Schedule

The Plan

Day 0 - Sunday, 25th June

Places: Kent, St. Pancras

Home TripAdvisor Kent: 09:00 Breafast with the family

Home: 13:54 from platform 8 to Herne Hill on platform 2.  Arrives at 14:22
Herne Hill: 14:26 from platform 4 to St. Pancras on platform B.  Arrives at 14:47

Arrive at London Kings Cross Royal Scot Travelodge: ~15:00 TripAdvisor London

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Day 1 - Monday, 26th June

Places: London, Paris and Turin

EuroStar (9008): 08:01 from platform ?.  Arrives Paris Nord 11:17

Paris Gare de Lyon (TGV9249) TripAdvisor Paris: 14:43 from platform ?.  Arrives at Turin Porta Susa 20:22

The Hotel - NH Lingotto Conress: Arrived:

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Day 2 - Tuesday, 27th June

Places: Turin, Florence and Montecatini Terme

Turin Porta Nuova (FR9543) TripAdvisor Turin: Meet: ? @ ? ~ Leaves at 13:10 from platform ? to Florence SMN.  Arrives at 16:04

Florence: Coach to Montecatini Terme.  Left ?  Arrived at ? at Grand Hotel Fancia and Quirinale

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Day 3 - Wednesday, 28th June

Places: Montecatini Terme

No excursions planned - a free day to explore. TripAdvisor Montecatini

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Day 4 - Thursday, 29th June

Places: Florence

Montecatini Terme (R3143) TripAdvisor Montecatini: Meet: ? @ ? ~ Leaves at 09:57 from platform ? to Florence.  Arrives at 10:50

Florence (R25744) TripAdvisor Florence: Meet: ? @ ? ~ Leaves at 16:10 from platform ? to Montecatini Terme.  Arrives at 17:00

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Day 5 - Friday, 30th June

Places: Lucca and Pisa

Montecatini Terme (R25788) TripAdvisor Montecatini: Meet: ? @ ? ~ Leaves at 09:01 from platform ? to Lucca.  Arrives at 09:29

Lucca (R3144) TripAdvisor Lucca: Meet: ? @ ? ~ Leaves at 14:42 from platform ? to Pisa.  Arrives at 15:13

Pisa (R25775) TripAdvisor Pisa: Meet: ? @ ? ~ Leaves at 17:50 from platform ? to Montecatini Terme.  Arrives at 18:56

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Day 6 - Saturday, 1st July

Places: San Gimignano, Chianti and Castello di Verrazzano

Montecatini Terme by coach TripAdvisor Montecatini: Meet: ? @ Hotel ~ Leaves at ? to San Gimignano.  Arrives at ?

San Gimignano by coach TripAdvisor San Gimignano: Meet: ? @ ? ~ Leaves at ? for Chianti (Castello di Verrazzano).  Arrives at ?

Chianti (Castello di Verrazzano) by coach TripAdvisor Chianti: Meet: ? @ ? ~ Leaves at ? for Montecatini Terme.  Arrives at ?

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Day 7 - Sunday, 2nd July

Places: Montecatini Terme

No excursions planned - a free day to explore. TripAdvisor Montcatini

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Day 8 - Monday, 3rd July

Places: Siena

Montecatini Terme by coach TripAdvisor Montecatini: Meet: ? @ ? ~ Leaves at ? for Siena.  Arrives at ?

Siena by coach TripAdvisor Sienna: Meet: ? @ ? ~ Leaves at ? for Montecatini Terme.  Arrives at ?

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Day 9 - Tuesday, 4th July

Places: Viareggio, Genoa and The Côte d'Azur

Montecatini Terme by coach TripAdvisor Montecatini: Meet: ? @ ? ~ Coach leaves at ? for Viareggio.  Arrives at ?

Viareggio (FB8606) TripAdvisor Viareggio: Meet: ? @ ? ~ Leaves at 10:12 from platform ? for Genoa Piazza Principe.  Arrives at 11:50

Genoa Piazza Principe (IC637) TripAdvisor Genoa: Meet: ? @ ? ~ Leaves at 12:58 from platform ? for Ventimiglia.  Arrives at 14:54

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Day 10 - Wednesday, 5th July

Places: Nice, Paris and London

Nice (TGV6047) TripAdvisor Nice: Meet: ? @ ? ~ Leaves at 09:57 from platform ? for Paris, Gare de Lyon.  Arrives at 15:50

Paris Nord (9051) TripAdvisor Paris: Meet: ? @ ? ~ Leaves at 18:13 from platform ? for St. Pancras.  Arrives at 19:30

St. Pancras TripAdvisor London: ? from platform ? to home.  Arrives at ?

Monday, 26th June 2023

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The News

Up at 4:30am, washed, dressed and out of the hotel before 5:30.  We're off to Bella Italia.

And that's when Jan noticed that she had left her tablets behind as well!  Anyone would think we are getting older.  Whilst missing a day or two would not cause Jan problems, 10 days would be going into the unknown.  A plan was needed.

We stopped off at McD's for a naughty breakfast and ate it in St. Pancras station before a gentle stroll to the meeting place on the top level where we met our tour guide Mama Duck (because we all trot along behind like ducklings).  Then it was down to join the excitement of the queue for passport control.

Jan rang the non-emergency doctors, our doctor and our eldest all before we got on the Eurostar to Paris.  We were directed by the steward to the wrong coach and therefore sat in the wrong seats.  This lead to a discussion with the people whose seats we had usurped.  Fortunately,they were nice people who worked out what the problem was (us) and we then went to the correct carriage.  A light breakfast and two hours later we were in Paris.

Mama Duck marshalled us all off the train and onto the coach to take us to Gare de Lyon ... only to find she was a ducking short.  Some phone calls and five minutes later a contrite ducking was back with the pack.  Apparently, there had been someone with a similar top to our Mama Duck ...

The trip across the northern part of Paris was uneventful for us but looked "interesting" for the poor coach driver.  But we made it.  We were marshalled to the meeting point for the train leaving to Turin.  Mama Duck then showed Jan the pharmacy in the station and she was able to get her missing tablets.  Panic over.

We had brought lunch with us after the problems of getting fed last year.  The wait passed quickly, then it was off to the €1 loos where we met the nice people we had sat opposite on the Eurostar.  Everyone met on time at the meeting point and the long trek to our end of the train.

The journey to Milan passed through a flat part of France before getting into the pretty section which skirts the Alps.

We arrived in Turin at 20:30.  Whilst it was quite a long journey, it seemed to pass quite quickly.  Many dozed, many read and some chatted the journey away.  The scenic last couple of hours had a positive effect as well.  It certainly made a change.

There was a short coach ride to the Lingotto hotel where we dumped our bags in our rooms before eating.  The meal was superb!  We had ordered from a menu sent in advance.  Jan had the pea soup and I worried the lasagne for starters.  The pork, fried potatoes and spinach was delicious.  The fruit salad was fresh and tasty too.  Then it was off to sleep in an air conditioned room to sleep on huge comfy beds.

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Weather: Warm enough to walk in shirt sleeves at 5am in London.   Paris .  24°C   Turin 32°C

Steps: Jan ~8,000   Andy 7,975