Italy

Destination guide

Rome

Venissa is made up of a winery and Michelin-starred restaurant in Venice’s lagoon.

Europe

‘People only come here by accident’: The tiny Venetian island most tourists miss

Those few that do set foot on this postage stamp of an island rarely venture into the walled garden footsteps away from the pier. Which is a shame, as they’re missing one of Venice’s unique sights.

Chrissie McClatchie

Around the valley are nine assisted via ferrata routes, from easy to cliff epics.

Europe

To explore this spectacular elevated world, it helps to have a ladder

The origins of these “iron path” routes go back to World War I, when they were built to help move troops over otherwise inaccessible terrain.

Andrew Bain

Cruises

Everyone’s a winner: You’re spoilt for choice on this big ship

With staff, crew and passengers hailing from all over the globe, this cruise giant is a microcosm of the world.

Kate Armstrong

French countryside, Italian style: why fly from Paris to the Mediterranean coast when you can catch a fast train?

★★★★½
Europe

You can take Italy’s ‘red arrow’ fast train even if you’re not in Italy

A business class trip passes in a blur of bucolic French countryside and Italian food and wine.

Chrissie McClatchie

Comacchio has the canals of Venice, without the crowds.

Europe

Italy’s ‘Little Venice’ is so overlooked even many Italians don’t know it

This small lagoon town, close to the Adriatic coast, is another of those tiny jewels in Italy’s vast treasure chest of cultural riches.

Justine Costigan

Europe

Como FOMO intensifies with new hotel opening

This famed area of Italy, much loved by the Byron, Napoleon and, of course, George Clooney, has turned a new page with the arrival of the Lake Como Edition.