Cinque Terre Discovery
- 7 Days
- From £799
- Italy
- Take a journey down the Rhine Valley and stop over in Freiburg on the edge of the Black Forest
- Travel over the Swiss Alps at the Gotthard Pass
- Spend 4 nights in Rapallo, on the beautiful Ligurian coast
- Return via the Côte d’Azur with a night in Cannes
- Decide when you would like to travel
- Adapt the route to suit your plans
- Upgrade hotels and rail journeys
- Add extra nights, destinations and/or tours
- Standard Class rail travel with seat reservations
- 6 nights’ handpicked hotel accommodation with breakfast
- Comprehensive directions to your hotels
- Clearly-presented wallets for your rail tickets, hotel vouchers and other documentation
- All credit card surcharges and complimentary delivery of your travel documents
Suggested Itinerary
Take the Eurostar this morning from London to Brussels Midi. Here, connect onto a train to Cologne, where you transfer onto the service that runs south through the beautiful Rhine Gorge. Watch castles and steep-sided vineyards, and admire the working barges that travel up and down the waterway.
In the evening, arrive into the gateway to the Black Forest, Freiburg im Breisgau, where you check into the Novotel am Konzerthaus (or similar), just next to the station.
After breakfast, depart from Freiburg’s main station and take a comfortable German ICE train to Zurich. With an easy change of platform here you board your Swiss EuroCity train through the Alps, taking the stunning Gotthard Pass.
You’ll soon be arriving at Milan Centrale station, where you have half-an-hour to change trains and catch a EuroCity down to Rapallo, on the Ligurian coastline, just a few miles north of the Cinque Terre villages. Check in for 4 nights at the Hotel Europa (or similar).
The famous Cinque Terre coastline consists of five villages – Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore. All the villages have their own railway station and are therefore easily accessible from Rapallo.
TMR RECOMMENDS: Our itinerary includes accommodation in the nearby larger town of Rapallo, with more amenities and better rail connections. However, you may prefer to stay in a property in one of the Cinque Terre villages themselves – ask one of the team for details.
Catch a mid-morning regional train to Genoa today, looking out for glimpses of the Mediterranean as you skirt the coastline. In Genoa, connect onto a service to the border town of Ventimiglia. From here, it’s a fairly short journey along the French Riviera to Cannes, where you check in for an overnight stay at the OKKO Hotels Cannes Centre (or similar).
Depart Cannes in the morning on board the direct TGV service through to Paris. Transfer on the metro or taxi between stations, and then connect with a Eurostar connection to London in the afternoon or evening.
Typical hotels on this itinerary
Freiburg im Breisgau
The Novotel Freiburg am Konzerthaus is situated next to the city’s major Concert Hall and offers easy access to the historic old town as well as the station, which is just 100 metres away. The hotel also boasts an indoor pool, a spa area, a restaurant and a bar where you can enjoy drinks and snacks in the evening.
Rapallo
Europa Hotel occupies an ideal location opposite Rapallo’s famous harbour castle and a few steps from the beach. The hotel’s restaurant has its own peaceful garden and there is also a Plinio Thermarium Spa complete with a sauna and Turkish bath. Rapallo’s central station is just a 5 minute walk away.
Cannes
The OKKO Cannes Central is a new hotel, situated adjacent to the main station. It’s also just 5 minutes’ walk from the famous Boulevard de la Croisette. The air-conditioned rooms are decorated in a classic, modern style with flat-screen TVs and complimentary Wi-Fi. There is also an on-site restaurant and bar.
Upgrade your accommodation
Monterosso al Mare
Porto Roca is an elegant villa with a panoramic cliff-top location along the Ligurian Coast. Along with a private beach area, the hotel also offers easy access to the stunning Sentiero Azzuro (Blue Trail) which threads through the UNESCO World Heritage listed villages of the Cinque Terre.
