How much does it cost?

From £1,499 per person, the operator's advertised from-price, read on its own page on 12 Sept 2026. About $2,025 at ECB reference rates. Departures, room types and dates can price differently; the operator's page is the final word.

Is this tour escorted?

Yes. Great Rail Journeys provides a UK Tour Manager from London St Pancras through to the end of the tour. Local guides join in Florence and Siena.

What meals are included?

Breakfast is included every day. Dinners are included on days 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, and 8 (six dinners total). Days 3 and 6 you dine independently.

What is the group size?

The maximum group size is 40 people.

Is there time to explore cities independently?

Yes. Day 2 has a free morning in Turin. Day 3 is entirely at leisure in Montecatini Terme. Day 4 includes a guided introduction to Florence followed by free afternoon time. Day 5 offers free time in both Lucca and Pisa. Day 6 is at leisure with options to explore Montecatini or take an independent rail trip to Viareggio or Bologna.

Great Rail Journeys · Escorted tour

Simply Tuscany

Escorted rail journey from London through Tuscany's art cities and spa towns

Great Rail Journeys' Simply Tuscany is a 9-day escorted tour departing London and ending in Saint-Raphaël on France's Côte d'Azur. You travel by Eurostar to Paris, then TGV through the French Alps to Turin for one night before heading south by regional rail into Tuscany. The heart of the tour is a 6-night base in Montecatini Terme, a UNESCO World Heritage spa resort, from which day trips by rail and coach reach Florence, Lucca, Pisa, and Siena. Days combine guided experiences with substantial free time: a local guide walks you through Florence's Renaissance heart and shows you Siena's medieval Piazza del Campo, but afternoons and several full days are yours to explore at leisure, dine independently, or rest at the hotel spa. A UK Tour Manager accompanies the entire journey. Breakfast is provided daily; six dinners are included. This tour suits first-time rail travellers, history-lovers drawn to Renaissance art and medieval cities, and couples seeking a base-hotel model with guided structure and independent flexibility.

Price history

Across 5 checks, this price has held at £1,499 every time.

Each point is a day we checked this operator's own page, not a weekly average, and the line holds flat between checks rather than guessing at movement we did not see. 3 of 5 points are a live read of the operator's page. Hollow points are values shown when the trip was first listed here and never confirmed with the operator.

What to know before you look closer

The group size can reach 40 people, which may limit intimacy on shared transport and in guided tours.
Two dinners (days 3 and 6) are not included; you dine independently in Montecatini Terme those evenings.
Hotels in Turin and Saint-Raphaël are described only as 'overnight hotels'; specific names and ratings are not confirmed.

Day by day

Day 1railovernight: Turin
London to Turin overnight
Your holiday begins at London St Pancras, where we meet the Tour Manager before boarding the Eurostar service to Paris. Changing trains, we continue by rail to Turin via Lyon and Chambéry through the French Alps. After checking in, we enjoy our first dinner together in the hotel restaurant.
Meals: Dinner
Day 2railovernight: Montecatini Terme
A morning in Turin, to Montecatini Terme
A free morning to explore Turin independently after breakfast, then we continue south by rail towards Florence, changing trains and entering typical Tuscan landscapes before reaching the historic spa resort of Montecatini Terme, where dinner is served this evening.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 3overnight: Montecatini Terme
Exploring Montecatini Terme at leisure
A day at leisure in Montecatini Terme, popular for centuries for its healing waters, with the option to visit the 18th-century Terme Tettuccio drinking spa or explore the Old Town of Montecatini Alto by funicular. The evening is free to dine independently.
Meals: Breakfast
Day 4railovernight: Montecatini Terme
A day trip to Florence, the 'Jewel of the Renaissance'
On arrival by train, a local guide introduces us to Florence, passing the Duomo, the medieval centre, the Palazzo Vecchio and the Uffizi gallery courtyard, ending at the Ponte Vecchio. The afternoon is free before we return to Montecatini Terme by rail for dinner.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 5railovernight: Montecatini Terme
The gems of Lucca, and iconic Pisa
A free morning to explore the medieval walled city of Lucca, including the Piazza Anfiteatro and the city walls, before continuing by rail to Pisa to see the Leaning Tower and Field of Miracles. We return to Montecatini Terme for dinner.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 6railovernight: Montecatini Terme
A day to relax or explore by rail
A day at leisure in Montecatini Terme, with the option to visit the Palazzo Comunale and its Mo.C.A gallery, or take advantage of the rail service to visit another Tuscan town such as Viareggio or Bologna. The evening is free to dine independently.
Meals: Breakfast
Day 7overnight: Montecatini Terme
Exploring the unique sights of Siena
An excursion by coach to Siena, where our local guide takes us past the church of San Domenico and the Duomo to the shell-shaped Piazza del Campo, home of the Palio horse races. We return by coach to our hotel for our last dinner in Montecatini.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 8railovernight: Saint-Raphaël
Overnight in Saint-Raphaël, Côte d'Azur
We transfer by coach to Viareggio on the coast, then take the train to Ventimiglia following the scenic coastline, before being taken by coach into France to the resort of Saint-Raphaël on the Côte d'Azur, where we spend the night after a three-course dinner.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 9rail
Homeward bound
After breakfast, we leave coastal Saint-Raphaël and join our train to Paris. In the French capital we take the Eurostar service to London St Pancras, where your holiday draws to a close.
Meals: Breakfast

The moments this trip is built around

Day 1Eurostar departs London St Pancras for Paris, then the TGV continues south through the French Alps toward Turin, slowing to a leisurely pace as Alpine scenery unfolds.
Day 4A guided walking tour in Florence leads from Santa Maria Novella station past the Duomo through the medieval centre, past the Uffizi gallery courtyard to the Ponte Vecchio, with the afternoon free to visit galleries or the Boboli gardens.
Day 5Regional rail connects Montecatini Terme to Lucca for a free morning exploring the walled medieval city, then onward by train to Pisa to see the Leaning Tower and white marble Duomo in the Field of Miracles.
Day 7A coach excursion reaches Siena, where a local guide tours the shell-shaped Piazza del Campo, one of Europe's best-preserved medieval squares and the site of the Palio horse races held each July and August.
Day 8The train from Viareggio to Ventimiglia follows the scenic Mediterranean coastline before a coach transfer to Saint-Raphaël on the Côte d'Azur.

Included

Expertise of a UK Tour Manager from start to finish
8 nights' 4-Star hotel accommodation
Eurostar Standard and Standard Class rail travel
All rail and coach travel throughout your tour
Breakfast each day, 6 dinners
All guided tours and excursions

Not included

Cancellation & Travel Insurance is not included in the price of the tour

Questions travellers ask

How much does it cost?: From £1,499 per person, the operator's advertised from-price, read on its own page on 12 Sept 2026. About $2,025 at ECB reference rates. Departures, room types and dates can price differently; the operator's page is the final word.
Is this tour escorted?: Yes. Great Rail Journeys provides a UK Tour Manager from London St Pancras through to the end of the tour. Local guides join in Florence and Siena.
What meals are included?: Breakfast is included every day. Dinners are included on days 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, and 8 (six dinners total). Days 3 and 6 you dine independently.
What is the group size?: The maximum group size is 40 people.
Is there time to explore cities independently?: Yes. Day 2 has a free morning in Turin. Day 3 is entirely at leisure in Montecatini Terme. Day 4 includes a guided introduction to Florence followed by free afternoon time. Day 5 offers free time in both Lucca and Pisa. Day 6 is at leisure with options to explore Montecatini or take an independent rail trip to Viareggio or Bologna.