Where in N Italy
 

We have a week after a meeting in Verona and Venice. Mid September. Have been to Florence and are looking for a place to settle and do day trips from. Asti, Torino, La Spezia? Fly from Milan at end. Help! Not big on crowds.

If you are not big on crowds, avoid the Cinque Terre (including La Spezia). The Piemonte in and around Torino sounds like a great place to perch because in mid-September you run a large chance of encountering lingering heat and mugginess. The food and wine there is fabulous!

You can now go directly from Torino to Malpensa, so that is something else to consider as a final stop. If you go to Torino, do not miss the cinema museum if you at all like movies, and the museum's glass elevator if you like views.

Another possibility before leaving from Milano is to spend your last night in Stresa, on Lago Maggiore. Go there in the afternoon in time to tour the lake's islands (takes about 3 hours). There is a regular airport shuttle bus that will take you to Malpensa. Have your hotel make the arrangements the night before.

Why not consider Lucca? It is easily accessible to the Cinque Terre and La Spezia, as well as other area towns. Alternatively, you could stay in Genoa to see towns along the Riviera coasts.

if you go to torino, the egyptian musuem had some fascinating rooms.

How about Trieste? It's got a lovely seafront, the Piazza Unita (not unlike San Marco) and a unique for Italy Austro-Italian coffehouse culture-there are beautiful cathedrals/convents, a castle or two in the city and outside (San Guisto, Duino) good seafood restaurants.

Also, you can do great day trips to Aquileia (on my list-a Roman/Byzantine site like no other, they say-and without the tourist hordes), also, Udine, the Dolomites.

From Triste, you can either train it (about 5 hours to Milan Centrale) or fly into Milan's Linate Airport from Trieste.

Good advice here. When did the direct connect from MXP to Turin open? When I was there earlier this year, I missed the direct bus but made a quick trip by taking a shuttle to Novarra and catching the train to Turin there.

The Stresa advice is a great tip.

I would pick 2 locations--one in the Piedmont wine area and the other at either Lago Orta or Stresa. Do A search under Baur B&B for a nice place to stay in Piedmont. Then look at www.orta.net for your final destination less than an hour from MXP.

repete,

The MXP/Torino connection was done for the Olympics, but has been retained AS FAR AS I KNOW. (The emphasis is to urge you to double check me on this one if you ever want to take that route.)

Even without the direct connection, it is not onerous to get from Malpensa to Torino: First, the 45 minute bus to Milano Centrale, then a 90 minute train to Torino.

bob,

Is there public transportation from Orta to Malpensa?

Hi Burlview,

Piedmont is a great place to be in mid-September, its the beginning of grape harvest and many festivals including the famous Palio d'Asti on September 17th, the oldest in Italy, which means Asti city will be crowded at this time, but not to the extent of the Sienna one.

The Asti area is very central for all of Piedmont, Turin is 30 minutes, Lake Orta and Maggiore are about 90 minutes, as is also Malpensa airport. La Spezia is a bit long for a one day trip (2.5 hours by car), but if you wanted to go to Cinque Terre for a day trip I would go to Levanto, either by car or train, its just that much closer. Also Genoa which is another wonderful relatively undiscovered city is only one hour.

From Orta to Malpensa there is a bus service as someone pointed out, but alas the direct train from Turin to MXP is no longer in service, you need to go to Milan and take the shuttle or bus, or a direct bus from Turin.

Hope this helps

Nessundorma,

"because in mid-September you run a large chance of encountering lingering heat and mugginess"

Sorry but this is not true about Piedmont in September, generally the weather cools way down in September producing warm to hot days, but without the summer heat and humidity, with balmy nights to sit outdoors and sip wine and eat the wonderful Piedmontese food. Sort of like an "indian summer"

It's one of the best times to be in Piedmont.

Thanks so much for all the tips! Looks like spending the last couple days in Stresa with the majority of the nights in the Piedmontis what we should do.

Anyone have any suggestions on where to stay? Are there places to stay where you can walk to dinner etc? without being in the city?

Sampaguita,

Sorry for the bad writing. I was trying to recommend Piemonte as an ESCAPE from the heat and mugginess one may very well encounter elsewhere in Italy in mid-September.

It looks like burlview has got the right idea and will be headed your way.

I'm the Lake Como cheerleader around here, so - Lake Como! Lake Como! Lake Como!

For my money, it's more beautiful than any of the other lakes - parts of it look like a Norwegian fjord.

See http://www.beginningwithi.com/italy/.../lake_como.htm for pictures and places.

Oh yes, I forgot to mention that the Villa Sampuguita is also an excellent choice in Piedmont and much closer to Torino for a day trip. Have Fun !

Deidre,I know Como is considered one of the most beautiful of the Italian alpine lakes, however have you ever been to some of the others (Maggiore, Orta, Garda)? I only ask because everyone is always on about Como and I never get to hear the comparsion with the others.

Yes, Piemonte has really nice temperate weather in mid September, we still have people in the pool, and we are just then beginning to look at eachother and say "hmmm, should we light the fire pits tonight for atmosphere?" I love that time of year here, it's romantic, my husband is off with his buddies to search for Porcini, and I am finished bottling tomato sauce and getting ready to mulch the garden...love it.

Piemonte is beautiful. Just beautiful.

At the end of last September in Piedmonte, stayed at a small B&B, Villa Agnese, near La Morra. Nice views, sweet Italian owner, good breakfast. Clean and pretty new. That area has some of the nicest scenery. Need a car.

Also stayed at a new small hotel, very nice, Villa Tiboldi just outside of Canale. Quite resonable for the quality. The villa is set in a vinyard and we were able to see the harvest below our window. (My mouth was seeping purple from "borrowed grapes" during our walk there). Canale not very charming, but the villa was. It was set high on a hill with nice views. Also on property was a wonderful upscale restaurant. White truffle shaved at our table over pasta. Below in the family winery, we had a private, very friendly tour. Need a car here as well.

Again in Piedmont, found a little larger town, Casale Monferrato, that was delightful especially Sunday evening when EVERYBODY was out strolling. Beautiful old renovated synagogue, a little hard to find.

Few to no Americans here. Seems like the tourists were German or Swiss.

Also agree Cinque Terre is crowded.

Repete,
Where is the shuttle to Novarra located? I'll be landing in Malpensa 1 at 10:50 in late September and hoping to catch the direct bus to Turin (speding 4 nights there, I can't wait!). The bus leaves at 11:30 so if I just have a carry-on I might be able to make it in time. But if not, I thought it makes better sense to taxi to Novarra and catch the train there instead of going all the way to Milan. If there's a shuttle it might save me some money.
Thanks.

hi keren,
there's a bank of buses outside one of the arrival areas that included the sadem bus to turin and the novara bus. both are (or were when I was last there)large coaches.

If I recall correctly, the turin bus (Blue with yellow trim) was on the right end of the line as you exited the terminal and cross the taxi lane) and the novara bus was further down on the right (this was at the main terminal).

Shuttle was 5-6 euros.

Thanks for all the info. One more question. Better to spend 2-3 nights on the coast near Portofino then 4-5 in Piedmont or 5 in Piedmont and 2 at Lake Orta/Stresa. It all sounds so wonderful!