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Cinque Terre, Milan and the Lakes

This will be our third trip to Italy. We are in our late 60's/early 70's in good shape but recent knee surgery. We love good walks, but hiking is not for us. Cinque Terre and the Lakes are on my bucket list. I know Cinque Terre is overcrowded, but still think we can enjoy it. We are traveling mid-September and so far, this is our itinerary:

Fly into Milan, train to Monterosso. Four nights in Monterosso, knowing the first day will be a wipeout. We have a shuttle from the train station to the hotel. This is the only hotel I have reserved but it could be changed at this point.

Train back to Milan, rent a car and drive to Bellagio (Lake Como area) for three nights.

The next 5 nights is where we are struggling. Definitely at 2-3 more nights on either Lake Garda or Maggiore. If you could choose only one of these lakes, which would you recommend?

Or the rest of the 2-3 nights in Bologna or the other Lake?

We want to end the trip in Milan with three nights.

We love beautiful views, some good architecture and museums and great food. We are looking at taking this trip with some down days to enjoy just relaxing and enjoy the environment whether it be by the pool, on a beach or just cruising the lakes.

Thank you in advance for your recommendations.

Posted by
905 posts

I;m not quite certain why you would rent a car to drive to Bellagio. Granted, there are several beautiful drives there but far easier and probably cheaper to hire a car to drive you there and back. Once there, you will have little if any need for a car. Plus, parking is at a premium there as well.

Beyond that, Malcesine on Garda would be my choice, followed by your suggestion of Bologna. Downside of Malcesine is that it is not easy/time efficient to get there.

Posted by
35 posts

Marc, thank you for the advice on hiring a driver to Lake Como. I'll definitely look into that.

Posted by
417 posts

I spent a few nights in Lake Garda my last time in Italy and absolutely loved it. I would recommend visiting both the southern and northern ends, since the views are totally different. I stayed in Desenzano del Garda and Riva del Garda. Make sure to visit Sirmione and Salo on the southern end. On the northern end, the Castello di Arco has spectacular views (maybe you could get a taxi to take you to the top?) and there's a lovely waterfall you can visit called the Cascata del Varone. Malcesine is another lovely town on the north part of the lake.

A couple of nights in Bologna would be very lovely as well. It's a really overlooked part of Italy that deserves more attention.

Posted by
35 posts

Thank you, Bill. I have been leaning towards Lake Garda. I have been reading wonderful things about Sirmione.