It really couldn't be easier and such an adventure!

Take an afternoon Eurostar from London to Paris in 2 hours 25 minutes, sip a glass of wine in a Parisian café, then take the overnight sleeper from Paris to Florence. Enjoy a meal in the restaurant car as the sun sets over the rolling green hills and picturesque villages of the French countryside, then wake up in your sleeper or couchette to coffee and croissant and a classic renaissance Italian landscape with red-roofed houses and poplar trees.

Fares start at just £59 return for the Eurostar plus £52 return from Paris to Florence and the service to Bologna is the same price in a basic 6-bunk couchette or £89 return in a more spacious 4-bunk couchette. More comfortable 1, 2 & 3-bed sleeping-cars are also available, with breakfast included in the fare.

These instructions are meant as a guide only, please check with all train operators for up to date service information. Prices are likely to change vastly depending on availability.

To book or enquire about any of these services visit Rail Europe or International Rail

Train times London ? Lucca (Via Paris and Florence)

•Travel from London to Paris by Eurostar, leaving London St Pancras at 13:10 and arriving in Paris Gare du Nord at 16:53. By all means choose an earlier Eurostar if if you'd like to stop off in Paris, or if this has cheaper tickets available. Cross Paris by métro to the Gare de Bercy.

•Travel from Paris to Florence overnight on the 'Palatino', leaving Paris Gare de Bercy at 18:59 and arriving at Piacenza at 04:44, Parma at 05:12, Bologna at 05:58 and Florence ('Firenze' in Italian) at 07:16 next morning. The train arrives at Florence Campo Marte station on the edge of the city centre, not the main Florence station. The train has 1-bed, 2-bed & 3-bed sleepers, 4-berth & 6-berth couchettes & restaurant car.

•Hop on a local train to Florence's city centre Santa Maria Novella (SMN) station, journey time 5 minutes.

•To get to Lucca, a local train leaves Florence (SMN) at 08:08, arriving Lucca at 09:31. This service costs around £10 return.

•If the Palatino arrives late in Florence, don't worry, trains run hourly on each of these local routes, no reservation necessary, you just turn up, buy a ticket and hop on.

•If the Palatino arrives late in Florence, don't worry, trains run hourly on each of the no reservation necessary, you just turn up, buy a ticket and hop on.

Train times Lucca ? London

•From Lucca, a local train leaves Lucca at 17:32, arriving Florence (Santa Maria Novella station) at 18:52.

•Take a local train from Florence's city centre Santa Maria Novella (SMN) station to Florence Campo Marte station, journey time 5 minutes. These run about every 15 minutes. Travel from Florence to London by sleeper train & Eurostar, as shown in the London to Florence section. You leave Florence (Campo Marte station) at 20:53 on the overnight 'Palatino' to Paris, and arrive in London by Eurostar at 12:38 next day.

Train times London ? Bologna

•Travel from London to Paris by Eurostar, leaving London St Pancras at 13:10 and arriving in Paris Gare du Nord at 16:53. By all means choose an earlier Eurostar if if you'd like to stop off in Paris, or if this has cheaper tickets available. Cross Paris by métro to the Gare de Bercy.

•Travel from Paris to Bologna overnight on the 'Palatino', leaving Paris Gare de Bercy at 18:59 and arriving at Piacenza at 04:44, Parma at 05:12, Bologna at 05:58.

•The train has 1-bed, 2-bed & 3-bed sleepers, 4-berth & 6-berth couchettes & restaurant car.

Train times Bologna ? London

•The 'Palatino' leaves Bologna at 22:02, Parma at 22:54, Piacenza 23:28, arriving in Paris Gare de Bercy at 09:10 next morning. The Palatino has 1-bed, 2-bed & 3-bed sleepers, 4-berth & 6-berth couchettes & restaurant car.

•Travel from Paris to London by Eurostar, leaving Paris Gare du Nord at 11:13 and arriving London St Pancras at 12:38. By all means choose a later Eurostar if if you'd like to stop off in Paris, or if this has cheaper tickets available.