loveners

Hi Everyone

I'm still fearful of figuring out the train system in Italy (currently in my too hard basket but I will get onto it in the next month or so- promise!) so would love it if you could help me with this please:

I need to catch the train from Casale (north of Venice), stop somewhere overnight on route, and then get to Manarola the next day.

Can you suggest a small village or interesting location for us to stop at on route? Either on route or not requiring too much re-routing the next day when we go to Manarola.

Many thanks for your help Fodorites

Lovener1

zeppole

If you otherwise have no plans to see Parma or Modena (in Emilia-Romagna), or Pistoia or Lucca (in Tuscany), these are lovely small towns (Lucca is the largest), each different and special in their own way. They are very easily enjoyed in a short time, all have memorable food, and are just a bit past the midpoint of your trip to the coast by train.

You can do a bit of google research on all of them to see which appeals to you most. The Tuscan towns make for a longer train ride from Treviso, which I am guessing will be the train station you use for your departure.

If you pick Parma or Modena, you could stop to have lunch in Bologna when you change trains. Were you to choose either of the Tuscan towns, you could probably stop for lunch in Florence when you change trains coming from the north. You can safely store your luggage in the train station luggage storage rooms.

Another possibility is to spend a night in Bergamo, just short of Milan in Lombardia, and stay in the upper half, within its medieval walls. You could stop in Verona for lunch.

Those are really just a handful of the options when it comes to smaller towns. You could also enjoy a night in Montecatini Alta, Pescia, Reggio-Emilia, Pavia, or a lakeside town on Lago di Garda, and on and on.

qwovadis

lucca.info my fav enroute to La Spezia Manarola from Venezia

trenitalia.it

torrettas.com hostel5terre.com nice in Manarola

qwovadis

Lucca has a small town feel if u stay in the center no cars

beautiful great food wine hike bike amazing city walls

still perfectly preserved...

qwovadis

Bergamo is WAY out of your way if you look at a map

The other way to come is via Garda www.sirmione.com

to Brechia Cremona Parma La Spezia not as pretty

regional trains lots dodgier when I did this.

Parma was nice though but for best train and vibe

www.lucca.info for me.

loveners

Thanks everyone, great ideas. we've decided to go with Lucca. I suspect we'll regret it only being an overnight spot but I find staying less than 5 days in a place is always a teaser regardless.

Your feedback was really helpful as it helped us also decide where we wanted to be in Tuscany after we went to the Cinque Terre. We've settled on Pienza.

A quick question about the train ticket we'll buy - When we leave Casale for Cinque Terre (stooping at Lucca overnight): will I buy 1 ticket to the Cinque Terre or one ticket to Lucca and then another one the next day for Manarola??

Thanks everyone

Lovener1 (Lovener2 seems to have settled into the "oversight" role...)