We are flying into and out of Milan for 11 days at the end of September. We've already been to Florence, Venice and Rome. What are some other Italian or Swiss cities we should consider?

Just north of Milan is great hilltown called BERGAMO complete with a citywall etc, we actually have stayed there one time when we couldn't find a good reasonable hotel in Milan at the last minute.

Everyone drives to Lake Como from Milan and visit BELLAGIO and probably take the car ferry to Villa Balbinielo, Villa Carlotta, Cernobio, Cadennabia, Como etc. Mark Twain was very impressed by Lake Como but uttered that Lake Tahoe is more beautiful,but I really think otherwise.

The other lake is Maggiore where we enjoyed staying in STRESSA and spending the day hopping to the towns and italian villas. Hemingway wrote his novel The Sun Also Rises in Stressa. Nearby is Lake Orta with it's island in the center.

Just south of Milan is Pavia with its famous Certosa Pavia. I've never been to TORINO west of Milan which is supposed to be a real gem.

On your previous visit(s) to Florence, did you see any of Tuscany/Chianti?

I meant to add that Milan itself has many sights. You could spend a day there at the beginning or end of your trip.

We were on a Globus bus trip, so we mainly just went to the cities, such as Sienna and Assisi.

We loved Lugano. There are lovely villages and great hiking nearby.

It's also worth it to head up into the Bregaglia Valley of Switzerland for stunning Alpine scenery.

You could always continue on to Lucerne which is well worth a visit.

Thank you all for the help and advice.

I just wanted to add some personal info. My wife and I are both in our 50's. Our children are grown, so we will be traveling alone. We like museums, and the usual tourist destinations, but we also enjoy the local elements. We are not renting a car, so we'll probably doing most of our travel by Train, ferry, bus etc. While Swiss destinations look the most promising from Milan, we are open to other claose destinations.

Thanks again for taking the time to give us advice.

I think if you're flying in/out of Milan and have just 11 days, I wouldn't spend time trying to see much of Switzerland. But if Switzerland is high on your wish list, then I'd suggest immediately flying from Milan to Zurich or Geneva and then working your way back to Milan.

I agree with the recommendations of Bergamo, mid-Lake Como and Stressa (if you want more of the lakes). Torino is also a reasonable distance and has lots to offer. Verona, Piacenza, Parma are all close with good train connections.

There are many other options by train, but first you need to decide what general direction you want to head in. So, what sounds good to you?

We were looking at Bern, but you're probably right on staying in Italy. Have you ever been to Bern? Is it worth the trip?

I like Bern but seem to be in the minority. (There have been a few threads on this. You might type "Bern" in the search box above and read a few.) Anyway, if you're going that far into Switzerland, you should have an itinerary that involves more than Bern.

Are you using FF miles? Is that why you're flying in/out of Milan but thinking about Switzerland?

Yes, we are using FF miles. That is why we're going into Milan. However we've really enjoyed Italy, when we went there in the past. We are excited about the Lakes area, I've heard that Lake Garda is the nicest of the lakes and we're excited about Cinque Terre.

Thanks for the information on Bern.

Bern wouldn't be my first choice of a swiss city but it does have some nice architecture with cobblestoned streets plus it does have a direct CISALPINO train connection with Milan(3 hour ride). It will provide a stark contrast to the Italian lake towns & cities.

I've been to all 4 northern italian lakes, I would say the most stunning is Lake Como, and second would be L. Maggiorre then L.Garda. The unique Y shaped Lake Como in good weather can stun you with a really magical panorama. Magiorre has the beautiful Borromee islands plus tons of charming lakeside towns. Most of the lakes will be better appreciated if you have a car so you can drive along the coastline to enjoy the view.

I have to respectfully disagree with DAX. I think you'll be just fine without a car. Ferries are a fine way to get around Lake Como. The views are stunning from the shore, from the lake, from wherever you are at any given point. I wouldn't worry about not having a car. And there are buses that travel the perimeter of the lake as well.