AngyWarhol

Everyone has been very helpful with suggestions. The only other idea my husband and I had was a ten day trip to just the Northern part of Italy. We'd like to see Venice, Parma, Geneo and a few other cities in the region. Has anyone ever taken a nice trip up North? We know we will be returning to Italy throughout our life so we thought maybe it would be a good idea to go region by region each time. We plan to go in May for ten days.

thank you for any suggestions and input!

MyTwoToodles

Good evening! Yes! I just returned in July from a 10 day trip to just Northern Italy! It was fantastic and very beautiful. My 10 day itinerary included flying into Milan, staying a few days in Bellagio, Lake Como, then taking the train to Venice where I stayed a couple of nights, then to Verona for a couple of nights with stops in Treviso and Padua along the way. Very Very Very nice area. I backtracked a bit and then flew out of Venice. I don't regret concentrating on one area (i.e., Northern part). This was my first trip to Italy, so I don't have anything to compare it to..but I can say that Northern Italy was so green and the base of the dolomites/alps were breathtaking. It made me fall in love with the country and a plan for the Tuscany region next summer. Good luck whatever you decide to do!

bobthenavigator

Of course, several times. We are going back for 3 more weeks next month---Venice, Dolomites, and Lago Como. It will be our 15th trip to Italy---a regional approach makes good sense.

cmeyer54

We spent 18 lovely days in northern italy last september. This was our route/itinerary: arrive venice(3 nights)), pick up car and drive to cortina (3 nights), drive across great dolomite road and arrive in bolzano (3 nights), drive down the wine road to Rive del garda (3 nights), drive to Milano via Como/Belliagio (3 nights in Milan), drive to Verona (1 night) and back to Venice for the return flight home. We added milan at the last minute and really enjoyed our time there. Also, added a night in Verona instead of just driving through and staying near the venice airport before our return flight home. Again, it was enough time and we got to listen to the only performance of Romeo and Juliet in their ampitheater by just sitting in the piazza and having some wine that night. Just dumb luck to be there then. In retro spect, we would have spent fewer nights in Bolzano/Merano and added the nights in Bellagio.

Sassafrass

IMO, that is a great approach to Italy. Consider the islands around Venice as well as Padua (painting and sculpture), Vicenza (Palladian Architecture) and Ravenna (Byzantine mosaics) as possible stops, if any of these things interest you.

toni_g_b

We did it this past June/July and it was wonderful. It was a 2 weeks plus road trip flying into Venice, then directly to Padua, Piacenza, Genoa, Turin and Alba, with day trips to towns and villages along the way. The weather was warm but tolerable, the flowers in full bloom, and the food some of the best we've had on our trips to Italy. If you see semolina gnocchi on the menu, order it!!! In Montagnana, it's sauteed in butter and topped with shaved prosciutto.

zeppole

Northern Italy is just as rich in destinations as other parts of Italy, and you could easily spend 10 days in a fraction of it. You have already listed 3 regions you want to see: the Veneto, Emilia-Romagna and Liguria. Do you want to stay in just one region? It's not a bad idea. There is plenty to see.

All the places you mentioned are well connected by trains. In fact, except for Parma, having a car would be a nuisance. Did you want to stick to train travel? You can have a lovely trip doing so (despite what driving-loving Americans believe!)

Genova (near where I live) attracts very few tourists, and therefore has the least tourist-infrastructure and the most industry of all the places you mentioned. Is that OK with you?

toni,

Did you enjoy Piacenza? I've never been and am curious. It's not far from me. Did you go through the scenic areas around Bobbio or were you on the train? (PS: Semolina gnocchi is usually much more common in southern Italy, especially Roma, where it is almost a staple. I agree it is fantastic, and I much prefer it to potato gnocchi).

Priscillotta

Hi, Italian as well.

In northern Italy, I suggest stopping by in Borghetto di Valeggio sul Mincio (www.borghetto.it). It's 20 km south of Peschiera del Garda, on Garda Lake, and 40 km from Mantova which is incredibly beautiful.

PS: Toni, Piacenza non è male, ma è un po' triste, non così bella come tanti altri posti.

toni_g_b

zeppole,

I agree with Priscillotta, for us Piacenza was just okay. I don't regret going but... Given the parking, you had to walk forever to get to the centro storico and then, once there, nothing knocked my socks off. But what was pleasant was an amazing hotel perfectly located for exploring the area. My father's family came from a village southeast of there and then in the other direction was Pavia and the Certosa. Loved Pavia!

And, yes, we did drive down S45 to Bobbio on the way to Genoa. That's a well kept secret but isn't it charming?

AngyWarhol

hi, thank you everyone for the suggestions. i think we are leaning towards this option. Toni, i like your itinerary. Does anyone have any recommendations for the hotels they stayed at? any ones you would return to?

zeppole

will you be driving or taking the train? It's hard to recommend a hotel without knowing.

zeppole

(Tony, I've yet to drive the S45. But I hope to! And I am really eager to go to the Certosa. I think I am going to try to make it this fall if I can, along with at least a cup of coffee in Vigevano. Piacenza is a business city, and they often have good hotels. I'm always thinking of staying there when I have to fly out of Milan.)

AngyWarhol

we're flexible with trains of car. my guess is we will drive though so we have flexibiity on locations. i think we are interested in flying into venice for a few nights and then picking up the car to leave there.

toni_g_b

Without hesitation, I'd recommend Hotel Langhe just outside Alba. It's a mere minutes by car to the centro storico where parking is free and plentiful in the evening; there's a large paid parking garage for day time. The hotel is located in a somewhat modern residential area which was a delight to walk with their floral and vegetable gardens. From there it's an easy shot into the hills beyond. The owner of the hotel is a charmer and leans to the "green"; a kind of not so old hippie. As much as possible all fabrics are natural. From our room we had a view of a vineyard, and a small stream with the loudest frogs ever. (They were silenced once the windows were closed.) The grounds are somewhat unkempt in a natural sort of way. It was wonderful to return after the day exploring and sit under the stars with a grappa. Although there's no restaurant as such, he does have a kitchen to provide drinks and meat plates in the evening. Of all the places we've stayed in Italy, this one place made me misty-eyed when we left.

Hotel Ovest in Piacenza - Amazing if you like very stark contemporary, secure parking, near a neat watering hole Jackie-O's, free internet

Hotel Metropoli in Genoa - great location, pleasant enough room, large bath, lavish breakfast, parking garage nearby

Hotel Belludi 37 - staff as good as they get, wonderful contemporary room in an old buidling, another terrific breakfast, parking but be careful it's right next to a limited traffic zone, great location with most sites walkable, free internet

I'd return to all in a heartbeat - and hope to someday!

AngyWarhol

Toni, thank you so much for the suggestions! this is so helpful! judging from everyone's suggestions i think this is the trip for us. we'd like to do a trip of just wandering and trying the good and not rushing to see every major site in the big cities.

toni_g_b

Oops. I should have told you that the Hotel Belludi 37 is in Padua.
And some towns to check out on the internet before you leave - Montagnana, Mantova, Bobbio, and if you get as far as the Piemonte - Vigevano, Casale Monferrato, La Morra, Dogliani, Cherasco. Each is delightful if only to stroll through the ancient streets, window shop, or sit in a piazza with wine.

cmeyer54

Hotel Europa in Cortina; Hotel Accademia in Verona and Westin Europa in Venice were our favorites; Sheraton Diana in Milan was lovely but away from the city center (within a block of a metro station if you're ok with that as we are/were).

yestravel

We've done 2 3 week trips to NItaly the past 2 springs and loved both of the trips. We also stayed at Hotel Belludi and it was great. Padua is a nice city to visit. U might think about part train and part car rental. The big cities are really a bit of a pain to drive into, but the countryside is lovely and worth exploroing on your own with a car. Other places we enjoyed that u might explore include Asolo and the little villages around it. Mantova was fabulous. In Verona we stayed at Residenza Carducci that was a small 1 bedroom apt for a very reasonable price. In Mantova we stayed at this incredible B&B, Palazzo Arrivabene.

For your flight lookingto flying into Venice and out of maybe Milan so u won't have to backtrack.