We will be in Sirmione / Lake Garda for 5 days in September and will be driving from there to Monterosso to spend a few days there in Cinque Terre. It is about a 3 hr drive and we'd like to break it up with a stop along the way. We can either stop in Parma, or Modena. We would stop for lunch and maybe walk around a bit... again just to break up the drive. We are just starting to plan this.... of course we know what each town is famous for and love it all! So, if anyone has a "must do" / "must visit" type of place in either of these cities, we would love to hear about it! Thanks.
Posted by
Seattle, WA
17560 posts
We have not been to either yet, but when I was looking to include 2 nights in one or the other on our way between Milan and Siena, the majority of the opinions I received here said “Parma”.
Posted by
St. Petersburg, FL
146 posts
We stayed in Bologna for a week last fall and did day trips to both Modena and Parma. We felt Parma has a better food scene than Modena as it is a larger town. You should scope out parking - seemed I saw parking outside of the historic center. We have found parking to be our biggest challenge when we have rented a car and stopped somewhere for lunch along the way.
Posted by
OP
Charlotte, NC
20 posts
We've decided to stop in Parma for lunch on this travel day. Does anyone have a great restaurant recommendation for lunch? Also - we plan to purchase some cheese while here... any "must see" places? Thanks
Posted by
Vignola, Modena, Italy
555 posts
If you will leave Sirmione early in the morning I recommend you do a stop in a Parmigiano-Reggaino dairy, where you can see how that cheese is made. There are some ones even in Mantua province, so you don't need to leave too early. Is a very nice experience because is a cheese made every day, so arriving before 9am you can see the cheese makers working.
Posted by
Firenze, Italy
1721 posts
Me and my wife often stopped in Parma for lunch during our drives (usually Florence to Milan and vv.); the Toschi underground parking looks particularly convenient. Usually we had lunch at Rigoletto, a restaurant near the opera house (there is another one around with the same name). It is a few years we do not travel through Parma anymore, but it looks like Rigoletto is still open and has good reviews.
Posted by
Washington, DC USA
511 posts
Miuccia, for Modena, can you recommend one of the small hostarie or neighborhood trattorie, or how to find one? Thanks.
Posted by
New England
701 posts
Modena: Trattoria Aldina, Trattoria Ermes, and Ristorante da Danilo are all alive and well as of this past April!