Bergamo as base

Take this comment as someone who hates wasted time on a trip. Look up each of your days on Trenitalia to see exactly how much of your day each day will be at the site vs. transportation time. If you prefer day trips vs. staying at those locations, I would move the base to Milan.

The nicest part of Bergamo is up in the Bergamo Citta Alta section.

Other options around an hour from Milan are Cremona - gorgeous piazza at their Duomo, and it has stunning frescoes. It’s the home of Stradivari, so there’s an excellent violin museum. Torino’s Porta Susa station is just over an hour. I love going to Torino - lots of options there, including a wonderful food tour, if you’re interested. Stresa, my favorite spot on the lakes is another one.

I couldn't agree more with Jean. Do the following:

1. Make Milan your base. Its location makes it easy to get to and from other cities, along with your departing flight.

2. Target Lombardy and Piedmont cities closer to Milan for other potential day trips. See Jean’s well-informed suggestions.

3. Research the travel durations from Milan to your day trip cities and back. You may reach the same conclusion:

• Bergamo - as a day trip - and a Lake Como ferry loop are doable.

• Lake Iseo and Verona would result in too much time on trains.

btw: Kudos for considering Bergamo - an underappreciated second-tier city.

I honestly wouldn’t use Bergamo as a base mainly because Bergamo, even though it is a smaller city of 170,000 inhabitants, since covid it’s been jam packed from May through October, at least. In 2024 3 million tourists visited Bergamo. 2025 was most likely more, judging from the crowds even in early May that we saw last year. My father-in-law, who lives in a small city south of Lecco, said he’s never seen it so busy all the time. Personally I’d make my base not IN Bergamo, but perhaps one of the towns on Lake Como, or perhaps even Lecco, which has extensive bus and train connections. Lecco is a beautiful city, often overlooked by tourists.

Thank you so much to all of you for your helpful recommendations. Will keep the suggestions in mind whilst firming up the itinerary

If you are doing the trip by railway, consider that up to the end of this year the railway line from Bergamo to Lecco is closed for renovation, making day 2 somewhat difficult. Generally speaking, railways around Bergamo are on the slow side. Brescia would be a better base for Iseo (again, a very slow railway) and Verona.
Maybe Bergamo could work better with a car, still a lot of territory to cover.

consider that up to the end of this year the railway line from Bergamo to Lecco is closed for renovation.

Another compelling reason to make Milan your base, poorvi205.

Thank you @lachera & @palmisanojm for your inputs. If I drop lake Iseo from my itinerary- will travelling to Como or in fact Milan be as challenging or even impossible considering the rail line closure?

I was looking to base in Bergamo as it seems to be such a beautiful place much like Siena which I have visited earlier (of course larger) and not as huge or crowded or touristy as Milan may be.

thanks in advance

With Bergamo as your base:

• Not traveling to Lake Iseo (east) won't affect your ability to reach Milan or Lake Como (west). It just wouldn't be a smart use of your time to travel to Lake Iseo.

• Sensibly, you'll stop over in Milan - not Lecco - to reach Lake Como. Yet, another reason to make Milan your travel hub.

Examine a map of northern Italy and travel apps for routes and travel durations when plotting your trip.

Honestly, your original itinerary suggests you won't spend much awake time experiencing Bergamo. So, why all the analysis to make it your base instead of a day trip?

How about 3 nights in Bergamo, 2 nights in Como and day trip to Verona from Bergamo?

It looks like you really want to see Bergamo, I hope you don’t get dissuaded from going.

@palmisanojm, I am not too keen to make Milan my base- there is a bit of trepidation since I am travelling solo- actually I have not included it for a day trip either. As such, when I read up on Bergamo and saw the images online, it looked so beautiful and also seems less hurried that I thought I would make it as my North Italy base. Nonetheless, thanks for your inputs, I may just skip Lake Iseo and do a day trip to Como and perhaps Verona.

@Marco, thanks as well for your tips-appreciate and yes I do hope that I do get to visit North Italy as part of my trip

Four repliers advised not making Bergamo your base, OP. But okay.

I'll leave you with this food for thought. 🙂 Regionale trains to Verona:

Via Bergamo: no direct; must change in Brescia, Treviglio, or Rovato

Via Milan: direct; little or no difference in time or cost

Returns are the same.

Enjoy!

I've been to Bergamo (many years ago) and liked it. But there's something I don't believe anyone has made explicit: If you want to stay in the beautiful, historic center of Bergamo (Citta Alta), you will not be a quick walk from the Bergamo train station. Each side trip you take will involve not just the travel time you see on the Trenitalia website, but also the time required to get from the Citta Alta down to the train station. I don't know anything about bus service; I took the funicular. It's a quick, 3-minute ride, but that's after you walk from your lodgings to the funicular station and wait for the next departure. Then at the base of the funicular you must walk to the train station.

You raised excellent points, acraven!

Bergamo's bus system is good. We used it twice - from Città Bassa to Città Alta and back.

Yet, if the OP stays in lovely Città Alta and day trips, they'll:

• walk to, wait for, and take a funicular (there are two)
• walk to, wait for, and take a bus (choosing the correct #1 bus can be confusing)
• walk to the train station
• catch a train - finally
• do it all in reverse on the return

Note: Walking from a funicular to the train station instead of taking a bus could take 30+ minutes - unadvisable.

And, a solo traveler after day tripping might be anxious commuting at night from urban Città Bassa.

Whew, so much time, effort, and worry!

I will add the comment that last September my daughter & I stayed in Bergamo’s Citta Alta. When we arrived by train there were no taxis at the train station. We walked over to the Info station nearby to ask about taxis. The lady was so helpful calling taxi companies, but she did tell us the city is short of taxis. Those she called weren’t very encouraging & finally we just had to wait for someone using a taxi and hail it to go up to Citta Alta.

Given that you seem set on staying in Bergamo and not staying in Milan, and given that you are taking the Bernina Express to Tirano, maybe the following would work: Train from Tirano to Lecco or Varenna; spend a night or 2, do the Lake Como ferry loop that you wanted. If the rail line from Lecco to Bergamo is closed, I believe there is a bus alternative provided by Trennord. Travel to Bergamo and stay a couple nights as you wanted. Depending on how many total nights you have, you might be able to fit in one day trip from Bergamo, maybe to Brescia. Is your departing flight from MXP or from Milan-Bergamo?