SiobhanP

Hi all, My trip to Spain has unfortunately been cancelled -thanks Maribel and the others for your previous help. I will definately be taking your advice in the Fall when I hopefully return.<BR><BR>Life is a bit crazy at the moment and my partner is going to Milan for business again so we now are going to travel after he is finished in Milan. Now I was only in Milan for 4 hours last time to meet a friend. We want to go to the countryside and wander around.<BR><BR>We are meeting at Brescia airport on a wed and we haven't the foggiest idea where to go. Is Lake Guarda better or should we go driving in Tuscany. I know absolutely nothing about Italy. We are on a budget and just want to relax and wander around, eat and have a few drinks in the evening. <BR><BR>We will be travelling for a week. Any ideas would be helpful. We are in our 30's and like to be busy in the days and enjoy the food and atmosphere.<BR><BR>Thanks in advance for you help!

SiobhanP

TTT...anyone?

Alice_Twain

You have several options, each can be budget or not, according to your choices in terms of where to stay and what to eat.<BR>Staying in Lombardy, you may chose one or more of the lakes. I think that the smaller lakes are cheaper than the big ones, and they are also less touristy and offer better sightseeing. If you are already in Brescia, you may consider Lake Iseo and Valtellina for a few days. Iseo is a smallish but very nice lake that can be vidsited ina couple of days and it has an island (Montisola) which is known for being particolarly beautiful.<BR>Beside Lake Iseo, you may spend a day wandering uyp and down Valtellina or Valcamonica (a smallish valley connected to Valtellina). A favorite of mine is the area of the Camuni engravings. A daytrip to the Archeological Park in Capo di Ponte can be nice and the engravings are pretty spectacular. If you go there, check out the station's restaurant. Do not have pizza, ask if they can fix you some &quot;casonsei&quot; instead and a traditional local meal (if you ask for it in advance it is probably better, check out the restaurant as you arrive, there is only one woth a &quot;pizzeria&quot; sign, ask for the local meal than visit the engravings and go back to the restaurant).<BR>The upper Valtellina is known for its skiing facilities, but I guess you will be there a bit out of season. The whole area is well served by both trains and buses, so you will not need a car.<BR>After 3-4 days in this area you may want to move to something different, either one of the big lakes (Garda, Maggiore, Como, Lecco) or you may want to see some cities. If you aim at the cities, probably the best base to daytrip to several cities is Milano. Mantova, Cremona, Como, Bergamo, Pavia, Vigevano are all lovely places to visit and can be reached easily by train (no need to book in advance). Parma, Turin, Bologna, Modena are a bit further away, but well worth a trip.<BR>Main tourist destinations such as Florence and Venice are even further away and, despite it is not impossible to visit them on a daytrip, I would not suggest it. Obviously you may chose instead to move out of Lombardy and visit either Tuscany (and Florence) or Veneto (including Venezia) or head straight down to Rome. In this case, buy the tickets for the train (and book seats) from any Trenitalia railway station a coupleof days in advance (or more if you want, but it is not necessary to book several days in advance, a couple is enough).

SiobhanP

Thanks a million for the info Alice. I have been looking up areas an I found some deals on an Agritourismo outside Siena (68 euros a night??). I am deciding wether to rent a car from Bergamo airport and head out straight away or take a train and then rent a car. I arrive around 2:30pm in Bergamo and I am unsure how long a drive would take. any chaep car rental suggestions? I have a feeling this is going to be a fly by the seat of my pants trip...<BR><BR>Thanks again

Alice_Twain

68 per person or for two people? Including dinner or just breakfast? If it's 68 euro per person and not including dinner, you are almost being ripped off, if it's 68 euro for two people and including dinner, that's a decent price.<BR>Do not drive from Bergamo airport. My suggestions is to take the bus to Milano, than the train to FLorence and start driving in Florence. Rental will cost you more or less the same, but the train ticket costs les than the gas for the car + autostrada fee.

SiobhanP

It's 8 euro for 2 people. I am not sure if it includes any food...I doubt it. I got it off laterooms.com. Its a great little site if you can wait till the last minute. I usually use it for trravelling to scotland but I tried it and there you go. I have to wait 2 more days to book. <BR><BR>I will check out the train versus car situation with the other half and see what time we are heading out. That may be the deciding factor between a train and driving. As well we unfortunately used to euro petrol prices as they seem to be outrageous in Ireland a the moment. So that would not put him off.

SiobhanP

Sorry...68 euro that is!

e_roz

IF you're in MIlan I'd do the Lakes! Acutally I'd recommend the first part of my planned June trip: 3 days Lake Como (check out www.varenna.net), then 4 hr train ride to Venice, 3 days plus.<BR>Good luck! or 3 days Como then venture up to Switzerland or over to the Dolomites. Tuscany is another trip.