Michele

Hello! My husband and I are going to visit family in Venice in two weeks and we need some travel advise. We are flying in and out of Milan and are taking the Friday morning train to Milan from Mestre. My question is that for our day and a half in Milan, is it worth taking a train ride to the Lakes?? Should we just stay in Milan (although I have read that there is not much there) and just be tourists?? Please any seasoned travellers, we need your help. Thank you!

Rex

I think so - - not just day trip there - - go onward, and stay there.<BR><BR>But I just loved Lake Como. The distance from many hotels on the "southwest leg" of Lake Como aren't much further from Milan Malpensa than center city Milan itself.<BR><BR>Best wishes,<BR><BR>Rex<BR>

GAC

Apples and Oranges. It takes TWO full days just to visit the five main museums in Milan: Brera, Poldi-Pezzoli, Castello Sforzesco, Ambrosiana and Museo di Scienze. All are well worth seeing. Then there is the Duomo, Sant'Ambrogio, San Lorenzo, Santa Maria delle Grazie (Leonardo's Last Supper). On the other hand ...... the Italian Lakes are wonderfully gorgeous. Stresa is one hour north of Milan by train. Como is 45 minutes away. Romantic and Intimate Varenna on Lake Como is 70 minutes by rail. So, it all depends whether you prefer art, culture and erudition, or scenic splendor and resort living. If you want to relax before the long trip home, go to Stresa on Lake Maggiore and tour the Isola Bella and Isola Madre offshore. If you want intimate romance, stay in Varenna. Either way, you won't be disappointed.

Grasshopper

There is plenty in Milan to keep you interested for a day and a half! The duomo is spectacular. I believe it's the most beautiful in Italy. And the galleria and the castello. If you are there on a week day, just walk.... through the business district, through the shopping district. You will see a pulsing, busy, classy side of Italy.<BR><BR>If you are anxious to see a lake, take a detour to Garda on the train ride from Venice to Milan. It's about mid-point and you can taxi from the station to Sirmione for a few hours.

GAC

Great idea, Grasshopper. Many trains from Mestre to Milano stop at either Peschiera del Garda or Desenzano del Garda. Picturesque Sirmione is in between these two towns, and can be reached by public bus or by taxi. However, neither Stresa nor Varenna/Bellagio/Menaggio can really be compared to Sirmione. Each location has its own unique allure.

Michele

Wow! I really like the idea of diverting off the train from Mestre (especially since we were planning for a 6:30 am train ride) -- I think I will look into staying one full day/night around Lake Garda and then off first thing the next morning to do Milan for a whole day. <BR>Thank you, very much, for the idea and suggestions.

GAC

Just be certain to choose a train from Mestre which actually stops at either Peschiera or Desenzano. You can verify stops on trenitalia.it by clicking on the specific train number. A listing of intermediate stops will appear on the screen. A cab ride from Verona is very expensive, and the bus from Verona to Sirmione takes a full hour!

Jean

Think about the weather. Late Feb. at any of the lakes will be very cold, and many of the better hotels and restaurants will probably still be closed for the season. <BR><BR>I'm a fan of Milan anyway. I think you'd stay busy for a day and a half: Duomo, Galleria, Last Supper, museums, good food, good shopping (if you're interested).