Amalfi Coast luxury tailormade rail holiday
This 11-night luxury holiday by train to the Amalfi coast and Positano starts with Eurostar and a daytime TGV into Switzerland where you spend the first night in Zurich. The next day you travel south to Rome, where you spend two nights, with time to explore the vibrant city with its ancient history and beautiful Baroque architecture. Then it’s a short train ride to Naples, gateway to the Amalfi coast. The Amalfi coast is best known for its dramatic coastal scenery, with rocky coves and tiny fishing villages hugging the cliffs. Luxuriant vegetation thrives in the favourable climate and the regional cuisine is light and simple, based on local fish and shellfish, lemons and oranges, mozzarella and fresh herbs. There are numerous excursion and sightseeing possibilities for your holiday including the island of Capri by boat, the city of Naples with its outstanding archaeological museum, the Roman towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum, the Greek temple at Paestum, romantic Ravello, renowned for its gardens and summer music festival and historic Amalfi. On the way home, there are a couple of options. One option is to travel by train to Milan and spend a night here before taking a day-time train to Paris. Another option is to break the journey in Milan and then to take a train through Switzerland, enjoying the breath-taking vista of the Alps in the day-time and spending a night in Lausanne on Lake Geneva before returning to London via Paris.
Highlights
• Eurostar London to Paris return • Rome • Visit the Forum and the catacombs • Stroll in the gardens of the Villa Borghese • Visit St Peter’s • Positano • Visit Capri by boat • Visit Pompeii • Visit Ravello • Visit Amalfi
Day by day
You begin your rail touring holiday to the Amalfi coast by travelling out on an afternoon Eurostar service from London St Pancras to Paris Gare du Nord. Following a change of station in Paris continue by TGV to Zurich.
A mid-morning train from Zurich to Milan is recomended today where you change to the fast Frecciarossa direct train to Rome. A private car will transfer you to your hotel where you stay for two nights.
Spend the day at leisure in Rome. Rome is the capital city of Italy and as the capital city of the Roman Empire was widely regarded as the birth place of western civilization. The city has a unique atmosphere of any in Italy, due to its huge wealth of sites to see, dating back not just from the Roman era, but from mediaeval and Renaissance periods as well and you could spend a lifetime visiting all the historical and architectural sites the city has to offer. Most visitors come to Rome to see the foundations of the Roman Empire in the form of the Colosseum, The Forum and the Circus Maximus, to name but a few. However, visitors nearly always allow time for a visit to the Vatican Museum and the Basilica of St Peter, even if they choose not to visit any other non-Roman historical sites! The variety of places to visit in Rome can be overwhelming and it is best to plan in advance what you wish to see within the time you have and stick to it, rather than planning whilst you are there. The historic centre is perfectly manageable on foot as it is in fact quite compact although there is an underground system too. Other places worth including in your itinerary of Rome are the Campo de’Fiori food market, the Pantheon and the Piazza Navona, home to Bernini’s Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi. Afternoon tea is worth taking in the Caffe delle Arti inside the Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Moderna, with a shady terrace in fine weather.
Spend the morning in Rome, perhaps staying for lunch before taking a train to Naples. A car takes you from the hotel to the station in Rome and the journey time from Rome to Naples is just over one hour. When you arrive in Naples, a car with driver will collect you from the station and take you to your hotel in Positano on the Amalfi coast where you spend seven nights. There is an option to spend the holiday in Amalfi - please refer to the hotel accommodation options.
You have the next six days to explore Positano and the stunning Amalfi Coast. During the day, navigate Positano via the winding stairways, perhaps in a pair of their speciality sandals. Walk along the Sentiero degli Innamorati from the Spiaggia Grande to Fornillo beach for a spectacular view of the coastline and a rewarding relaxing endpoint. Be sure to visit the secret hamlet of Nocelle, tucked away on the Monte Pertuso hillside. Walk to Nocelle from Agerola for a gentle, downhill stroll that takes you past more breath-taking views across the Amalfi Coast and the island of Capri. For a longer day trip, drive along the Amalfi coast, through the white and terracotta towns, to Amalfi itself. While here, explore the many monuments, such as the Byzantine Duomo di Sant’ Andrea Apostolo, fronted by 57 stone steps that take you up to its three main arches. From the top of these steps in the atrium, the views across Amalfi and the sea are exceptional. The picturesque main square sits just below it, surrounded by small cafes and pretty buildings. Wander between the towering, climbing houses of the Vagliendola, or watch the Amalfi musical under the curved roof of the Antichi Arsenali, or old shipyards. From here, perhaps walk across the hilltops to the artistic village of Ravello to listen to a classical music concert on the terraces of Villa Rufolo, or venture out into the Valle delle Ferriere, with its old steps, waterfalls, bridges, forests, and beautiful abandoned buildings. Spend your evenings in the restaurant of the Hotel Poseidon, indulging in the specialities of Neapolitan Cuisine, such as mozzarella, fresh seafood, gelato, and sfogliatella pastries, finished off, of course, with limoncello made from Amalfi lemons. In the summer, dinner can be eaten under a pergola on the terrace. The hotel’s wine cellar offers the best wines of the Campania region, all available to drink alongside the delicious flavours of the Amalfi Coast.
An early start this morning gets you via Milan to Lausanne on Lake Geneva for this evening.
It is a comfortable journey today from Lausanne on Lake Geneva to Paris by TGV. Change stations and then take the Eurostar back to London.
What particularly impresses us each time we use your services is that ‘what we expect we get’ eg car hire, rooms selected, all with no hassle. Not sure how you do it!!Mr W, July 2022
Holiday price guide From £5,365-£6,640 per person depending on the season based on two people sharing a double room and including for second class rail travel. Supplement for first class trail travel £570 per person.
Holiday Code ITBR08
Call us on 01392 441245
Amalfi Coast luxury tailormade rail holiday
You begin your rail touring holiday to the Amalfi coast by travelling out on an afternoon Eurostar service from London St Pancras to Paris Gare du Nord. Following a change of station in Paris continue by TGV to Zurich.
A mid-morning train from Zurich to Milan is recomended today where you change to the fast Frecciarossa direct train to Rome. A private car will transfer you to your hotel where you stay for two nights.
Spend the day at leisure in Rome. Rome is the capital city of Italy and as the capital city of the Roman Empire was widely regarded as the birth place of western civilization. The city has a unique atmosphere of any in Italy, due to its huge wealth of sites to see, dating back not just from the Roman era, but from mediaeval and Renaissance periods as well and you could spend a lifetime visiting all the historical and architectural sites the city has to offer. Most visitors come to Rome to see the foundations of the Roman Empire in the form of the Colosseum, The Forum and the Circus Maximus, to name but a few. However, visitors nearly always allow time for a visit to the Vatican Museum and the Basilica of St Peter, even if they choose not to visit any other non-Roman historical sites! The variety of places to visit in Rome can be overwhelming and it is best to plan in advance what you wish to see within the time you have and stick to it, rather than planning whilst you are there. The historic centre is perfectly manageable on foot as it is in fact quite compact although there is an underground system too. Other places worth including in your itinerary of Rome are the Campo de’Fiori food market, the Pantheon and the Piazza Navona, home to Bernini’s Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi. Afternoon tea is worth taking in the Caffe delle Arti inside the Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Moderna, with a shady terrace in fine weather.
Spend the morning in Rome, perhaps staying for lunch before taking a train to Naples. A car takes you from the hotel to the station in Rome and the journey time from Rome to Naples is just over one hour. When you arrive in Naples, a car with driver will collect you from the station and take you to your hotel in Positano on the Amalfi coast where you spend seven nights. There is an option to spend the holiday in Amalfi - please refer to the hotel accommodation options.
You have the next six days to explore Positano and the stunning Amalfi Coast. During the day, navigate Positano via the winding stairways, perhaps in a pair of their speciality sandals. Walk along the Sentiero degli Innamorati from the Spiaggia Grande to Fornillo beach for a spectacular view of the coastline and a rewarding relaxing endpoint. Be sure to visit the secret hamlet of Nocelle, tucked away on the Monte Pertuso hillside. Walk to Nocelle from Agerola for a gentle, downhill stroll that takes you past more breath-taking views across the Amalfi Coast and the island of Capri. For a longer day trip, drive along the Amalfi coast, through the white and terracotta towns, to Amalfi itself. While here, explore the many monuments, such as the Byzantine Duomo di Sant’ Andrea Apostolo, fronted by 57 stone steps that take you up to its three main arches. From the top of these steps in the atrium, the views across Amalfi and the sea are exceptional. The picturesque main square sits just below it, surrounded by small cafes and pretty buildings. Wander between the towering, climbing houses of the Vagliendola, or watch the Amalfi musical under the curved roof of the Antichi Arsenali, or old shipyards. From here, perhaps walk across the hilltops to the artistic village of Ravello to listen to a classical music concert on the terraces of Villa Rufolo, or venture out into the Valle delle Ferriere, with its old steps, waterfalls, bridges, forests, and beautiful abandoned buildings. Spend your evenings in the restaurant of the Hotel Poseidon, indulging in the specialities of Neapolitan Cuisine, such as mozzarella, fresh seafood, gelato, and sfogliatella pastries, finished off, of course, with limoncello made from Amalfi lemons. In the summer, dinner can be eaten under a pergola on the terrace. The hotel’s wine cellar offers the best wines of the Campania region, all available to drink alongside the delicious flavours of the Amalfi Coast.
An early start this morning gets you via Milan to Lausanne on Lake Geneva for this evening.
It is a comfortable journey today from Lausanne on Lake Geneva to Paris by TGV. Change stations and then take the Eurostar back to London.
What particularly impresses us each time we use your services is that ‘what we expect we get’ eg car hire, rooms selected, all with no hassle. Not sure how you do it!!Mr W, July 2022
Holiday price guide From £5,365-£6,640 per person depending on the season based on two people sharing a double room and including for second class rail travel. Supplement for first class trail travel £570 per person.
Holiday Code ITBR08
Our prices include
● Second-class travel on all trains, with standard class on Eurostar (first and standard premier can be booked at a supplement)
● Private car transfer from Rome station to your hotel and back to Rome station
● Private car transfer from Naples station to your hotel and back to Naples station
● 1 night's bed and breakfast in a Standard room at the Hotel St Gotthard, Zurich
● 2 nights’ bed and breakfast in a Classic room at the Hotel Mascagni, Rome
● 7 nights’ bed and breakfast in a Superior room with side sea view and balcony at the Hotel Poseidon, Positano
● 1 night's bed and breakfast in a Standard room at the Residence et Angleterre, Lausanne
● Concierge service and Expressions Holidays regional helpful hints
Our prices do not include
● Early check-in or late check-out at any hotels (although we can arrange this on request at additional cost)
● Any other services not mentioned above, such as transfers and meals except breakfast at hotels
● Personal holiday insurance. This is essential and cover should be in place from when you book the holiday.
● Local tourist tax, usually between Euros 1 and 3 per person per night, and payable locally to the hotel
● Transfers in Paris
Call us on 01392 441245
Amalfi Coast luxury tailormade rail holiday
Hotel St Gotthard is a sophisticated 4-star hotel in an excellent central location. Haute cuisine and stylish, comfortable accommodation make this an excellent spot to recuperate after enjoying the cultural delights of Zurich.
Standard room
Hotel Mascagni is a small and cosy 4-star hotel, close to the Trevi Fountain and Spanish Steps. The hotel's location is perfect for guests wanting to catch as many of Rome's landmarks as possible.
Classic room
The Hotel de Russie is a magnificent, 5-star hotel in a typically Roman building with a stunning courtyard and terraced garden. Charm and tradition meet contemporary flair.
Classic room
Hotel Poseidon is a charming 4-star boutique hotel in an idyllic location overlooking the romantic town of Positano. Delicious cuisine, superb wellness facilities and spectacular coastal views offer guests a truly relaxing and indulgent experience.
Classic room with side sea view and balcony
Hotel Santa Caterina is a historic 5-star hotel in a convenient location. This elegant hotel epitomises the Amalfi Coast, with great food, wine and stunning views it serves as the ideal base to explore the region.
Double room with partial sea view
Hotel Angleterre et Résidence is a charming, traditional, Swiss-style, 4-star hotel in a prime location. Delicious cuisine, exceptional service and immaculate grounds offer guests a truly relaxing and indulgent experience.
Standard room
Special offers
Call to make your booking and save an extra £50 per adult Call us instead of emailing us when you are thinking of booking a holiday and save an extra £50 per adult (in addition to any special offers that might be available). We want to talk to you to discuss your requirements and a phone call is usually the best way for you to define what you want enabling us to respond more accurately. We want to talk to you and you save an extra £50 per adult.
What particularly impresses us each time we use your services is that ‘what we expect we get’ eg car hire, rooms selected, all with no hassle. Not sure how you do it!!Mr W, July 2022
Holiday price guide From £5,365-£6,640 per person depending on the season based on two people sharing a double room and including for second class rail travel. Supplement for first class trail travel £570 per person.
Holiday Code ITBR08
Call us on 01392 441245
Amalfi Coast luxury tailormade rail holiday
About Amalfi Coast
An Expressions tailor-made holiday to the Amalfi Coast is perfect for those looking for relaxation as well as sightseeing in coastal towns such as Amalfi, Positano, Ravello and Sorrento on the Amalfi Coast as well as the islands of Capri and Ischia. The Amalfi Coast is best known for its dramatic coastal scenery, deep gorges and violently-shaped rocks that plunge into a deep blue sea, tempered by the luxuriant vegetation that thrives in the favourable climate; lemons, oranges, olives, almonds, vines, camellias and bougainvillaea. Human habitation thrives in the tiny fishing villages in rocky coves and in the pink and white-washed flat-roofed or domed buildings that hug the cliffs in layers. The Amalfi Coast's history of trading throughout the Mediterranean still shows in the Moorish and Byzantine architectural styles; domes and arcades, wrought-iron balconies and colourful ceramic tiles which depict the region. The cuisine of the Amalfi Coast is light and simple, based on local fish and shellfish, lemons and oranges, mozzarella and fresh herbs. Whilst the climate of the Amalfi Coast is particularly appealing too, there are numerous excursion and sightseeing possibilities for your holiday including the islands of Procida, Capri and Ischia, the city of Naples, the Roman towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum, the romance of Ravello, the bustle of Sorrento and the charm of Positano.
Highlights of the Amalfi Coast
A drive along the Amalfi coast from Positano to Amalfi offers stunning and breath-taking scenery. Visit the Emerald Cave near Vettica Minore by boat. Enjoy the superb view of the coast from the 13th Century Gothic Villa Rufolo in Ravello (we offer garden tour holidays of the Amalfi Coast and Capri including a visit to Villa Rufolo). Spend a full day visiting the awe-inspiring site of Pompeii, visiting the remains of the villas containing both vibrant and delicate frescoes. Herculaneum is nearby and also worth visiting. The Greek site of Paestum has outstanding Doric temples. In the resort of Amalfi stroll along the Via Genova and the Via Capuano taking in the typical architecture of Campania with the flower-covered balconies, narrow alleyways leading to fountain-filled little squares. Take the chairlift on Capri to Monte Solaro or walk to the Migliara Belvedere for a view of the lighthouse. On Ischia visit the beaches of Citara and Maronti and enjoy a morning's walk to Monte Epomeo for panoramic views of the coast. Well worth visiting is the often-forgotten island of Procida between Naples and Ischia, with its vines and fishing, flat roofed white houses and atmosphere most characteristic of the region in bygone days. Visit Vietri for ceramics as well as stalls of lemons, garlic and peppers.
Cultural highlights of the Amalfi Coast
The House of the Vettii at Pompeii, the baroque Palazzo Reale at Caserta, Villa Jovis in Capri, the Doric temples of Paestum, Michelozzo`s tomb of Cardinal Rinaldo Brancaccio in the 14th Century church of Sant`Angelo, and in Naples: `Modesty` by Antonio Corradini in the Cappella Sansevero, the Gothic church of San Lorenzo Maggiore and the Majolica tiles in the cloisters of the 14th Century Santa Chiara.
Festivals on the Amalfi Coast
The Ravello music festival June to July, the festival of San Costanzo on 14 May on Capri, the festival of Sant`Antonio in Anacapri on 13 June, the festival of Madonna della Liberta in Marina Grande in September, Lo Sbarco dei Saraceni in Positano on the second Sunday in August.
Gastronomy of the Amalfi Coast
Neapolitan cuisine is now famous the world over for its use of tomatoes, pizza, mozzarella cheese, dried pasta and lemons. Local specialities include Mozzarella in Carrozza, Panzanella alla napoletana, Pasta alla sorrentina (with scamorza cheese and tomatoes), Sartu (an elaborate rice pie stuffed with meats, sausages, mushrooms etc), Timballo di Maccheroni (also elaborate with maccheroni baked in a pie and a sauce of chicken livers, mushrooms and black truffles), Carciofi ripieni alla napoletana (baked stuffed artichokes), Coviglie (a mousse-like dessert), Sproccolati (sun-dried figs on sticks) and Sfogliatelle (breakfast pastries). The region produces a number of excellent red and white wines. The most famous white is called Lacrimi Christi, from vines grown on the slopes of Mount Vesuvius. Taurasi from Avellino is a full-bodied red. Capri, Ischia and Sorrento all produce their own local wines.
Call us on 01392 441245
Amalfi Coast luxury tailormade rail holiday
About Rome
An Expressions tailor-made holiday to Rome is a trip to the capital city of Italy and, as the capital city of the Roman Empire, a place which was widely regarded as the birth place of western civilisation. The city has a unique atmosphere of any in Italy, due to its huge wealth of sites to see, dating back not just from the Roman era, but from mediaeval and Renaissance periods as well and you could spend a lifetime visiting all the historical and architectural sites the city has to offer. Most visitors come to Rome to see the foundations of the Roman Empire in the form of the Colosseum, The Forum Romanum and the Circus Maximus, to name but a few. However, visitors nearly always allow time for a visit to the Vatican Museum and the Basilica of St Peter, even if they choose not to visit any other non-Roman historical sites! The variety of places to visit in Rome can be over whelming and it is best to plan in advance what you wish to see within the time you have and stick to it, rather than planning whilst you are there. The historic centre is perfectly manageable on foot as it is in fact quite compact. However, there is a comprehensive metro system that runs around the historic centre, rather than through it (for obvious reasons), with its intersection at the main Rome Termini station. The two lines of the metro are easy to navigate and can be a swift and inexpensive way of reaching monuments or museums which are further away from each other.
Highlights of Rome
If the monuments, museums and historical sites become too overwhelming then Rome is also the perfect place for a spot of retail therapy, particularly shoes and clothes. The Apian way just outside the city is where a large proportion of the Roman catacombs are, as well as the baths of Caracalla. There are also numerous famous gardens in and around Rome namely the Borghese Gardens, The Gardens of Villa Doria Pamphili, Villa Torlonia, Villa Ada and the Park of Aqueducts.
Cultural highlights of Rome
The Colosseum, The Forum, The Pantheon, Circus Maximus, Domus Aurea, Trajan’s Market, The Vatican Museum, The Basilica of St Peter, The Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, The Capitoline Museum, The Borghese Gallery.
Festivals in Rome
The Estate Romana is a festival which lasts throughout the summer months and encompasses many cultural activities including concerts and street performances. The Noantri Festival is at the beginning of July and has its roots in early Christianity. The statue of the Vergine del Carmine is carried through the streets of the Trastevere district of Rome and there is much feasting and merriment. There are numerous arts and antiques fairs which take place in the autumn in Rome and the city attracts a wide range of musicians and art collections throughout the year.
Gastronomy in Rome
The gastronomy of Rome is hearty but simple, based on numerous ways of cooking fresh vegetables, particularly artichokes and courgettes (zucchini), salt cod, hearty soups and meat sauces and various pasta shapes and tomato sauces, particularly using garlic and chilli. The most famous wines of the area are the Frascati wines, however the area to the south also produces excellent Cesanese wines.
