easygoer

Hi Travelers,

We have finalized our 16 day trip to Northern Italy thanks to the help of fellow Fodor members. Now comes the fun part. I’ve poured over trip reports and have plenty of guide books. If you have any suggestions for day trips, sightseeing and of course restaurants, it would be greatly appreciated.

Here is our itinerary:

Bologna - 4 nights (4 full days to sightsee - no car)
Hotel Porta San Mamolo
Suggestions for Day Trips (no car) and Restaurants?
Plan to do Italian Days Food Experience one day
(side note - so sad about the recent earthquake)

Rent Car Day 5 - drive to Ortisei ( would we have time to stop in Verona?)

Ortisei/Dolomites - 3 nights (1 day travel - 2 full days to sightsee)
Hotel Grones
Suggestions for Day Trips? We will be having Dinner at the Hotel, but suggestions for local lunch places are appreciated.

Day 8 - Drive to Alba/Piemonte Region

Alba/Pidmonte Region - 4 nights (1 day travel - 3 full days to sightsee)
Villa la Favorita
Suggestions for Day Trips and Restaurants?
We’ve never been to Portofino but have done the Cinque Terra.
Is Turin worth visiting?
Is Valle D’Aosta region too far?

Day 12 - Drive to Bellagio

Bellagio/The Lakes Region - 4 nights (1 day travel - 3 full days to sightsee)
Hotel Metropole
Suggestions for Day Trips and Restaurants?
Looks like a day trip via ferry to Varenna looks fun.

Day 16 - Drive to Malpensa
First Hotel - 1 night
Suggestions for a Restaurant?

Fly home, hopefully after a wonderful Northern Italian Experience. Thanks to all for suggestions.

bobthenavigator

I love it !
Yes, Torino is worth a day. You will love Hotel Grones.
You may have seen my report from 2009--if not, click on my name. Have lunch in Castelrotto one day---you pick it.

The trattoria next door to the First Hotel is one of my favs---have eaten there twice. Have fun !

ekscrunchy

I have lots of food information in my trip reports covering those areas; I stayed at Villa Favorita outside Alba. Lovely. Highly recommend a visit to Turin.


http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...-much-else.cfm


http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...nd-bicerin.cfm


http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...nd-bologna.cfm

easygoer

Wow, thanks ekscrunchy. I love your trip repot style. I too love to write everything we ate, so years after we can relive the moments. I've got lots of reading from your links to do now. Thanks so much!

ekscrunchy

Glad to help. Feel free to ask any and all questions, especially regarding food!


Val d'Aosta is too far to include on this trip.

You will not need a car in Bologna, but may have to take a taxi to restaurants, as some good ones are located a bit out of the center (not the ones I wrote about in that report, linked above). The SlowFood guide has a good list; I linked the names of SlowFood restaurants in Bologna on this thread; note the locations.

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...in-bologna.cfm

Possible day trips could include Modena.


If you want to visit wineries in Piemonte, you should ask Roberta at Villa Favorita to set you up in advance. Also see this planning thread that I began before my trip several years ago:

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...d-shopping.cfm

ekscrunchy

Also see:


http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...s-and-wine.cfm

owen74

Anyone going to Northern Italy should not by-pass Stressa. A most beautiful town

easygoer

Hi Owen,

I tried to book the Stresa-Hotel La Palma but it was booked for our time period. That is why we opted for Lake Como and Bellagio.

I have my Michelin #561 regional map and it looks like trying to visit Stressa on our way from Alba to Bellagio it too far out of our way. Also to do a day trip from Bellagio to Stressa looks to far away.

If you think we could fit it in, let me know. Otherwise, it's a great reason to plan another trip to go back. Thank you for the suggestion.

PaoloCast

We returned recently from northern Italy (Venezia, Bergamo, Como, Milano), so here’s a few recommendations.

Lake Como – Unless you’re a shopper, skip Bellagio (which we loved 20 years ago and is now overrun with shops). Stay on the boat to Varenna – perhaps even more beautiful and more laid back. Have a great lunch/dinner at Vecchia Varenna. Walk up the hill to the Hotel Cipressi and pay the 4 E for the lovely gardens overlooking both legs of Lake Como.

By all means give a lot of time to Torino. The one restaurant we really loved was Toricelli. It was a few years ago, so I’d also check recent Trip Advisor and other reviews.

In the Langhe, we stayed at Ca d’Lupo in Montelupo Albese, (a few miles above Alba) and the restaurant was outstanding.

Jean

I might agree with PaoloCast about Bellagio. When is this trip? What days of the week would you be on Lake Como? Does the Metropole in Bellagio have parking?

If you're going in high season, esp. over a weekend, consider staying in Varenna at the Hotel du Lac.

http://www.albergodulac.com/index.ph...emid=2&lang=en

easygoer

Hi PaoloCast and Jean,

We'll be in Bellagio mid week this fall. The Hotel Metropole has good reviews on Trip Advisor and is right on Lake Como. I have a confirmation for a "larger" corner room with two balconies. It's very resonable at 150E a night. Not sure about parking. Hotel du Lac looks lovely. We're there for four nights so if we stayed in Varenna, are there good restaurants?

PaoloCast, thanks for the restaurant suggestions. Torino will definately be one of our day trips from Alba.

cls2paris

From Bellagio - I visited Villa Carlotta. It is on the west side of the lake in a small town caled Tremezzo. We also wandered around a nearby town called Cadenabbia, we may have walked from one to the other I can' recall. Villa Carlotta has a villa to tour but the gardens were the big draw for us. It sounds like you have a fun trip planned, have fun!

easygoer

For Bob the Nav,

Just checked out Castelrotto photos on-line. Amazing. Many thanks to you as you always have helped us plan perfect trips in the past and now. Thanks for the restaurant advise for First Hotel. I was hoping our last meal wasn't hotel food.


cls2paris,

I have Villa Carlotta highlighted in my guide book. My book says to take the ferry to Menaggio and then a bus. Do you remember how you got there? Seems like the Villa is between Tremezzo and Menaggio.

Thanks everyone!

HappyTrvlr

Ferry stops at Villa Carlotta or very near to it.
Alba..best meals, hands down, were at Profumo di Vino in Treiso, a short distance, easy drive.
Cuisine was elevated above other places we ate, places which had more press. I don't take notes on meals, but have photos of dishes I liked.
Also enjoyed Enoclub in their brick vaulted rooms. We loved the Piemonte, uncrowded, beautiful, excellent food and wine, charming villages to explore in a small area.

easygoer

HappTrvlr,

Love your name! You made me laugh. I always take pictures of our food. Makes my hubbie crazy, but he loves to see them when we're home. We also have a silly thing we do called food art, where we take whatever is left on the plate (usually bones and garnish) and create smiling faces at the end of our meal to thank the chef. They usually come out of the kitchen with a big smile. Thanks for the suggestions.

pja1

Hi easygoer,

For the Dolomites, spend an afternoon (or a day) in the beautiful Seiser Alm/Alpe di Siusi. The Mont Seuc/Seiser Alm cable car from Ortisei takes you there. At the top you'll find a restaurant with a huge outdoor deck and paved paths leading into the Seiser Alm/Alpe di Siusi.

www.alpedisiusi-seiseralm.com/index.html

My opinion... be sure to drive the Gardena Pass, at least up to the cafe/rest stop. It's our favorite drive in the area. Stunning!

If you feel like a scenic drive including 4 passes, try this:

This is our own "best of the Dolomites drive". It can easily be done in a day and covers drives over 4 Dolomite Passes.

It can be started/ended from any point, but I'll use Ortisei:

From Ortisei drive through St. Christina and Selva to the Gardena Pass. Take this to Colfosco/Corvara (Alta Badia). Don't take the Sella Pass turnoff). At Corvara, take the Campolongo Pass to Arabba. From Arraba take the Pordoi Pass towards Canazei. Before you get to Canazei, take the Sella Pass. From the Sella Pass get right on the Gardena Pass back to Ortisei. There's a cafe/restaurant/rest stop at the "top" of the Gardena and Sella Passes. You'll also notice a few small places to park along the passes to get out and walk among the Dolomite peaks.

For some info and photo's of the passes, check out:

www.alpineroads.com/dolomites.php

Some are listed under the German and or Italian name:
Gardena Pass - Grödnerjoch
Sella Pass - Sellajoch
Pordoi Pass - Passo di Pordoi
Campolongo Pass - Passo di Campolongo

Here's a few other cable car trips in the Val Gardena:

http://www.seceda.it/eng/index-s.htm

http://www.colraiser.it/eng/partner.htm

http://www.ciampinoi.it/english/index.htm

Here's a link to an interactive map of the area:

http://www.valgardena.it/en/walking-...ng/page50.html

Opening times of the cable cars/lifts:

http://www.valgardena.it/en/lifts/page65.html

If interested, we have photo's at:

www.worldisround.com/articles/355539/index.html

www.worldisround.com/articles/324504/index.html

www.worldisround.com/articles/351565/index.html

Paul

easygoer

Hi Paul,

You helped so much with my original post re: planning. I remember you suggested staying in Alta Badia at the Montanara. It was a hard choice choosing Ortisei, but this will give us a reason to go back to the area. Thanks for the great links. Boy do I have some fun reading to do.

cls2paris

Hey easygoer - we took the ferry and it was probably to Menaggio, then we walked to villa carlotta. I think we walked to Cadenabbia also, I don't remember taking a bus. But, we were also drinking wine so maybe we did get on a bus! haha!