Piedmont, Lake Maggiore & Centovalli Railway
A new Italian adventure contrasting the authentic charms of Piedmont with breathtaking Lakes Como, Maggiore and Orta, topped off with a stunning rail journey across ‘a hundred valleys’. The culinary treasures of the Piedmont and the natural beauty of the great Italian lakes combine to create the perfect holiday.
12 days from £1599 pp
We offer flexible payment options
Once you have booked your tour either online, or by telephone ( 01709 787 463 ), you have the flexibility of how you pay off the remainder of your balance. You can:
Our contact and online banking payment details will be on your confirmation invoice to remind you of your choices.
Local departures by coach or Door-to-Door service, then to our overnight hotel in northern France.
Through France and to our hotel in Terruggia in the Piedmont region of Italy, where we stay for four nights.
Our included excursion takes us on a tour of the pleasant and gently rolling hills of the Monferrato area.
Amid the landscapes, little-known and precious treasures are just waiting to be discovered. The Monferrato area occupies a fertile triangle of terrain between Asti, Alessandria and its historical capital, Casale Monferrato. Vineyards fan out in all directions interspersed with castles.
The first stop is in the town of Canelli. It is considered the local capital of Asti with its Castello Gancia, overlooking the historic district. We then head to the wine-growing town of Asti. A stroll through the historic district is enough to feel the magic of this place. This medieval town is known as the ‘San Gimignano of Piedmont’ due to its many soaring towers and is the centre of the wine growing region of Monferrato.
At the end of the day you can test the various distillates during a grappa tasting.
Our included excursion takes us first to Turin. Join our guided city tour and see the Palazzo Reale, Palazzo Madama, San Lorenzo from outside and gain a first impression of the magnificence of this city.
You will have time to stroll through the lively, Baroque historic district. Wander elegant tree-lined boulevards, relax in the art-nouveau cafés and soak up the atmosphere of this unique city.
Enjoy the Turinese chocolate coffee drink called Bicerin. After spending free time here, we travel on the funicular rack railway to Superga. As we head to the summit, you can enjoy the fantastic views across Turin and the Po River and all the way to the Alps. Visit the stunning Basilica of Superga, which is positioned in such a way to provide incredible vistas of the city.
Included scenic drive through the Langhe to discover one of world’s most famous wine growing regions, boasting beautiful panoramic views of the hilly landscape with its castles and fortress. The pretty town of Alba, famous for the white truffle and its lovely buildings is a highlight. The town is also legendary in the confectionary world as home of the Ferrero Rocher factory. We will then continue to Barolo, birthplace of the world-famous wine of the same name. We include a tasting of the fine wine.
We leave Piedmont and head to Lake Como. We make a stop in Como Town, and you will have time to explore this lakeside city and also relax and enjoy a spot of lunch. Admire the elegant Place Cavour.
Afterwards, enjoy a boat ride in the Gulf of Como before heading to Stresa on Lake Maggiore and our hotel for five nights.
Today we enjoy an included boat cruise on Lake Maggiore to the enchanting Borromean Islands. Admire the charming gardens, stunning buildings, elegant villas and subtropical vegetation. We visit Isola Bella, which boasts a magnificent Baroque palace (entrance at additional cost), and a gorgeous garden with plants and flowers of various origins.
We also visit Isola dei Pescatori, with its picturesque fishing village. Afterwards you will have time to stroll through the famous health resort of Stresa with its elegant promenades.
We spend time in the popular lakeside resort of Verbania and then head to the botanical gardens at Villa Taranto on the western shores of Lake Maggiore. Scottish Captain Neil McEacharn created the gardens in 1931 and the blending of a predominately English style with Italian accents has resulted in a masterpiece.
Sixteen hectares are crossed by four miles of paths leading through landscaped perfection to waterfalls, statues, fountains and pools.
We travel by coach through the romantic ‘Val Grande’ national park to the mountain village of Domodossola. Here, you will climb aboard the Centovalli train for a ride through the fascinating ‘valley of one hundred valleys’.
During the ride you will pass by tranquil, stony mountain villages, waterfalls, chestnut forests and over bridges which span deep ravines, on the way to Locarno. You will have some free time in this splendid Swiss town before heading back to Lake Maggiore by coach.
Today, we head to Lake Orta, a hidden gem among the great Italian lakes. The picturesque hilly landscape, in which small villages are embedded, radiates peace and quiet and enchants with its Mediterranean flair. In the village of Orta, located on the shores of the lake, you can meander around the old market square and through the narrow, medieval alleyways, whilst exploring romantic, secluded gardens.
Later we include a short cruise to the island of San Giulio, where you can visit the oldest church of this region. In the interior you will find precious frescoes dating back to the Renaissance.
We head to our overnight hotel in northern France.
Return home.
Travel Insurance from £42.00 (12 days) (includes insurance premium tax, prices per person). Single Room Supplement from £439.00 (12 days).
Book online OR call our friendly travel advisers on:
01709 787 463
If you prefer, then you can join the tour at the hotel. To do this, we will require a copy of your passport for identification purposes and you must advise us at the time of booking.
No reduction will be given if you should choose to do this.
We are unable to guarantee that the hotel will be able to meet your dietary requirements. We find that the majority of European countries do not generally cater for vegetarians and that the meal supplied may well be what everyone else is having minus the meat.
We will of course endeavour to arrange for a vegetarian meal at the hotel. We do however suggest that you advise us of your dietary requests at the time of booking and recommend that you speak to the receptionist on arrival with regard to your request.
Front row seats can be reserved for £15pp (up to 6 days duration), £25pp (7 and 8 days duration), £30pp (9 to 11 days) or £35pp (12 days or more) on all European tours. This offer is only available for bookings of two or four persons on our Executive and Silver Service coaches and for one or two persons on our Luxuria coaches and is subject to availability. In addition to this, seats on the second row can be reserved for a supplement of £8pp (up to 6 days duration), £15pp (7 and 8 days duration), £18pp (9 to 11 days) or £22pp (12 days or more).
Guaranteed front or second row seats cannot be reserved on transfer journeys to/from the UK port. Occasionally, front and second row seats may be on a request only basis.
Please note: children under 15 years of age are not permitted to sit in the front seats of any coach.
On some coaches the legroom on front seats, central view seats and seats directly in front of the washroom may be slightly less than that available on other seats due to the presence of a modesty board in front.
If your tour is cancelled or merged for any reason and front or second row seats or central view seats or table seats are not available on your tour, you will be refunded any supplement paid. No other compensation will be payable.
Alternatively, we can take seating requests on your booking. However, requests are not guaranteed. All seat numbers are confirmed on travel documents approximately 7-10 days prior to departure.
Central View Seats are available to pre-book free of charge.
Table Seats are available to pre-book free of charge on our Luxuria coaches.
Transfer coaches are routed approximately 2-3 weeks before departure. The route taken depends on where paassengers are booked to travel from on any particular date as to which route is taken. If you require further detailed information regarding the route to the port you can contact our Customer Service Department on 01709 830333 two weeks before you are due to travel.
With regard to the route taken by the main tour coach, this is determined by the driver.
When it comes to getting you to your destination, Leger Holidays make it easy, with a selection of travel options for you to choose from.
We have hundreds of coach joining points throughout England, Scotland and Wales. To find your nearest joining point, search using your postcode below.
*Please note joining points are subject to availability.
To book this tour, just give our friendly team a call on 01709 787 463 or book online at www.leger.co.uk