Simply Tuscany Avis

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Italy, as always, was stunning but unfortunately the whole experience has left us exhausted, disappointed and actually very annoyed. The hotel in Montecatini promised so much but the food was not up to the standard that we expected from an Italian hotel. The restaurant staff were lovely however. Breakfast was good but let down by the queues for coffee. The spa in the hotel is expensive and the older lady member of staff who we met was rude and surly. You will see a lot of other complaints about this hotel from clients of this company on Trust pilot but it is blatantly clear that Great Rail Journeys has done nothing to improve it so be aware. The places on the itinerary were obviously great but expect a lot of waiting around, humping suitcases, getting on and off trains and coaches etc. The large group of 38 was probably too big as it was often panicky getting on and off trains. The group leader was really pleasant but we did sometimes feel that we were on a school trip. We would recommend you not doing this tour if you have mobility issues or struggle to carry your own luggage as there is a lot of walking around stations, streets and platform changes by stairs etc. Lucca and Pisa in one day means that you really do not get adequate time in either place so I'm afraid that, that was a very big let down. Siena and Florence are stunning however. On the return journey to London, don't expect any time to enjoy St. Raphael. You will spend literally hours on the train and coaches for absolutely no time in the resort. If you just like looking at scenery from a moving vehicle then you'll love it. The hotel at St. Raphael is lovely but you'll arrive, check-in, have dinner, kill some time then go to bed. We walked the 25 minutes into town, which is lovely but far too far for someone with limited movement. We were up early the next morning and away at 10 am. It is a completely pointless part of the tour so be warned! The journey back to Paris was very long and tiring and the Eurostar check-in experience was dreadful, chaotic and fraught with stress. We will certainly never use the service to return to the UK again. Luckily, we met some truly lovely people on the tour but as far as travelling with Great Rail Journeys again, absolutely not. Very disappointing experience.

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The trips to Florence, Lucca, Pisa and Sienna were good and the tour manager, Tish, was great and went the extra mile to ensure everyone on our trip was OK, however, the hotel, especially the room and food, were well below the standard of a 4 star hotel, which was very disappointing, and we feel the group, which was 38 people, was too large.

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Well organised. Walking pace was round crowded places was well measured suiting mobility of all but not too fast. Hotels and food were excellent. Travel was comfortable, with several long days. Tour Manager was excellent and available throughout.

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As long as you are aware the travelling takes a long time and is very tiring.the over all holiday is lovely.and the tour guide made it extra special and was always there to help.

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A lovely holiday Tish was an excellent tour manager. All the places we visited were well organised and the hotels superb.

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I enjoyed Tuscany once we got there! This was my first train holiday and I won't be doing another.The journey to and from Tuscany was much too long. The trains were clean, they had buffet cars and all the toilets worked! However the journey and the hanging around at stations was too much. The tour leader was good; she managed a large group (38) well. The hotels were ok but some of the food was not very good. The hotel in Montecatini served uncooked salmon! It was supposed too be salt crust baked. There were up to 80 guests and only one coffee machine at the breakfast buffet which was exactly the same every day.

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Amazing holiday, very busy, but a great way to see Tuscany

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September 2026. We had a nice holiday, with a lovely tour guide, but there were a few disappointments. The main hotel we stayed at for 6 nights was not ideal, their food was poor, poor service and some rude staff. The planned travel schedule for the last day was extremely stressful rushing acros Paris, we felt it could have been planned better. Overall we enjoyed our holiday, but felt it wasn't value for money. Not as luxury as marketed.

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This was a perfectly balanced holiday. Travelling was just right length on interesting routes, especially the return journey. Hotels were in good places. NH Lingotto was interesting, Hotel Colombia comfortable if not luxurious and Best Western was a perfect stop to relax on the homeward journey. All included excursions were well spaced & enjoyable. Free days were most welcome with a chance for exploration away from the group. Tish the tour manager was very good and attentive. All in all, as always, we thoroughly enjoyed this holiday.

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Well organised but quite hectic at some times

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More help with Museums and galleries would be good.

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Didn't like the hotel . restaurant staff very good the rest not helpful.

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The experience of Tuscany and visiting different towns was great. Taking 2 days to get there and 2 days to get back by train was a little exhausting and did not leave a lot of time for seeing more of Tuscany. We did not participate in the walking tours because the weather was really hot and 2 hours of walking and maybe standing in the heat was not attractive. We enjoyed the time to see the different places in the towns visited. The hotels were great, and included meals were also very well organised and enjoyed.

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Too much walking and waiting on railway stations.

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Good holisat

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Our tour manager was calm in a crisis, had fantastic knowledge and made our trip very enjoyable with some lovely travellers.

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Most importantly our tour manager Trevor was amazing, he couldn’t do enough for us. He dealt with any problems with good humour and efficiency and really helped the group to gel. We felt that the two travelling days at the start and end could have been broken up with a full day in each overnight location. We would have been happy to increase the length of the holiday and therefore of course the cost to achieve this extra holiday time. We felt the total cost for the trip was a little overpriced especially compared to other recent holidays (given that GRJ must have economy of scale when buying train tickets especially on Eurostar and the TGV). However we were happy with the accommodation and food provided. The Turin hotel was amazing but the Montecatini hotel would really have benefited from some outside space.

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A well-organised trip. Only thing I would suggest is not to have Lucca and Pisa on the same day; it was too much in the heat. An OUTSTANDING tour manager in Trevor.

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This was a very memorable holiday. The tour manager's leadership and preparedness to go out of his way for the party were of a high standard. The group got on well together and the atmosphere was very friendly. In many respects, this was a 5 star experience, but I would suggest that potential travellers consider the following before booking. There is a lot of rail travel - the clue is in the name. Journeys were long and tiring, and Italian trains taking us out for the day were delayed or cancelled on a couple of occasions. The 2 stopover hotels were of a very high standard, but the hotel in Montecatini was middling - very friendly staff but a leaking shower, no in-room tea or coffee making facilities and dodgy air-conditioning. Access to the pool was also subject to a charge. I think Great Rail Journeys could do better. Having said that, it was still an enjoyable holiday, and if you don't mind the above reservations, I would recommend it.

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Fantastic holiday . Got to see lots of beautiful places with a great group of people in lovely hotels and with excellent food . Would go again !!