The Italian Riviera Monaco & Portofino by Motor Rail

Transcription

1 The Italian Riviera Monaco & Portofino by Motor Rail A 10 Day, 9 Night Tour including 7 Nights on the Italian Riviera in Diano Marina The Italian Riviera is essentially another name for the coast of Liguria, one of the country's smallest but most intriguing regions, lying to the west above Italy's great boot. Resonating with style and charm, this sweeping shore curves between France's Côte d'azur and Tuscany. Its beaches border sparkling blue waters, its seaside towns for the most part exude an atmosphere of old-world ritziness. Diano Marina - An extremely popular location on the Ligurian Riviera that attracts quite a great deal of tourist activity each year. It's characterized by excellent climatic conditions, splendid beaches, a multitude of outdoor events and wonderful cuisine. The entire town is focused on pleasing its tourists and offers hotels, beach establishments and a vibrant nightlife. There's something to satisfy every type of visitor to Diano Marina. Portofino - Known as the resort of the rich and famous, but there is much more to see here than just people. Portofino is a picturesque, half-moon shaped seaside village with pastel houses lining the shore of the harbour, shops, restaurants, cafes, and luxury hotels. The crystalline green waters reveal a myriad display of aquatic life. A castle sits atop the hill overlooking the village. There are also opportunities for hiking, diving, and boating. TOUR DATE 22nd to 31st May 2015 Price 1199* Per Person Return P&O Ferry Crossing from Dover to Calais Alternative Crossings Available) 7 Nights at the Bellevue et Mediterranée Hotel, Diano Marina 7 Breakfasts & 7 Dinners at the hotels Return Motor Rail Transportation for Car & 2 Persons from s-hertogenbosch (Holland) to Alessandria (Italy) Accommodation in a 2 Berth Sleeper Cabin Breakfast & airline style dinner on-board (Upgrade available to a la Carte Dinner) Detailed Road Book featuring Great Drives, Maps & Directions Complimentary Parking at all Hotels Commemorative Tour Rally Plate * Above prices are per person based on 2 persons occupying a car and room. Single room occupancy supplement 700 for the duration.

2 Tour Itinerary & Suggested Drives HARWICH/HOOK OR HULL/ROTTERDAM PASSENGERS Passengers booking these routes will depart on the day prior to the official start date of the tour and will arrive back in the UK the day after the official end date of the tour. DAY 1 04h50 - P&O Ferry crossing departs Dover Eastern Docks (Why not travel the night before & stay in Holland?) 07h20 (local time) Ferry arrives in Calais followed by drive to 's Hertogenbosh Auto Trein terminal - Mileage approx. 194 mile 11h00-13h30 - Car & Passenger check-in at the Auto Trein Terminal 16h13 - Train departs 's Hertogenbosh 19h30 - Dinner in restaurant car (meal times are subject to change) DAY 2 Breakfast on the train 10h23 - Train arrives in Alessandria, Italy followed by Car & Passenger disembarkation. As check-in at the hotel is not until 15h00, we have planned a scenic drive via Aqui Terme and Savona to Diano Marina and the Hotel Bellevue et Mediterranée - Dinner is included at the hotel - mileage approx. 100 miles DAY 3 The Day at Leisure in Diano Marina DAY 4 The Day at Leisure in Diano Marina OR Day Excursion to the principality of Monaco. Squeezed into just 200 hectares, this confetti principality might be the world s secondsmallest country (the Vatican is smaller), but what it lacks in size it makes up for in attitude. Glitzy, glam and screaming hedonism, Monaco is truly beguiling. Mileage approx. 95 miles (round trip) DAY 5 The Day at Leisure in Diano Marina OR Day Excursion to Alassio via the Ligurian Alps passing through the picturesque mountain villages of Diano Castello, Diano San Pietro, Chiusanico and Casanove Lerrone. Then some free time in Alassio for lunch and shopping before returning to Diano Marina on the coast road. Mileage approx. 50 miles. DAY 6 The Day at Leisure in Diano Marina

3 Tour Itinerary continued... DAY 7 Today you'll depart the hotel and Diano Marina after breakfast and make the 90 mile journey along the beautiful coastline of the Italian Riviera via Genoa to Santa Margherita and your hotel. Santa Margherita is a wonderful old-fashioned kind of Riviera resort where palm trees wave along the esplanade and foreign visitors spend a week or two out of season, enjoying the balmy climate, attractive views and comfortable long-established hotels. From here you can take the short ferry trip into Portofino and experience the beauty of this exclusive seaside resort. Portofino is today one of the most popular seaside resorts along the Riviera and a worthwhile half-day excursion. The half-moon shaped harbour is filled with summer yachts and odd fishing boats and lined with outlets of Gucci, Pucci, Hermès and Louis Vuitton, seafood restaurants, cafes and luxury hotels. Despite Portofino's small size there are several other attractions. Portofino's crystalline green waters are great for swimming, diving, and boating. DAY 8 Breakfast followed by the day at leisure in Santa Margherita. OR - Explore Portofino and the Cinque Terre, a string of five fishing villages perched high on the Italian Riviera which until recently were linked only by mule tracks and accessible only by rail or water. An ancient system of footpaths is still the best way to visit the five villages of Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore. DAY 9 Breakfast followed by departure from Santa Margherita and the hotel for the 70 mile journey back to Alessandria where you'll board the Motor Rail train for the overnight journey back to Holland. 13h30-15h00 - Car & Passenger check-in at the Auto Trein Terminal, Alessandria 17h05 - Train departs 's Alessandria 20h30 - Dinner in restaurant car (meal times are subject to change) DAY 10 09h43 Train Arrives at 's Hertogenbosh, followed by drive to Calais for your return crossing back to the UK.

4 Our Tour Hotels Hotel Bellevue et Mediterranée Occupying a privileged position with a magnificent view on the Gulf of Diano Marina, the hotel is situated directly on the beach and within easy reach of the city centre. A hotel with great tradition, the rooms have a balcony or terrace, airconditioning, mini bar, satellite TV, safe, telephone and Wi-Fi. In your spare time you can completely relax by taking advantage of the hotel's outdoor sea-water pool with hydro massage corner, and the indoor relaxation area. You have access to the Beach service, parking and use of Hotel Bellevue et Mediterranée's wellness facilities and pool. Places to Visit Portofino When visiting Portofino, as well as the beautiful green waters and enjoying the delicious seafood, there are some lovely places to visit in this area. Castello Brown is a Castle sitting on a hill above the village, the Castle is open from 10am to 7pm in the Summer - the castle has a nice garden and affords great views of Portofino and the sea. In a panoramic position on the way to the castle, you can visit San Giorgio Church, rebuilt after the last war. Another scenic pathway takes you clear out to the lighthouse, faro, on Punta del Capo. San Remo San Remo is on the Italian Riviera between Genoa and the French border in the part known as the Riviera dei Fiori, or Riviera of Flowers. La Pigna, the Pinecone, is the oldest part of the city its tiny street and covered alleyways wind up the hill to the gardens and sanctuary at the top. Some of the historic buildings, churches, and squares have been restored and there are signs posted telling about them on the tourist itinerary. Madonna della Costa Sanctuary, on the hilltop, can be seen from most places in San Remo. A beautiful cobblestone mosaic, dating from 1651 leads the way to the sanctuary.

5 Cinque Terre Cinque Terre translates as The Five Villages - it consists of: Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza and Monterosso. The villages are connected by a train track, that finds itself a way along the coast through many tunnels. The Cinque Terre is one of those places people tend to read about once and then dream about forever. An isolated part of the north-western Italian region of Liguria, the Cinque Terre is ruggedly beautiful stretch of coastline inset with five tiny villages perched between the Mediterranean and a range of steep coastal hills. Santa Margherita Set on the Gulf of Tigullio between Rapallo and Portofino, the resort/ fishing town of Santa Margherita Ligure really couldn t be in a better neighbourhood. Fashionable but much quieter than Portofino, life in Santa Margherita Ligure centers around the lovely palm-laden harbour, where boating and simple sunning are the orders of the day. The town has some good shopping options, lovely cafes and interesting sights like its 16thcentury castle and the 17th-century Basilica di Santa Margherita.

6 About the Auto Slaap Trein 1. Check in: It s easy to find the Auto Slaap Trein (motorail) terminal, is right next to s'hertogenbosch station, It's well signposted. You'll met at the entrance, your ticket is checked. 2. Drop off: Drive round the corner, park up, drop off your passengers & overnight bags. The terminal has toilets, a waiting room with complimentary tea, coffee & squash and an outdoor seating area. 3. Loading the car: When you're ready, follow the directions of the loading staff up the ramp onto the car transporter. High vehicles go on the top & classic cars on the lower deck. On the train: handbrake on, leave it in 1st gear, and disable the alarm. Staff will secure the vehicle as you go back down the ramp to the terminal. 4. Boarding the passenger coaches: The passenger coaches arrive at platform 1, right next to the terminal, about minutes before departure. Soap, towels & mineral water are provided, and in the 2-3 bed sleepers you're welcomed with a small complimentary bottle of fizzy that really gets the journey off to a good start.. Sleepers: Sleepers are ideal for couples or small families. This is a 2 or 3 bed sleeper in its daytime mode with beds folded away & sofa folded out. There are toilets at the end of the corridor. The same sleeper, in night mode with the beds folded out, each with crisp clean sheets & cosy duvets. The sleepers are carpeted, airconditioned and have a washbasin in each room. 4-berth: Couchettes are more basic than sleepers, but are ideal for families. In this picture the bunks are away. At night, an upper & lower bunk folds out from the wall on each side of the compartment. In couchette cars there are toilets & washrooms at the end of the corridor..

7 About the Auto Slaap Trein 6-berth: This is a 6-berth couchette compartment, in daytime mode. At night, upper, middle & lower bunks fold out from the wall on each side of the compartment. Sheets, pillow & blanket are provided for each berth. They are not air -conditioned, but the windows open for ventilation. Look, there's our car! Suddenly, the car transporter wagons are shunted past our sleeper window, as they are taken to the back of the train... All set to go: The car transporters have been loaded and attached to the back of the passenger coaches. The Auto Slaap Trein now awaits its departure time for Italy.. 5. Dinner in the dinning car: The basic Motorail fare includes a basic evening tray meal served in your compartment by the sleeper attendant, similar to a meal served on an airline. Meal Upgrade: However as a part of our package you are upgraded to a proper 3-course meal in the restaurant car as dinner is a highlight of the trip as dinner is normally served as you pass through the Rhine Valley. Your table is reserved with your name on it. The meal doesn't include drinks, but wine, beer or spirits are available, Travel tip: The 'wine offer' (14.50 ) is a great idea, it lets you sample a different wine with each course, from fizzy prosecco to a crisp dessert wine. Along the Rhine Valley: The Livorno train heads down the Rhine Valley in the early evening, past castles, Rhine river barges & vineyards. Pictured, above right: As the waiter brings dessert, the evening sun catches the famous Lorelei Rock, the stuff of German legend, on the far bank of the Rhine.The trains to Italy then pass through Switzerland, via the Gotthard route.

8 About the Auto Slaap Trein 6. Breakfast in your compartment: Next morning, a light breakfast is served in your compartment, included in the fare. 7. Buongiorno Italia! The Auto Slaap Trein arrives on time at Livorno. Passengers leave the train and walk via the subway to the unloading dock near platform 1. Over the next half hour, the car transporters are detached and shunted into the loading dock. Check Your Vehicle Dimensions 8. Unloading: After a short wait, your name will be called out for you to drive your car off the transporter. Within an hour of arrival, you'll be driving through the uncrowded back roads of Tuscany & Umbria.

9

10

11

12