ITALY experts please please help!!
 

Hi, I am planning a pre-cruise 6 days in Italy and have done a lot of research online and posted few questions but still not able to plan this trip and with time getting closer to June , i am very nervous about planning and finding the hotels in the area.
We arrive in Milan on a Sunday at 9:00am an need to be in Venice the following Saturday before the cruise leave at 5PM on that Saturday.
We would love to see Portofino and the five villages in CT in this time frame.
As of now i have made a reservation for 3 nights (sunday, monday, tueday) in Santa Margherita Ligure, all other days are still not planned.
Would we have enough time to visit the Lake Como (Bellagio area) and have enough time to get back to Venice on Saturday morning?
Should we forget about including Lake Como? in that case would 6 days be too much for CT and Potofino only?
Would you recommand returning to Venice on Friday night or take a train on that same cruise day on Saturday?
Please help!!
Thanks

I would recommend spending a few days in Venice pre-cruise.

When do you plan on spending time in Venice (before or after cruise)? I wold do that versus either the the lakes or the coast.

Not sure why to do both Portofino and the CT (and the latter is really for hiking - is that what you want).

IMHO the lakes have a much greater variety of things to see/do - but I would first organize my time in Venice.

Hi, We love Venice and have already visited many times so would love to see the areas we haven't seen before like LAke Como and CT

Nytraveler- we are arriving into Milan and planning to take a train into Santa Margherita Ligure and have 6 days to expolre any place in between then need to get back to Venice on the 7th day for a cruise departure in the afternoon, Once cruise returns, we return home from venice so no time in Venice at all since have been there so many times.
Thanks

I would spend 3 days in SML and see Portofino, Camogli, and whatever else. I would then train to Stresa on Lago Maggiore for the balance of time before training to Venice.
Have fun !

Hi 4,

>Would you recommand returning to Venice on Friday night...<

Yes.

" I would then train to Stresa on Lago Maggiore for the balance of time before training to Venice."
...unless you arrive by plane at Milano Malpensa airport. Lake Maggiore (similar to Lake Como, but rather nicer)is only a few miles (mega short bus or train ride) north of it.