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This 7-stop rail journey takes travellers through Italy’s dreamy Piedmont region

Credit: Getty Images/ Carla Ferrero

Kassia Byrnes Kassia Byrnes
A seven-stop train journey through one of Italy’s tastiest regions just got much easier for international travellers to access.

World-class wine, a revered food culture and an interesting royal history all make Italy’s Piedmont region a tourist destination with a lot of pull. The problem? It’s also quite hard to get to unless you have your own car. Or at least, it was. Rail Europe has just announced its portfolio expansion with the addition of Arenaways, offering easier access to a lesser-known side of Piedmont.

About Arenaways

train in italy's piedmon region
Roll through the vine-covered hills of Piedmont. (Credit: Getty Images/ Carla Ferrero)

This Italian railway operator has long offered local routes in Piedmont. Now that it’s part of Rail Europe, the global platform for European train booking, it just got a whole lot easier for international travellers to experience. Just use the route to book and build your own slow-travel itinerary around Piedmont’s food, culture and local communities. 

While this is not a sleeper train, the regional line connects seven stops – Cuneo, Busca, Costigliole Saluzzo, Verzuolo, Manta, Saluzzo and Savigliano – making it possible to explore an area that is often missing from traditional Italian rail itineraries.

What to do in Piedmont

World-class wine and food

Two glasses of Barolo wine on a windowsill with the castle of Barolo (Piedmont, Italy) blurred on the background
Food and wine are at their best in Piedmont. (Credit: Getty Images/ Cristiano Alessandro)

First and foremost, a trip to Italy must be about food (it’s the rules). Piedmont is the birthplace of Slow Food, the international movement to protect local food traditions, biodiversity and small-scale producers. So you know there are plenty of tastebud treasures here.

Stop into the town of Busca, where two restaurants were awarded the prestigious Chiocciola (the highest award given to restaurants representing the values of traditional regional cooking, warm hospitality and strong ties to local food communities) in Slow Food’s 2026 Osterie d’Italia guide. The picturesque Fuorimano inside a former 1950s industrial warehouse offers burgers, pizza and a very popular brunch menu. While Reis Cibo Libero di Montagna is a rustic, sustainable farm restaurant set in the hills of Busca. Stop into the osteria for imaginative dishes that champion local ingredients (there’s also a fabulous wine list).

The town of Saluzzo also boasts a Chiocciola-recognised osteria, Corona di Ferro. It serves traditional Piedmontese dishes crafted from hyper-local seasonal ingredients sourced from regional producers. Think agnolotti del plin – small, hand-pinched square pockets of pasta filled with roasted meat then served in a meat broth – and tajarin – super thin egg-yolk noodles traditionally served with melted butter and sage, or shaved white truffles from the Piedmont town of Alba.

You’ll also find some of the country’s most prestigious red wines produced in the surrounding hills.

History

alps in piedmont italy
Alps, vineyards and a fascinating history make Piedmont worthy of a visit. (Credit: Lisa Va Vliet)

Along the Arenaways train route, there are several historical and architectural stops to make. Visit the Castello della Manta, home to an exceptional collection of late-Gothic secular frescoes. Explore the medieval centre of Saluzzo. And stop in Savigliano to see Piazza Santa Rosa, one of Italy’s best-preserved medieval squares.

Nature

Enjoy dramatic backdrops of the Alps framing both city streets and quiet countryside vineyards. Spot the famous Monte Rosa mountain out your train window, follow a hiking trail through Parco Nazionale Gran Paradiso and, surprisingly, see the wet rice fields of the Po Valley – Europe’s largest rice-producing region.

The details

Bookings: International travellers can book their tickets via the Rail Europe website or app.

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Kassia Byrnes
Kassia Byrnes is the Native Content Editor for International Traveller. She's come a long way since writing in her diary about family trips to Grandma's. After graduating a BA of Communication from University of Technology Sydney, she has been writing about her travels (and more) professionally for over 10 years for titles like AWOL, News.com.au, Pedestrian.TV, Body + Soul and Punkee. She's addicted to travel but has a terrible sense of direction, so you can usually find her getting lost somewhere new around the world. Luckily, she loves to explore and have new adventures – whether that’s exploring the backstreets, bungee jumping off a bridge or hiking for days.
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5 things every hotel needs for a more restorative stay

    Kate Bettes Kate Bettes
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    Wellbeing means different things to different travellers. Here’s how to pick a hotel that gets it right for you.

    The best wellness holidays aren’t necessarily spent wrapped in a spa robe. Sometimes they’re found around a dinner table in Cambodia, on a hiking trail in New Zealand or after finally beating jet lag on the other side of the world. The hotel you choose is what makes them happen.

    1. Easy access to good food

    meals from Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20
    Taste delicious meals at Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20.

    One of the quickest ways to derail healthy habits on holiday is to spend half of it working out where to eat instead of digging into the culture around you. Thankfully, Novotel has done much of the hard work already, with chefs building menus that lean into the flavours, ingredients and traditions of each destination.

    In Sihanoukville, Cambodia, Korkor soup – often dubbed ‘Cambodian ratatouille’ – sits alongside raw blue crab dressed with lime and chilli, best enjoyed with views across the Gulf of Thailand.

    In the lovingly chaotic city of Bangkok, the presence of food cranks up the sociability. At Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20, you can settle in with mango sticky rice and stranger-turned-friends beside the pool at Sky on 20 rooftop bar, or bring them along to tackle river prawns and stir-fried crab with holy basil at the buzzing Crab Paradise Dinner Buffet.

    Then Novotel Dubai Al Barsha welcomes you with a laidback twist on the level of indulgence the Middle Eastern city is best known for up on Deck Se7en. Looking towards Burj Al Arab, the rooftop lounge has everything from Mediterranean-style dishes like seabass ceviche to Italian prosecco sundowners.

    At the other end of the scale, in the hills that surround the Novotel Bali Ubud Resort, calm comes from nature. At Siralada restaurant, Balinese traditions shape the menu while thunder rumbles over the surrounding jungle – proving the setting is as nourishing as the food itself.

    While at Novotel Nha Trang, chef Kieu Thi My Hanh and her team showcase Vietnam’s knack for balancing freshness, texture and fragrant herbs. Pho remains a favourite, while seafood salad with pomelo and mango brings those flavours together in one bright dish.

    It’s all an approach backed by partnerships with expert food creators such as Alfie Steiner, whose plant-forward recipes prove healthy food should never taste plain.

    2. Better sleep options

    Novotel Bali Ubud Resort room
    Sleep deeply with Novotel.

    There are few travel experiences more disappointing than arriving in a new country, determined to seize the day, only to fall asleep fully clothed by 3pm.

    For Australian travellers, jet lag is often an unavoidable part of the journey. That’s one reason Novotel runs sleep-focused initiatives that help guests adjust quickly without compromising on health. We’re talking partnerships with Sydney-based sleep specialist Olivia Arezzolo, known for her advice on everything from better sleep habits to beating jet lag, alongside features like pillow menus, in-room yoga content and tailored sleep guidance.

    The sooner you’re operating on local time, the sooner you can get back to more pressing matters – like deciding which spa treatment to book.

    3. More ways to move

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    Stay at Novotel Queenstown Lakeside and explore local hiking trails. (Credit: GettyI mages/ naruedom)

    Every place in the world has its own way of getting you moving: whether that’s hiking up ice-bitten mountains before a sauna or gentle stretching by the pool before a facial. From fitness centres to spas, Novotel recognises that wellbeing rarely looks the same.

    At Novotel Queenstown Lakeside, activity is inescapable. Here, hiking trails, ski fields, bungee jumps, and white-water rafting have made the region famous. The hotel’s location on the shores of Lake Wakatipu means less time spent organising yourself and more time out there experiencing them. To top it all off, you can book a private hot tub for the evening before heading back into the wilderness tomorrow.

    Bali, of course, takes a softer approach. At Novotel Bali Ubud Resort or Novotel Bali Nusa Dua, movement is less about conquering a mountain and more about a dance class between the tropical gardens and lagoon pools. Afterwards, the spa takes over, with traditional treatments like a Lulur body scrub: a combination of rice, turmeric, sandalwood, ginger and jasmine that’ll soothe muscles already relaxed by the Balinese heat.

    4. Better connections

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    Kids will love a stay at Novotel Sharm El Sheikh.

    One of the best things about travel is that it gives your family stories you’ll be telling for years. Novotel helps create them with activities that bring everyone together, whether that’s trying something new, learning a local skill, or simply spending more time together.

    Go for a distinctly Thai twist at Novotel Phuket Vintage Park, where many of the family activities draw on local culture. Kids can try everything from beginner Thai boxing and language lessons to umbrella painting and – a pastime beloved by children the world over – pool foam parties. Everyone is welcome to join in, whether that’s getting splashed, covered in paint, or simply watching their children discover a new side of Thailand during the dedicated Family & Kids Day.

    A different adventure awaits at Novotel Sharm El Sheikh. Kids could be perfectly content with discos, drawing classes and new holiday friends, but the Red Sea has other ideas. Sitting on the edge of Naama Bay, days here might involve snorkelling colourful reefs, taking a boat trip to Ras Mohammed National Park or heading into the desert by quad bike or camel for a Bedouin-style dinner beneath the stars.

    5. Location is everything

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    Explore Phuket’s gorgeous beaches. (Credit: Bence Biczo)

    Everyone’s idea of wellness looks a little different. With more than 600 hotels across 65 countries, Novotel gives guests the freedom to choose the destination that suits them best. Whether that’s a beachside escape in Phuket, an alpine expedition in Queenstown or a city break in Bangkok, there’s a good chance a Novotel isn’t far away.

    All that’s left? Choosing your version of wellbeing.

    Discover stays to inspire your everyday at novotel.accor.com.