Italian Riviera Springtime Escape

We journey aboard Eurostar from London to Lille and continue by TGV to Nice. Here we are taken by coach to the four-star Palace Hotel in Diano Marina, on the beautiful Italian Riviera where on arrival, a light snack will be served.

Today is free for you to spend at leisure in our pretty resort, surrounded by hills and coast. You can relax in our hotel and enjoy the facilities, head to the beach, or venture into the old town to browse the shops and sample local delicacies. We enjoy a delicious three course lunch in the hotel today and the rest of the afternoon is free to relax or explore as you please. This evening, we enjoy dinner in the hotel’s restaurant.

After a leisurely breakfast, we travel to San Remo, Italy’s answer to France’s Monte Carlo. The atmospheric old town, known as ‘La Pigna’, is tightly packed with buildings that cling to a steep hill. There are also two ports where you can see luxurious yachts, busy shopping streets and broad tree-lined boulevards. From here, we continue to the hilltop village of Dolceaqua, which enjoys a picture-perfect setting and is filled with striking architecture. The Nervia river runs through its heart, separating the village into two parts – the oldest called Terra, which is dominated by the Doria Castle, and the newest called Borgo. Both are connected by a spectacular medieval bridge, once described by Claude Monet as “a jewel of lightness”.

A must on the Eastern Riviera, Genoa, the most important town of Liguria, owes its beautiful historic centre to its history as a marine republic. The port contributes to the importance of Genoa and our tour takes us by the finest examples of palaces and buildings which embellish the town. Later we head for Rapallo, one of the most popular holiday resorts on Eastern Riviera. We stop to look at the spectacular promenade and the port. From here, we take the ferry to enjoy the dramatic coastal scenery on our way to Portofino. This pretty crescent-shaped village retains all of its traditional charms, despite its jet-set reputation. You can explore the harbour with its brightly coloured buildings, follow one of the scenic pathways to the beach or the light house, or visit the 16th-century hilltop castle and enjoy wonderful views across the Mediterranean to the French island of Corsica.

Today is free to relax and enjoy the facilities at the hotel.

We drive along the coast where we arrive at the picturesque fishermen's village of Cervo, a multitude of white houses perched on a steep rocky hill on the "Riviera dei Fiori" surrounded by the remains of a wall ring from 1239. The drawbridges and the stairs lead to the fortress and to the Baroque church of San Giovanni Battista, from where you will enjoy a wonderful panorama on the bay of Diano Marina. After some free time, we drive along Via Aurelia, passing Andora and Laigueglia and arrive at Alassio, a lively town with beautiful sandy beaches. The pedestrian area "Il Budello" with many shops and cafés, and the "muretto", the symbol of the town, are the main points of interest for sightseeing.

We enjoy another free day in resort to relax before our final evening meal is served at the hotel this evening.

We check out of our hotel this morning and retrace our route to meet the Eurostar, for the return journey back to London. *Please note that due to the late arrival on day one, a three-course lunch will be served at the hotel on day two.*