Northern Italy in Octobe
Jun 15th, 2014, 07:14 AM
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Northern Italy in Octobe
Hello friends,
My husband and I are headed to Italy this October, 2014. We leave October 9 and return on October 26. This is our second trip to Italy - he proposed there 3 years ago, and at that time we went to Venice, Rome, Florence, Siena, San Gimignano, and the Amalfi Coast. This time, we would like to see the Lakes region and the Ligurian coast/Cinque Terre. I'm considering going to the Dolomites and going back to Tuscany, also, if time permits. We are in our early thirties, enjoy wandering, eating, and soaking in our surroundings. We generally travel at a slower pace and enjoy nicer accommodations. We are celebrating the completion of my medical residency, and our budget is pretty open. We will gladly splurge on places you all deem worthwhile. I've put together an itinerary but don't really think it's manageable. I wanted to know what you think I should take away or add to make this less frantic. The big problem I see with this itinerary is the abundance of two-night stays. I'd like to consolidate this to make for less checking in and checking out with day-trips instead, but am afraid I'm not familiar enough with the region to know how to do this. Of note, we were thinking of flying into Milan and out of Florence to avoid back-tracking. Thank you in advance for your help!
THURSDAY, 10/9: Fly USA to Milan (Overnight)
FRIDAY,10/10: Arrive in Milan 9am
SATURDAY, 10/11: Milan
SUNDAY, 10/12: Leave for Lake Como/Maggiore (sleep in Bellagio? Varenna? Stresa?)
MONDAY, 10/13: Lake Como/Maggiore
TUESDAY, 10/14: Lake Como/Maggiore
WEDNESDAY, 10/15: Lake Como/Maggiore
THURSDAY, 10/16: Leave for Dolomites (via Verona, sleep Castelrotto/Bolzano?)
FRIDAY, 10/17: Dolomites
SATURDAY, 10/18: Leave for Cinque Terre (sleep S. Margherita/Portovenere/Portofino?)
SUNDAY,10/19: Cinque Terre
MONDAY, 10/20: Leave for Bologna (sleep Bologna)
TUESDAY, 10/21: Bologna (day trip Modena/Parma?)
WEDNESDAY, 10/22: Leave for Tuscany (stay in Chianti? Pienza? Lucca?)
THURSDAY, 10/23:Tuscany
FRIDAY, 10/24: Leave for Florence (sleep in Florence)
SATURDAY, 10/25: Florence
SUNDAY, 10/26: Fly back to USA
My husband and I are headed to Italy this October, 2014. We leave October 9 and return on October 26. This is our second trip to Italy - he proposed there 3 years ago, and at that time we went to Venice, Rome, Florence, Siena, San Gimignano, and the Amalfi Coast. This time, we would like to see the Lakes region and the Ligurian coast/Cinque Terre. I'm considering going to the Dolomites and going back to Tuscany, also, if time permits. We are in our early thirties, enjoy wandering, eating, and soaking in our surroundings. We generally travel at a slower pace and enjoy nicer accommodations. We are celebrating the completion of my medical residency, and our budget is pretty open. We will gladly splurge on places you all deem worthwhile. I've put together an itinerary but don't really think it's manageable. I wanted to know what you think I should take away or add to make this less frantic. The big problem I see with this itinerary is the abundance of two-night stays. I'd like to consolidate this to make for less checking in and checking out with day-trips instead, but am afraid I'm not familiar enough with the region to know how to do this. Of note, we were thinking of flying into Milan and out of Florence to avoid back-tracking. Thank you in advance for your help!
THURSDAY, 10/9: Fly USA to Milan (Overnight)
FRIDAY,10/10: Arrive in Milan 9am
SATURDAY, 10/11: Milan
SUNDAY, 10/12: Leave for Lake Como/Maggiore (sleep in Bellagio? Varenna? Stresa?)
MONDAY, 10/13: Lake Como/Maggiore
TUESDAY, 10/14: Lake Como/Maggiore
WEDNESDAY, 10/15: Lake Como/Maggiore
THURSDAY, 10/16: Leave for Dolomites (via Verona, sleep Castelrotto/Bolzano?)
FRIDAY, 10/17: Dolomites
SATURDAY, 10/18: Leave for Cinque Terre (sleep S. Margherita/Portovenere/Portofino?)
SUNDAY,10/19: Cinque Terre
MONDAY, 10/20: Leave for Bologna (sleep Bologna)
TUESDAY, 10/21: Bologna (day trip Modena/Parma?)
WEDNESDAY, 10/22: Leave for Tuscany (stay in Chianti? Pienza? Lucca?)
THURSDAY, 10/23:Tuscany
FRIDAY, 10/24: Leave for Florence (sleep in Florence)
SATURDAY, 10/25: Florence
SUNDAY, 10/26: Fly back to USA
Jun 15th, 2014, 07:28 AM
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Frantic is right! Remember that when you spend two nights somewhere, you have just one full day. I'd say cut half of your destinations and work with what is left. You have 16 days, I'd suggest that 4 destinations is the right number. That allows for four nights - three full days at each destination.
Jun 15th, 2014, 07:52 AM
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Hard to give advice without knowing what your priorities are other than to have a good time. For instance, how much do you want to do in Milan? Might make more sense to land in Milan and get a car transfer right to the lakes.
Since you are a doctor, you might not want to skip Bologna, but then I would give yourselves more time to actually track down what makes Bologna interesting to a doctor.
October is not optimal for either le Cinque Terre or the Dolomiti, especially if you are spending only a day there. If it rains, you are totally out of luck with nothing to do or see. If there is one place I would consider cutting out entirely on this trip, that would be it.
Whether you stay in a rural Tuscan village in the Chianti or a small art city like Lucca depends on whether you are willing to rent a car. (Pienza is too far south). You might consider simply staying in Florence and doing a day trip based on weather considerations and your energy. If you have splurge money, hiring a driver to take you to wineries in the Chianti might be nice on a beautiful day.
So this is what I might do:
Fly to Milan, car transfer to Lago di Como
train to Bologna -- day trips, but also see the medical university sights of Bologna
Florence -- day trips of choice
back to Milan to fly home if there is some sightseeing you want to do there.
Since you are a doctor, you might not want to skip Bologna, but then I would give yourselves more time to actually track down what makes Bologna interesting to a doctor.
October is not optimal for either le Cinque Terre or the Dolomiti, especially if you are spending only a day there. If it rains, you are totally out of luck with nothing to do or see. If there is one place I would consider cutting out entirely on this trip, that would be it.
Whether you stay in a rural Tuscan village in the Chianti or a small art city like Lucca depends on whether you are willing to rent a car. (Pienza is too far south). You might consider simply staying in Florence and doing a day trip based on weather considerations and your energy. If you have splurge money, hiring a driver to take you to wineries in the Chianti might be nice on a beautiful day.
So this is what I might do:
Fly to Milan, car transfer to Lago di Como
train to Bologna -- day trips, but also see the medical university sights of Bologna
Florence -- day trips of choice
back to Milan to fly home if there is some sightseeing you want to do there.
Jun 15th, 2014, 07:52 AM
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Draw this on a map. You are crisscrossing Northern Italy.
Can you do a more circular route?
Since you've been to Tuscany, maybe skip it this trip. You seem like the types who will come back.
And I'm sorry to say that I would hedge my weather bets by going south and not north in October.
Can you do a more circular route?
Since you've been to Tuscany, maybe skip it this trip. You seem like the types who will come back.
And I'm sorry to say that I would hedge my weather bets by going south and not north in October.
Jun 15th, 2014, 07:53 AM
#5
hi, SJD,
I also see quite a lot of dodging about, which I think that you are already aware of. IMO, the most sensible airport for you to fly into would be Venice - you could then head straight up into the Dolomites [if you don't want a night or two in Venice] and drop down into the Lakes, head south to Bologna, head over to Liguria/CT and end in Milan.
this works best if you are prepared to concentrate on Lake Garda. if you are more interested in Como and Maggiore, you could do the Lakes, the Dolomites, Bologna and the CT. IMO to try to fit Florence and Tuscany into this will be to spread yourselves too thin; it cuts them out but gives you longer in the places that you haven't seen yet.
I also see quite a lot of dodging about, which I think that you are already aware of. IMO, the most sensible airport for you to fly into would be Venice - you could then head straight up into the Dolomites [if you don't want a night or two in Venice] and drop down into the Lakes, head south to Bologna, head over to Liguria/CT and end in Milan.
this works best if you are prepared to concentrate on Lake Garda. if you are more interested in Como and Maggiore, you could do the Lakes, the Dolomites, Bologna and the CT. IMO to try to fit Florence and Tuscany into this will be to spread yourselves too thin; it cuts them out but gives you longer in the places that you haven't seen yet.
Jun 15th, 2014, 09:14 AM
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We were in the Dolomites the first week if October last year and it was the end of season...half the lifts and restaurants were already shut. Mid-Oct will be very queit and you may not be able to use many if any lifts...
Jun 15th, 2014, 09:21 AM
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Thank you all for your speedy replies. I had a feeling I was going to cut out Tuscany, especially since we've been there before.
So let me give you some priorities, readjusted based on the comments above. I love large cities, so I don't want to skip Milan altogether - I'm into the fashion and arts scene and wanted to spend two nights there. Lake Como is a priority, and we were hoping to spend several days exploring with day-trips to the surrounding areas. I'm ambivalent about the Dolomites now that you mention that the weather may limit our enjoyment, so I'll take this out. Seeing the university in Bologna would be amazing given my love for medicine, and I've heard the food there is incredible (as in all of Italy, it seems), so I'll put in extra time here. Eliminating Tuscany and the Dolomites leaves me with a looser plan.
Milan 2 nights
Lake Como/Maggiore 4 nights
Bologna 4 nights
At this point, I have six nights remaining. You all mention that the weather in the Cinque Terre can be pretty iffy in October. I had been really looking forward to this, but would hate to be stuck indoors. Would you all recommend skipping it altogether this trip? Any recommendations on what cities/region to replace this with based on weather/past experience?
Tuscanlifeedit, sadly, I think you're right about the south being preferable in October. If I can't come up with a good plan, I may have to reconsider...
So let me give you some priorities, readjusted based on the comments above. I love large cities, so I don't want to skip Milan altogether - I'm into the fashion and arts scene and wanted to spend two nights there. Lake Como is a priority, and we were hoping to spend several days exploring with day-trips to the surrounding areas. I'm ambivalent about the Dolomites now that you mention that the weather may limit our enjoyment, so I'll take this out. Seeing the university in Bologna would be amazing given my love for medicine, and I've heard the food there is incredible (as in all of Italy, it seems), so I'll put in extra time here. Eliminating Tuscany and the Dolomites leaves me with a looser plan.
Milan 2 nights
Lake Como/Maggiore 4 nights
Bologna 4 nights
At this point, I have six nights remaining. You all mention that the weather in the Cinque Terre can be pretty iffy in October. I had been really looking forward to this, but would hate to be stuck indoors. Would you all recommend skipping it altogether this trip? Any recommendations on what cities/region to replace this with based on weather/past experience?
Tuscanlifeedit, sadly, I think you're right about the south being preferable in October. If I can't come up with a good plan, I may have to reconsider...
Jun 15th, 2014, 11:24 AM
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If you have the energy to do this, then this might work better for October, even though it involves transiting through the Milan station so many times you'll be an expert on it before your trip is over.
Fly to Milan but immediately take the train to the Italian Riviera, for 3 or 4 nights.
Train to Lago di Como 3 nights
Train to Bologna, 4 nights (try very hard to include a day trip to Ravenna)
Train to Milan 3 nights
Train to Stresa on Lago Maggiore, 1 or 2 nights, and leave from there (by airport bus) for the flight home.
If you really wanted to see Florence again you could do it as a day trip from Bologna.
Some people cannot travel unless they are going in a loop, but this would actually let you see most of your priorities for this trip, and put your scenic destinations up front when you have the best chance for nice weather, and keep you there long enough you are likely to get at least one sunny day. Personally, I would pick the Camogli-Portofino-Santa Margherita Ligure area over le Cinque Terre, because there is a bit more to do around there if it rains, but you can visit le Cinque Terre by train from there (and go for hikes in the immediate area if that's what you like to do).
Fly to Milan but immediately take the train to the Italian Riviera, for 3 or 4 nights.
Train to Lago di Como 3 nights
Train to Bologna, 4 nights (try very hard to include a day trip to Ravenna)
Train to Milan 3 nights
Train to Stresa on Lago Maggiore, 1 or 2 nights, and leave from there (by airport bus) for the flight home.
If you really wanted to see Florence again you could do it as a day trip from Bologna.
Some people cannot travel unless they are going in a loop, but this would actually let you see most of your priorities for this trip, and put your scenic destinations up front when you have the best chance for nice weather, and keep you there long enough you are likely to get at least one sunny day. Personally, I would pick the Camogli-Portofino-Santa Margherita Ligure area over le Cinque Terre, because there is a bit more to do around there if it rains, but you can visit le Cinque Terre by train from there (and go for hikes in the immediate area if that's what you like to do).
Jun 15th, 2014, 11:31 AM
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Just to be clear: Your chances of getting lovely weather in early Oct in the Riviera are pretty high, and it would be unusual to get 3 or 4 days of solid rain that early. The higher risk is one or 2 days. Plus, if you stay a bit closer to Genoa, you will find more things to do in the event of rain than if you park yourself in a village in le Cinque Terre. The big yacht show is in Genova at that time of year, and while I doubt you want to go, it is an indication that the weather is historically favorable at that time of year.
Lago di Como can get chilly quite early in October, especially at night, but things will still be open, and Lago di Como can even be pretty in the rain, so long as it is not a downpour. And it could be quite sunny. Plus, it is close to Milan and Como (the town) should be of some interest to you as a shopper, so if you are determined to go to a lake, that might be the best one in the first half of October. You can also enjoy the gardens in the rain and a splurge lunch somewhere with a fireplace if it's damp.
Lago di Como can get chilly quite early in October, especially at night, but things will still be open, and Lago di Como can even be pretty in the rain, so long as it is not a downpour. And it could be quite sunny. Plus, it is close to Milan and Como (the town) should be of some interest to you as a shopper, so if you are determined to go to a lake, that might be the best one in the first half of October. You can also enjoy the gardens in the rain and a splurge lunch somewhere with a fireplace if it's damp.
Jun 15th, 2014, 12:00 PM
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In October the weather can be fine or really bad everywhere in Northern Italy, around the Lakes too.
There is a lot to do and to see on Lake Maggiore, just a few miles from MXP airport. It might be a good idea to relax there the first day after a overnight flight.
A logical itinerary by public transport could then be:
Stresa - Milan - Verona - Bolzano/Bozen etc. - overnight train (sleeping car) Bolzano dp 21.30 - Roma Termini 6.00, change trains, dp 7.28 - Orvieto ar 8.43 - Chiusi (Etruscan tombs and museum) ar 9.08 - Montepulciano ar 9.29 - Siena ar 10.35 etc. - Florence - Bologna - Modena - Parma - La Spezia - Monterosso/5Terre - Genoa - Turin or Milan - MXP.
In mid October, the season in the Italian Alps is over: all villages can be reached by public transport, but many cableways etc. will not run any longer.
For a perfect alpine infrastructure (nothing closed), the German speaking part of the Swiss Canton of Valais (1 hr by train from Lake Maggiore) or the Swiss Engadine Valley (3 hrs by train and bus from Lake Como) might be a better solution.
There is a lot to do and to see on Lake Maggiore, just a few miles from MXP airport. It might be a good idea to relax there the first day after a overnight flight.
A logical itinerary by public transport could then be:
Stresa - Milan - Verona - Bolzano/Bozen etc. - overnight train (sleeping car) Bolzano dp 21.30 - Roma Termini 6.00, change trains, dp 7.28 - Orvieto ar 8.43 - Chiusi (Etruscan tombs and museum) ar 9.08 - Montepulciano ar 9.29 - Siena ar 10.35 etc. - Florence - Bologna - Modena - Parma - La Spezia - Monterosso/5Terre - Genoa - Turin or Milan - MXP.
In mid October, the season in the Italian Alps is over: all villages can be reached by public transport, but many cableways etc. will not run any longer.
For a perfect alpine infrastructure (nothing closed), the German speaking part of the Swiss Canton of Valais (1 hr by train from Lake Maggiore) or the Swiss Engadine Valley (3 hrs by train and bus from Lake Como) might be a better solution.
Jun 15th, 2014, 12:30 PM
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Sandralist, I appreciate you putting that plan together for me. It actually sounds just perfect. We're young and sprightly, so I think we'll be able to manage the back-and-forth 
I really like the adjustments that allow for the best chances of good weather. I will certainly plan for a day trip to Ravenna, as it keeps popping up as a "must." Do you have any specific lodging/town recommendations within the Camogli-Portofino-Santa Margherita Ligure area? I'll plan for four nights in that area and if we get a rainy day or two, we'll be fine. Another question - I see you've placed two nights in Stresa - would you consider adding those two to the Bologna portion so as to see more of the surrounding areas, or do you think Stresa is worthwhile? I know the two are very different, but I was just wondering what your personal opinion might be.
Neckervd, your itinerary does make much more sense than my initial, but I've decided to save the Dolomites for our next trip. Thank you!
I really like the adjustments that allow for the best chances of good weather. I will certainly plan for a day trip to Ravenna, as it keeps popping up as a "must." Do you have any specific lodging/town recommendations within the Camogli-Portofino-Santa Margherita Ligure area? I'll plan for four nights in that area and if we get a rainy day or two, we'll be fine. Another question - I see you've placed two nights in Stresa - would you consider adding those two to the Bologna portion so as to see more of the surrounding areas, or do you think Stresa is worthwhile? I know the two are very different, but I was just wondering what your personal opinion might be.Neckervd, your itinerary does make much more sense than my initial, but I've decided to save the Dolomites for our next trip. Thank you!
Jun 15th, 2014, 12:58 PM
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Regarding the Riviera, you should read up a bit on Camogli and Santa Margherita Ligure and see which one appeals to you more. (Portofino has no train station and it is absurdly small and expensive anyway, but you might want to hike in the park there.) Since you like a bit of buzz, you should also consider Rapallo. All these towns are slightly different in size and feeling, even though they are only 10 minutes apart (or less) by train Then look at booking.com for the town you picked and see what hotel or b&b fits your budget and availability.
I only added Stresa because you had mentioned Lago Maggiore in your revised itinerary, alongside Como. If it is not a priority for you to see it -- and the end of October is not optimal weather wise -- then you might want to spend time other places instead. It takes about the same time to get to Malpensa airport from Stresa as it does from Milan, so it can be a nice place to dip into if you need to transit through Malpensa, but it is hardly a must see in October.
There is lots to see in the vicinity of Bologna -- Ferrara, Parma, Ravenna, Florence, Modena and I like the city. So adding time there would make sense. But something that might also work for you if you are willing to do one more hotel switch is to spend a night in Ravenna after Bologna, and then go to Milan. From Ravenna, it is about 2 hours to Milan. It is slightly more comfortable to spend the night to see all the sights in Ravenna (including one church of beautiful mosaics slightly out of town) rather than do it as a day trip. But plenty of people are happy with a day trip and would prefer not to switch hotels for just a night.
By the way, Milano Centrale is a beautiful train station and one of the easiest ones to get around in all of Italy. Just make sure you have coins for the bathrooms.
I only added Stresa because you had mentioned Lago Maggiore in your revised itinerary, alongside Como. If it is not a priority for you to see it -- and the end of October is not optimal weather wise -- then you might want to spend time other places instead. It takes about the same time to get to Malpensa airport from Stresa as it does from Milan, so it can be a nice place to dip into if you need to transit through Malpensa, but it is hardly a must see in October.
There is lots to see in the vicinity of Bologna -- Ferrara, Parma, Ravenna, Florence, Modena and I like the city. So adding time there would make sense. But something that might also work for you if you are willing to do one more hotel switch is to spend a night in Ravenna after Bologna, and then go to Milan. From Ravenna, it is about 2 hours to Milan. It is slightly more comfortable to spend the night to see all the sights in Ravenna (including one church of beautiful mosaics slightly out of town) rather than do it as a day trip. But plenty of people are happy with a day trip and would prefer not to switch hotels for just a night.
By the way, Milano Centrale is a beautiful train station and one of the easiest ones to get around in all of Italy. Just make sure you have coins for the bathrooms.
Jun 15th, 2014, 01:32 PM
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I think I'll take your advice and add a night to Ravenna. I'll scratch Stresa and plan to see it another time.
4 nights Italian Riviera (I'll do my research to find the town that best fits our taste)
4 nights Como
4 nights Bologna & vicinity
1 night Ravenna
3 nights Milan
Do you recommend renting a car for the day trips from Bologna?
4 nights Italian Riviera (I'll do my research to find the town that best fits our taste)
4 nights Como
4 nights Bologna & vicinity
1 night Ravenna
3 nights Milan
Do you recommend renting a car for the day trips from Bologna?
Jun 22nd, 2014, 02:00 PM
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During one of your days in Bologna, I highly recommend the Italian Days Food Experience Tour. (http://www.italiandays.it/)
We did this last July and the day spent with Alessandro tasting Parmiggiano Reggiano, Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena, and Prosciutto di Modena was worth every penny. And the "light" lunch served after the tour will be all you need to eat and drink for the rest of the day, maybe the rest of the week! Enjoy.
We did this last July and the day spent with Alessandro tasting Parmiggiano Reggiano, Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena, and Prosciutto di Modena was worth every penny. And the "light" lunch served after the tour will be all you need to eat and drink for the rest of the day, maybe the rest of the week! Enjoy.
Jun 22nd, 2014, 02:31 PM
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I wouldn't recommend renting a car for day trips around Bologna -- which is probably the single best train hub in all of Italy. Almost any place you stay in Bologna is either walkable to the station, or has a very easy bus ride right to the station that your hotel can point out to you, or put it in the budget to take taxis when you feel like it. They are plentiful in Bologna.
Antica Casa Zucchini is a lovely place to stay in Bologna. Wherever you choose, you need to book fairly early for both Bologna and Milan, because both cities host a lot of conventions and trade fairs in October.
Antica Casa Zucchini is a lovely place to stay in Bologna. Wherever you choose, you need to book fairly early for both Bologna and Milan, because both cities host a lot of conventions and trade fairs in October.
