Rail Tours (rail-tours.co.uk)
Italian Explorer
11 daysfrom $2,397
Authentic Europe · Self-guided
London, Paris & Italy by Train
Self-guided rail trip linking London, Paris, Milan, and Rome
Authentic Europe operates this 11-day, 10-night self-guided rail trip that starts in London and ends in Rome, with reserved-seat train travel on the Eurostar to Paris and onward trains to Milan and Rome. The trip spends three nights each in London, Paris, and Rome, with a single night in Milan on the way south, so most stops allow two full days before moving on. Optional day tours are available at each base, including Oxford, the Cotswolds, and Stonehenge from London, Normandy, Champagne, and the Loire from Paris, and Pompeii, Tuscany, and the Amalfi coast from Rome, along with an optional extension to Lake Como. Because the trip is self-guided, there is no tour escort; travelers see the Tower of London, Versailles, the Louvre, the Colosseum, and Vatican City largely on their own schedule. This suits independent travelers who want a train-linked tour of four cities with room to add side trips, rather than a fixed guided itinerary.
What to know before you look closer
- Tourist taxes are not included in the price and must be paid locally.
- Several highlights, including the Oxford/Cotswolds/Stonehenge, Normandy/Champagne/Loire, and Pompeii/Tuscany/Amalfi coast day tours, and the Lake Como extension, are optional add-ons at extra cost, not included in the base package.
- The evidence pack does not list current departure dates; confirm scheduling directly with Authentic Europe.
Day by day
- Day 1
Arrival in London, the capital of England
- Day 2
Day at leisure in London
- Day 3
Optional day tours (Oxford, Cotswolds, Stonehenge...)
- Day 4rail
Train to Paris, the capital of France
- Day 5
Day at leisure in Paris
- Day 6
Optional day tours (Normandy, Champagne, Loire...)
- Day 7rail
Train from Paris to Milan in north Italy
- Day 8
Travel to Rome or optional tour extension to Lake Como
- Day 9
Day at leisure in Rome
- Day 10
Optional day tours (Pompeii, Tuscany, Amalfi coast...)
- Day 11
Departure from Rome
The moments this trip is built around
- Day 4The train travels from London to Paris, the capital of France.
- Day 7The train continues from Paris to Milan in northern Italy.
- Day 9A day at leisure in Rome, where the Colosseum and Vatican City are among the trip's highlights.
Included
- 10 nights hotel accommodation in standard rooms with private shower/bath, WC, including breakfast. Tourist taxes are not included and must be paid locally.
- Train between London - Paris, reserved seats onboard
- Train between Paris - Milan, reserved seats onboard
- Train between Milan - Rome, reserved seats onboard
- Electronic travel documentation, including a detailed travel itinerary and travel vouchers
- 24/7 emergency phone service while travelling
Not included
- Tourist taxes (paid locally)
Questions travellers ask
- Is train travel included?
- Yes, reserved seats on the trains between London and Paris, Paris and Milan, and Milan and Rome are included, in Standard or Standard Premier/First class (Gold tier).
- Is this trip escorted or independent?
- Self-guided; Authentic Europe provides electronic travel documents and 24/7 emergency phone support but no tour escort.
- Which trains are used?
- The Eurostar for London to Paris, and further trains for Paris to Milan and Milan to Rome, each with Standard or Gold-tier upgrade classes.
- What hotels are included?
- 10 nights in standard hotel rooms with private shower or bath and WC, breakfast included; tourist taxes are paid locally and not included.
- What optional extras can I add?
- Optional day tours from London (Oxford, Cotswolds, Stonehenge), Paris (Normandy, Champagne, Loire), and Rome (Pompeii, Tuscany, Amalfi coast), plus an optional Lake Como extension.
- How much does this trip cost?
- Authentic Europe prices this trip from EUR 1,500 per person.
