The Ligurian Riviera

For a few years now, disputes between Italian and French state railways have meant there are no longer direct InterCity trains along this section of line between Nice and Pisa, but if you have the time it is well worth making the extra effort to change trains at the border and experience this delightful journey.

Italian railways still offer comfortable InterCity services from Pisa to the border station of Ventimiglia (mostly with a change at Genoa), and this section of line takes you along the rocky coast of the Cinque Terre, calling at resorts like Rapallo, Sestri Levante and Santa Margherita. The train dodges in and out of tunnels, affording tantalising glimpses of towns tumbling down coves to the sparkling sea. Beyond Genoa, the coast flattens out a little and the towns become more like beach resorts, but the railway still hugs the coast and provides superb views.

After Ventimiglia, you join a French local service for the final journey along the Riviera to Nice, calling at Menton and Monaco, with the mountains growing ever larger just inland and the coast becoming rockier once more, providing cities like Monte Carlo with their natural harbours.