Milan in November -- best ideas for day trips
 

I will be in Milan for 6 days in early November and would like to do a few day trips by train. What are the best/most interesting places to visit during that time of the year.

Bologna and Verona jump to the top of the list for me. It you get a sunny day and are willing to bundle up, Lago di Como is a beautiful place to eat lunch, provided you understand services can be limited in that area in the off season.

If you get a rainy day, Bologna has covered streets, and you can enjoy a lot of the city (and its warming pastas) despite poor weather.

Although Torino is further away by train, if you have certain specific interests -- movies, modern art, cars, chocolate, Egypt -- it's highly rewarding and a very fun city to visit.

The obvious daytrip from Milan is Lago Maggiore with the Borromean islands. It is a little more than an hour from Milano to Baveno where you can board a boat which brings you to Isola Bella in ten minutes. Boats will be operating in November, however weather should not be too bad to enjoy the boat ride and the visit.

Another option would be driving the coastal road along Lake Como to Villa Carlotta (about 1:30 from Milano including a scenic drive). From there you can take the boat for a short ride across the lake to Bellagio, provided the weather is not too bad.

Another option which works even if the weather is not good maybe exploring the piemonte. It will be truffle season! Check out Alba (truffle market), Asti and Barolo Castle.

Aargh! I see you want to go by train. In this case:

- Lago Maggiore is easily doable by train to Baveno which takes 1:21 from Rho-Fiera Milano.

- Lake Como: Train to Como (0:36), then boat to Villa Carlotta.

- Piemont: no good train connection. You may ride to Torino (0:38 from Rho-Fiera).

Sandra,
Please remove that link you have that allows you to read my mind please.

Just a footnote : museum of Egypt in Torino was closed for renovation when I was there (june ?) - only a few (beautiful) statues remained for see. Do check reopening time to avoid being disappointed.

mvg

If you are going to Lago Maggiore, you might as well get off the train at Stresa rather than go to Baveno to catch a boat to the islands. To me it would be a less rewarding day trip than the ones I've mentioned, and therefore not the obvious choice at all. It is also a longer trip on the train to Lago Maggiore than to Bologna or Verona.

Also, if you decide to go to Lago di Como, taking the train to Como and then a ferry might be quite cold, even if it is sunny. The ferry ride would mean quite a long time being on the water. For an alternative, take the train from Milano Centrale to Varenna, which lands you right at the most beautiful part of the lake. it is worthwhile to take the short ferry ride from there to Bellagio, but you won't be on a freezing boat for very long.

There are plenty of good train connections from Milano to Torino if you want to go (and of course to Bologna and Verona too).

A few comments on the previous entries before my own.

The weather is an important factor. Be flexible and choose your destination accordingly. Sandralist says bundle up for Como - if there is fog and cold Bologna can be far worse.

Villa Carlotta - what is in flower in November? Not the best of months and I haven't eeven checked the opening times.

Lago Maggiore - agree with Sandralist. Stresa better than Baveno.

Sandralist - off season? Living in Como I have to say that some services are better outside of the tourist months!

Milan offers much apart. Consider the exhibition at the Palazzo Reale on Giotto from 09.02.15 to 01.10.16

Having time consider some of the lesser cities which are easily reached from Milan such as Parma and Mantova (Mantua). Both are small enough to allow visting all important sites on foot. Both have world famous reputations for foodies.

Recommend you consider Vicenza, a little past Verona. Very nice city with lots of things to see and do to fill a day.

Regarding Lago di Como "services" in November, I was looking for a word that would cover a variety of tourist amenities -- like restaurants, shops, gelaterie, ferry schedules, garden opening hours -- to signal that some places might not be open or running at full tilt, just so the traveler doesn't assume that everything will be the same as if it were mid-summer. Some things might be unavailable, some places not open.

I suspect anybody going to Milan in November is packing clothes warm enough for an excursion to either Lago di Como or Bologna. By saying "bundle up" for Lago di Como, I was thinking that one spends a lot more time outdoors visiting Lago di Como, and most opt for at least one very breezy ferry ride, so making sure one has a hat and scarf and that sort of protection becomes mandatory for comfort. It's true that Bologna's shady stone covered streets block the sun, and it can feel like a refrigerator in cold weather, and the wind can run through the portici. Foggy Mantova can get frigid too. Whatever day trip you choose, even if you set out on a sunny day, be sure to take along the gloves and hat. Train platforms can be pretty cold places to hang out on too!

I understand what sandralist was trying to say but ferry schedules, garden opening hours - perhaps in the summer there are ferry services which take into consideration tourists but at other times of the year the services take into account students, commuters and others. Many prefer the ferry to the bus - no queues and no parking problems.

Garden opening hours - frankly not an issue in November.

Breezy ferry - most at ths time of year would take the aliscafo and would be inside so this would not be an issue.

As I said - check the weather forecast and adapt your schedule accordingly.

Well, like I said -- some things will be shut on Lago di Como in November! That's what I mean by limited services. Most tourists are not going to take a long ferry ride if it means sitting inside the whole time, and if they do want to go up on the decks for the views, best to be dressed warmly. And would only advise an excursion to the lakes in November on a certifiably sunny day, per my first post on the subject.

sandralist - well not quite. Frankly who wants to take the long - very long - ferry service. The aliscafo is always inside.

If you want a slow return to Como take a bus - preferably the ASF C10 route - http://www.asfautolinee.it/Lineeeora...S/Default.aspx

You don't indicate any interests. If Ferrari and the history of Italian car racing is one of them, you could train in about 1:40 hours to Modena. The Enzo Ferrari Museum is within walking distance of the train station, and the historical center of the town is just a bit farther.

Some trains to Florence also take about 1:40 hours, and the historical center is within walking distance of the main train station.

Bologna,franciacorta area,panettone tour and campari tour,cheese tour all daily trip from Milano...and is areal unforgettable experience
Stefnao

While day trips are great, I hope you are not short-changing Milan itself. We're in Milan now and having a fabulous time. We chose to base ourselves away from the crowded and overly touristy Duomo neighborhood. We chose to stay in a more residential area and it' been delightful just walking around, enjoying the vibrant scene, stopping at cafes whenever we feel like it. The food has been great, too. We did head over to the Duomo area today for lunch at La Rinascente's fun restaurant directly overlooking the cathedral. They do a great club sandwich. We also stocked up on Illy coffee capsules for our espresso machine (also Illy) and Nesti Dante soaps.

We plan to come back to Milan next year for a week and stay in the same area.