Italy Villlage Tour - add ons / insights ??

We flew into Milan and went straight to Varenna on Lake Como for 3 nights, which we loved. Then took the train to Venice for a few nights, never been there, and then on to Padua the day before the tour started. We now wish we would have used that extra day in Varenna or Venice instead. I thought Varenna was much better than Lago d'Orta, if you want to spend more time at a lake. One full day in the Cinque Terre was enough for me, one more day would have been nice, but no more. Just my opinion. Flew home from Milan

Here is a link to my report on Village Italy (our 6th RS tour):

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/tours/village-italy-tour-review-april-22-may-5

We flew nonstop from Boston to Paris, then connected to a separate flight to Venice. This flight plan was necessary in order to use the Pay With Miles feature on Delta airlines. The flight from Milan to Paris at the end of the trip was also a separate flight.

Venice is definitely worth a visit. We took a day trip from Padua, and noticed that the crowds dissipated in the late afternoon. Some people have said that they did not think extra time in Lake Orta was worthwhile. Traveling from Lake Orta to Cinque Terre would be complicated, as would getting from Cinque Terre to an international airport for your flight home. We prefer doing most traveling on our own before the tour starts. The RS tours can be tiring (in a good way), and travel after the tour seems anticlimactic. Having said that, it is nice to linger a bit at the end of the tour. Having to leave at the crack of dawn on the last day sort of breaks the magic spell surrounding the tour experience.

We're also doing this tour starting June 6th. We're planning on two days in Venice before the tour begins, but we didn't plan any days post-tour. We've never been to Venice before, so we thought it would be a good addition for us.

This will be our first RS tour, going early May. We are doing 4 nights in Venice before the tour, have only been there for a day over 20 years ago so really want to see more than just the highlights. Booked the B&B Corte Campana based on recommendations from this site and communication with Riccardo & Grace has been great. We will then get to Padua a day before the tour starts, hopefully we can stay at the tour hotel. At the end of the tour we plan to spend a day or two in Milan before flying home. Have delayed this trip for two years so really hope it works out this time.

I have taken the village Italy tour. In my opinion, there’s no need to stay over in Lake Orta. There’s not much there, and ways to get out of there to the nearest city, which would probably be Milan are very scarce. I’ve been told there’s a train that comes through there but that you have to buy the tickets ahead of time. Nobody on our trip used that option, opting instead to take private cars arranged by our guide. These are quite expensive. If I recall correctly it was $100, although most trips to Milan were for more than one couple, which split the fare into smaller amounts. I wouldn’t waste the time going to chink with Tara, as you’ll be right there on your village Italy trip prior to going to Lake Orta. I would use the extra time in Milan instead.

I loved my very first R Steves tour which was this Village tour. It is still one of my favorites and I have taken 6 additional ones. I flew in to Venice for a few days prior to the tour and was so glad I did. The train is so easy from there to Padua. I would share a ride to Milan and spend some time there. I wish I had done that rather than flying directly home. Remember the Last Supper can be seen there, but make reservations ahead of time and there is that gorgeous duomo, too. Definitely look at the scrapbooks over the years of other Village tours. This is a tour I would gladly take a 2nd time.

This was one of our favorite RS tours. Here's my trip report: https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/tours/tour-report-village-italy

We flew into Venice, and immediately grabbed the bus for Padova. We spent a couple of days pre-tour there, and loved every minute. There is so much to see and do.

Post tour, we went to Milan for another 3 or 4 days, and loved it, as well. I think Milan is underappreciated on the Forum. We never ran out of things to do there.

Yes, definitely add nights in Padua on the front end. I did not and regretted it. There was so much to see there that we did not have time for on the tour.

I agree with the poster upthread about NOT adding time to Orta San Giulio. Maybe that next morning so you can do the stops on the Sacra Monte, then have lunch and then head into Milan by pre-arranged taxi or van. We stayed a full extra day and that was too much. I also did not allow us time in Milan at the end and should have...what can I say? It was early in my Rick Steves tour "career", lol.

The guide will start figuring out the exit strategy on about Day 3 and will bunch people together who are going to the airport or the train station or wherever and book cabs/vans for them. This is much easier than the train. If you do opt for the train the guide will help you buy your ticket whlle you are in Cinque Terre as there is no ticket station in Orta (or maybe now it's just as easy to buy online??).

This is a fun trip. Very different from many tours as there is so much experiential stuff.