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Vacations By Rail · Escorted tour

First-Class Italy: Featuring Tuscany & Venice

Eleven-day escorted Italy tour from Venice to Naples via Tuscany and Rome

Illustration of First-Class Italy: Featuring Tuscany & Venice

Vacations By Rail's 11-day escorted tour traces Italy from Venice south to Naples, combining three major cities with coastal and countryside experiences. Travelers stay in four bases, each offering a distinct region: the lagoon city of Venice, the historic spa town of Montecatini Terme in Tuscany, classical Rome, and the cliffside village of Sorrento on the Amalfi Coast. A professional Tour Manager guides the group throughout. First Class rail connects the major hubs; coach and boat cover regional day trips. The itinerary mixes formal guided tours, walking through Venice's Grand Canal and St. Mark's Basilica, touring Rome's Colosseum and Pantheon, exploring Pompeii's ancient ruins, with food and wine experiences including a vineyard tour in Tuscany with paired estate wines, an agriturismo dinner of farm-produced mozzarella and limoncello, and a hands-on pizza-making class. A boat cruise along the Amalfi Coast and a day trip to the car-free villages of Cinque Terre complete the itinerary. The tour suits history enthusiasts, food-and-wine travelers, and couples seeking both cultural depth and leisure time.

What to know before you look closer

  • Mobility Rating 3 indicates significant walking; confirm your comfort with city walking tours and archaeological site exploration before booking
  • Flights and airport transfers are not included; from-price is for the package only
  • Dinner is provided on 6 of 10 evenings; the operator does not specify which nights you dine independently

Day by day

  1. Day 1overnight: Venice

    Starting your vacation in Venice

    Arrive independently at the hotel on the Lido island, famous as the location of the Venice Film Festival and known for Liberty style architecture and wide beaches. After settling in, meet the Tour Manager and traveling group before dinner at the hotel.

    Meals: Dinner

  2. Day 2overnight: Venice

    Discovering the treasures of Venice

    A guided walking tour of Venice taking in Scuola Grande di San Rocco, Campo Santa Margherita Square and Marco Polo House, plus St. Mark's Square, the Grand Canal, Doge's Palace and St. Mark's Basilica. Free time to continue sightseeing by foot or gondola, or visit Murano, Burano or the Lido by vaporetto.

    Meals: Breakfast

  3. Day 3railovernight: Montecatini Terme

    Free morning in Venice, on to Montecatini Terme

    A free morning before transferring to Santa Maria station to catch a First Class train via Florence through the olive groves and orchards of Tuscany to Montecatini Terme, a historic spa resort established in the 16th century. Dinner served at the hotel.

    Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

  4. Day 4railovernight: Montecatini Terme

    Welcome to Florence

    A morning train from Montecatini to Florence for a guided tour beginning at Santa Maria Novella Square, through the medieval center to Signoria Square, the Duomo, Palazzo Vecchio, Loggia dei Lanzi, the Uffizi Gallery and the Ponte Vecchio. Later, travel to Tenuta Torciano estate near San Gimignano for a vineyard and cellar tour with dinner paired with estate wines.

    Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

  5. Day 5overnight: Montecatini Terme

    A day trip to the Cinque Terre

    Travel by coach to La Spezia, then with an expert guide hop between the villages of Monterosso and Vernazza by boat, exploring their car-free streets and historic piazzas. Return to Montecatini Terme by coach; evening free, with the option to ride the funicular up to Montecatini Alto.

    Meals: Breakfast

  6. Day 6railovernight: Rome

    To Rome, the Eternal City

    Train to Florence, change and continue in First Class to Rome. Arriving mid-afternoon, check in and free time to explore Rome's historic sights before dinner.

    Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

  7. Day 7overnight: Rome

    Exploring the great classical sites of Rome

    Tour begins at the Colosseum, followed by a three-hour city tour viewing the exteriors of the Roman Forum and Roman Pantheon, with a coffee stop near the Trevi Fountain. Free time for the rest of the day.

    Meals: Breakfast

  8. Day 8railovernight: Sorrento

    From Rome to Sorrento with dinner at an agriturismo

    Morning at leisure in Rome (optional independent Vatican City visit), then a First Class train to Naples. Driven by motorcoach to Agriturismo La Sorgente for an early dinner of estate produce including homemade limoncello and mozzarella, then check in to the hotel in Sorrento.

    Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

  9. Day 9overnight: Sorrento

    Cruising the Amalfi coast to Positano

    Drive to Sorrento port and embark on a cruise along the Amalfi Coast, stopping at Amalfi with free time to explore or find lunch, then continuing to Positano. Free time to dine independently in Sorrento in the evening.

    Meals: Breakfast

  10. Day 10railovernight: Sorrento

    Discovering the ancient city of Pompeii

    A morning rail transfer to Pompeii for a guided tour of the preserved ancient city, exploring homes, bathhouses, and religious and government buildings preserved by the 79AD eruption of Mount Vesuvius. In the evening, a hands-on pizza-making experience led by a master pizzaiolo in Sorrento.

    Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

  11. Day 11

    Homeward bound

    A transfer is available from the hotel to Naples airport (arriving around 9am), or transfer independently at leisure for the return flight home.

    Meals: Breakfast

The moments this trip is built around

  • Day 2Guided walking tour of Venice includes St. Mark's Basilica, Doge's Palace, and the Grand Canal; free time to explore by gondola or vaporetto
  • Day 4Tour Florence's medieval center from Santa Maria Novella through the Uffizi Gallery and Ponte Vecchio, followed by a vineyard and cellar tour at Tenuta Torciano estate near San Gimignano with paired wines
  • Day 5Day trip to Cinque Terre: boat hop between the car-free villages of Monterosso and Vernazzo with an expert guide
  • Day 9Cruise along the Amalfi Coast by boat, with stops at Amalfi and Positano
  • Day 10Guided tour of Pompeii's preserved ancient city, followed by a hands-on pizza-making experience led by a master pizzaiolo in Sorrento

Included

  • Expertise of a Tour Manager from start to finish
  • 10 nights' 4-Star hotel accommodation
  • First Class rail travel*
  • All rail and coach travel throughout your tour
  • Breakfast each day, 6 dinners
  • Group luggage transfers throughout
  • All tours and excursions

Not included

  • Cancellation & Travel Insurance is not included in the price of the tour but can be arranged
  • Flights and Airport transfers not included

Questions travellers ask

Is the train travel included?
Yes. First Class rail travel is included for all segments: Venice to Montecatini Terme via Florence, Montecatini to Florence, Florence to Rome, and Rome to Naples. Coach and boat transport for day excursions are also included.
Is this an escorted tour?
Yes. Vacations By Rail operates this as an escorted tour with a professional Tour Manager leading the group from start to finish.
What are the hotels?
Hotel Melia Venezia Lido in Venice (2 nights), Grand Hotel Francia e Quirinale in Montecatini Terme (3 nights), Bettoja Hotel Mediterraneo in Rome (2 nights), and Art Hotel Gran Paradiso in Sorrento (3 nights). All are four-star properties.
What meals are included?
Breakfast is provided each day. Dinner is included on 6 evenings: dinner at the hotel on Day 1, dinner at the vineyard estate on Day 4, dinner at the agriturismo on Day 8, and dinner after the pizza-making class on Day 10. The itinerary lists additional dinners on Days 3 and 6, though the operator does not specify whether these are included or independent.
How much walking is involved?
The tour has a Mobility Rating 3, indicating substantial walking. Days include guided walking tours of Venice, Florence, and Rome; exploration of Cinque Terre villages; a tour of Pompeii; and general city sightseeing on foot.
What is not included?
Flights, airport transfers, travel insurance, and the optional Vatican City and Sistine Chapel visit (payable locally) are not included.

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