Northern Italy
 

Hello! My husband & I are travelling to Northern Italy in October 2019; planning on 10 days; landing in Milan; 3 nights (including Lake Como), then Turin for 2 nights, Portofino, then 2 or 3 nights in Cinque Terre, then leave from Florence. Need suggestions for places to stay.... any "must sees"??
Grazie mille!

My info is getting dated so double-check.

First, I would stay fewer days in Milano and more in Lake Como. Also, you could probably visit Cinque Terre from Portofino by boat. Bad weather affected hiking in Cinque Terre so others can help about conditions.

If you haven't been to Florence already, I would go there also for a couple of days instead.

No special help with hotels, sorry. Have a great time, susiebgood!

It's not clear to me where you're spending each night, but it looks like you're considering 5 or 6 hotels in 10 (or is it 11?) nights. That's at least 2 more than I would want in a relatively short trip. You're also losing sightseeing time while sitting for several hours on trains.

I like Milan more than most people here, but with limited time I'd rather stay at Lake Como. If your trip is in late October, the off-season ferry schedule will limit your sightseeing a bit, so you might need more time there just to get around to all that you want to see/do.

You could have great weather on the coast, or it could be crummy. The boats may or may not be running, but you could also visit Portofino by train from the CT towns.

For hotel suggestions, you need to tell us your budget and which town on Lake Como, which town in the CT, etc.

You going by train? If not should IMO. Most of your trains are regional trains where there is no reason to pre-book because regional trains have a flat fare and no seats can be reserved. So just buy tickets at stations. If taking long-distance trains in Italy pre-booking early for discounts is advised. Check www.trenitalia.com for schedules and if IC train or above may get some discount by booking early but then you are pegged into a certain trains and can't change nor refund it I believe. Just buy your tickets as you go along IMO. For lots on trains check www.seat61.com; BETS-European Rail Experts and www.ricksteves.com.

Thanks! I was thinking 2-3 nights Milan /day trip to Lake Como (also may stay the 3rd night in LC); then go by train to Turin for 2 nights; then head to Cinque Terre, seeing Portofino on the way; would like to stay 2 nights in CT , just to relax and explore. Was thinking it more practical to leave from Florence; we've been there before, so 2 nights tops....so everything is by train and thinking of leaving the States around October 10th.

One other possibility is to go to Turin first. Again, double-check but I think you can take a bus right from the airport. Then take the train back to MIlano, then to Como (Varenna-esino?). Just a thought.

Have a great time and please report back about how it all went.

Do you know what you want to see/do in Milan and at Lake Como? Perhaps your other waterside destinations are a higher priority, but a day trip to Lake Como won't give you time to see much. The more popular sights on Lake Como are concentrated in the mid-lake area (generally, Varenna/Bellagio/Menaggio), but your movement between them can't be any faster than the ferry schedules allow. Your return to Milan is dictated by the train schedules. The ferries will still be on summer timetables, although the website is currently showing the spring timetables.

Navigazione Laghi | Lago Maggiore | Lago di Garda | Lago di Como
[Click on Timetable pdf 'Open' to list of ferries, and then click on individual routes.]

http://www.navigazionelaghi.it/doc/p...mpleto_ING.pdf

"Seeing Portofino on the way..." You'll have luggage, so you'll have to investigate what, if any, luggage storage options there are.

Personally, I love Como and think Milan is okay. Just me (and others we traveled with the last time to the area) , but I'd spend more at Como.

Personally, I adore Milano and could easily bypass Como. Everyone's different.

Personally I've adored each of those and would not be able to have the chose between one and the other but some like nature more and others large cities - especially shoppers in Milan, which also has one of the few Starbucks Emporiums (or whatever these extravagant stores are called) in the world - if in Milan may want to check it out.

October? I have two words for you ... White Truffles. Stay in Piemonte in the cute town of La Morra ... Rocche Castamagna ... Room 4 (beautiful view from your terrace). Free wine tour and tasting (RC has their own vineyard) . Great views from terrace over the vineyards and, if lucky, the Alps. Even I felt romantic (at least before the other couples (our friends) who were staying there joined us for wine time each evening). Piemonte blows the Cinque Terre away, in my opinion (I'm also lukewarm on Como). For dinner, I highly recommend Bovio in La Morra (second link below). Check out Chapters Ten - Fourteen from my trip report (lots of photos). We also visited Milan and Bologna before (both great cities) and wonderful Torino after La Morra (the film museum there is second to none).

https://travelswithmaitaitom.com/italy-2018/

https://travelswithmaitaitom.com/cha...t-of-the-year/

View from Rocche Costamagna terrace in La Morra.

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...bf9b0837bc.jpg