PICK A RAIL TOUR THAT’S RIGHT FOR YOU

FOR GARDEN-LOVERS

You’ll find beautiful gardens across Italy, but especially on the shores of the Italian Lakes, where rail connections proliferate. Book a tour (see below) or travel under your own steam to Milan and take trains to Varenna for Lake Como (for the gardens of villas Melfi, Carlotta, Monastero, Balbianello and more) or to Stresa and other stations on Lake Maggiore (for the Isole Borromee). Arena Travel (0330 822 2179; arenatravel.com) offers six rail tours to the Italian Lakes and beyond, including an eight-day Gardeners’ World exclusive Secret Lakes and Gardens of Italy tour from £1,495 per person, departing April 30 2023. Its similar Hidden Lakes and Gardens itinerary costs from £1,325, with departures in April, May and September, visiting lakes Orta, Maggiore, Como and Lugano. Both tours include half board, transfers and return Eurostar/TGV from London to Stresa

FOR GRAND TOURISTS

Not everyone has had the chance to see Italy at leisure. If the country is new to you, and you want a quick taste of the key cities, follow in the footsteps of the 19thcentury Grand Tourists, whose perambulations around Europe frequently ended with visits to Italy’s Big Three: Rome, Florence and Venice.

Great Rail (01904 521936; greatrail.com) offers 24 rail-centred trips to Italy, including the 12-day A Grand Tour of Italy tour, visiting Rome, Florence, Venice, Pisa and Lucca, all by train, with return train travel from London to Italy via overnights in Turin in both directions. The cost per person is from £2,995, including travel, accommodation and most meals, with departures on May 7, June 18, September 10 and October 8 2023

FOR OLD HANDS

Many of us have seen Italy’s main cities and classics such as Tuscany, the Lakes and the Amalfi Coast. Fewer, though, have explored Sicily and the country’s deep south. En route south you can see some of the country’s highlights: Naples, Pompeii, Palermo and the volcanoes of Vesuvius and

Etna, both served by scenic rail lines (eavsrl.it; circumetnea.it).

Ffestiniog Travel (01766 512400; ffestiniogtravel.com) offers two options: tailormade itineraries or the 13-day escorted Southern Italy & Sicily tour, departing May 9 2023, from £2,965 person. The price includes B&B accommodation, flights (inquire for rail alternatives), the chance to visit Vesuvius, Etna, Pompeii, scenic rail rides from Naples to Cosenza and by steam train through the Sila mountains (trenodellasila.it), and a slow train through Sicily via Siracusa and Palermo

FOR ROMANTICS

If you are adamant you want a no-fly, train-only trip to Italy, then it makes sense to turn the one-day-plus journey from the UK into part of your holiday. Many companies head for Venice or the Italian Lakes by way of spectacular journeys through the Swiss Alps, along with an overnight and a brief stay in a city en route. The classic (and most romantic) of these trips is to Venice, but if you don’t want to splash out on the celebrated OrientExpress service, other options are available. Expressions Holidays (01392 441245; expressionsholidays. co.uk) specialises in tailormade rail and other holidays but also offers 18 off-the-peg rail-only or train-car hire itineraries in Italy. These include the five-day Venice Over the Swiss Alps tour from £1,710, including return rail travel via the Gotthard Pass from London to Venice, Venice transfer, a night’s B&B in Lucerne and three nights’ B&B in Venice

FOR ART-LOVERS

Almost any Italian town or city has its artistic rewards, but few can match Florence and its roster of world-class galleries and magnificent churches. Add Siena, arguably Italy’s finest medieval city, and charming Lucca along with the chance to explore Pisa and some of Tuscany’s lovelier rural corners, and you have as fine a cultural package as you will find anywhere in Europe.

Tailor Made Rail (020 3322 7741; tailormaderail.com) offers a 10-day independent no-fly Tuscany in Detail tour from £1,099, including return rail with overnights in Munich and Turin plus stays in Florence, Lucca and Siena and day trips to Pisa, Chianti (with wine tasting included) and Monteriggioni. Tailormade additions and changes can be made

FOR FREE SPIRITS

Those of us who love rail travel usually love the journey as much as the destination. Italy has no shortage of glorious little branch lines and scenic rural railways that are a joy to ride for their own sake. Some of the best are in Tuscany (Lucca-Aulla), through Umbria (Terontola-Foligno), on through Abruzzo (FolignoTerni-Sulmona) and – especially – in Puglia, the “heel” of the Italian “boot”, where towns big and small such as Bari, Martina Franca, Lecce and Gallipoli are all linked by rail. Citalia (01293 324170; citalia.com) was created in 1929 by the Italian State Railways and brings long-established knowhow to tailor-made itineraries by rail. It can package a variety of Puglian itineraries that include all-rail options or – as London to Lecce (a lovely base) by train takes 25 hours – create a trip with flights one or both ways between the UK and Bari. A typical 10-day package, with B&B and rail travel, costs from around £1,299