At end of tour - ciphering on the following. three nights in Milan, four in Florence, and five or six in Rome. Doing four in Venice prior to. On foot - desire fairly central locations for all three - some night photography, maybe. Like clean, safe neighborhoods, yes - spacious, and luxury, not a priority. If one stop was to be eliminated - which? Likely train from one to the next If additional time at one recommended, which? Understand this is subjective - but would really appreciate your thoughts. Thank you.
Posted by
🏝️ Hobe Sound, FL⛱️
3299 posts
Personally, I would drop Milan. Many find it boring. If you want to spend those days in another interesting city, I would highly recommend Turin - great sights, fewer tourists! Otherwise I think your choices and lengths of stay in each city are dead on.
Posted by
3124 posts
I feel the same about Milan. Other than the Last Supper and the cathedral, I experienced it as a congested, noisy city.
You could easily add one more night in Florence and two more in Rome, or if you want a different city, consider Bologna. I haven't spent time there, but many people on these forums give it high marks.
Posted by
Central Connecticut, USA
1103 posts
I agree with the others that Milan would not be my first choice. It would be good to end your trip in Rome due to better flight options home.
Posted by
Milwaukie, Oregon
1057 posts
I concur with others that Milan is not the best place to spend your extra time. I would add the advice to carpool in a hired car with others to Milan at the end of the RS trip, even if you don’t plan to stay in Milan. Orto San Giulio is a very difficult place to connect with mass transportation. If you carpool with others from your trip, the cost per person will be less And you can find easy transportation from Milan to the next place of your choosing. Enjoy your village Italy trip. It is one of my favorite memories.
Posted by
Irving
3315 posts
I agree about dropping Milan but preferred it over Turin and Bologna. Turin is a big dirty industrial city with great food. If taking a train to Turin, make sure it’s a fast one with very few stops because you get a lot of pickpockets that ride the regional trains with lots of stops. I’ve lost count on how many times I’ve been there.
I don’t know what’s spectacular about Bologna either. If I were going to add a place it would be Siena which is a direct bus ride from Florence (1h 15m) and Il Campo Square is the perfect setting for night- time photography.