Luxury rail-drive tailormade touring holiday to Piemonte
This holiday by train to Piemonte and the vineyards of Barolo, with a stay of six nights in the region, provides not just a glorious insight into the depth and variety of world-class wines the region produces (not just Barolo but Barbaresco, Dolcetto d’Alba, Barbera, Grignolino, Moscato d’Asti, Arneis and Gavi di Gavi), but stunning scenery, cultural traditions (Asti has its own palio), and a history of artisan food, from chocolates to cheese, from truffles to olive oil. Piemonte is of course famous for its truffles and we can arrange for you to go on a truffle hunt. We can also arrange for you to be accompanied by a local guide for personalised visits to local wineries and wine-tastings. Additionally, you have a night in the regional capital, Turin, and chance to explore the palaces and museums, including the Royal Palace, the Egyptian museum, the Madama Palace and the Mole Antonelliana, of this historic city that sits at the foot of the Alps. The rail travel for this holiday is very straightforward with a Eurostar to Paris and then an afternoon departure from Paris to Turin. The return journey is also in the day-time and by leaving Turin at about 10 am you reach London mid-evening.
Highlights
Daytime journey through France into Italy • Turin • Visit the Mole Antonelliana • Visit the Royal Palace in Turin • Visit the Madama Palace • Piemonte • Visit Alba • Wine-tastings • Visit Cherasco • Optional truffle-hunting
Day by day
Begin your rail holiday to Piemonte by leaving London St Pancras at about 9.30 am, travelling on the Eurostar to Paris Gare du Nord. You have just under two hours in Paris to transfer to the Gare de Lyon before your high-speed train to Turin departs. Watch the scenery change as you travel south, passing through Lyon and Chambery before climbing into the Alps and crossing the border to Italy. The journey time from Paris to Turin is about 5 and a half hours. You reach Turin just before 20.30 hrs and spend the night in Turin.
Enjoy this morning sightseeing in Turin perhaps, before collecting your hire-car for the drive of just over an hour to your base in Piemonte for the next few days.
Explore Piemonte at leisure from your base in the heart of Piemonte’s Langhe region. Piemonte beckons lovers of wine and food, art and architecture and dramatic, natural landscapes. Spend your time here enjoying the sights, food and wine that this beautiful region has to offer. Some of our recommended visits are to the town of Alba, renowned for its truffles as well as wine. Its narrow streets are lined with shops selling numerous gastronomic delights, including truffles, wine and olive oil. Barolo is both a village and a wine produced in only a handful of villages. Nearby are the vineyards of Barbaresco. We can arrange for you to visit wineries and have wine-tastings and visits. Another interesting spot is the hilltop town of Cherasco, famous for its snails and chocolate. The Slow Food movement originated in Piemonte and there are numerous local artisan producers of all sorts of foodstuffs that can be visited. Depending on the season, you may want to take part in a truffle-hunt. This can be arranged by us for you in advance, and the truffle-hunter with his most important assistant, his dog, will accompany you as you forage for the region’s famous truffles for a couple of hours.
There is quite an early start this morning from your hotel as the train leaves Turin just after 10 am. (An option is to return to Turin for an overnight before the train leaves). This is another enjoyable daytime journey by fast train from Turin to Paris, arriving at the Gare de Lyon about 16.00 hrs. Two hours later there is a Eurostar departure that arrives into London St Pancras at about 19.30 hrs.
I enjoyed every minute of the tour. Cindy-Marie was simply fantastic and her knowledge, kindness and humour was all that I could have asked for. This was a first class experience. Thank you for making it all happen.Customer on Tuscan wine tour, June 2022
Holiday price guide Prices from £1,990 per person based on two people sharing a double room including second class rail travel. First class supplement from £460 per person
Holiday Code ITRD04
Call us on 01392 441245
Luxury rail-drive tailormade touring holiday to Piemonte
Begin your rail holiday to Piemonte by leaving London St Pancras at about 9.30 am, travelling on the Eurostar to Paris Gare du Nord. You have just under two hours in Paris to transfer to the Gare de Lyon before your high-speed train to Turin departs. Watch the scenery change as you travel south, passing through Lyon and Chambery before climbing into the Alps and crossing the border to Italy. The journey time from Paris to Turin is about 5 and a half hours. You reach Turin just before 20.30 hrs and spend the night in Turin.
Enjoy this morning sightseeing in Turin perhaps, before collecting your hire-car for the drive of just over an hour to your base in Piemonte for the next few days.
Explore Piemonte at leisure from your base in the heart of Piemonte’s Langhe region. Piemonte beckons lovers of wine and food, art and architecture and dramatic, natural landscapes. Spend your time here enjoying the sights, food and wine that this beautiful region has to offer. Some of our recommended visits are to the town of Alba, renowned for its truffles as well as wine. Its narrow streets are lined with shops selling numerous gastronomic delights, including truffles, wine and olive oil. Barolo is both a village and a wine produced in only a handful of villages. Nearby are the vineyards of Barbaresco. We can arrange for you to visit wineries and have wine-tastings and visits. Another interesting spot is the hilltop town of Cherasco, famous for its snails and chocolate. The Slow Food movement originated in Piemonte and there are numerous local artisan producers of all sorts of foodstuffs that can be visited. Depending on the season, you may want to take part in a truffle-hunt. This can be arranged by us for you in advance, and the truffle-hunter with his most important assistant, his dog, will accompany you as you forage for the region’s famous truffles for a couple of hours.
There is quite an early start this morning from your hotel as the train leaves Turin just after 10 am. (An option is to return to Turin for an overnight before the train leaves). This is another enjoyable daytime journey by fast train from Turin to Paris, arriving at the Gare de Lyon about 16.00 hrs. Two hours later there is a Eurostar departure that arrives into London St Pancras at about 19.30 hrs.
I enjoyed every minute of the tour. Cindy-Marie was simply fantastic and her knowledge, kindness and humour was all that I could have asked for. This was a first class experience. Thank you for making it all happen.Customer on Tuscan wine tour, June 2022
Holiday price guide Prices from £1,990 per person based on two people sharing a double room including second class rail travel. First class supplement from £460 per person
Holiday Code ITRD04
Our prices include
● Second-class travel on all trains, with standard class on Eurostar (first and standard premier can be booked at a supplement)
● Hire of a Group B car from day 2 to day 8
● 1 night’s bed and breakfast in a Classic double room at the Grand Hotel Sitea, in Turin
● 6 nights’ bed and breakfast in a Superior double room at the Villa d’Amelia, in Piemonte
● 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 and Turin
Call us on 01392 441245
Luxury rail-drive tailormade touring holiday to Piemonte
Grand Hotel Sitea is a 5-star classic hotel in the heart of Turin. The gourmet cuisine and stylish, comfortable accommodation make it an ideal spot to recuperate after a day enjoying the city's historical and cultural sites.
Classic double room
Relais Villa d'Amelia is a 4-star hotel amid beautiful countryside. Michelin-starred cuisine, excellent spa and wellness facilities and immaculate gardens afford guests a truly relaxing and restorative retreat.
Superior double 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.
I enjoyed every minute of the tour. Cindy-Marie was simply fantastic and her knowledge, kindness and humour was all that I could have asked for. This was a first class experience. Thank you for making it all happen.Customer on Tuscan wine tour, June 2022
Holiday price guide Prices from £1,990 per person based on two people sharing a double room including second class rail travel. First class supplement from £460 per person
Holiday Code ITRD04
Call us on 01392 441245
Luxury rail-drive tailormade touring holiday to Piemonte
About Piemonte
An Expressions tailor-made holiday to Piemonte beckons lovers of wine and food, art and architecture and dramatic, natural but also gloriously cultivated landscapes. Piemonte is essentially a country region of alpine peaks in the north, flat rice-producing river valleys further south, rolling vineyards with attractive villages, forested hills dotted with mediaeval castles and almost at its centre the city of Turin, known throughout the world as a great industrial centre but in fact, outstandingly rich in architectural gems, both modern and in particular Baroque. North of Turin is the Parco Nazionale del Gran Paradiso, with miles of unspoiled natural scenery of mountain peaks and meadows, of rare wildlife and flowers. The splendid palaces, parks and hunting lodges of the Princes of Savoy can be visited in the countryside near Turin on your holiday. Our Piemonte hotels are situated in the remarkable wine-producing regions of the Langhe and Asti, renowned for their beautiful scenery, magnificent wines and fine gastronomy.
Highlights of Piemonte
Turin, the regional capital, is a fascinating city of Baroque architecture and famous for its association with Fiat cars. Visit the car museum, the Mole Antonelli for a panoramic view. Visit some of the beautiful 18th Century House of Savoy palaces, many built by Filippo Juvarra, including Rivoli, Venaria Reale and Mandria. North of Turin is the subalpine region of Canavese with numerous castles many of which have been opened to the public very recently such as the Castello di Masino, now carefully restored. Lace is produced in the Valsesia. Alba is the centre of the white truffle and of course the local wines (Barolo, Barbera etc) should be tasted and purchased. Cuneo holds a market in the Piazza Galimberti every Tuesday.
Cultural highlights of Piemonte
Turin is laden with architectural treasures including the Palazzo Madama by Filippo Juvarra (now home to the Museo Civico d`Arte Antica which contains the 15th Century Portrait of an Unknown Man by Antonello da Messina), Guarini`s Palazzo Carignano, the Baroque buildings of the Piazza San Carlo.In Cuneo is the 18th Century Church of Santa Croce with a concave facade by Francesco Gallo. Vercelli had a school of art and its masterpieces can be seen in the Museo Civico Borgogna and in the Chuch of San Cristoforo are to be found frescoes and a 16th Century Madonna painted by Gaudenzio Ferrari. In the Palazzo Comunale of Alba is a painting of the Madonna and Child by the 16th Century artist Macrino d`Alba.The finest Romanesque buildings in Piemonte are to be found at the Abbey of Vezzolano at Albugnano.
Festivals in Piemonte
Many are linked to food and wine in this region. Asti holds an annual horse race in the Piazza del Campo del Palio, accompanied by mediaeval pageantry and coinciding with a local wine fair in September.
Gastronomy in Piemonte
Cuneo holds a cheese fair in November. Ivrea is famous for its Carnival celebrations including a Battle of Oranges. The region is renowed for its gastronomy and wine. Beef, cheese, butter, red wine, rice and truffles (particularly the white truffes of Alba) are all basic ingredients. Specialities include Manzo al Barolo (beef in red wine and garlic), Fonduta (hot dip of fontina cheese, milk, eggs, truffles and pepper), Bagna cauda (hot spicy sauce with garlic and anchovies), The wines of the region include Barolo, Barbaresco, Dolcetto.
Call us on 01392 441245
Luxury rail-drive tailormade touring holiday to Piemonte
About Turin
An Expressions tailor-made holiday to Turin is a chance to explore the capital of Piemonte in Northern Italy. Turin is renowned for an eclectic selection of things, including hard chocolate, Fiat cars, and the mysterious Turin Shroud. Popular for its proximity to the ski slopes in winter, in summer Turin is a cultural and historic hub. Its legacy as the brief capital of Italy before the country’s unification is still evident in the grandeur of its streets, which are smattered with monuments to Savoy royalty and lined with arcaded shops and cafes. The atmosphere of the city is distinctly calm, but still with a real sense of the typically Italian bustle and life, making it the perfect base from which to venture out and explore the wine towns and villages of Piemonte as well as the historically important sites of the region.
Cultural highlights of Turin
The Mole Antonelliana, with its distinctive spire and cinema museum, the Piazza Castello at the heart of the city, the grand Savoy Palazzo Reale, the former senate-house and prison Palazzo Madama, the historic and elegant cafes, the Cattedrale di San Giovanni Battista, where the Turin Shroud is currently held, the Museo Egizio, dedicated to Egyptian artefacts, the Reggia di Venaria Reale, one of the largest royal residences in the world, the Basilica di Superga, final resting place of the Savoy family, and the Castello di Rivoli, bursting with contemporary art.
Festivals in Turin
The summer in Turin is punctuated by a number of festivals. The Festival delle Colline Torinesi sees a number of local and national theatre productions take to the stage. The International Jazz Festival of Torino also takes place in the summer and is most enjoyable in the evenings. It attracts a number of famous international names. To appreciate authentic Italian music, attend the Traffic Torino Free Festival, where performers capture the best of each genre on various stages. In November, however, visit Turin to see the Turin International Contemporary Art Festival, which features pieces from 150 of the world’s most well-respected art galleries. In the autumn, the Terra Madre attracts thousands of chefs from across the world. For something more modern and unique, attend either the VIEW Conference or VIEW Fest, both of which look at emerging developments in 3D technology and digital cinema.
Gastronomy in Turin
Around the city, you will come across the three main venues for Turin’s characterful cuisine: the restaurants, the eating houses, and the small international eateries. In this way, Turin offers everything from fine dining to cosy, authentic, hearty meals. Antipasti is particularly popular here, encompassing Albese meat, vol au vent, omelettes, and tuna soup. The seafood influence that is most evident in the dishes of the restaurants, is a result of the many nationals who moved north from southern Italy. Pasta, too, plays a large part in the cuisine of the area. Try tajarin, pasta made with egg, buckwheat pasta soups, butter and sage ravioli, or risotti with beans and salami. Other key ingredients in the hearty food include braised meats and cheese, especially gorgonzola. For dessert, we would recommend trying one of the many chocolate and nut based cakes. Gianduiotto is the most famous chocolate from Turin.
Travel around Turin
Being in such a large city necessitates good transport links. The trains in from and to Turin ensure that travelling to and from your destination is incredibly easy, particularly if you are visiting as part of a rail touring itinerary. Within the city, the bus and tram links are also exceptionally comprehensive, running from 5am until 12am. It is very convenient to move from one side of the city to the other by public transport, meaning that every attraction is within easy reach. This is also a better option to driving around with a hire car. It is important to remember that most tickets run with a time limit as well as a destination.
