Italy Rail Express

Our tours are not suitable for young children, so we set a minimum age limit of 10 years old. However, at the discretion of Expat Explore we may consider younger children on certain tours if they meet certain criteria and a request is received in writing via email for consideration. Expat Explore reserves the absolute right to accept or decline a booking at our discretion.

No, you will need to make your own arrangements to get to the meeting destination for the first day of your tour. Make sure you keep departure times and possible delays in mind when booking flights. We recommend Skyscanner for comparing prices from the vast majority of airlines.

Before the tour starts, you will receive an email from us requesting your dietary requirements. There is always a vegetarian option, which is a meal without meat. We try as much as we can to offer you the traditional local cuisine.

Expat Explore loves hosting families on tour and making amazing memories together. The request for triple rooms is therefore something that comes up frequently. However, it is not something we offer. This is because many hotel partners do not offer triple rooms, and while they may be available in one location, triple rooms are not guaranteed to be available in all destinations. We please request that where there is an uneven number of travellers in your group, you indicate as early as possible which travellers of the same gender will be sharing a room. Please take note that minors under the age of 18 cannot share with another traveller outside of your group's booking.

All of the hotels on this tour offer Wi-Fi, which is available free of charge as part of your Expat Explore tour. In certain hotels this will be available in the hotel lobby only, while in others you will be able to get access in your room.

Some trains will have Wi-Fi on board, available either for free or as part of a paid package. If you intend to buy a local sim card to use while you are in Europe, please check with your service provider if your phone will work abroad.

Before the tour starts, you will receive an email from us requesting your dietary requirements. There is always a vegetarian option, which is a meal without meat. We try as much as we can to offer you the traditional local cuisine.

The request for triple rooms is something that comes up frequently. However, it is not something we offer. This is because many hotel partners do not offer triple rooms, and while they may be available in one location, triple rooms are not guaranteed to be available in all destinations. We please request that where there is an uneven number of travellers in your group, you indicate as early as possible which travellers of the same gender will be sharing a room. Please take note that minors under the age of 18 cannot share with another traveller outside of your group's booking.

On the tour page we have listed the hotels that we mainly use for our tours on our website, but this is not a definitive list. A full list of confirmed accommodation names and addresses for your particular departure will be emailed to you around 1 week before the tour starts. If you are not starting the tour at the designated start point, and are instead joining later on in the route, please email us to confirm the details of the hotel where you should meet the tour.

For information on our elevated health and safety protocols, please see our How to Travel Safe page.

Certain nationalities may require a visa(s) for this tour. Please see our visas page and your pre-departure information for more information. It is your responsibility to contact the relevant embassies to confirm your visa requirements.

Please make sure you bring with you for the start of the tour the local currency(ies) you will need for at least the first three days, as there may not be an opportunity to change currency at the very beginning of the tour. You should budget for any optional excursions you wish to do in this period (see 'Optional Excursions' tab above, these are paid in cash on tour unless stated otherwise) and non-included meals.

We don’t recommend carrying large amounts of cash with you on tour; you are better off withdrawing enough cash to last you for the next 5-7 days, rather than carrying enough cash to last you for the entirety of the tour. Please refer to your pre-departure information for more information on the currencies you will require for your particular itinerary.

When changing money please ensure that you are not given high denomination notes (for example €200 and €500 notes), as you will find most shops and restaurants will refuse to accept them, and your Expat Explore tour leader cannot accept them as payment for optional excursions.

Expat Explore can provide travellers requiring visas with visa support documents on a request basis. Please note that you are required to pay for your tour in full in order to receive the documents. This is an embassy/consulate requirement by law. Once you have received confirmation that your booking has been paid in full, you can request your visa support documents by emailing info@expatexplore.com - please allow up to 10 working days to receive these documents.

Similar to Expat Explore coach tours, you’re allowed one piece of luggage with dimensions 55cm x 40cm x 23cm and weighing 7kgs, along with a small backpack or carry bag as hand luggage. Please do not bring more than one piece of luggage. Importantly, we advise packing as lightly as possible for rail tours as you will be carrying your own luggage between stations and hotels. Please ensure that your suitcases and trolley bags have sturdy wheels. If you are fit enough to carry a large backpack, that is also a good option for rail tours.

Europe has a low rate of crime and corruption, and travelling here is generally considered safe and hassle free. Your tour leader will be on hand to offer local advice on each area you visit. The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) provides travel advice for each destination we visit – each country has a summary and general information as well as advice on safety and security, local laws and customs, entry requirements and health.

Yes, and you are responsible for arranging your own insurance. Passengers and their personal property travel with Expat Explore solely at their own risk. A suitable insurance policy should provide adequate cover for medical expenses arising through illness or accident prior to or during the holiday, and loss of holiday monies through cancellation or curtailment of the holiday or other insurable reasons. Clients should ensure that there are no exclusion clauses limiting protection for the type of activities in their tour. When on tour, ensure you keep personal belongings on you at all times and that your suitcase/backpack has a lock on it, especially in tourist areas. It may be advisable to wear a money belt to store money, credit cards and passport.

For a relatively small price, travel insurance provides you with the peace of mind so that you can enjoy your tour without any worries. South African residents can visit the Hollard website to receive a quote for travel insurance.

Our rail tours have an average group size of 15 travellers, up to a maximum of 28.

Please note, by default all rooms are twin bed rooms.

• Partners: When you book for more than one person, we will by default group you together in a room (unless you specifically request us not to). If you are unequal numbers (3, 5, 7 etc.) and we are unable to secure a triple room then the remaining traveler will be roomed with another passenger of the same gender.
• Single Travelers: If you are travelling alone there is no compulsory charge - you will share a twin room with another passenger of the same gender. There is an optional single supplement/private room upgrade available for single travellers who wish to have a private room. This can be added at the time of booking or by contacting our customer services team. Please note that the room provided may be a single room with a single bed.

Please allow sufficient time to complete the visa process (at least 4 weeks). Should your visa application be unsuccessful, you will be able to change or cancel your tour, but standard terms and conditions (and therefore fees) will apply. Please refer to our Terms & Conditions for more information.

We have a very wide range of ages on our tours, and do not restrict our passengers to certain age groups or limits. A positive attitude and an open mind are more important than a number!

Air-conditioning is not nearly as common place in European hotels as it is in places like North America and Asia. For most of the year it is simply not needed, and a lot of the hotels are in older, historic buildings that were built before air-conditioning was developed.

We always try our utmost to contract hotels with these comforts, however based on the volumes of tourists visiting over the summer, supply simply cannot keep up with demand. We work hard to deliver tours offering the best possible balance of affordability and comfort, and while most of our hotels offer air conditioning, we cannot guarantee that all the hotels you stay at on your tour will have air-conditioning in the rooms.

If you find your room does not have air-conditioning and it is uncomfortably hot, we recommend asking the hotel reception if they have a fan, which they are usually happy to provide, if they have them available.