Is the Lake area worth the extra money at the end of our trip

Jerry

Look into the Lake Garda area as well- We stayed in the small town of Fumane and drove to Lake Garda for the day. Wish we could have stayed longer and stayed in one the Lake Garda towns.

Maybe Venice - Belluno - Trento? The Dolomites are spectacular and different from what you've seen so far. You can swing back down from Trento to Verona and spend a couple days in the lakes area if you want to.

My experience with liberation day holidays is that there's a celebration in just about every town and people don't travel overnight to see something they can see at home.

I haven't been to the Lakes area but I'd suggest allocating a few days for Verona--easy train connections between Venice and Milan. If it works into your itinerary you might also consider Bologna...something like Venice, Verona, Bologna (with day trips to Modena or Parma) and then back to Milan.

We stayed in Lake Como for a few days at the end of our trip in September. We loved it and I would definitely recommend it especially because it will be a change in scenery and pace from the rest of your trip. I would not spend 10 days there but I would definitely visit Lake Como for 2-4 days & then maybe move on to one of the other lakes. Lake Como is beautiful and very relaxing. I don't know what the weather will be like towards the end of April so you might research that further. I would recommend staying in Varenna because the train goes there and it's a very quaint and pretty little town. We took the boat to the other mid-lake areas (Bellagio, Menaggio, etc.).

We stayed at the Albergo Milano hotel in Varenna and I paid extra for a lake-front view which was worth every penny. The views were spectacular!

Your trip sounds fabulous...I'm jealous that you get to go for 2 months! Have a wonderful time.

Thanks for your responses. We were looking into the Lake Garda area but it looks like you need a car to get around. We are really hoping the Dolomites will be warm enough for us warm weather people to enjoy. Thanks for the info on Liberation Day that helped us to be not too anxious on getting reservations in places that might be crowded because of a three day weekend.
Jerry

I was in Castelrotto at the end of April 2006 and it snowed the night we got there. It was beautiful, but very cold. If you want warm, you need to venture further south I'm afraid.

I too second Verona (easy to reach by train from Venice) and also Varenna on Lake Como (easy to reach from Milan by train). As for the latter, I remember opening the lake view window at my hotel and thinking I'd actually died and gone to heaven, so unbelievably beautiful! And there are many on this site who will tell you the benefits of a little time in Milan - I had too little and wished I had stayed longer.

I second the idea of a couple of nights in Milan. The Duomo and its piazza, La Scala (if you're an opera fan), the Last Supper, Castello Sforzesco and its park, the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II and just people-watching for the walking fashion plates you see everywhere. It's unique.

I would definitely recommend the Lake District as being worthwhile, especially to relax and unwind at the end of your trip. You could stay at Lake Como for a couple of days, and if you stay in the Milan area you could also visit Lake Maggiore. If you do end up staying in Milan, I would also recommend day trips to Bergamo (Alto) and Certosa di Pavia (if you enjoy churches and the like). And as previous posters have noted, Verona can warrant a stop as well.

Enjoy your travels!

The Dolomites are mountains---think ski area---and definitely not warm in April. That is "low season" there, with many hotels shut down for a brief rest between season (post-ski,, pre-hiking). Also, it is not easy to get around without a car, although we have done OK with the SAD bus system.

I suggest you look at lower elevations. You should be able to find something around the lakes that is not so expensive. Take a look at Albergo Belvedere on Isola Pescatori, Lago Maggiore, near Stresa. double rooms in April are around 75 euro (without a view). A view room is twice that.

I would definately visit the lakes -especially Lake Como. There is so much to do and it is breathtakingly beautiful. I would suggest that you save on hotel bills by booking a villa or apartment. There are lots of options to choose from, depending on the size of your party. Prices are quite low in April, you could pay as little as 500 - 800 euro per week for a 1 bedroom apartment with stunning lake views http://www.ownersdirect.co.uk/italy/it2385.htm or 2000-3000 euro per week for a 4 bedroom villa with pool http://www.ownersdirect.co.uk/italy/it2619.htm
In terms of things to do:

Follow my blog for more useful info on Lake Como - http://lakecomoexpert.blogspot.com/

Thanks for all the suggestions. We have made the decision to stay in Verona for seven days and tour all around the area. And we will stay our last three of four days in Varenna. Our last night will be at the Malpensa Airport at a Best Western.

Thanks again,
Jerry and Stelly