Combine two of Italy's most popular and picturesque holiday regions. Travel via Dijon to Lake Maggiore and then continue by train down the spine of Italy en route to the magnificent Amalfi Coast. Return via the Italian Dolomites with stops in the Tyrollean city of Bolzano and lovely Zurich. Part of our Race Across the World collection.

Key highlights

Speed through to historic Dijon for a night, en route to Italy

Stay in Stresa on beautiful, mountain-ringed Lake Maggiore

Explore the world-famous Amalfi Coast from your base in Minori

Travel outbound via the Simplon route and back via the unforgettable Brenner and Arlberg Alpine Passes

The route

Dijon

Stresa

Minori

Bolzano

Zurich

London

Distance

400 miles

Travelling Time

~9 hours

Days

11 days

The route

1

Dijon

2

Stresa

3

Minori

4

Bolzano

5

Zurich

6

London

Distance

400 miles

Travelling Time

~9 hours

Days

11 days

Day 1

London to Dijon

Catch the Eurostar to Paris Gare du Nord and transfer across to the Gare de Lyon where you’ll take the TGV line to Dijon.

Spend an evening strolling through the centre of the city, admiring the historic buildings before enjoying some delicious Burgundian cuisine in a local restaurant.

Day 2

Dijon to Stresa

Leave Dijon this morning and take a train through the Jura Mountains to Lausanne. Here, there’s time for lunch in the old town area before you need to catch an onward service through the Simplon Pass high in the Alps to Stresa on Lake Maggiore.

Day 3

- 4

Lake Maggiore

Spend two days soaking up the sunshine on Lake Maggiore, the second largest of Italy’s lakes, which also stretches into the Ticino canton of Switzerland.

Don’t miss a boat ride out to Isola Bella or the lakefront piazza at Cannobio.

TMR RECOMMENDS

Take a boat trip along the lake to Locarno in Switzerland to have lunch in one of the glorious piazzas. Then take the picturesque Centovalli railway to Domodossola back in Italy before connecting with the mainline back to Stresa.

Day 5

Lake Maggiore to the Amalfi Coast

Return to the station this morning and catch a train down to Milan. Here, transfer onto a service heading south to Salerno and the Amalfi Coast.

You’ll arrive into Salerno in the mid-afternoon where a transfer driver will be waiting for you. You’ll be driven along the famous winding roads of the Amalfi Coast to Minori for a 4-night stay.

Day 6

- 8

The Amalfi Coast

Minori is a former fishing village dating back millenia. Its location in the heart of the Amalfi Coast makes it an ideal base to explore this world-famous stretch of coastline during your three-day stay.

You can get around by boat or even take a day trip to Sorrento or the island of Capri.

TMR RECOMMENDS

Why not hire a car and discover the hidden corners of the Amalfi Coast or the fascinating Roman remains at Pompeii and Herculaneum?

Day 9

Amalfi Coast to Bolzano

This morning, you can take a taxi (payable locally) to Salerno and then catch a train north which will take you directly to Bolzano. Alternatively, you can take a shorter taxi to Sorrento and board the Circumvesuviana service to Naples and then take a train to Bolzano via Bologna. Either way, you’ll head through some lovely mountain scenery as you enter the Italian Tyrol to Bolzano.

This Sud-Tyrol capital has three spoken languages (Italian, German and the mountain language of Ladin) and boasts a lovely medieval core with plenty of churches, museums and shops to explore.

Day 10

Bolzano to Zurich

Today, your train journey takes across the Austrian border and you continue along the Brenner Pass route to Innsbruck main station. There’s enough time for lunch here before you continue along the Arlberg Pass into Switzerland, stopping for a night in Zurich with its lovely lake and Old Town areas.