Suggestioins solicited on Northern Italy trip
 

My wife and I will be in Italy in September and I've planned the following itinerary: fly into Milan and spend one night there; travel by train to Verona and spend three nights there; on train again to Bologna and spend three nights there; train it to Padova and spend one night in that city; end with four nights in Venice.
Does anyone have any suggestions of things to see or do in these places that aren't covered by the guidebooks? Also, thinking of taking day trips from Verona to Mantova, and from Bologna to Parma and/or Ravenna. All travel between cities will be by train and I am thinking of buying the tickets at the station rather than getting a Rail Pass. Of all the places mentioned I've only been to Milan for business and to Venice about 25 years ago. Any and all suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.

Hi f,

Check train prices at www.trenitalia.com.
I don't think that you will want a railpass.

Is there a reason why you want to spend a night in Milan.?

Is there a reason for spending one night in Padova before going to Venice? You can visit Padova as a daytrip from Venezia.

Enjoy your visit.

((I))

Ira,
Thanks for your advice. Milan stop is for two reasons: get over jet lag and allow my wife to shop at Armani, Versace, etc. Padova stop is a suggestion from a travel agent. Glad to read you agree that a rail pass isn't necessary. I had same thought and will instruct travel agent to cancel it. Follow-up question: do you suggest rail tickets be purchaed on line at Trentilia web site before leaving US or in Italy at the train station before boarding train? Your advice is appreciated.

Milan is a fabulous city with a lot of energy and much to see, even aside from the shopping. I think you are correct in spending the night there. Be sure to time your stay around possible shop closings on Sundays and Monday mornings. (Although I imagine the big names will be open even then..)

Be aware that your wife will also find the "big names" in Venice and, to a certain extent, in Bologna, as well as in Milan. Selection is far greater in Milan. One of the world's great shopping cities! There are also a couple of discount places in Milan.. Maybe you'd better not even go into that!

Ekscrunchy,
"Discount" is a wonderful word; would appreciate knowing where the dicount places are, especially if they sell authentic stuff. Also, would appreciate hearing any comments on the rest of our itinerary. Thanks.

If given a choice between Parma and Ravenna, I'd choose Ravenna. Parma is, in my opinion, not that different from many other towns in Italy, but the mosaics in Ravenna are unique.

September is high season in Italy, but I would still suggest only getting train tickets there. I would buy tickets for my onward trip either at the station on arrival or at a travel agency.

Fca..
I can certainly relate..being somewhat of a shopping fanatic myself...

The discount outlet that I know best in Milan is Il Salvagente. The merchandise is very definitely the "real thing." It's been years since I have been there but I have great memories, and still have a pair of Alaia sandals I bought there.. It is large and you can spend lots of time (and money!) there..

Here is the address:

16, Via Fratelli Bronzetti

On the famed Via Montenapoleone, there is an outlet called D-Magazine, which I am less familiar with...

I would also recommend Ravenna over Parma.

In Padua, I believe you must reserve in advance for the Scrovegni Chapel with the Giotto frescoes.

Sounds like a wonderful trip....

Also, Modena is a day trip option from Bologna...

To all,
Thanks for your advice. Parma looks interesting because of its conection to so many wonderful Italian food items like parmesan cheese, prosciutto ham, etc. Until I started planning this trip I hadn't realized Ravenna was the capitol of the Roman Empire. If we go to Modena I might end up leaving my wife in Italy and coming home with a Testarosa. (Kiding, of course...) Such difficult choices!

Hi Fca,

Here's a thought - if your wife plans on some "significant" shopping (and you haven't already purchased air tickets), maybe reverse the order your trip. Then you won't be lugging all the goodies the whole time!

Dayle,
Excellent suggestion. Alas, airline tickets have already been bought.

Both Bologna and Verona are popular trade show destinations, which may make hotel rooms scarce and expensive.
www.bolognafiere.it shows trade shows on Sept. 7-10, 13-16, and 20-22
www.veronafiere.it shows a furniture trade show on Sept. 20-24.

You could easily "flip" your Bologna/ Verona time and go to Bologna first, and then Verona, if necessary to avoid a trade show.

Also, I recommend another day trip destination from Verona, Vicenza, for Palladian architecture in the centro storico.

Lovisa,
Thanks for the excellent suggestion; I had already "flipped" the days we were to be in Verona for thos in Bologna because trade shows had filled the hotels. I like the idea of visiting Vicenza. I see it is less than an hour away from Veronna by train. Also, do you have any thoughts on Mantova and/or Parma, with Parma being a day trip from Bologna? Finally, if we wanted to do the parmesan cheese road or prosciutto road, would we need a car? Any suggestion you can provide are appreciated.

We stopped in Mantova for half a day to see the centro storico and Palazzo Ducale. The centro storico was really magical;some of the outskirts were a little industrial looking. The tour of the Palazzo Ducale was in Italian only, so that got a little long. I would definitely recommend it. It did not seem or feel "touristy" at all.

No Rail Pass needed--point-to-point tickets are the way to go for this modest train itinerary. Most of your trains will be more local and not purchasable online. Just do it when you arrive in Italy.

Verona is a train hub and a great place to base yourself for daytrips to Padova, Vicenza, and Mantova. I guess it depends on trade show hotel availabilities and your timing. I wouldn't stay the night in both Padova and Verona--they are perhaps an hour apart by train.

For clarity, here's how your itinerary stands:

Day 1: Milan
Day 2: Bologna
Day 3: Bologna (Ravenna, if you like mosaics)
Day 4: Bologna (Parma, if you like food)
Day 5: Verona
Day 6: Verona (Padova, if you like Giotto frescoes or St Anthony)
Day 7: Verona (Mantova, if you like Mantegna frescoes or Palladio)
Day 8: Verona (Vicenza, if you like Palladio)
Day 9: Venice
Day 10: Venice
Day 11: Venice
Day 12: Venice

One more question . . . can I join you? This looks like a great trip to me.

Fca...About the cheese and prosciutto roads...are you certain that you want to go from place to place tasting Reggiano Parmigiano or prosciutto? My own opinion is that once might be enough. I have never done either of these tours but if it is tasting you want, you can do that at a good food vendor in Bologna, for example. You will be able to taste cheese after various stages of ageing. So maybe plan to visit one cheesemaker and one ham producer in the area; I think that more than that might be repetitious.

And what about Balsamic vinegar in Modena, which you could visit on an easy side trip from Bologna?
I would look into dining at the tiny Hosteria Giusti, operated by a famous producer of hams and vinegars. The restaurant is in the back of a shop and has only a few tables. I have never done this, yet, but have heard it is wonderful.

Leonardi is another famous producer at which tours are offered:

http://www.acetaialeonardi.it/home.p...me&lang=en

Thanks you all for your very helpful suggestions. Ellenem, the schedule you suggest is basically what I will do with the exception of Bologna and Verrona dates which are inverted due to trade fairs that are scheduled for that time. See Lovisa's very helpful post regarding Bologna and Verrona. Ekscruntchy, you Modena/ balsamic vinegar idea sounds wonderful. One reason for going to see prosciutto production or parmesan production is to get out of cities and spend some time in countryside. Of couse, since I'll be there I'll have to critique the local product.

F:

You might want to look into Parma Golosa ( www.parmagolosa.it ) for the cheese and ham tour. We used them over the summer, and it was a really great 1/2 day. It is a private tour, and we followed the guide in our own car (although I think you can go with them as well). We went to one small Parmigiano Cheese factory, one cheese warehouse, and one Parma ham factory. Afterwards, we were taken to a small restaurant for tastings / lunch. All in all, it was great. I believe that you can do it on your own (especially the cheese), but the language issue can be a problem at the smaller producers. The price was very reasonable.

In regards to staying in Padova and Parma, I say do it. After spending a lot of time in Italy, I feel that you get a better feel for the places by staying the night, as opposed to doing daytrips. Both Padova and Parma are great towns, and are somewhat off the typical tourist path (as is Bologna). Bologna, in my opinion, is the best of the bunch.

Thank you RJW and Steve James for suggesting Parmagolosa.it. I've sent them an e-mail and hope to get some good ideas from them.

Wish you could/would stop at Lake Como. The train goes to Varenna. Lake Como is so beautiful.

I love this part of Italy and have spent a long weekend in Mantova--and did a day trip to Parma last year from Milan (via train). You can walk from the train station into the center of Parma. I had a nice lunch at a restaurant called "Le Sorelle Picchi" (The Picchi Sisters) that was recommended by a shopkeeper. Parma has a Baptistry (next to the Cathedral) built of rose marble that is quite unusual in all of Italy.

Both Mantova and Parma were the dukedoms of very wealthy families--the Gonzagas in Mantova and another in Parma--and they both have fascinating palazzos, museums and history to see.
Mantova has famous Mantegna frescoes--I'm sure you've seen the ubiquitous cherub with the lute; the original is here.

When you go to Venice, be sure to research ahead the tours of the Doges Palace--and reserve places at the "Secret Itineraries" tour. It's the true story of Casanova--and how he was one of only 4 or 5 people to ever escape from the prison there. It's one of the most fascinating tours I've ever taken. The English-speaking tours fill up quickly--and may not be offered every day. Reserve on-line well ahead. Also--there is a famous regatta in Venice in early September--it would be fabulous to see, but also a time when hotels fill up. Plan accordingly.
Buon viaggio!