Northern Italy trip

Posted by knoyes12 on 11/01/14 11:18 PM

MY wife and i are planning a 12 day trip to Northern Italy in Sept 2015. Looking for ideas and suggestions, including advice about what to avoid. We are planning on staying on or by the lake (do you suggest staying on the lake or nearby the lake in a different city) for a few days. Cinque Terre for a few days and maybe in the hills for a few days

We will be booking the entire trip ourselves. Trains for transportation. Maybe rent a car for a day or two to drive into the country side

We are not going to take tours (except for maybe a winery tour). No museums. We want to relax, eat food and drink wine

Thanks in advance

Posted by Priscilla

California 🦋

11/02/14 08:36 PM

5301 posts

Will that be 12 days in Italy or 12 days including travel days?

We just returned from northern Italy (13 days) where we stayed in Verona with day trip to Lake Garda then we took train to Padua with day trip to Venice. We also traveled to Ravenna then ended our trip in Lake Como (last night in Milan)
I think we moved around too much (traveled by train) & were exhausted by the end of our trip!

Our favorite spots: Lake Garda & Lake Como where we took ferries & enjoyed visiting the lakeside cities, we relaxed & ate gelato to our hearts content!

My travel suggestions:

Travel light - one carry-on per person assuming each person will carry their own.
avoid one night stays.
less is more. Especially if you plan to travel by train.

I'm sure you will get many other helpful ideas from this forum.

Happy planning!

Posted by Roberto da Firenze ⚜

San Francisco Bay Area (USA)

11/03/14 05:42 AM

16243 posts

"By the lake"? "On the hills"?
Which lake? Which hills? Northern Italy is full of lakes, hills and even majestic mountains.

I suggest a guidebook and a map to get an idea of where you would like to go and see. From your post I detect a very vague notion of where you want to go and see and an even vaguer notion of the distances involved. "Northern Italy" is a very broad area to visit. At least decide between the northeast (Tri Veneto) or the northwest (Piedmont/Lombardy).

Posted by knoyes12 OP

11/03/14 07:27 PM

2 posts

Sorry. We are staying on Lake Como. We are staying in Cinque Terre. The third piece is Piedmont region (maybe Langhe region).
We have been to Italy before including Milan, Venice, Florence and Rome. We traveled by train We are planning to travel by train again.

I am looking for suggestions and things to avoid at Lake Como, Cinque Terre and Langhe region.
I am also trying to find out information about which city to make our base out of Piedmont and want to make sure we can access the base via train/bus

Thanks again for any help

Posted by Priscilla

California 🦋

11/04/14 09:46 PM

5301 posts

Hi knoyes12,

I am looking for suggestions and things to avoid at Lake Como, Cinque
Terre and Langhe region.

Can you be more specific?

"Suggestions and things to avoid", in terms of what? Tourist traps, hotels, food, sights, etc, etc....

This travel forum is very helpful but you need to be more specific.

I agree with Roberto, and would encourage you to read some travel guidebooks or search this web-site which has tons of helpful information. Once you've decided what you want to do & see, then this site can help answer questions you may have on your itinerary/arrival/departure/hotels/ favorite restaurants/transportation and such.

Happy planning!