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Titan Travel · Cruise and Tour

Italian Lakes and Bernina Express Tour with a Mediterranean Cruise

Italian lakes, Swiss Alps train, Mediterranean cruise from Milan to Athens

Illustration of Italian Lakes and Bernina Express Tour with a Mediterranean Cruise

Titan Travel's 16-day Italian Lakes and Bernina Express Tour with a Mediterranean Cruise combines three distinct travel experiences: leisurely hotel stays in the Italian lake region, an alpine train journey through Switzerland, and a 10-night cruise across the Mediterranean. Starting from the UK with flights to Milan, the tour begins with two nights at Lake Maggiore, where you'll take a boat tour of the Borromean Islands and explore charming lakeside towns and their family-run restaurants. After visiting a Swiss chocolate factory at Lugano, you travel to Celerina for one night before the highlight rail day: the famous Bernina Express from St Moritz to Tirano, winding through the Alps over 196 bridges and the striking Brusio Spiral Viaduct. Two more nights follow at Lake Garda, including a boat tour and a visit to the medieval town of Sirmione. From Day 6, you board the Oosterdam in Trieste for a 10-night Mediterranean cruise calling at Split, Santorini, Bodrum, Kusadasi (Ephesus), and Istanbul, with two sea days and an overnight in Istanbul. A Titan tour manager stays with you throughout, and 35 meals plus all transport and excursions are included.

What to know before you look closer

  • The tour is heavily cruise-focused; only one day (Day 4) involves the Bernina Express train, though the package emphasises it as a signature experience.
  • Most nights (10 of 15) are aboard the Oosterdam cruise ship rather than in hotels; if you prefer land-based travel, this may not suit you.
  • Days 9 and 15 are designated sea days with no specific port visits; itinerary activities depend on ship amenities.

Day by day

  1. Day 1overnight: Hotel, Lake Maggiore

    UK - Milan - Lake Maggiore

    Our nationwide shared chauffeur service collects you from home for your flight to Milan. On arrival we transfer to Lake Maggiore - the most tranquil and undiscovered of Italy's lakes.

  2. Day 2overnight: Hotel, Lake Maggiore

    Lake Maggiore

    Lake Maggiore is edged by charming towns with twisting cobbled streets and family-run trattoria. Its wind-ruffled waters are dotted with three tiny islands, the Borromean Islands, and today we'll explore each of them: Isola Bella, Isola Madre and Isola dei Pescatori.

  3. Day 3overnight: Hotel, Celerina, Switzerland

    Lugano - Celerina

    We leave Italy behind and head for the soaring alpine peaks and timber villages of Switzerland, learning about Swiss chocolate-making traditions at a chocolate factory, with a tasting. We arrive at lakeside Lugano, then continue to Celerina this afternoon.

  4. Day 4railovernight: Hotel, Lake Garda

    Bernina Express - Lake Garda

    You'll wind through the magnificent Swiss Alps on the Bernina Express, from St Moritz to Tirano in Italy, crossing 196 bridges and climbing the Brusio Spiral Viaduct. On arrival in Tirano, we transfer to our hotel in Lake Garda for the next two nights.

  5. Day 5overnight: Hotel, Lake Garda

    Lake Garda - Sirmione

    We'll take to the crystal-clear waters this morning for a cruise on Lake Garda and spend some time exploring Sirmione, where the medieval Rocca Scaligera looms over the old town.

  6. Day 6overnight: Ship (Oosterdam)

    Lake Garda - Trieste

    We journey to the port city of Trieste to embark our ship, with time to settle in before dinner this evening.

  7. Day 7overnight: Ship (Oosterdam)

    Rijeka, Croatia

    From Rijeka you can reach a number of Croatian gems, including the town of Pula with its 1st-century Roman amphitheatre, or the island of Krk, or explore Rijeka's own 18th-century streets and churches.

  8. Day 8overnight: Ship (Oosterdam)

    Split, Croatia

    Much of Split's atmospheric old town lies inside the walls of Diocletian's Palace, a 1,700-year-old UNESCO-listed fortress on the Adriatic seafront.

  9. Day 9overnight: Ship (Oosterdam)

    At sea

    A day at leisure to explore all the facilities on board.

  10. Day 10overnight: Ship (Oosterdam)

    Thira (Santorini), Greece

    Santorini is world famous for its whitewashed towns and breathtaking sunsets. Explore ancient Akrotiri, swim at Perissa Beach, or go volcano hiking.

  11. Day 11overnight: Ship (Oosterdam)

    Bodrum, Turkey

    Day at Bodrum, Turkey.

  12. Day 12overnight: Ship (Oosterdam)

    Kusadasi (Ephesus), Turkey

    Ephesus is one of the most legendary cities of the ancient world, the grandest and best-preserved of Turkey's ancient cities. St Paul preached in its Great Theatre and the facade of the Celsus Library still stands.

  13. Day 13overnight: Ship (Oosterdam)

    Istanbul, Turkey (overnight)

    We sail into Istanbul to discover the Sultanahmet Meydani, the Blue Mosque, UNESCO-listed Hagia Sophia and the Grand Bazaar. We'll dock overnight, so there's plenty of time to explore.

  14. Day 14overnight: Ship (Oosterdam)

    Istanbul - Cruising the Dardanelles

    We'll depart Istanbul to enjoy an afternoon of scenic cruising along the Dardanelles, the 60km-long waterway dividing Europe and Asia.

  15. Day 15overnight: Ship (Oosterdam)

    At sea

    A day at leisure to explore all the facilities on board.

  16. Day 16

    Piraeus - Athens - UK

    This morning, arrive in Piraeus. Disembark and continue to the airport for your return flight to the UK. Upon arrival, your vehicle will be waiting for the journey home.

The moments this trip is built around

  • Day 2Boat tour to the Borromean Islands (Isola Bella, Isola Madre, Isola dei Pescatori) on the waters of Lake Maggiore.
  • Day 4Bernina Express climbs from St Moritz to Tirano through the Swiss Alps, crossing 196 bridges and the Brusio Spiral Viaduct.
  • Day 5Cruise on Lake Garda and explore the medieval town of Sirmione with its Rocca Scaligera fortress.
  • Day 8Visit Split's old town inside the walls of Diocletian's Palace, a 1,700-year-old UNESCO-listed fortress on the Adriatic.
  • Day 13Overnight in Istanbul to explore the Sultanahmet Meydani, Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, and Grand Bazaar.

Included

  • 35 meals (15 breakfasts, 9 lunches, 11 dinners)
  • Accommodation: 5 nights in hotels and 10 nights cruise on Oosterdam
  • 4 excursions & visits: Boat tour to visit the Borromean Islands; Visit to the chocolate factory in Tessin; Bernina Express journey (St Moritz to Tirano); Boat tour on Lake Garda
  • Tour manager: Titan tour manager
  • Transport from the UK: international flights (based on return flights with British Airways from London Heathrow)
  • Ship: Oosterdam
  • Porterage services

Questions travellers ask

Is train travel included?
Yes. The package includes one train journey: the Bernina Express from St Moritz to Tirano on Day 4, crossing 196 bridges and the Brusio Spiral Viaduct.
Is this an escorted tour?
Yes. A Titan tour manager accompanies you throughout the 16 days, from UK departure to return.
What meals are included?
35 meals: 15 breakfasts, 9 lunches, and 11 dinners. Most dinners are aboard the Oosterdam; hotel breakfasts are included at Lake Maggiore and Lake Garda.
What accommodation is included?
5 nights in Italian and Swiss hotels (2 nights Lake Maggiore, 1 night Celerina, 2 nights Lake Garda) and 10 nights aboard the Oosterdam cruise ship.
What transport is included?
Return flights from London Heathrow with British Airways, coach transfers in the UK and Europe, the Bernina Express train, boat tours on lakes, and the Mediterranean cruise.
Does the price include the flights?
The package includes return international flights based on departures from London Heathrow with British Airways.

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