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Milan and Lake District end of Sept first week of October???

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My husband and I are planning a trip to Italy towards the end of September / early October, 2017. We need to be in Rome the second week of October. We have spent time in southern Italy in the past and would like to focus on Northern Italy this time.

We are looking at flying into Milan. We would like to visit Milan and also visit the Lake District (Lake Como, etc). It has been suggested that much of the tourist areas in the Lake District will be shutting down for the summer season. We would like to have any thoughts on what areas in the Lake District should still be open for tourist visits at this time. We are open to driving or taking a train/ferry.

Also, we would appreciate suggestions for accommodations in Milan (Central so as to be able to easily access public transportation) as well as places to stay in the Lake District.

We will book flights once we have a better idea of whether it is still an open time for visiting / staying in the Lake District. Other wise, we will adjust our schedule to focus on Milan only before heading south.

Thank you in advance for your ideas and suggestions.

Posted by
5245 posts

Brallardyce2,

We are looking at flying into Milan. We would like to visit Milan and
also visit the Lake District (Lake Como, etc). It has been suggested
that much of the tourist areas in the Lake District will be shutting
down for the summer season.

Most establishements will start closing down at the beginning of November, so you should be okay, especially if going in late September. You may get a few showers, so check the weather before your trip so you'll pack accordingly.

My mom & I visited northern Italy 2 years ago at the end of Sept/beginning of October.
We enjoyed our stay at Albergo Milano in Varenna, (Lake Como) at the beginning of October. We experienced a lovely sunny day & two drizzly days, so if you go in September, you may get better weather.

You won't need a car to travel to Varenna as it's an easy one hour train ride from Milano Centrale.
Once you're in Varenna, you can easily travel to other lakeside villages ( Bellagio, Menaggio, Lenno, etc..) via frequent ferries.

Enjoy your trip!

Edit to add...
I had just clicked on "add reply" when you deleted your duplicate post ;-) It's a good thing I copied & pasted!
If you decide to travel to Varenna, make sure to buy your return train tickets at Milano Centrale, as the tiny train station in Varenna doesn't sell tickets.

Posted by
15278 posts

They are not shutting anything down in September.

I,like lake Maggiore, which happens to be near Milan Malpensa airport. Stress is a nice town just 45 min from the airport and a perfect place to unwind and get used to the time difference. Next to it is also lake Orta. I generally rent a car, which I find convenient for roaming outside of cities, however Stresa is reachable by bus from the airport and by rail (take a taxi or bus from airport to Gallarate station (10 min) then train from Gallarate to Stresa.

Lake Como. The best part is in the Midlake area. Varenna, Bellagio, Cadenabbia, Menaggio are the main town in the Midlake. All towns are connected by public ferry service and bus service. Rail service is available only on the eastern shore (Varenna).

Lake Garda is best, IMO, on the north lake. Limone, Malcesine, Riva, Torbole, etc. all all excellent locations. On the south side Sirmione is worth a visit, although it's very touristy in high season. When you go it probably won't be, unless you go on a weekend. Rail service is available only on the south side (Peschiera, Desenzano) along the Milan-Verona-Padua-Venice railway. Bus and ferry service is available to all towns.

If you intend to visit several lakes, I would definitely rent a car for flexibility and efficiency of travel.

A car in big cities like Milan may be a hassle and is not needed. Try to leave Milan for last before coming home. Return the car as soon as you get to Milan before checking in a hotel.

There is fast train service from Milan Cadorna station (near the Duomo) to a Malpensa airport (Malpensa Express). Don't take a taxi to the airport. Milan is far from the Malpensa airport and taxi costs a fortune. If you fly to Milan via a European hub, you will probably land at Milan Linate, which handles most intra Europe flights. Malpensa is the airport you will use if you fly directly from/to a North America.

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