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Milan and some choices

Posted by on

Hi,
Please comment on my travel plans for June 2026
I am a 72 year old, fit, single woman, travelling from South Africa.

My plans:
* 3 - 10 June in Milan. (via Amsterdam). Meet son and partner in Milan, exploring the city as well as a day trip or 2 to lake Como
* 10 till 17 June on my own in either Varenna on the lake, or Bonassola, or Levanto close to Quinque Terre.
* 17 till 22 in Paris. Taking the train to Milan, from there fly to Paris, walk everywhere and do some travelling with a friend who works there
* 22 June - Fly to Amsterdam for two nights flying back to South Africa on 24 June.

Some considerations;
* I'm much better at hiking than catching trains. So dividing my solo days between QT and Lake Como may be too tiring? Or should it be easily done?
* Do you have any recommendations as far as choosing between Bonassola and Levanto is concerned?
* I was counting on a direct flight to Paris... Do you think they may re-instate? (sorry not the smartest question)

That's all for now. I love mountain/hill walks, trees, wild coast-lines, calm lakes, unusual food, small villages, architecture, art and cats.

Thank you for any input,

Karina

Posted by
3730 posts

If you want to hike then Cinque Terre (note spelling) would be my choice. In June it is going to be very busy however, so staying outside the five villages is probably wise. Be sure to get the appropriate trail pass and check for any restrictions on trails (sometimes they do one-way trails during busy parts of the season) https://www.parconazionale5terre.it/Eindex.php

There are many direct flights from Milan to Paris, use Skyscanner to find them. Most are budget carriers and several leave from Linate (LIN) not Malpensa (MXP).

Posted by
1148 posts

A few things:
1) Looking at Google flights, I see multiple direct flights from Milan to Paris
2) The train from Milan to Varenna is straightforward and fast. From Milan to the Cinque Terre will take close to 3 hours, then you will have to backtrack to Milan in order to fly to Paris. Do some research and decide if there is enough in Varenna to keep your interests for a week.
3) There is beautiful hiking in Cinque Terre, but consider the fact that you will most likely be taking the local trains from village to village.
4) If you want to base yourself in Milan and take day trips from there, that is very doable, but again it will require trains. For me, you are spending far too much time in the Milan area.
5) Would you consider a direct train to Florence, which is a very beautiful, and walkable city? From there you can fly directly to Paris.

6) While in Milan, I highly recommend you book tickets to view "The Last Supper". Those tickets sell out very quickly, so you need to book as soon as they become available.

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