II

History in Italy and Switzerland

Sunday 24th March to Thursday 4th April 2024

Embark on a genuine Roman Holiday by train, visiting some of the fascinating WWII sites in Italy, including the Ghetto and Jewish Museum in Rome, the beaches of Anzio and the hilltop monastery at Monte Cassino. This tour combines history, First Class railway travel, a scenic river cruise on the Tiber and visits to Commonwealth cemeteries.

• This tour takes you to the cities of Olten, Milan and Rome.

• Make a side-step to Switzerland on the historic Gotthard summit railway in Ticino to visit the impressive artillery fort in Vitznau, one of the Réduit (National Redoubt) fortresses the Swiss Army built during WWII as an extensive deterrent to an Axis invasion.

• Stay at quality hotels near the stations with free time to see the historic and cultural attractions.

• First Class travel on Eurostar, TGV and Italian “Frecciarossa” high speed services. Your Interrail ticket provides flexible travel on local and regional trains around Rome and Milan.

• Privately chartered river cruise in Rome, complimentary public transport tickets for tramways and metros in Milan & Rome.

Sunday 24th March

London to Olten by rail

You travel from London St Pancras by Eurostar to Paris Nord, before continuing to Olten via Basel. You arrive in charming Olten and check into a hotel near the station, where a light dinner will be served. (D)

Monday 25th March

Cruise on Lake Lucerne and Vitznau fortress visit

This morning you enjoy the Swiss Alps with a cruise from Lucerne to Vitznau, passing Mount Pilatus and Mount Rigi. At Vitznau, you visit the artillery fort of the Swiss Army, which until 1995 was a secret site, well concealed deep inside the mountain. Purpose-built during WWII as part of the Réduit national fortification programme under General Henri Guisan. You will see hidden artillery casemates with 4 inch guns, crew quarters and associated infrastructure. Lunch will be served in the soldiers’ cozy mess hall. You return back to Lucerne by boat and Olten by train. This historic city is the main junction of the Swiss railway network and features an attractive station area located right on the River Aare. There is also a famed covered wooden bridge right outside of the hotel, which provides inviting opportunities to explore the old town of Olten. (B L)

Tuesday 26th March

On to Milano, with leisure and 1920s tramways in the city

After breakfast, you board a EuroCity train to Milano via the Gotthard Base Tunnel (the world’s longest railway tunnel). You check in to your hotel for a light lunch before a day at leisure. You‘ll be given a complimentary public transport ticket, offering the best “hop-on, hop-off” experience aboard the distinctive Ventotto heritage trams dating from late 1920s early 1930s. You will be able to see the landmark Duomo (Cathedral), turreted Castello (Castle) and the glass-domed Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II from 1867. (B)

Wednesday 27th March

A day in the Italian Alps, Caproni Aviation Museum in Trento and a visit to Lake Garda

Today you travel from Milano to Trento by high-speed train,changing in Verona onto the scenic Brenner railway. In Trento you have a coach transfer to visit the aviation museum of the Italian plane-builder Gianni Caproni, with one of the best collections of historic aircraft from both World Wars. Aside from wooden biplanes, a preserved Savoia Marchetti bomber is also on display. Afterwards, you transfer to Riva del Garda, a famous lakeside town in the Italian Alps, where you enjoy refreshments. Followed by a scenic drive to Verona, returning to Milano by high-speed train. (B L)

Thursday 28th March

Milano to Roma by High Speed Rail, Roma Ghetto Visit and River Tiber Cruise

This morning you take the ‘Frecciarossa’ (Red Arrow) high-speed service from Milano Centrale to Roma Termini. At around mid-day you check into your centrally located hotel. You‘ll receive a week-long public transport rover, providing full access to Roma’s Metro and tramway. In the afternoon you visit Rome’s old Jewish Ghetto, museum and Great Synagogue. To cap the day, you embark on a private sunset cruise on River Tiber with drinks and refreshments. (B L)

Friday 29th March

WWII sites in and around Rome

After breakfast, you walk past the Roman Colosseum to the Piazza Venezia. Here you’ll see the famed balcony on which the fascist dictator Benito Mussolini made speeches to assembled crowds. You then transfer by minivan to the Commonwealth War Cemetery, where British, Australian and other Allied soldiers were buried, following the liberation of Rome in June 1944. Carrying on to the Ardeatine Caves and EUR exhibition grounds, built in 1938 for the planned 1942 Universal Exhibition that never took place due to the war. At the EUR grounds some of the most prolific and monumental architecture from Mussolini’s reign can still be seen. You end the day at the Museum of the Liberation of Rome, located in the former Gestapo headquarters. (B)

Saturday 30th March

The beaches of Anzio

This morning you travel to the seaside port of Anzio, famous for the Allied landings that took place there in early 1944. Delight in this typically Italianate town, with its war monuments and the dedicated Anzio Beachhead Museum. Following lunch at a typical trattoria, you return to Rome (B L)

Sunday 31st March

Visit to the famed Monte Cassino monastery and battle site

Today you visit another iconic location steeped in WWII history. As a defensive strongpoint along the Axis´ Gustav Line, Monte Cassino was the site of a fierce battle of attrition, lasting from January to June 1944. Once the Allied forces managed to overcome this barrier it cleared the way for the Liberation of Rome. You take an FS service train to Cassino. Before transferring by coach to the hilltop Benedictine Abbey, where you can visit the famous crypt, basilica and war memorial with attached museum. You take lunch in the main piazza before returning to Rome. (B L)

Monday and Tuesday 1st and 2nd April

At leisure in Rome

Make the most the Eternal City with your inclusive public transport rover to visit the Colosseum, St Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City and many other famous monuments. Alternatively, your Interrail Pass gives you two days to explore Italian railway lines and go ‘track bashing’. (B)

Wednesday 3rd April

By rail from Rome to Olten, Swiss Air Force Museum in Dübendorf

This morning you travel on high-speed services via Milano to Olten, Switzerland. Where you check into your hotel near the station. You make a private visit to the Swiss Air Force Museum in Dübendorf, where countless Allied bomber pilots often sought to escape after making bombing runs in southern Germany and unable to return safely to Allied-held territory, due to their aircraft being damaged by German air defenses. Today, the Swiss Air Force museum has an exceptional collection of 20th century aircrafts, including British and American-built planes from WWII and the Cold War. Dinner is served in the Museum’s restaurant before returning to the hotel. (B D)

Thursday 4th April

By rail from Olten to London via Paris

After breakfast, you travel from Olten to Basel and then continue to Paris by TGV high-speed service, before changing onto your Eurostar service from Paris back to London St Pancras.

(B)

Tour Summary

Tour price £2995

Single supplement £495

Ground only £2700 (Olten – Olten)

Price includes:

• 10 breakfasts, 3 dinners, 5 lunches

• 10-Day in 1-Month Global Interrail Pass

• Complimentary public transport rover tickets in Milano and Rome

• All highspeed (Eurostar, TGV, Frecciarossa), Intercity and EuroCity train travel and transfers with seat reservations as detailed in the itinerary

• The services of a tour manager

Please note: In Italy this covers all local, regional and regional express trains, but for High Speed and Intercity services an additional reservation has to be made. On all the days where we make organized group trips or transfers, these high-speed or IC seat reservations are included, but on the two free days in Rome, you would need to secure the reservations at your own cost, should you wish to go track-bashing on high speed, IC or EC trains.

All prices shown are per person based on two persons sharing.

Meals included each day are shown as:

B = Breakfast - L = Lunch - D = Dinner