Questions about March Trip to Northern Italy

Hello tkbunch, and warm welcome to the forum,

It seems like you've really done your homework and come up with a solid plan.
How long is your flight? I fly from the west coast changing planes and flying into Italy and I never plan to push on after landing, but shorter flights mean more options. If you take the train you'll need to change in Milan and I believe there's a direct bus if you're up for that but then you will need to deal with getting to your accommodations in Bergamo after that.

I haven't been to Mantua - it looks very interesting. But as other day trips I would suggest Brescia - which I very much enjoyed and has great Roman ruins. And normally I would Lake Garda but the lakes in March are likely to be very much off season.

I think Modena is probably a stretch too far when it takes time away from Florence. If you do change trains from local to fast trains in Bologna the fast trains are 3 levels down and it is an airport-like transfer so arrive early and head straight to the tracks.

I love Lucca but I would recommend Siena as a day trip from Florence. Especially in March even if a lot is closed you may get to see it without a crush of tourists which is for the best.

I love that you are inspired and are heading out to do this.
Have a great trip,
=Tod

Tod, thanks so much for your reply! My travel time from the US is fairly long. I was able to snag business class with points but it comes with two stops on the way. So by the time I get to Milan that first day, I will have been traveling about 15 hours. Was thinking I might splurge on a taxi to Milano Centrale and then get a train to Bergamo that takes about 48min. On the surface, doesn't seem like that much but there is still the friction of getting out of the airport, traffic at that time of the day getting to Centrale, new place, etc. I just love the idea of waking up in Bergamo the next morning! Will ponder this a bit more.

Thank you too for sharing all the other thoughts about Modena, Lucca and Siena. I have been to both Lucca and Siena before so I know I would enjoy seeing either again. Your info about changing trains in Bologna was also very helpful. I think I should probably skip Modena with this itinerary as I'm already going to be spending a decent amount of time on trains as it is. :-)

Thanks too for your encouragement on just doing the trip. I love the research part and learning from others -- that's almost as enjoyable as the journey itself!
-Tracy

Assuming you're coming into MXP it is over 100e for a cab into the city. I've only done it once when a series of delays and missed flights got us into Milan at 1:30am. But in general I'd recommend that train that takes you right into Milano Centrale. I don't consider riding in a cab in Milan traffic more relaxing than a train. There are many business hotels right near the train station if you decide Bergamo is a bridge too far.

If you do head to Bergamo don't book your fast train ahead of time - just bite the bullet and pay full price. If you need to change a ticket you'll need to visit the ticket change office in Milan and that is like a Fellini film except you're in it. Other fast trains can be booked ahead at (sometimes significant) savings but you never know about the timing of flight delays and immigration lines in airports.

If you've been to both Siena and Lucca I'll let you decide which you'd like to revisit more. I spent a month in Lucca but for people who aren't familiar with Tuscan countryside or hill towns Siena is a great introduction.

Watch for Easter is April 6th so you're probably okay in terms of the holiday messing with your plans.

Have a great trip,
=Tod

Hi Tod. Thanks for the additional info. I'm actually coming into Linate via LHR but I'm sure a taxi would still be pricey at that time of day if I had to guess. I think I've about decided to just stay in Milan some where near Centrale and start fresh the next morning. Thanks again for helping me process the options!
Tracy

Vicenza is a lovely town for a day trip from Verona. Or, since you are taking an early train to Venice, it could be done that day as it is along the same rail line and your hotel in Venice probably wont be ready til the afternoon..

I haven't flown into LIN but I think a taxi is a perfectly good option in that case. I believe the shuttle drops you near but not at the train station and the metro requires a change. Between luggage and stumbling off a plane I think this is a good example of cost versus trouble and throwing some money at a problem to make it go away.

The usual caveats apply - only take taxis from the taxi rank. There will be a line of people waiting and potentially an airport employee coordinating pairing of cabs and people. You just wait for the next available one assuming you don't need a special vehicle.
Don't take any offered rides from anyone not lined up at the taxi stand inside the airport. If you want to use a credit card make sure the machine is "working" before you set off. They are required to accept cards but would rather use cash so it's best to check. Some people feel that if you ask for a receipt it means you'll have their driver number and you are probably a business traveller and potentially more savvy and this cuts down on potential shenanigans. All that being said I have not had an issue with taxis since they used lira, but there are reports of people having issues.

It's not a set rule but I find more and more that when we come into a city we don't know - or we're off a big travel day - we tend to taxi into a city and get to our hotel. And then we end up taking the bus back out after we know the mass transit system and have extra bus tickets etc. There are times when the convenience and removal of potential hassle - like wandering around with your luggage trying to decipher Italian street addresses - is best solved with some money if this spending doesn't impact your other travel choices.

My $.02,
=Tod

If you had more time, I would recommend Ravenna(half a day), and in Tuscany Lucca and San Gimignano. You could do Lucca and San G in one full day.

When I went to Venice I did a similar trip, and I definitely recommend taking a day to visit Murano and Burano if you get the chance. I found out about the ferry routes on Ferryhopper while figuring out how to get there, and it turned out to be really simple to catch the boat. It’s a nice break from the busy parts of Venice, with fewer tourists and plenty of quiet spots to just wander. https://www.ferryhopper.com/en/blog/featured/murano-burano-tour here is their blog with many many infos too

Well, I would push on to Bergamo if it were me. Assuming you arrive on schedule, you have 2.5 hours before sunset and a bit longer of not-dark-yet time. Linate is very close to Milano Centrale (depending on traffic of course) and the trains run frequently. It's a long time from 3:45 till Italian dinner time...might as well use it to move on to where you want to be. Bergamo is lovely, you don't care about Milan this trip, and you'll hopefully have gotten some sleep in business class. And also you have traveled frequently in Italy, so there's less mental load figuring out the trains.

My two cents, worth as always what you paid for it...

P.S. IMO, there is zero safety issue arriving around dark...if you get there by 7 ish, everyone will just be heading out to dinner, and in general, Italian city streets are pretty darn safe.

P.P.S. I have suggested this on other posts, but you don't have to go into Milano Centrale. The train you were looking at that takes 48 minutes from Centrale also stops at Milano Lambrate station (the very next stop after Centrale). Lambrate is closer to Linate and avoids downtown traffic. The cab ride should take 10 minutes. Why not take a cab from Linate to Lambrate and pick up the same train there? It only saves 8 minutes of train time but lots of taxi time.

TC, thanks so much for the suggestion on Vincenza. I was wondering about that and just have not gotten around to researching more. My biggest issue is trying to be realistic on what I can actually do and still have a somewhat relaxing adventure! Haha. I will be checking it out! Thanks again.
Tracy

geovagriffith, thank you for the Ravenna idea. I have looked into this lovely place after reading Jean's trip report and comments from others. It sounds wonderful. Definitely on my list for next time! :-)

koutsikoudaphni, thank you for the suggestion of Murano and Burano. Those are definitely on my radar. So appreciate the tip about ferryhopper. Just the idea of traveling across to at least one of those places sounds wonderful! Thx!
Tracy

Nelly! Thank you so much for the suggestion to head to Bergamo from a different station. My heart really wants to push on to Bergamo and you made some great points about my situation. The idea that I could avoid Centrale and skirt some of the Milan traffic sounds fabulous. I'm betting the other station is probably easier to navigate than Centrale as well. Thanks so much for taking the time to share your thoughts. I truly appreciate it!
Tracy