If you are on the Napoleonic trail, as I was, you will find yourself needing a hotel in Alessandria, Italy, and look no further than the Royal, which is beautifully run and welcoming. Some fixtures are a touch on the worn side, but the hotel is immaculately clean, with crisp sheets and lovely hot water, after a long day of battlefield touring. (Safe, locked parking, too, which is another reason to love the Royal.)

Alas, please time your visit to Marengo with the brief hours that the Marengo Museum is open, 16:00 - 19:00 on Sundays (maybe Saturday too, check). Otherwise, there are no battlefield markers around the fields east of the town. On this trip, I started in Mondovi and ended in Rivoli, and the best hotel was the Royal, for the friendliness of the two lovely women who run it. And the best Napoleon museums (I found) are in Marengo and Rivoli (call the owner if it closed). Plus spend time around Solferino and San Martino, which both have excellent museums (closed during lunch and on Mondays).