We will be in based out of Milan for 6 days. Looking for advice on this possible itinerary--2.5 days to see Milan, 1 full day trip to Torino, 1 full day trip to Bologna, half day trip to Lake Como and possible half day trip to Cremona. Also, we are not big art/church people. Food and history are more important to us...Comments and suggestions welcome!
Northern Italy Itinerary
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What do you want to see/do in Milan that you think will take 2.5 days?
You won't see much of Lake Como in a half day. Train to Varenna, take in the view, have lunch and train back. Is that what you had in mind?
I can't comment on Cremona, but I suspect it would be the same issue. Train to Cremona, see the duomo, have lunch and train back.
A day trip to Torino would work. You could also day-trip to Bergamo.
Como deserves more time---pick a good weather day.
Cremona is nice but not to be compared to Torino or Lake Como which deserve more time to enjoy. It's better to go directly to Torino upon arrival from Malpensa by train and then head to Lake Como. Unless you're a history buff on violin, I would save Cremona for another trip. We spent half a day in Cremona last October and got rather bored after 2-3 hours.We took a taxi from the train station to the church and then walked back to the train station after stopping at a cafe for breakfast,we had lunch at another town.
Thank you all--I appreciate the feedback. I have a feeling we could up Lake Como to a full day. My husband is a little hesitant of dedicating more time to the area--we honeymooned in the Amalfi Coast and got bored fast in Sorrento and Positano. He is worried that the lake areas could be similar...
Any special reason why you are basing in Milan? Perhaps splitting your 6 days between Milan and Lake Como would allow you to enjoy more variety.
We dislike having to pack up and move around, and prefer being on the go for a day here and there...
We did that last October staying near the train station which is not that comfortable but convenient to train to small towns around Milan. I was also there for a large convention otherwise we would not pick Milan as our base. My wife hated taking the train because it's always dumpy/dirty and we passed through mostly ugly forsaken areas. We're going back to renting a car for touring just because it's a lot more scenic and we will avoid going through the ugly side of Italian travel.
I second Jean's recommendation to visit Bergamo as a better day trip.
What about basing somewhere like Bologna, which is a lovely city in itself and doing day trips to places like Parma, Verona, Ravenna, Modena, Ferrara, Padua...the trains links are great and the food is amazing...lots to keep you interested...
we thought about basing elsewhere, but after two long flights, we just want to be done. i appreciate all of the feedback though. after some conversation, i believe we will make a day trip to verona and bergamo, and also possibly hire a private driver to do a day trip to emilia romagna.