London to Venice & the Best of Tuscany

Day 1 London – Venice, Simplon-Orient-Express
Titan’s VIP Home Departure Service® transports you from your front door to London Victoria station.
At London Victoria we board the British Pullman with brunch and head to the Kent Coast where you will either transfer to Calais either by ferry or Eurotunnel. Once in Calais you will board the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express as you continue your iconic rail journey to Venice. What more memorable way to arrive in this magnificent city, La Serenissima, than on the ‘trip-of-a-lifetime’ Orient Express.
You will be attentively looked after with exquisite service from your personal cabin steward. This evening a four-course dinner is served onboard.
Please note: dress code applies

Day 2 Venice Simplon-Orient-Express – Venice
Awake to the beautiful scenery of the Swiss Alps this morning. A leisurely breakfast will be served in your cabin. A three-course lunch will be served in one of the luxury restaurant cars. Afternoon tea is served in your cabin whilst you travel through the Brenner Pass. After a twenty-nine hour journey of decadence we prepare to disembark as we cross the Venetian Lagoon where the train pulls into Santa Lucia station, Venice. On arrival your luggage will be taken away from the platform by dedicated porters and taken directly to your hotel, the 4★ Hotel Gabrielli.
Please note: For 2013 departures you will stay at the 4★ Hotel Bellini

Day 3 Venice
A free day to relax and explore, you may wish to visit the stunning and intricately detailed Doges’ Palace or the magnificent 11th century St Mark’s Basilica. Your exploration of Venice can be either on foot, in a waterbus or from a gondola and you cannot fail to be captivated by this city, built on 117 islands, and which boasts ornate palaces and picturesque squares. Rialto Bridge is a wonderful place to watch and photograph the constant activity of boats on the Grand Canal below, and the narrow passages that link one piazza to another.

Day 4 Venice – Ferrara – Florence
Today we walk the short distance to our water taxi and are taken to meet our coach (luggage transferred separately) and leave Venice to travel south towards the great city of art – Florence, the capital of Tuscany. We make a stop in Ferrara, the City of Renaissance for a guided tour. After lunch we continue to Florence arriving at the 4★ Hotel Boscolo Astoria.

Day 5 Florence
This morning, we transfer to the centre of Florence for a guided walking tour. We continue to Chianti Country and the Castello del Trebbio winery for a tour of the family owned castle and wine cellars. We have an included dinner at their award-winning restaurant.

Day 6 Florence – Pisa – Lucca
On arrival in Pisa, we view the famous Leaning Tower. Later this afternoon we travel to Lucca, an interesting and delightful city, which hides within its ramparts a rich array of churches, palaces and squares that retain their original charm. You are free for dinner this evening.

Day 7 San Gimignano – Siena
We have a full day to explore San Gimignano and Siena. San Gimignano stands on a hilltop surrounded by vineyards and olive groves. We continue onto Siena, with its medieval streets lined with picturesque old houses and palaces. Dinner is taken in a local restaurant tonight.
Or extend your stay – call for details

Day 8 Florence – Pisa – London
This morning we depart for Pisa airport for your direct scheduled British Airways flight back to London Heathrow Airport. On arrival, our staff will greet you and transfer you to your Titan transport for your return journey home.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Please Note:
In addition to our standard £195 deposit, for this special tour an additional deposit of £495 is required at the time of booking. Making a total of £690 per person deposit. Standard deposit is non-refundable from the time of booking. The extra deposit of £495 per person is refundable up to 12 weeks prior to departure; beyond this point this deposit also becomes non-refundable.
For useful information on the Orient-Express please click here

Titan Travel have a reputation for innovative and enthralling escorted holiday itineraries, and through the guidance of their founding principles, “quality, service and value” which have remained unchanged since the 1970′s, their expertise and experience are second to none.

Titan Travel strive to ensure that aspect of their holidays whispers quality, before you fly, you get to appreciate a comfortable, chauffeur-driven transfer from your front door to the airport with our peerless VIP Home Departure Service, check-in assistance and complimentary porterage. All international flights are with world-renowned scheduled airlines and cruises with acclaimed operators. Touring holidays are expertly designed by the product team to present a comprehensive, imaginative introduction to the destination of choice yet still offer plenty of time for relaxation. The services of a tour manager or cruise manager are included throughout. When you return to the UK, you are met in the arrivals hall of the airport and shown to your VIP Home Departure Service vehicle, waiting to return you to your front door.

Our Opinion
“Titan Travel’s guiding principles of customer service, quality of product and value for money are undoubtedly a contributing factor to them being voted, on many occasions, the UK’s best tour operator.”