last-minute Italy trip - please help!
 

Hello,

We're flying to Milan in early October and have a total of 5 nights in Italy. I figure we will spend the first and last nights in Milan, so that leaves us with 3 nights to schedule. The plan is to rent a car in Milan on our way out of the city. We'd like to go to Parma for at least one night. I was there very briefly several years ago and would like to go back.

Questions for you:

The husband wants to go to Cinque Terre (We've never been.) but it sounds like the weather is iffy in October, plus possibly a hassle to get to, plus possibly loaded with tourists. Is going to Parma for one night and CT for 2 a terrible idea? I suppose we'd drive to Santa Margharita or Rapello but haven't worked out any details yet. Any advice is most appreciated!

Where would you go if not CT? We have been to Bologna (which seems like the obvious choice) several times so would prefer to go elsewhere.

Thanks very much!

Someone after my own heart--a last minute planner!

How about the lakes area? How about not renting a car and taking the train directly from Milan to Venice?

CT would be iffy in Oct. You could drive or do a train itinerary to Verona and Vicenza.

You could go somewhere else on the Italian Riviera that's not as overrun by day trippers as the Cinque Terre. I don't know the area well, but any good guide book will help you pick a charming town. Look for one that has something to visit if it rains, maybe a castle or an interesting museum.

The CT wouldn't be high on my list, and I wouldn't stay in Milan twice. I'd train from Malpensa to Parma and pick up the car the next morning (unless, of course, that would be a Sunday). Spend the last night (or two) in Milan.

Have you been to Verona? Mantova? Bergamo? Lake Como or Lake Maggiore?

If Verona or Bergamo, I'd drop the car on arrival and train back to Milan. If the others, I'd keep the car, return it at Malpensa and train into Milan for the last night/s.

If you still want to go to the CT, check lodging availability ASAP.

Or train to Parma and then Bologna.

I would go to the Italian Riviera if it wasn't raining. It can be colder and wetter in those other parts of Italy in early October. But it doesn't sound like you want to go. Maybe you and your travel partner need more discussion.

I also suggest that you go from Malpensa to Parma for your first night. But after that, why don't you leave your plans open? Even if you can't find a place last minute in October right in le Cinque Terre, the little towns nearby are very nice. Since you are planning to have a car, visit Lerici instead of Santa Margherita or Rapallo. Lerici is closer to Parma, and I don't think you'd have trouble finding a hotel room there in October.

If you are a last minute planner, don't worry about it. Sometimes that works out better than being locked into reservations. But first figure out if your husband is okay with skipping le Cinque Terre if you want to go someplace else.

Thanks, everyone. I am not by nature a last-minute planner, but this opportunity presented itself and we took it!

It isn't that I don't want to go to CT. Rather, I'm concered that it will be rainy and/or overrun with tourists, and apparently one is supposed to spend 2 or 3 nights there. Given that it's such a short trip, I'm thinking that we ought to go with something easier to visit and less risky.

We have been to the lakes region and did not care for it (compared to other parts of Italy) because of the tourists and the mediocre food. Another Riviera town is a very interesting idea. Any recommendations? We haven't been to Verona or Mantova so I'll take a closer look at those places too.

If the choices are Verona, Mantova, Bergamo, Vicenza, Lerici, and a yet-unidentified Riviera town, which would you pick? Good food and something nice to explore on foot are most important to us.

Thanks for listening to me ramble and thanks again for the help!

I'd go to Verona. It's a nice sized city, but you could also take an easy day trip by train to Padova, Mantova or Sirmione.

Unless you plan to explore much in between points or into the mountains north of Verona, I'd skip the car rental and do it all by train. If you do drive, you'll need an International Driver's Permit and to learn all about ZTLs (Zona Traffico Limitato) that have been established in almost every Italian town.

FWIW, I think you'll find lots of tourists almost everywhere, esp. if the weather is nice (which it probably will be). We usually travel in the second half of October and now find we have to stay away from cities if we don't want to experience large crowds.

I think the others are probably right that Verona and that lot are the best choice, and easy via train. However, if you had your heart set on driving and the coast (and the weather is good), then Lerici and the surrounding area could be nice. I doubt it has anything approaching the crowds of the CT because it is not on the train line, and the season will be winding down. There is fantastic hiking--again, without the crowds of the CT. Also look at Tellaro, a smaller place even more likely to be a place to get away from it all. We had one of the meals of our life at Pescatori in Lerici.

Sorry if it made it sound like I was accusing you of not wanting to go. Are you familiar with the food of the Italian Riviera? It is rather unusual, so even if you go to the best restaurants, you want to make sure you aren't surprised to find there is not a lot of variety. Most all of the restaurants serve pasta with green basil pesto and seafoods (especially mussels and anchovies). I don't think you will find a lot of tourists in Lerici in October. There is also tiny Tellaro right next door to Lerici if you would like a beautiful vilage.

Of all the other places you mentioned, Mantova has the most interesting food, and beautiful sights. From Mantova it is very easy to visit Modena if you've never been, and have a great lunch at Hosteria Giusti.

Verona is very beautiful. From there, food-wise, I would probably take an excursion to Trento before visiting Vicenza or Padova.

If you make reservations you can cancel through a website like booking.com, you don't have to make up your mind right away. You can see what the weather is. You are traveling at a time of year when it can be absolutely pouring in Verona or Mantova, but absolutely sunny on the Italian Riviera (if the food is ok with you).

Just FYI: You actually are not flying into and out of Milan. You're flying into and out of Malpensa, which is about 40 miles away. You may be happier staying elsewhere on at least one of those nights to maximize your time in Italy. You're as close to Como, for example, as you are to Milan when you fly into Malpensa.

Thanks so much everyone! I am so grateful for your help with my (lack of) itinerary.

I like the idea of traveling directly from the airport to Parma and then spending just the last night in Milan. But how does this work? I thought I had to go into Milan and catch a train to Parma (or Verona or wherever) from there. Does that sound right? Or am I better of renting a car at Malpensa and driving to our next destination?

Note: We have driven internationally many times so I'm not worried about that. However, there is something to be said for keeping things simple. What to do?

I have been to Modena and Bologna. We have five nights total so how about this:

Parma
Mantova
Verona
Milan

We can spend 2 nights in one of these places. Which one? Verona? And is this too much for a 6-day trip? Feels like a lot of traveling to me. Maybe 2 nights in Parma, 2 in Verona, one in Milan?

Thanks again!

We enjoyed Malcesine on Lake Garda, north of Sirmione. There is a small castle on the lake to explore, and gondola rides up the mountain that gives a spectacular view. The village is quaint enough, we stayed at the Bellevue San Lorenzo and were very pleased with it, though that was four years ago.

I also confirm Verona as a good option.

Hard to go wrong anywhere in Italy! Enjoy.

If there is any chance that you will have jet lag, I would strongly encourage you to take public transportation for your first night or two. There is mounting evidence that driving with jet lag is just as dangerous -- to yourself and others -- as driving drunk, and nothing you can do will prevent the microsleeps (which you might not even notice) that are the apparent culprit.

For transportation options, you might start with rome2rio.com -- it isn't perfect, and you need to check the options it lists, but it can be a help.

Good luck!