Ultimate best of Italy showcase: Venice to Sorrento by rail

11 night escorted rail tour from Venice to Sorrento

12 Days
Venice · Florence · Rome · Sorrento
How many people?
*Maximum 2 per adult
**Must be with an adult.
About this tour

See Italy the way it was intended by taking a fully guided tour while traveling by rail. Your tour will start in Venice. From there, you will visit Florence, Tuscany, Rome, Pompeii and Sorrento with Amalfi. You will be traveling to each destination by train. Each of your train tickets will be first-class and includes a luggage delivery service that will bring your suitcase(s) to and from each hotel. Each night you will be staying in a 4-star hotel in the city center. 

Your package will include hand-selected activities and dining experiences highlighting the best that Italy has to offer. You will also have free time to explore each destination and the option to add additional activities to your schedule.

What does my rail package include:

  • Tour director: Professional English and French speaking guide for the duration of the tour
  • Centrally located hotels (walking distance from the train station except in Florence): 4* with continental buffet breakfast
  • First-class: On a high-speed train
  • Worry-free luggage: We collect and deliver client’s luggage directly from hotel to hotel
  • Unlimited internet connection: Personal WiFi device to navigate at the highest speed available in Italy with true unlimited traffic
  • 18 meals: 11 continental buffet breakfast, 4 dinners, 1 lunch with wine tasting, 1 local street food testing with wine, 1 special dinner with wine included 

4* Accommodations:

  • Venice 1 Night Hotel Maison 
  • Florence 3 Nights Hotel Home 
  • Rome 4 Nights Bettoja Collection
  • Sorrento 3 Nights Hotel Tower

Included Activities And Excursions

  • Venice: “Cicchetti” guided walking tour in Venice, Gondola ride
  • Florence: Best of Florence guided walking tour, Tuscan dinner with “bistecca”, Pisa, Siena, San Gimignano, and Chianti guided tour with lunch and wine tasting
  • Rome: Best of Rome walking tour, Guided visit of Vatican Museum entrance fees included, Farewell dinner with wine in Frascati
  • Sorrento: Guided visit of Pompeii excavation, Capri full-day excursion with a cruise around the island and Blue Grotto stop

Important information:

When you book a package with ItaliaRail you have two options: Pay now or Buy later.

PAY NOW OPTION:

In order to confirm your reservation, full payment should be paid by credit card at the time of booking. Your reservation will be confirmed once payment is received. Vouchers and other travel documents will be issued by the InterRail, LLC Customer Satisfaction agent only if full payment for the Services has been received. It is the responsibility of the Customer and of the travel agent to ensure that the information shown on all travel documents is accurate and consistent with the reservation. Package rates are based on double occupancy.

BUY LATER OPTION: 

The option “ buy later” does not guarantee or confirm your reservation on the selected rail package. At any time the selected package can become sold out without notice. A reservation will only be finalized and confirmed once payment is made in full. The payment will be required on the 42nd day before departure.

Cancellation and Trip modification policy: 

  • 43 days or more prior to departure: 100% refundable
  • 42 days or less prior to departure: 100% non-refundable
  • 100% cancellation fee for no shows or if cancellation is made after travel is scheduled to begin
  • No refund for unused portions of the trip
people sitting around a table enjoying Italian food
What's Included
4 cities
12 days
11 nights
18 meals
10 tours
4 star hotels
1st class high speed trains
Unlimited wifi
Luggage service
VIP ItaliaPass lounge
Tour leader
English-speaking
Guaranteed departure
Itinerary
Day 1

Arrival in Venice - walking tour, wine tasting, and a gondola ride


Reach your hotel in Venice on your own, meet your tour director and be ready to delve into Venice secrets and learn about Venetian cuisine. You will start by tasting Cicchetti (typical tapas accompanied by wine) on a private guided walking tour. Learn the fascinating history of Venice as you wander throughout this romantic maze, rich in secrets and characters like Casanova or Titian. As you stroll, taste some of the most delicious Venetian street food.

Overnight at your hotel.

Venice to Florence
Day 2

Florence - Tuscan dinner with Bistecca Fiorentina

In the morning, you will have some free time to discover the city at your leisure. Early in the afternoon, you’ll board a high-speed train to reach Florence in about 2 hours. Once at destination enjoy an in-depth guided walking tour of the Best of Florence, exploring the beauties of the city by night: you will visit Piazzale Michelangelo with its amazing view over the city, the Ponte Vecchio, the famous Uffizi courtyard, the amazing Brunelleschi’s Dome which overlooks the Baptistery’s golden “Gates of Paradise”. You will appreciate the exclusive dinner in the heart of Florence and a typical Florentine-style steak. 

Overnight at your hotel.

Day 3

Florence - day tour of Tuscany including Chianti wine tasting and lunch


After breakfast, you will begin your tour of Tuscany. When you arrive in Pisa you will visit the stunning Piazza dei Miracoli, Baptistery, the Cathedral and, of course, the famous Leaning Tower. Lunch will be served in a wine bar or restaurant where you will enjoy a local wine tasting and traditional Tuscan dishes. After lunch, the wonders continue with a visit to San Gimignano, the splendid Medieval town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Then following the panoramic roads of the Chianti region, you will get to Siena, the city of the Palio Horse Race.

Overnight at your hotel.

Day 4

Florence - Day of leisure with optional activities


On day four, you have the option of exploring Florence on your own or joining optional tours. We suggest the Accademia Gallery and its David, or the Uffizi and its masterpieces. Or you might take a day tour to Cinque Terre or experience the Tuscan Countryside on a Vespa tour or horseback riding. Please note, there is an additional charge for these tours.

Overnight at your hotel.

Florence to Rome
Day 5

Rome - Best of Rome day tour

After breakfast, you’ll board a high-speed train to Rome in Premium Class, which includes a welcome kit. Again, don’t worry about your luggage, we will take care of everything. When you arrive you will take a tour of the Eternal City including the Vatican Museums where you will see the famous Sistine Chapel, plus a wide variety of galleries featuring ancient sculptures, tapestries, medieval maps, paintings, and precious relics. With skip-the-line, you’ll have direct access from the Sistine Chapel to St. Peter’s Basilica so you can visit the stunning masterpieces held within. You’ll see Michelangelo’s ‘Pietà’ and the incredible bronze altar. After a quick break, stroll the alleys of Baroque Rome and marvel at its most iconic sights including Piazza Navona, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain and more.

Overnight at your hotel.

Day 6

Rome - Day at leisure with optional activities


On day 6 you can choose from optional tours such as the Colosseum, a tour of Ancient Rome, or The Borghese Gallery if you prefer to learn more about local art and history. You even have the option of taking a pizza-making cooking class to learn the secrets of the most famous Italian dish. Please note, there is an additional charge for these tours. At the end of the day, if you like you might treat yourself with an optional Gourmet Dinner paired with regional wines.

Overnight at your hotel. 

Day 7

Rome - Day at leisure with optional activities and a special dinner in Frascati


On day 7 you will enjoy a morning of leisure. After lunch, you will board a train and take the 30-minute ride to Frascati. Set in the Castelli Romani area, Frascati has been chosen through the Centuries by Popes and the aristocratic families for their summer residences. Frascati will give you a breathtaking bird’s-eye view of the Eternal City as a special souvenir and a special dinner in a typical “Fraschetta”. The fraschetta in Frascati is uniquely Italian, and something you should try at least once in your life: drinking wine and eating local food in a friendly atmosphere.

After dinner, board your train back to your hotel in Rome.


 

Rome to Naples
Day 8

Sorrento - day trip to Pompei and guided tour of Sorrento

This morning board your high-speed train to Naples, you will be traveling first class. After the 1-hour train ride, you will take a transfer and arrive in Pompei. You will then have a tour and see first-hand the dramatic story of the ancient Roman city destroyed and buried by the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD. After the guided tour, you’ll proceed to Sorrento.

Overnight at your 4* hotel by the sea where you will find your luggage directly delivered from Rome.

Day 9

Sorrento - Capri full-day tour

After breakfast, join a full-day excursion to Capri. Transfer to the harbor of Sorrento and reach the enchanting Isle of Capri, a favorite vacation spot of Emperor Tiberius. Once you’ve arrived at the port of Marina Grande you’ll take the trip around the island seeing: the “Scugnizzo” welcoming statue, Tiberius’ leap, Coral Grotto, White Grotto, Natural Arch, Villa Malaparte, Faraglioni, Bay of Marina Piccola, Siren’s rock, Green Grotto, Punta Carena lighthouse, and if sea and weather conditions permit, also the famous Blue Grotto (The visit inside the sea cave by rowboat is not included in the price of the trip, and must be purchased separately at the entrance to the Blue Grotto). After returning to Marina Grande you will take the minibus and reach the glamorous La Piazzetta to enjoy an elegant atmosphere and you’ll have time to delve into the Island on your own. Return to Sorrento where you’ll enjoy a tasting of the unique Limoncello, the zesty liquor made from the fragrant lemons of Sorrentine Area.

Dinner and overnight at your hotel.

Day 10

Sorrento - Day at leisure with optional activities

After breakfast, you have the day to enjoy Sorrento at your leisure. Use YourItalianFriend for suggestions or explore on your own. We suggest checking out Piazza Tasso where you can enjoy delicious food and see the beautiful architecture of the city. Finish the day like a local with passeggiata (think North American happy hour), a typical Italian tradition to help you unwind after a long day.

Overnight at your hotel. 

Naples to Rome
Day 11

Rome - Day at leisure with optional activities


After breakfast, you will travel from Sorrento to Rome. You’ll have time at your leisure to explore the Eternal City or reach the hotel where the luggage will be awaiting you.

Overnight at your hotel. 

Day 12

Rome


After breakfast, the end of services.