfy your curiosities and certainly satisfy any “Shopping Wish List” you may have prepared: there is so much variety here, we are sure it will meet with  your expectations. Depending on your preferences the places to visit form quite a List of a “bit of everything” to help you get a taste of the City, but you can still catch its main highlights in a single day                 

Some of the things you could see are the  world famous Gothic Cathedral in the Piazza del Duomo, close to the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, the  covered shopping mall is a smart meeting place for both tourists and city dwellers. Here you can sip coffee and people-watch, shop or browse well-known brands like Prada and Louis Vuitton with smart stores, luxury boutiques, coffee bars and restaurants, which connects the Duomo Square with Piazza della Scala, the square in front of the famous La Scala Opera House. 

Other highlights include the Sforza Castle, built initially for defensive purposes, then later becoming a beautiful residence decorated by Leonardo and Bramante.   Passing through Via Dante, one of the most important pedestrian shopping area in Milan, you get to Piazza dei Mercanti, where you will sense the quiet atmosphere of the Medieval city. 

A visit to Milan’s most famous mural: Leonardo Da Vinci’s “Last Supper” which is hidden away on a wall of the refectory adjoining the Basilica di Santa Maria delle Grazie could be arranged for you, by booking Skip-the-Line tickets, which must be pre-booked well in advance; this is not centrally located so plan your sight seeing schedule accordingly.  

For “Foodie” Interest, there is a massive variety of places to eat in Milan and every palate is well catered for.    

Our Vouchers will assist you in choosing the cuisine, which temps you most.

Overnight in Milan 5 star hotel

SERVICES : Driver  – Driver – Hotel

After breakfast at your Hotel in MILAN you must CHECK OUT and you will be met by your private Driver who will accompany you Milan Train Station to catch your 1st class train to COMO. (approximately 1 hour away). Here you will be met and accompanied to a centrally located 5* Hotel in COMO.

The town, steeped in amazing history as it was first founded over 2000 years ago, besides being situated directly on the shores of  the enchanting Lake Como, with its medieval walls and quaint alleyways with many delightful little

Overnight in Como 5 star hotel

SERVICES : Driver –  (driver) – hotel

After breakfast at your Hotel in Como CHECK OUT and you will be met by your private English speaking Driver who will accompany you to Como Train Station to catch the Train first to Milan and from here you will catch the High Speed “Freccia” Train to VENICE, right across the widest part of northern Italy.  (1 hr + 2h 25’).

At VENICE Train Station you will be met and accompanied to your centrally located 5* Hotel in VENICE: this truly fascinating city on water is one place you can forget about car traffic! Still lots of fantastic action though, in

fact many very different ways of getting about with such very unbelievable ‘water’ vehicles for you to start spotting from your very first moments

Our VOUCHER has lots of suggestions too that will point you in the right direction of things you wish to see and do until you meet up with your Guide tomorrow.                                     

Venice was in the past a stable republican government led by a Doge (meaning "Duke" in the local dialect) and more importantly, it had wealth from trade, and a unique location as a gateway between Europe and Byzantium.   The Venetian trade networks helped to shape the then local painting practices. Ships from the East brought luxurious, exotic pigments, while traders from Northern Europe imported the new technique of oil painting and you will be able to feel this in the Art you will come across in its magnificent buildings.

Overnight in Venice 5 star hotel

After breakfast at your hotel, another spectacular day awaits you: it’s time to meet up with your Guide and go for a lovely wander around this unique City: Take in the complexity of this place and marvel at the ancient buildings, testament to the past wealth and power of the Venetians. Besides seeing sights like St. Marco’s Square and the Dodge’s Palace, you can get all your questions answered about things you have seen yesterday or wish to visit on your own later on.

Don’t eat too much at breakfast… as today you will learn from your Guide how to savor the local street foods called “Cicchetti”: an “any-time-of-day” Venetian pass-time experience, while you stroll around, mostly well away from the common touristy routes:  This is an Italian version of Tapas and you will be enlightened about the tastiest ones and where to find the more authentic places to go back to try more, later on. You could also visit the bustling food markets and the local fish markets, or the interesting spice market imported from Turkey.

This is an interesting twist to accompany you on your way, whilst taking it the amazing architecture of the venetial buildings, there is so much to discover in these little winding alleyways: All will be revealed about the “hidden treasures” and the even about the different type of boats you have started spotting and their many uses.

You will of course hear of things to do on your own and be shown the best artisan shops of interest like the ‘true’ Mask Making ones and of course where to find authentic objects of the wonderful history of the centuries of The Venetian Glass Manufacturing.

Don’t be shy to ask your Guide about the best way to get about and how to understand the transport better and take one of the ‘vaporetti’ too, just like the locals do. 

Later, it will be time for your Private, romantic “Gondola Experience” where you will glide through hundreds of years of world renowned heritage. Take in the architecture of this city on water and marvel at everything you see, as you try to imagine just how on earth these areas were built so many years ago!

Overnight in Venice 5 star hotel

Hotel Type: SERVICES : (Driver) – train – driver – hotel

After breakfast at your hotel in Venice, you will need to CHECK OUT:

It’s time to be accompanied back to VENICE Train Station to catch your high speed, 1st class train to Florence (just over 2 hours).

Here you will be met and transferred to your centrally located 5* Hotel in FLORENCE

Get familiar with the city today discovering its famous attractions. Even on your own you can start at (an easy to find) Piazza del Duomo, the Square of the Dome and move on into the quieter streets of the Santa Croce neighborhood. This is where Dante used to hang out and where Michelangelo lived.

Along the way, you pass the Sant’Ambrogio Market, a definite must-visit for foodies and a good focal point for authentic and reasonably-priced restaurants on this side of the river. Go and marvel at the Piazza della Signoria, Florence’s most impressive outdoor sculpture gallery and the old home of Michelangelo’s David.

From there it’s a short walk to the lively Piazza Santo Spirito for an “aperitivo”. You could visit a local enoteca (wine bar) for a wine tasting experience, try one of the region’s famous Super Tuscans, accompanied by a local crostini (bruschetta). Passing artisan shops along via Santo Spirito, choose an authentic restaurant or trattoria to try an authentic dish of the area.

The traditional Florentine artisans are the most historic entrepreneurs of the city: Such a variety of Artisans whom for the last five hundred years have been producing goods for countless generations of kings, queens, gentlemen, and noblewomen.

Ponte Vecchio has long left behind the food markets and amoungst other reputable Artisans some exclusive Jewellers and Silversmiths can be found on here or close by.

All of this lies within the “Left side of the river” Oltrarno neighborhood, where you can continue enjoying a nice stroll near the magnificent and imposing Pitti Palace.

Walking Florence’s most important streets, you will be able to view their very fashionable Designer Outlets  and explore those quieter neighborhoods that often are home to the best restaurants and bars.  In the evening end your meal as the Florentines do, with sweet wine and “cantuccio” before grabbing a gelato (invented here in Florence) for an evening stroll in the city or relaxing at one of the many Street Cafés from where you can watch the Locals’ “Cat-Walk” as they parade by, going about their daily Lives!

Overnnight in Florence in 5 star hotel

VISIT “The Uffizi” and marvel at what was created and still exists after so many centuries! 

The tour also includes a stop to visit the Accademia of Art, where you can admire The David of Michelangelo and of course:

The Uffizi Gallery: Organized chronologically, the Uffizi collections offers a rare opportunity to watch Art develop through the ages, from early artworks to the Renaissance masterpieces of Raphael, Da Vinci and (perhaps the gallery's most famous work), Boticelli’s “Primavera” and “Birth of Venus”

ASK your Guide during the Tour and you will be enlightened! 

After your time with the Guide, you will easily enjoy the walks around some thrilling places, be they fashion and crafts boutiques or lesser know street cafes.   If you like Gardens, you could enjoy some time outdoors in the Boboli Gardens, a lovely place for some romantic Pics.

Overnight in Florence 5 star hotel

SERVICES : Driver – train – driver – hotel

After breakfast it’s time to CHECKOUT and leave Florence;  your Driver will accompany you back to the Train station to catch your 1st class, high speed Freccia train to Rome, (just over 1h 30’).

At Rome Train Station you will be met by your private Driver who will accompany you to your centrally located 5* Hotel in Rome, such a fascinating city: feel the atmosphere of the Gladiators and start to take in the History and works of Art that are on every street corner!

Overnight accommodation in Rome with plenty of  FREE TIME to start discovering, at your own pace, this ancient Metropolis. The central position of your hotel will allow you to explore the city on foot, easily reaching sites of historical and artistic interest such as the Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps and Piazza Navona, besides many famous restaurants of course; so time to stroll around is just perfect and oh so exciting!

There are so many incredible choices, which can be enjoyed during a stay in Rome, and sometimes it is only once you are there and feeling more confident and adventurous that you feel that you really need some Quality “YOU Time”… to may be fit in some excellent Shopping or maybe to chase off to somewhere to get some stunning panoramic views from high above the City…

So we thought we would leave you the possibility and the Freedom to do just that: go with the Flow of whatever appeals to you most. 

Some suggestions for your FREE TIME:

• If you like to breathe in more Roman ambiance, then stroll the maze of narrow streets and cobbled alleys around the Pantheon and the bustling Piazza Navona. Here you are not far away from the famous shopping streets of Rome. For the best upscale shopping, go to the prestigious Via dei Condotti and Via Borgognona near the foot of the Spanish Steps.
• Alternatively, you could go to the Via Vittorio Veneto: Walking down this elegant boulevard - as well as being renowned for its stylish hotels and lively bars - it will showcase some truly unique and exclusive stores from high fashion to authentic Italian boutiques.     
• For a great walk and wonderful outdoor experience, head to the Gardens of Villa Borghese. It is the largest public park in Rome featuring a lake, temples, fountains, statues and several museums, the most famous of which is The Borghese Gallery, which boasts some of the most splendid (and famous) works of Bernini and Caravaggio and offers one of the best collections of art related to sculpture, painting, and architecture (the building itself is also one of the attractions), so this is also another great place for a cultural experience

Our VOUCHER will provide you with a list of interesting suggestions and lots of good tips of what to do and of course tomorrow your Guide will explain lots of things to you during your time together, besides places to eat too, of course!

Overnight in Rome in 5 star hotel

After breakfast at the Hotel you will meet up with your friendly English speaking Guide who can offer you a unique experience whilst strolling through the ancient parts of Rome, taking you back about 2000 years to the glories of the Roman Empire.

At that time, the citizens of Rome were witnessing the construction of one of its now best preserved buildings: The Amphitheatrum Flavium, better known as the Colosseum. Your Guide will show you around some of the most spectacular highlights of Imperial Rome and help you relive the days of the Ancient Romans: Find out why there is no floor in the Colosseum and hear all about what went on “down below” what the crowds of the Roman population could see; how the animals appeared seemingly from nowhere, as the sub-terranean population of slaves operated the hidden trap doors…

Your Guide will also show you another interesting, different side of Italy…

By now you will have probably heard the saying that the Italians “live to eat” and not vice-versa… well today should give you a pretty good confirmation of that:  – lots of things to see and even more to taste and sample, which will prove to you that ROMA is by no means just Art and History…

In fact, we believe that the best way to understanding the real Roman local life, is to look out for the small and historic food stalls; the local, lesser known bars of the capital and possibly visit one of the most important, lively Markets of the Capital and much more, all whilst taking in the historical  sights too.

The Roman cuisine might seem easy, but it is a process of many years, as your Guide will enlighten you, plus the combination of the experience of people from all over Italy who moved to the Capital and now make Roma so nice and friendly and even more delicious!         

So ask your Guide to point you in the right direction for eating well during your stay; at some point you should definitely try to taste some true ‘pasta alla amatriciana’ just how the Italians make it in Roma, at a typical, small "osteria." 

Overnight in Rome in 5 star hotel

SERVICES : Driver

After breakfast at your hotel, you will need to CHECK OUT, because it is time to say “Arriverderci” to Italy! Your English-speaking driver will accompany you to ROME Airport for your flight Home.

We are sure you will have enjoyed your “Taste of Italy” and we sincerely hope to see you again soon for another delightful experience

OPTIONAL   Private Services:

½ Day: Shared Villa & Gardens Walking Tour  (Como)

½ Day: Shared Cichetti Food Walking & Artisans Tour  +  Gondola (Venice)

½ Day: Shared Uffizi & Accademia Michelangelo’s David Walking Tour (Florence)

½ Day: Shared Colosseum & Street Food Tour (Rome)