Greetings Forum Italy Experts!
My wife and I have two weeks left over (May 29 to June 12) after our cruise ends in Chioggia. We (think) we would like to visit Bologna, Lugano and/or Stressa, the Bernina express between Chur and Tirano (either direction), and Bolzano. I think it will be too early for guaranteed good weather for hiking in the Dolomites, so Bolzano might be as far northeast as we go. I am not sure of the best order to visit these places, or how long we should stay, to maximize our time. We are going to fly home from Venice. We do not need to spend time in Venice, as we have been there previously.
These are considerations at this point; I am probably missing some other spectacular places in the region. Any ideas for timing this out, or places not to miss along the way?
We are not planning on renting a car, but we can if that improves our experience.
Also, is there train service from Chioggia to Rovigo? It appears that trains connect Rovigo with Bologna.
Thanks for any help,
David Robathan
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11569 posts
Bologna, Lugano or Stresa?
Bologna is a must see! A favorite place of ours in Italy. A center for Italian foods as well as a university town. Wonderful!
Lugano, a small city/ town on Lake Lugano. Not a must see.
Stresa, a small, charming city on the shores of Lake Maggiore, worth a visit!
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283 posts
Bologna--fabulous, walkable, delightful, arcades, food, architecture, just wonderful.
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8 posts
We were just in that area in May/June without a car. We spent three incredible days/nights in Bologna and loved every minute of it. The architecture, the porticoes, the food - all amazing!
Our Airbnb: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/836298644562015386?source_impression_id=p3_1730050062_P3KHMeW1FwhC9C_r
Restaurants in Bologna we enjoyed were Taverna del Postiglione Restaurant and Ristorante San Pietro.
From Bologna we took a train to Padua and stayed for two nights. Not our favorite spot, but we did enjoy seeing the frescoes in the Duomo Bapistry.
After Padua, we took a train to Verona and stayed for three nights at this Airbnb: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/681111299186584759?source_impression_id=p3_1730049727_P3PWDH3UiQV4bR0i.
Verona is popular for the Romeo and Juliet connection, but it's a beautiful city in its own right. We walked all over and loved it.
We loved this restaurant so much that we went two nights in a row: Osteria Il Bertoldo.
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39 posts
I spent several nights in lovely Stresa without a car. The town sits in a beautiful location on the lake, and you can take ferries to several islands in the lake.
I stayed in Bologna on a different trip. A totally different vibe because it’s a large city, but it has its own charming character and of course, great food.
On a different trip I spent several days in Verona another beautiful, beautiful little town.
You really can’t go wrong with any of the places you mentioned. I know there’s a fear of missing out! You’ll just have to plan on going back another time. I am leaving next week, and I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve visited Italy. Somewhere between 12 and 15 times, and it never gets old. Enjoy!