Suggestions for N. Italy travel
 

My husband and I and another couple are going to be traveling in Italy and Germany in Sept. of this year. We are starting off in Cinque Terre, Italy and ending up in Munich, Germany for Oktoberfest. We are wanting to spend a few days/nights somewhere in the middle of our drive. We are interested in the Northern Italy area, but not sure where. We are all big into wine, some sightseeing, good food, walking. Any suggestions??

Thanks! :)

Bologna is fabulous! Meets all your criteria. Smaller towns include Verona, Vicenza or Padua. Each has its own charm and is very nice for a couple nights.

Don't have my atlas in front of me but Turin is a nice city also. I favor Bologna with yestravel (is it in the north?) but think both cities have fabulous food.

There are so many places to visit! I would add Mantua, Bergamo, the lakes.
Stay with a map and a guide book (or enter Fodor's destination) and decide based on your preferences.

On your way to München, Lake Garda would be perfect. The southern edge of Lake Garda has Verona - a beautiful city with many attractions -, wine (Lugana, Bardolino, Valpollicella..) and some charming towns on the lake (Sirmione, Bardolino..).

The northern half of Lake Garda has dramatic scenery, more towns (Limone is one of my favourites) and more wine regions (Trentino, excellent sparkling wine - Ferrari) and access into the Dolomiti Mountains with spectacular Alpine scenery.

Hi TD -- dont know if Bologna is conisdered N Italy or not and it may not be far enough on route to Munich for them, but its such a great city!
Mantova is a good food city and could work. Trento is also nice for a night or two...nice University town.

If driving try Lago Garda or the Dolomites.

If by train, I would prefer Verona or Bolzano.

If you know you are going to be in le Cinque Terre, and you love wine, try an itinerary that takes you through the wine country of Piemonte for a couple of days, or through the wine country of the Veneto. Both have good walking opportunities, and enough sightseeing to keep you engaged, almost no tourists. I would look for an agriturismo (cascina in Piemonte) associated with a winery and with a great kitchen on site. I think Piemonte has the better food.

Try Parco Nazionale dello Stelvio - only about 60-80km deviation from the Italy-Munich Brenner highway. Or anything in the Alps... Good if you are already tired of all the beautiful old Italian cities.
That tip with Lake Garda sounds also good for your tastes.

I second the suggestions of Lake Garda. Stayed in Sirmione,Hotel Ideal, in the old part of town, within the walls. This is important, because outside of the walls are your standard tourist beaches.

If you are driving, there are on,ly certain times yiou can drive your car into the old part, and only if you have a horel reservation there. But it's worth the wait.

From inside of the walls, you can take boats to other location along the lake. I generally prefer the western shore (Gardesana Occidentale).

If you are driving, I assume you are aware that taking a car rented in one country in Europe (i.e.Italy) and dropping it off in another (i.e. Munich, Germany) incurs a heavy drop-off charge. Also make sure, that your credit card allows you to rent a car in Italy. The last time I tried to charge the rental to my AMEXCO card, "no can do". Finally, in Italy you must buy the DW (Collision Damage Waiver); in other countries, like Germany, the CDW that comes with your VISA, etc. credit card is good.

If you choose Lago di Garda, you might want to include a stop in or stay in Bardolino on the lake for its wine. There are some wineries and farms in the area of Bardolino with lodgings.

You can reach Lago di Garda by train from le Cinque Terre. There are stations in Desenzano del Garda (a short taxi ride from Sirmione) and Peschiera del Garda. There are boats that dock there and travel the lake to all the towns. But it is a very large lake, with the prettiest scenery at the northern end, so you might want a car. That said, you can also base on the southern end of the lake and use the train to visit Verona and Mantova.

I know there is an overnight train that goes from Rome to Munich. Whether it makes a stop in Milan, I don't know, but you might want to check it out if the total cost of a car rental doesn't make sense for your trip. (I would call the rental agents directly and price-shop.)

Thanks...I am printing and highlighting the suggestions for information gathering!