Sightseeing Tips – Looking to see a good slice of France and Italy in Limited Time?

One of the most regular conversations we have are with people who have limited time, want to see quite a bit in the time they have, but don’t want to be rushed or feel they are on a production line, plus they are looking at a map and just don’t know where to start.

We’ll let me try and help with some pointers and a plan that makes this easy and overcomes another question we are often asked, can I see lots of places without moving hotel every night?

The French TGV world record 350 mile per hour

Well an excellent way to achieve this is by high speed train of which a great example is from London around France and Italy, who offer a superior rail service with speeds exceeding an average of 200 miles an and double tier carriages with large windows allowing panoramic views of the passing scenery.

With rapid check in and arrivals in city centre, pound for pound it ways in favourably against flying.

Here are some useful links:

In this example – London – North and South France and then on into Italy.

London to Paris by:

 Eurostar

   TGV Europe 

Italy

   Trenitalia

En-route a lovely region to visit is the – Côte d’Azur

The Côte d’Azur polarizes opinions like few other places in France. For some, it is the quintessential Mediterranean playground – the glamour queen of the coast – for others, it has become almost a parody of its image, an overdeveloped expensive victim of its own hype.

But in the gaps between the uncontrolled and often eclectic developments, and on the offshore islands, the remarkable beauty of the hills and land’s edge, the scent of the plant life, the mimosa blossom in February and the impossibly blue water after which the coast is named, the Côte d’Azur remains undeniably captivating

Extract thanks to and for further reading see the official site – France for Visitors

And more –

 For more information see this Official Government Site

We have found outstanding tour that seems to tick every box we are looking for.

Its over 15 days, relaxed spread over 5 hotels in 3 countries:

Contrasts of Europe a 15 Day Tour London to Rome by Rail

Day 1 – Arrive London (2 nights)

Welcome to London! Spend your day relaxing or take a leisurely wander through the streets of this amazing city

This evening, meet and get to know your companions and your Travel Director at a Welcome Pub Reception, which includes a traditional pub meal and a welcome drink

Meal(s) – Welcome Reception

Hotel – Park Plaza County Hall (SF)

Day 2 – London Sightseeing and Free Time

This morning’s sightseeing tour features the capital’s most famous sights. See Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, the Houses of Parliament and Buckingham Palace. Spend the rest of the day as you choose

You might like to explore Hyde Park, stroll through Kensington Gardens, visit the National History Museum or take a cruise on the River Thames to the Tower of London. Perhaps finish with a West End theatre show

Meal(s) – Buffet Breakfast

Day 3 – London – Paris (3 nights)

Your trip on the ultra-modern high-speed Eurostar train from London’s St. Pancras Station to Paris is exhilarating! Delight in the scenery through Kent and Northern France en route to the glamorous capital

On arrival in Paris we then admire the skyline in all its glory from the second level of the Eiffel Tower, before transfering to your hotel by coach

Meal(s) – Buffet Breakfast

Hotel: Novotel Tour Eiffel (F)

Day 4 – Paris Sightseeing and Free Time

See all the great sights of this magnificent city with your Local Guide, including Place de la Concorde, the Champs Élysées and the Arc de Triomphe. Discover the city on your own this afternoon

You might like to try some French cuisine in a typical brasserie or perhaps enjoy a cabaret show at a famous Parisian venue this evening

Meal(s) – Buffet Breakfast

Day 5 – Paris – Free Time

Today is yours to explore as you wish. The city is home to some of the greatest attractions in the world including museums, galleries and parks, as well as the Palace of Versailles and the River Seine with its popular cruises. Your Travel Director will be happy to suggest all available options

Meal(s) – Buffet Breakfast

Day 6 – Paris – Nice (2 nights)

At Paris’ Gare de Lyon, board the TGV Mediterranée, one of the French fleet’s most modern trains. Admire the stunning scenery as you pass through the hills of Burgundy, along the Rhône Valley, past the villages of Provence and the Luberon to Nice on the French Riviera

See Promenade des Anglais, Place Massena and the old town on your orientation tour of Nice.

Monte Carlo

Tonight, join your companions for a wonderful Highlight Dinner of Niçois specialities in a local restaurant, then head to Monte Carlo for the chance to ‘break the bank’ at one of the casinos!

Meal(s) – Buffet Breakfast / Highlight Dinner

Hotel: Boscolo Plaza Nice (SF)

Day 7 – Day Excursion to Cannes

Spend today as you wish. You might like to relax on a beach, explore the elegant town of Nice or join your Travel Director for a morning excursion to Cannes, home of the annual Cannes Film Festival and one of the country’s most glamorous destinations! After free time in Cannes, you might consider an optional excursion to St. Paul de Vence

Meal(s) – Buffet Breakfast

Day 8 – Nice – Venice (3 nights)

A scenic drive east along rugged coastline brings you into Italy. Cross the Veneto Plains and enter the magical city of Venice – Queen of the Adriatic and your home for the next three nights.

Meal(s) – Buffet Breakfast / Dinner

Hotel: Continental (F)

Day 9 – Vennice Orientation and Free Time

Your cruise by private launch to St. Mark’s Square is spectacular! See the Bridge of Sighs, the Doge’s Palace and St. Mark’s Basilica

Watch the Venetian craftsmen at work creating local specialities at a glass-blowing workshop. Spend the afternoon discovering the delights of this very special city

Meal(s) – Buffet Breakfast

Day 10 – Venice Walking Tour and Free Time

The city is brought to life with superb historical insights from your Local Guide during your included walking tour from St. Mark’s Square to the ancient fish market near Rialto Bridge

Later, see another dimension of this unique city by taking an optional excursion to the islands in the lagoon for a delicious seafood lunch. Or you might decide to explore the narrow ‘calle’, or shop on the Rialto Bridge.

Meal(s) – Buffet Breakfast

Day 11 – Venice – Florence (2 nights)

Admire the beautiful scenery on your high-speed train journey to the Renaissance city of Florence. Cross the forested Apennine Mountains and travel into stunning Tuscan landscapes featuring terraced olive groves, vineyards and cypress trees

Your walking tour of this magnificent city with a Local Guide is fascinating! View the Ponte Vecchio bridge, a spectacular feat of engineering dating from the Middle Ages. Marvel at the statues and palaces on Piazza Signoria, the multi marble Duomo and Giotto’s spectacular Bell Tower

Enjoy panoramic views across the city from Piazzale Michelangelo. This evening, experience a Highlight Dinner of local specialities in a Florentine trattoria

Meal(s) – Buffet Breakfast / Highlight Dinner

Hotel: Diplomat (F)

Day 12 – Florence – Free Time

Organise your day to suit your interests. You might like to visit one of numerous galleries and museums or shop for high quality leather goods and 18-carat gold jewellery. Tonight, consider dining al fresco at one of Florence’s many restaurants

Meal(s): (Buffet Breakfast)

Day 13 – Florence – Rome (2 nights)

See the peaceful Umbrian countryside on your high-speed train journey to the ‘Eternal City’. In Rome, your Local Guide takes you on an extensive sightseeing tour

Visit St. Peter’s Basilica and see Michelangelo’s ‘Pieta’. View the Forum and Circus Maximus, where chariot racing was held. Enjoy an included visit inside the Colosseum and learn about gladiatorial contests in ancient Rome

Meal(s) – Buffet Breakfast

Hotel – Atlantico (F)

Day 14 – Rome – Free Time

Rome

Your day is free to explore this incredible city. Consider an optional excursion to the Sistine Chapel to see Michelangelo’s outstanding frescoed ceiling, or visit the ancient Catacombs. Shop on the Via Condotti, explore the streets of Trastevere or experience ‘la dolce vita’ at a pavement café on the Via Veneto

Tonight, join your companions for a Farewell Dinner at a local restaurant

Meal(s) – Buffet Breakfast / Farewell Dinner

Day 15 – Depart Rome

Say ‘arrivederci’ to Rome and your Travel Director as this memorable holiday comes to an end. Transfers are available. Conditions apply. Meal(s) – Buffet Breakfast

We found this at and thanks to them www.bestvaluetours.co.uk

Is your Passion Chateaux’s and Palaces? You will find an indulgence in the Loire Valley

Probably there is nowhere like it anywhere else in the World – the Loire Valley, an area of considerable Napoleonic influence, you will find a wealth of Chateaux’s and Palaces.

Loire Valley castles – Chambord

Not to mention stunning countryside and renowned as one of the best wine regions – so you can mix and match between sightseeing and wine tasting – can’t be bad!

Art and Culture in the Loire Valley

Loire Valley Parks and Gardens: It only makes sense that the most beautiful parks and gardens reside within the region appropriately named “the garden France.” Renaissance and Medieval gardens and parks are scattered all over the Loire region and are open to visitors.

Courtesy of and thanks to – Western France Tourist Board

For further reading see – Art and Culture in the Loire Valley

We have found a great tour that see all the best Castles, Palaces and Chateaux’s – plus indulge in tasting the regions wine:

5 day France Tour to see The Palaces and Chateaux of Loire

Day 1

Paris – Palace of Fontainebleau – Montlouis-sur-Loire

Leaving Paris, today we travel to the wonderful Palace of Fontainebleau, used by the kings of France from the 12th century.

The medieval royal hunting lodge of Fontainebleau stands at the heart of a vast forest in the Ile-de-France and has over 1500 rooms and 130 acres of parkland and gardens to explore

This afternoon we visit the charming town of Beaugency, liberated by Joan of Arc in 1429. We have time to explore its narrow medieval streets, stroll along its 14th century bridge or visit the Church of Saint Etienne and the City Hall, before continuing to the Montlouis-sur-Loire region, our base for the next two nights

Day 2

Montlouis-sur-Loire – Chateau de Cheverny – Montlouis-sur-Loire

This morning we will enjoy a tour of Chateau de la Bourdaisière’s gardens including its dahlia garden and tomato conservatory, which houses no less than 600 heirloom varieties. We then learn the art of French cooking with one of the chateau’s chefs before sitting down to enjoy the lunch we have cooked

This afternoon we visit Chateau de Cheverny, one of the only Chateaux in the region to appear untouched by the Renaissance, which is due to the fact that it has been owned by the same family for more than six centuries

The Chateau is surrounded by an English-style park consisting of magnificent giant redwoods and lime trees, which were planted between 1820 and 1860. Explore the Park, the Kitchen garden, the Apprentices’ garden and the Kennels, home to over one hundred hunting dogs

Day 3

Montlouis-sur-Loire – Chateau de Chenonceau – Clos Lucé – Chinon

Our first visit today is to the wonderful Chateau de Chenonceau, whose beautiful arches span the River Loire. It is the most visted and photographed chateau of the Loire Valley and is often described as ‘the ladies chateau’ as throughout its history it is the women who have most influenced its design and destiny

The castle has an exceptional collection of 16th and 17th century tapestries and a great number of masterpieces including works by Rubens. Enjoy a boat cruise under the arches and then stroll around the gardens, filled with hundreds of climbing and standard roses, orange trees and perfectly manicured box hedges

This afternoon sample delicious local wines in Vouvray, and then visit the fascinating Clos Lucé to gain a real insight into the life of Leonardo di Vinci. Our final destination today is Chinon, a medieval town located in the heart of the Val de Loire Region near the banks of the majestic Vienne River, which is steeped in history and rich with culture

Day 4

Chinon – Abbey of Fontevraud – Azay-le-Rideau – Chinon

Today we make our way to the magnificent Abbey of Fontevraud, one of the largest monastic complexes in Europe, which was transformed into a prison by Napoleon at the beginning of the 19th century, saving it from ominous destruction

Today, a UNESCO World Heritage site, the Abbey contains the tombstone effigies of Henry II, Richard the Lionheart, and his infamous wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine. After lunch we travel to Bourgueil for a wine tasting and cellar visit before our final visit of the day to the charming Azay-le-Rideau

This masterpiece of 16th century architecture rests on an island in the River Indre. One of the most visited chateau of the Loire Valley, the Azay-le-Rideau is an exceptional example of Renaissance architecture and offers stunning landscaped gardens

Day 5: Chinon – Chateau de Villandry – Chartres – Paris

Today we make our way to the imposing Chateau de Villandry, the last of the great chateaux to be built during the Renaissance in the Loire Valley

The Chateau’s glorious landscaped gardens, which occupy over 6 hectares, are some of the finest in France. Explore the tranquil water garden, the ornamental garden and the beautifully-designed vegetable garden. As Paris draws closer we stop in Chartres, a pretty town with medieval timber-framed buildings and a magnificent Gothic cathedral

The Cathedral of Chartres, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is one of the best examples of gothic architecture in the world and is perfectly preserved with its marvellous stonework and exquisite 12th and 13th century stained-glass windows

We found this at and thanks to them – www.bestvaluetours.co.uk