Day Trip from Milan - can I fit all these towns in?

Posted by melanie on 08/27/22 08:09 PM

Hello! My mother and I are going to Europe in October and will be spending 4 nights in the Swiss Alps, 4 nights in Milan, 4 nights in Nice, and 4 nights in Paris. Essentially, we will be in Milan for an afternoon/evening and three full days.

While in Milan, we plan to devote the day of arrival and the next full day to seeing the sights of Milan, including a tour that hits many of the highlights. Then, we hope to make a day trip to Lake Como -- take the train to Verenna and the ferry to Bellagio, take a one-hour boat tour on the lake to see the villas, and then spend the rest of the day walking and exploring Bellagio and Verenna before heading back to Milan.

For our final full day in Milan, there are too many places I want to see haha. I am hoping that we can schedule a day trip that encompasses Crema, Cremona, and Bergamo. Does that sound doable, and if so, which order makes the most sense for the train? Also, am I missing any must-sees that we could squeeze in along the way? Thanks in advance for any suggestions or help.

Posted by stan

The Heartland USA

08/27/22 08:13 PM

9051 posts

One note: the train station in Varenna (Varenna-Esino) is unmanned so its good to have your return tickets in hand.

Posted by Suki

08/27/22 08:44 PM

11647 posts

Book your tickets for “The Last Supper” well in advance here: www.cenacolovinciano.org
This is the site. You will see other ticket companies like Viator trying to sell them to you at additional cost. If you are taking a city tour, it may include a visit to see “The Last Supper.”
Note spelling, Varenna. In Bellagio, climb the stairs to the top of the town. The church of San Giacomo is up at the top and was built between the years 1000 and 1100.
Lake Como, visit the gardens at Villa Balbianello for stunning views north of the lake and the Alps. Take ferry to Lenno and walk to Viall Balbianello nearby.
I don’t know how much energy you have for all three towns your last day in Milan. I would consider booking a private driver for the day to accomplish your goal. That is the only way I think you can see all three.
You have a nice itinerary planned!

Posted by Jean

Idaho, USA

08/28/22 02:01 AM

7920 posts

For your last Milan day, my first question is which day of the week this is? Cremona has a wonderful 30-minute concert they offer in the Stradivarius museum on weekends. If you like classical music, I would put the priority for Cremona. Otherwise, I would spend the day in Bergamo. I haven’t been to Crema, so I can’t comment. Whatever you decide, give yourself plenty of time to actually enjoy it.

Posted by melanie OP

08/28/22 02:17 AM

148 posts

Thanks so much to all who had suggestions! This forum is so helpful!!

Stan - that's good to know about Varenna. I'll make a point of buying roundtrip tickets. I take it that I am not able to purchase tickets through the Trenitalia App instead? That would be preferable if they allow it because then we wouldn't have to worry about validation, right?

periscope - if all three aren't possible, which town would make the most sense to drop?

Suki - thanks for the suggestions on the Lake Como trip. Very helpful! In terms of the Last Supper, sadly they are already out of tickets for the week we are going to be there. That's one of the main reasons I booked a tour. It will include the Last Supper viewing as well as a few other Milan highlights. For our tentative trip on the last day, I think having a driver would be fabulous but I'm guessing very expensive. Does anyone have suggestions on possible companies and a general idea about cost? If we could swing the expense, I think this would be our preferred approach.

Jean - thank you for the info on Cremona. I am a huge classical music fan which is one reason I am trying to squeeze in Cremona. Our last day is a Friday, but depending on weather, we could do this trip on a Thursday and Como on a Friday.

Posted by Nigel

Northamptonshire, England

08/28/22 03:00 PM

34133 posts

the Trenitalia app should work for that

Posted by melanie OP

08/29/22 01:50 AM

148 posts

Thanks, Nigel! I am relieved I can just use the app and forget about validating tickets.

And thanks, periscope, for weighing in. I think I agree with you and will go with Crema and Cremona. I can save Bergamo for another trip. In addition to being fascinating to me for its role in the history of the violin, Cremona also seems to have a beautiful plaza and lots of pedestrian streets filled with shops and restaurants. It looks really fun to walk around, and at only 10 minutes from the train station, it seems logistically easier than Bergamo for a full day. Thanks again!