I am going to Milan Sept/October for 2 weeks. This will be our home base but we will be doing day trips. Some of the group is doing guided all day tours. I prefer to be more independent and buy a tour when I get there. i will buy my Last Supper tickets before I leave. Should I buy an audio guide or guided tour or neither? Any suggestions?
Ideas on places to see and what and where to purchase things? We already have a schedule of places, Bergamo, Ravenna, Padua, Cinque Terra. I am open to ideas! Thank you!!!
Posted by
Chicago, IL, USA
488 posts
Turin. An hour by freccia for 33 euro each way and two hours by RV from 12.5 euro each way. Best Egyptian museum outside of Egypt, now with more items on display than before a five year renovation. Basilica di Superga with great architecture and an amazing view. A bicerin at Al Bicerin, gelato at Grom, all the chocolates, great restaurants.
An not terribly touristed.
Posted by
11697 posts
Get your Last Supper tickets ASAP.
All of those places you list are day trips??
You will be spending so much time traveling. Why not add a second base? Ravenna is on the Adriatic coast south of Venice.
Posted by
Washington DC
28462 posts
I believe you are planning some rather impractical side-trips. I suggest that you go to viamichelin.com and check the driving times to the places you're considering. (Ravenna and Monterosso/Cinque Terre are both estimated at over 3 hours one way.) Folks here feel that ViaMichelin is a bit optimistic, so you'll need to pad the driving times a bit, allow for any stops you might want to make and figure on some time to find parking at each destination. The parking may be a healthy walk from the historic district where you're headed.
If you're not planning to rent a car, go to trenitalia to check on rail times to your planned destinations.
I understand flying into Milan, because it often has good airfares, but it's a rather unusual choice of a base for two weeks. It doesn't have very many top tourist sights, so you'll want to make a lot of trips to other places. But it's not very close to any of the places you mentioned except Bergamo. And since it's a large city, driving in and out (if that's what some of you plan to do each day), whether by rental car or in a tour bus, will waste a lot of time.
You would do better to pick one, two or three base camps in cities that either have more tourist sights (reducing the need to leave town) or are more conveniently located, or both. Taking bus tours from Milan day after day is going to be costly.
Posted by
OP
8 posts
Last Supper tickets are only available till August 30 at present.
Milan is our home spot.
We are staying over night in Cinque Terre.
Thanks to all
Posted by
Toledo, Ohio, US
11613 posts
I love Milano and there is a week's worth of sights there, leaving a lot of time for daytrips. If you can, think about overnighting in Ravenna. It will be a rushed visit as a daytrip.
Don't forget a day in Bologna!