GRJ Italy

Travel writer Robin McKelvie rediscovers the gorgeous landscapes and charms of Italy on an escorted tour to Lake Garda and beyond with Great Rail Journeys.

DISCOVER THE ROMANTIC CHARMS OF ITALY AT LAKE GARDA AND BEYOND

“This is the eighth time my wife and I have travelled with Great Rail Journeys and we’ve enjoyed every single trip. It’s good to travel with a group and we always meet really nice people. It’s also much more stress-free in a group – we wanted to come back to Italy so this works really well. We like that there is free time built in on Great Rail Journeys trips so we can explore on our own. This holiday has a nice balance between the lake and the cities as well.”

Trevor Blythe

“I just love trains and cannot believe this is just my first Great Rail Journeys trip. I’m a lifelong lover of trains as my father worked for the railways. I really enjoy the views and the people you meet travelling by train, and that works even better when you’re in a group. Being able to travel to Italy from London was a real bonus and I won’t ever forget travelling by train through the Alps as long as I live. My first Great Rail Journeys experience has been a great one.”

Patricia Funnell

Rosalind Barbier

“This is my first Great Rail Journeys tour and I’m an instant convert. In the past I’ve done a lot of independent travel by train, but it’s been really enjoyable this week travelling as a group, weaving in lovely cultural experiences as we go. I have to say I’m really enjoying being pampered and travelling with like-minded souls.”

“One of the reasons we chose this option was that we had never been to Verona and really wanted to go. And we were not disappointed. The day was really well organised. I’d heard from some people that there is not much to Verona, but thanks to Hassan and our knowledgeable guide Silvia we soon found that was not the case. The landscapes and the buildings really were amazing and the city surpassed our expectations. Then the al fresco dinner at the agriturismo in the hills above Verona was such a highlight for us. The food was incredible there, and was great at the hotel in Sirmione too.”

Anna and Ian Pierce-Hayes

“Lake Garda is deeply special,” says Hassan Ahmed, Great Rail Journeys’ engaging tour manager, as the reflections off Italy’s largest lake glint across his sunglasses. As my gaze eases past the cormorants and moorhens enjoying the aquarium-clear waters, towards the natural amphitheatre of mountains whose snow-capped peaks vault one kilometre higher than any British mountain, I find it impossible to disagree. Lake Garda never fails to dazzle, but on this trip it proves to be much more than just Italy’s most beguiling lake. It’s also the perfect base for an unforgettable adventure into some of its loveliest regions.

As a travel writer I’ve made myriad trips to this beautiful country over the last three decades, but I’ve been labouring under a misapprehension. I’ve always presumed you had to choose between a pulse-quickening, culture-rich immersion in its thrilling cities or retreat to one of its Med-lapped islands or beach resorts to really relax. Lake Garda offers the best of both glorious worlds, as Great Rail Journeys’ First-Class Lake Garda: Sirmione, Venice and Verona escorted tour showcases brilliantly.

I’ve travelled to the historic spa resort of Sirmione – admired by everyone from Roman emperors through to Maria Callas, James Joyce and Ezra Pound – on Lake Garda’s southern shores in the calmly cosseting company of Hassan. Within hours of leaving London on the Eurostar (bound for Chambéry via Paris) – the first of the picturesque, memorable train journeys that are one of the many charms of the Great Rail Journeys experience – Hassan swiftly transforms our group from total strangers into newfound friends, while seamlessly sorting out everyone’s travel logistics. “We’ve not just got 27 people, but 27 books all with their own colourful stories,” he explains. Over our week exploring together, I am regaled with some of my fellow travellers’ stories; I learn of daring hot-air balloon escapades and rugby careers, and find out what it was like going to school with David Bowie.

The personal touch immediately impresses me with Great Rail Journeys and it shines again when hotel owner Giovanni Roman – who fell in love with Sirmione after a local girl captured his heart – greets our group in person at his pride and joy, the effortlessly luxurious Hotel Continental Wellness & Spa. This characterful retreat has been in the same family since the 1970s and features grandstand lake views, which I lap up from my room, as well as from the spacious public areas. I embrace the first morning with a swim in the silky freshwater lake dappled in soft light, before relaxing every sinew in the hotel’s thermal pool, which is fed by the hot spring waters the locals have cherished for centuries. Every morning of my stay starts with a glass of freshly squeezed pear juice and cappuccino on the lakeside terrazza. Food is, of course, a highlight of any visit to Italy and the Continental delivers. Giovanni’s brother Giulio oversees the restaurant that is bathed in lake views and glows with the warmth of waiters, who bring out smiles on the faces of diners, as well as dishes alive with local fruit and vegetables. There is sound local provenance in the fish and seafood served here too, with the crisp lugana white wine from the shores of Lake Garda a winning partner to the convivial evening meals we enjoy during our stay.

Unlike some escorted tours, Great Rail Journeys allow for some free time in their thoroughly planned and captivating itineraries, which gives adventurous travellers like me the chance to truly explore – in my case, Sirmione becomes my playground. It feels like I’m flicking through the pages of an Italian fairy tale as I cross the bridge over the water under the watchful eyes of a castle that was once a stronghold of Veronese royalty. Lake views ripple at the end of postcard-perfect streets that bountiful cafés, bars and restaurants inject with chatter and life. I delve further back, to one of Italy’s most visited Roman sites, the Grotte di Catullo, a sprawling 20,000 sq m mansion whose evocative ruins spread their tentacles over an olive tree-kissed peninsula surrounded by Garda’s cobalt waters.

Days 1-3 A shore thing

Day 7 - 8 BACK AT GARDA

A great base to explore

Set on the tip of the Sirmione peninsula, the Hotel Continental Wellness & Spa is a stunning and welcoming place to stay

Robin enjoys a morning swim in Lake Garda from the hotel jetty; the thermal pool at Hotel Continental Wellness & Spa; fragrant lemons for sale in pretty Sirmione

The best way to take in Venice’s incredible architecture, including the 16th-century San Giorgio Maggiore church, is from the water

I could easily spend the whole week recharging around Sirmione, but Great Rail Journeys' enticing itinerary tempts us to explore Verona. Romeo and Juliet was, of course, a work of fiction set in this medieval city, but we don’t need Shakespeare’s imagination when we have real romance. On route to Verona I discover that we have our very own star-crossed lovers: two couples in our eclectic group are celebrating being together for over half a century this week. On arrival we meet our local guide Silvia Baschirotto, who is proud to have been born in Verona. “We really don’t need Shakespeare, the real Verona is far richer and definitely more romantic. It is one of Italy’s great cities,” she says. After she weaves us across Roman bridges, by a vast amphitheatre older than Rome’s Colosseum and hulking stretches of city walls that have also charmed Unesco, I firmly agree. Free time to explore Verona’s little lanes, picturesque piazzas and excellent trattorias brings a glass of remarkable local red wine amarone at La Cantina del 15, along with a braised beef ravioli, laced (of course) with amarone. Amarone hails from the much-celebrated Valpolicella wine region that unfurls around Verona, Italy’s second largest after Chianti.

Great Rail Journey’s nine-night First-Class Lake Garda: Sirmione, Venice and Verona escorted tour begins in London St Pancras, where guests travel by Eurostar to Paris before continuing the journey to Chambéry, before heading to Sirmione, Venice, Lake Garda and Lake Geneva. The tour includes breakfast each day, eight dinners and all guided tours and excursions. All prices based on two people sharing and may be subject to change.

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Every morning starts with a glass of freshly squeezed

ON THE TOY TRAIN TO SHIMLA

The historic spa resort of Sirmione is tucked just inside the eastern extremities of Lombardy, handily within easy reach of Verona and Venice in the Veneto, and where Great Rail Journeys guests are based throughout their Italian stay with plenty of free time scheduled for seeking out its charms – including a full free day on day five. The town of Sirmione’s chief attractions are the 14th-century Scaligero castle, Grotte di Catullo, Jamaica Beach (and bar) and boat trips around Lake Garda. Guests stay close to the historic centre at the four-star family-run Hotel Continental Wellness & Spa, set right on the water. It makes the ideal Lake Garda base. Inside you’ll find an unstuffy luxury – think interiors that feature a Carrara marble staircase and Murano glass chandeliers along with lakeside sun terraces and outdoor pools and an indoor spa with a hammam and sauna. The restaurant is excellent and where guests enjoy breakfasts and five dinners as part of their tour. There are plenty of opportunities to dine out at local restaurants too. I enjoy delicious lake fish served al fresco right on the lake at Ristorante i Poeti, kicking off with Garda tench risotto followed by fillets of Garda catfish. Trattoria La Fiasca is a local favourite specialising in superb house-made pasta dishes – the black truffle pasta is sublime – and Italian wines.

moments that last a lifetime

the verdict on the tour from the other guests

Venice

Sirmione

With its historic towns, elegant villas and verdant islands, Lake Garda is a jewel in the Italian Lake district

The 14th-century Scaligero Castle of Sirmione is like something from a fairytale

Unesco-listed Verona is filled with incredible historic architecture and ancient monuments

After our city explorations, Hassan takes us to a spectacular family-run winery and agritourism oasis in the vineyard-clad hills that lie just outside Verona. Wandering through the vines of Agriturismo San Mattia, I chat to manager Andrea Canali. “What we are blessed with is unique: a vineyard that overlooks Verona, but feels a million miles away. And we not only produce all the unique wines of Valpolicella, but grow most of the produce you will taste at dinner tonight,” he says. After exploring the estate, we dine together as a – by now – tight-knit group at a long table in the peachy sunset, sharing wine discoveries and savouring dishes brimming with fresh vegetables grown on site as well as locally reared beef. Even the gelato hails from the estate’s goats. It’s a sublime experience. The wines shine, the valpolicella superiore surprising me by being just as good as the more renowned amarone. “That’s my favourite too,” says Andrea with a wink. The following morning, I wake to a free day to explore at my leisure. After my morning swim, I decide to take a boat trip up the lake in the wake of Dante to the Isola del Garda, the largest island on the lake. Lost in a world of splashing birds, bobbing boats and distant mountains, in no time I’m stepping off to meet the guide, Massimilano Cerutti, for a tour of the island. The scents of exotic flora fill the air on an island that feels a little Jurassic Park with its soaring trees, iridescent flowers and succulent-kissed hot houses. The mansion of the Cavazza family – who have owned the island for generations – sweeps my mind east to Venice, where we’re set to visit the next day. “You’re right,” nods Massimilano. “We may be just inside Lombardy, but this elegant mansion could scarcely be more Venetian.”

From stunning piazzas to delicious local cuisine, Verona is a rewarding to city to explore, especially with local insights from Great Rail Journeys’ guide Silvia Baschirotto (pictured centre)

Day 6 A city of endless secrets

Days 4 - 5 LA DOLCe VITA

Hassan steers us to a gondola station for what is another highlight of this trip. Even the most world-weary of travellers cannot fail to be charmed by these gloriously old-world wooden crafts that are synonymous with Venice, which I later see being lovingly maintained in an age-old canal-side workshop in the Dorsoduro. I ease along with two other solo travellers, steering off the bustling Grand Canal, where Lord Byron used to swim, in search of quieter shady canals, slipping under impossibly pretty bridges. And back through the centuries. Another of Silvia’s tips is to seek out a glass of Select. The famous refreshing spritz was invented in Venice, with the Aperol incarnation now popular in the UK. Select is the Venetian aperitivo, slightly more alcoholic and bitter, with vermouth-esque herbal notes. It’s delicious, I discover, as I sip one at Gelateria Nico on a platform floating in the Giudecca Canal. Equally delicious is another Venice institution: lunch and a bellini at Harry’s Bar, where this delightful fresh peach pick-me-up was invented.

Verona

pear juice and cappuccino on the lakeside terrazza

Our second city comes after a welcome free day lapping up the lake views by the hotel’s pool and exploring Lake Garda. We zip across the Northern Italian plains, in Great Rail Journeys’ style, on the Frecciarossa in first-class seats with the Dolomites providing a dramatic background to Veneto’s sweeping vineyards. Conversation rolls gently along as we glide at speeds up to 185mph on the type of high-speed train we’ll soon see running to London, as the same operator plans to run trains under the English Channel. I have arrived in Venice by train dozens of times, but my pulse still quickens as we leave Mestre and embark across the lagoon to the most unlikely of the world’s great cities – an outlandish dream of stone that spawned a vast empire, somehow set on a marsh with literally no foundations. The fact that some of our group are discovering the Serene Republic for the first time only heightens the excitement.

Knowing Venice well I’m not expecting to learn much on a tour, but Great Rail Journeys’ local guide, Calabrese Iole, has other ideas. She infuses contemporary colour into the most beguiling of historic streets and canals with details such as the fact that local kids are allowed to cycle but adults aren’t. I also didn’t realise that the ubiquitous ‘wells’ in every campo were actually fed by rainwater. As we explore the sights, Calabrese colourfully paints pictures of the days when the doges presided over the Venetian Empire from their epic palace and the great artists, writers and French emperors eased through Piazza San Marco, which Silvia reminds me is Venice’s only actual square.

Despite many visits, Venice’s hidden canals and narrow alleys continue to enchant Robin

A gondola ride to see La Serenissima’s Rio del Palazzo Canal and iconic Bridge of Sighs is a must

The day after our Venice visit, the wonders keep coming as my Great Rail Journeys’ adventure ascends to a crescendo as stirring as the operas still performed in Verona’s Roman Arena. Our final included excursion on the itinerary ferries us far up Lake Garda to a medieval hamlet on the eastern shore. The lake narrows and the mountains crowd around with fjord-like drama. The town of Malcesine charms with its narrow streets alive with shops, a towering castle and lakeside restaurants. At Nikolas the water laps my table as I savour the restaurant’s famous amarone risotto washed down with a last glass of valpolicella. I toast to a life-affirming trip that has managed to merge the wonder of Italy’s historic towns and cities with a spirit-soaring sense of rejuvenating relaxation.

Robin has plenty of time to explore Lake Garda at his leisure on Great Rail Journeys’ tour

I savour the restaurant's famous amarone risotto

washed downwith a last glass of valpolicella

An excursion to the colourful medieval town of Malcesine, including a lakeside lunch

Numbers on map reflect how many nights spent in each location

ITALY

SWITZERLAND

FRANCE

ITALY

SWITZERLAND

Verona

Venice

Sirmione

Chambéry

Lausanne

A gastronomic dinner and wine tasting at Agriturismo San Mattia in the Valpolicella wine region

Numbers on map reflect how many nights spent in each location

I savour the restaurant's

washed down with a last

famous amarone risotto

glass of valpolicella