Parma & the Prosecco Hills

After breakfast at your hotel this morning, head to Porta Nuova station for your onward journey towards Parma, which takes around 4 hours, with an easy change in Milan. Once you arrive in Parma, check in for a 2-night stay at the Hotel Stendhal (or similar).

Settle in and then perhaps head out to explore this stunning city, famous for its historic buildings, its food (particularly ham and cheese) and its .

You’ll be picked up from your hotel today and taken for a tour into the stunning countryside around Parma. The tour takes in the the hills of Valdobbiadene and the Prosecco DOCG with visits to the Molinetto dell Croda (an old water mill) and the Cistercian Abbey of Santa Maria di Follina. For lunch, you’ll enjoy wine paired with appetisers at a family-run winery and then your last stop will be a second winery, where you’ll end the day by toasting with a glass of the prestigious Cartizze, one of the most renowned types of Prosecco.

It’s time to leave Parma today and head back to the station, where you’ll catch a train bound for Bologna. We can arrange a prolonged transfer time here if you’d like to head out and enjoy lunch in Bologna. But otherwise, your journey continues to Padua, where you have a 3-night stay at Le Camp Suite & SPA (or similar).

Padua lies on the banks of the river Bacchiglione and is believed to be one of the oldest cities in Northern Italy. Certainly, it boasts the oldest botanical gardens in the world, along with one of the world’s oldest universities. Not to be missed during your time here, is a visit to some of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed, 14th century frescoes scattered around eight historic buildings in the city centre.

It’s only a half-hour rail journey to Venice from Padua, so you could take a day trip during your stay. Call us for details.

It’s time to begin your journey back to the UK today as you travel by train from Padua to Milan. Here, you’ll be staying at the Hotel Berna (or similar), not far from the station.

As your journey is quite short, there’s plenty of time this afternoon to have a wander around the centre of Milan, perhaps taking in the views from the roof of the city’s landmark cathedral or enjoying some upscale retail therapy in the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, Italy’s oldest shopping arcade.

You have some more free time in Milan this morning before you collect your bags and head back to the station in the mid-afternoon for a direct service to Lyon. You’ll arrive mid to late evening into Lyon and check in at the Radisson Blu Lyon (or similar) for an overnight stay. If you’d rather arrive earlier, in time for a leisurely dinner, we can look at other options for your journey today.

Spend a leisurely morning exploring the sights of Lyon before returning to the station and catching a TGV service back to Paris. An easy change by metro to the Gare du Nord brings you to the Eurostar terminal for the last leg of your journey back to London.