Northern Italy itinerary advice

Bergamo is worth seeing, especially la citta' alta, the upper part of the city. As for the lakes, definitely consider Lake Garda, and the towns around it. The valleys behind Bergamo, Val Seriana or Val Brembana have lovely scenery but also some lovely little towns that are great for stopping in for a meal or taking a walk around.
I think two nights may be a lot for Verona, another place to consider would be Mantua.

Hi JER,
I'm a huge Verona fan! We were there 3 nights in March and it was a delightful visit to a charming, smaller Italian city--Rick's Verona walk provides a great overview--Verona is much more than Romeo and Juliets' balcony. The restaurants and cafes were great too. We stayed at Hotel Torcolo--a perfect location in the heart of the city--it's a quick bus ride from the train station. I think you'd find that 2 nights in June to be a good amount of time. BUT, I'd check the Verona Opera Festival dates as hotels fill up and are more expensive during those times. If you're an opera fan it would be fantastic to see an opera in the Roman amphitheater.

I second Lake Garda. Sirmione is a charming town not too far off of the autostrada and almost right on the way to Verona.

Also, if it is any comfort, the driving around Lake Garda was, in my opinion, not nearly as "exciting" as the drive up Lake Como ;) The lanes were much wider :)

I love Verona, and two nights is perfect. I much prefer Verona to Vicenza and Mantua. Cremona is a nice town, somewhat less touristed.

WE spent a week of our last trip to Italy in 2007 at a lovely agriturismo (Ca del Baldo) near Lake Garda. We enjoyed the charming villages on the north, south, and east side of the lake--including Sirmione. We also enjoyed Verona and Mantova. We spent 1 night in Padova enroute to our agriturismo and visited the Scrovegni Chapel. I would probaby choose Verona over Mantova if time is an issue. Did not go to Vicenza. Bon Viaggio!

I think Verona and Vicenza would be great places to stop. Are you training or renting a car? With a car you can get out in the countryside and see some other neat spots. Souve is nice for wine and a castle, Nove for pottery, Bassano Del Grappa for not quite alpine experiance. I love Bassano because there is a river going through the center of town and it is so easy to sit at a cafe and watch the river go by.

Verona is beautiful and well worth a couple of days. Padua is also an interesting city. Vicenza is lovely but small, so a day trip was enough for us. And when we flew out of Bergamo with Ryanair recently, we stayed overnight and wished we had longer as there's plenty there to see, too.