Planning an 8 day trip to Northern Italy end of April. Must sees are ancestral towns: one near Susa in Peidmont, northwest of Torino; and the other, Tenno, just north of Lake Garda. Would like to visit Lake Como & Venice. Will be renting a vehicle in Milan (I understand they are very expensive!) Any suggestions on how to lay out my itinerary & nearby must see places? <BR>Barb

Barb, <BR> <BR>It sounds like you have already more than filled up your 8 days. Your wish list is do-able (although franticly paced), just keep in mind that you will spend a great deal of time in the car. <BR> <BR>I would start in Susa and work my way east. This will give you: Susa; then 148 miles to Bellagio on on Lake Como; 100 mi to Limone sul Garda(which I recommend for its charm and its proximity to Tenno) and finally 164 mi to Venice. I would drop the car off in Venice and take the train or fly back to Milan after your stay there. <BR> <BR>I like to plan my route on the Michelin website: <BR> <BR>http://www.michelin-travel.com/eng/sommaire.cgi <BR> <BR>Since I don't know what your priorities are, I won't try to tell you how to budget your time. I can say that I would personally delete one location and spend the extra day or two in the others, especially if your "8" days is really 7 nights; otherwise, I like to spend a minimun of 2 nights in any one location so as to not be moving everyday. Whatever you decide, have a great time.

Thank you for the information, the Michelin website will be especially helpful, especially being a first time European traveler!

Barb, <BR> <BR>I forgot to mention, if you stay in Bellagio, be sure to take the ferry south towards the town of Como to see the villa-lined shore. For a splurge, have lunch at the Hotel Villa Este at Cernobbio. <BR> <BR>Be sure to drive up the west side of Lake Garda on the way to Tenno and down the east side on the way to Venice, in order to get the views in both directions. <BR> <BR>If you stay in Limone, take the ferry across the lake to Malcésine. There you will find a small castle worth exploring and a "funuvia" cable car up to Monte Baldo. From there you will have amazing views up and down the lake, as well as the mountains beyond. <BR> <BR>On your way to Venice, stop at Punto San Vigilio on the east shore of Lake Garda for the view, and if it is lunchtime, another splurge at the Hotel San Vigilio. Although it was rather expensive for lunch, it was the best meal of the trip. We were terribly underdressed, but we had no problems. <BR> <BR>Have fun!

Barb, Russ has given you excellent advice and I concur. One small exception is that I prefer Riva del Garda to Limone as base for Garda but they are very close and it makes little difference. Have fun--I love this area.