The Italian Riviera by Rail Travel Train Seats On all legs of the journey you have reserved seat Passports and carriage numbers which are shown clearly on Please ensure your 10 year British Passport is not your ticket. out of date and is valid for a full three months beyond the duration of your visit. EU, Andorra, Liechtenstein, Monaco, San Marino or Switzerland valid national identification cards are also acceptable for travel to Italy. Baggage As with most trains, passengers are responsible for carrying baggage onto and off the train. Baggage Visas can be stored on overhead shelves or at the British and EU passport holders are not required to entrance to the carriages. Trollies are available at St have a visa. Pancras and Lille, but bags do need to be carried on to the platform. Porters are sometimes but not For all other passport holders please check the visa always available at St Pancras. requirements with the appropriate embassy. Travel Editions recommends a luggage delivery Italian Consulate-General: “Harp House”, 83/86 service called thebaggageman, where your suitcase Farringdon Street, London EC4A 4BL. can be picked up from your home before departure Tel: (0)20 7936 5900. Fax: (0)20 7583 9425. and delivered straight to your hotel; therefore Email: [email protected] Website: removing the worry about carrying your cases onto http://www.conslondra.esteri.it/Consolato_Londra and off the trains. Open Mon-Fri 0900-1200 For further information: http://www.thebaggageman.com Tickets Labels You will be issued with a return train ticket. Please use the luggage labels provided. It is useful Please take care not to lose your tickets and please to have your home address located inside your check that the details on your tickets are accurate. suitcase should the label go astray. Your ticket is non-transferable and non-refundable. No refund can be given for non-used portions. Transfers Standard Premier on Eurostar tickets is indicated by On arrival, transfer by coach to Diano Marina two asterisks in the class type section in the top (approx. 1.5 hours) and Hotel Torino. right hand corner. A light meal will be served to passengers travelling Standard Premier on Eurostar. Special Requests Standard class Eurostar tickets do not include any If you haven’t already, please notify Travel Editions food or drink on board, although there is a buffet of any special requests as soon as possible to allow car serving drinks and snacks. sufficient time to make the necessary arrangements. TGV tickets do not include any food or drink on board, although a buffet car is available. Accommodation Hotel Torino, Diano Marina Situated in the centre of the town, the 4-star Hotel Table service is common in most restaurants and Torino has been rated tripadvisor's number one bars. Usually, a discretionary service charge is hotel in Diano Marina. Family owned and operated added to your bill in restaurants and bars, and no since 1947 to a very high level it is a wonderful base further tipping is required. for a relaxing and comfortable tour. Facilities here include swimming pool (seasonal opening), fitness centre, private beach, terrace, Drink spacious ground, and bar. The hotel’s panoramic The world’s largest wine producer, Italy is home to roof restaurant has great views over the town and some of the oldest viticulture regions. The wines coast and serves excellent local cuisine. The bright, are named according to their grape variety or after spacious bedrooms include private bath/shower, their village or area of origin. Excellent wines are hairdryer, TV, telephone, safe and wi-fi. produced throughout Italy and Sicily, with local Unfortunately, rooms at the Hotel Torino do not wines offering great value and quality. The Liguria include coffee/tea making facilities, so we suggest wine-making area has several Denominazione di you bring a travel kettle if required. origine controllata (DOC), the most famous being the Cinque Terre DOC, that produces dry white For more information visit their website wines. Also worth trying is the Colline di Levanto http://www.hoteltorinodiano.it/ DOC straw-yellow wines and the sweet Sciacchetra DOC white wines. If you prefer a red wine, try the fruity Rossesse di Dolceacqua DOC. The Sciacchetra Rosso is a good choice for a red dessert wine. Food Apéritifs such as Campari and Punt e Mes are Italian food rivals French in the hearts and taste excellent appetisers, while Italian liqueurs include buds of many gastronomes and the regional cuisine, Grappa, Stregga, Galliano, Amaretto, Sambuca and of which the locals are very proud, wonderfully Limoncello. reflects the climate and local produce. Delicious pizza, pasta and risotto dishes are present Meals included in the price of your holiday are: everywhere throughout Italy with local specialities and sauces. Breakfast – daily Seafood (frutti di mare) plays an important role in the Liguria diet – fresh fish, mussels and squid Dinner – daily set menu feature in many dishes. Meat is less common, although veal and rabbit are popular. Try Cima ripiena, a veal breast stuffed with a vegetable, herb, egg and cheese filling, taken as an antipasti or used as a sandwich filler. The most famous speciality of the region has to be pesto alla Genovese (basil, olive oil and pine nut sauce, served with pasta) – Genoa is considered its birthplace. Wheat, chickpeas and chestnus are all used to make flour for both pastas and breads, such as Foccacia and farinata, taken plain or flavoured with onion, olive oil, herbs or cheese. A typical Ligurian dessert is Pandocle Genovese, a sweet bread made with raisins, nuts and candied fruits. Strong Italian espresso coffee is served after the meal and will be black, in small cups, unless a cappuccino is requested. Destination Monte Carlo & Monaco A dramatically beautiful, mountain-backed stretch The principality of Monaco may be a tiny 1.9 square of coastline, this continuation of the Côte d’Azur on km, but you’d be hard pushed to find as much the Italian side of the border is just as spectacular luxury anywhere else. Tax-haven for the super-rich and equally fascinating, and has a roguish charm – and ruled over by its famous royal family and full of laidback, lively and oh-so Italian. Enjoy the lavish hotels, luxury tower blocks, gleaming super atmosphere of chic seaside resorts and quaint cars and a harbour stuffed with multi-million pound Italian towns, experience lively markets, explore yachts, Monaco is a fascinating place to visit. See fascinating historic ports and get a glimpse of the the famous Grand Casino, the Hotel de Paris, the glamour of Monte-Carlo on this Italian Riviera tour. Fort Antoine, the Cathedrale, the Palais Princier, the Jardin Exotique and several museums, as well as Places of interest included in the tour: soaking up the ambiance of extravagance, luxury and glamour. Diano Marina For more information about Monaco: Diano Marino looks the quintessential stylish Italian http://www.visitmonaco.com/ beach resort. On a long swathe of sand lined with waving palms, nestled in a wide sweep of bay, the town is backed by low, lush hills that protect it from the wind and cold. Stroll the lovely seafront Portofino & Santa Margherita promenade with a gelato, or enjoy the buzzing café Portofino is the most exclusive harbour and resort culture in delightful surroundings. town in Italy, crammed with the yachts of the wealthy. This achingly beautiful harbour enjoys a spectacular setting, nestled around a protected inlet amongst cypress and olive trees and is lined Genoa with colourful houses, mansions shrouded by trees Italy’s largest port, Genoa has been a prosperous and plenty of bars and cafes. Just above the town economic centre for centuries, which has created a lies the church of San Giorgio, containing relics said city full of impressive landmarks and a glorious to be of the dragon-slayer himself, and a castle. heritage and earning the nickname ‘La Superba’. Santa Margherita is a small, elegant and The city has huge associations with Columbus, picturesque seaside resort set in an inlet. This lovely whose possible childhood home is here, and he is town is full of grand hotels and palatial villas in lush remembered everywhere - from his statue in Piazza gardens all looking out over the sparkling blue of Acquaverde to the modern airport! The old town is the bay. It is a lovely place for a gentle stroll or a medieval warren, part of which is UNESCO-listed, relaxing in a café enjoying a gelato and watching spotted with palazzos that have been converted the world go by. Also worth seeing is the church of into world class museums and art galleries. San Michele, that contains a work by Van Dyck. Highlights include the Palazzo Ducale, the striped th Gothic Duomo of San Lorenzo, the 16 century Church of Gesu, the Porta Soprana city gates, the lovely Via Garibaldi, the Piazza San Matteo and the Ventimiglia 12th century cloisters of Sant'Andrea. There are a Close to the border with France, Ventimiglia is best wealth of museums and galleries, too, including known for its excellent buzzing weekly market that those at Sant'Agostino, the Palazzo Reale and runs along the seafront of the new town. We will Palazzi Bianco and Rosso and Galleria d'Arte have a morning here to pick up a few bargains, Moderna. though there is a lovely medieval centre and the delightful Hanbury Gardens to explore if a market is For more information about Genoa: not your thing. A lunch in a typical, traditional http://www.visitgenoa.it/en trattoria up in the hills is a tour highlight.