Solo Trip to Northern Italy in 12 days

The Museo San Marco is indeed great. If you're particularly interested in frescoes, you might also want to visit the Brancacci Chapel. From alongside the Museo San Marco, you can take the #7 bus up to Fiesole - wonderful views.

Partial answer:
4) Is working in Switzerland or Lake Como possible?
No, to work in either Italy or Switzerland you need a work permit, and these are not easy to get. For most jobs you will need to speak Italian.

5) Rail pass or point to point tickets which I've never done? On other trips I've gotten a first class rail pass because of my mother-in-law who was in her late 80s.
You can buy normal tickets (what you call 'point to point') for both 1st and 2nd class. In Italy normal tickets are usually cheaper than a pass.

Chris

Sorry Chris, bad choice of words. When I asked about working in Switzerland or Lake Como I really should have said "including" them in the trip. After posting my questions I found a Hilton property in Milan where I can use 80,000 points for four nights at the end of the trip. I've never seen either of these places and was wondering if I could find a way to do so. Thanks for your response.

Jim

I'd go with point to point advance purchase tickets. You can buy the high speed trains up to 120 days in advance and pick a departure time that is both convenient for you at the best price. 2nd class is fine for these.
If the hotel is the Double Tree by Rho-Fiera, the location is not the most convenient. It will involve a bit of commuting to the city center to visit sites there. Check prices at the Hotel Berna or Hotel Garda near Milano Centrale and compare if you want to burn your points outside of town.
Sure, you could pop up to Varenna on Lake Como from Milano Centrale for the day. It's a cheap regional train and takes only about an hour. 6.50 euro each way.

With only 12 nights I think adding Switzerland is too much, a day trip to Lake Como or Maggiore is feasible. But do not cut nights from Venice to add more stops.
Train from Milan to Venice is very easy, also back to Florence, but renting a car to drive around Tuscany would be sweet. Then train to CT.
You need a reservation to see the Last Supper, get that now.
In Venice, try BedandVenice.it, very close to St. Marks, clean and quiet. It is located in a former orphanage and our room had a view of the canals and we could see the big ships arrive. Take a walk before they arrive and you will have St. Marks Square all to yourself.

Enjoy the trip!

If you want to spend four nights in Milano (I love it but usually spend only three) to use points, you should probably do it at the end of your trip. A daytrip to Bergamo Alta or Certosa di Pavia are each an hour away by train (at Bergamo you need to take a bus to the old city, run every ten minutes).

If you have difficulty getting tickets for da Vinci's Last Supper: I sometimes use a third-party broker (not a tour). Usually doubles the cost but is very convenient. Or your hotel may be able to get them, but don't delay, they are in limited supply. While you are in Milano, take the elevator or stairs to the roof of the Duomo, in addition to seeing the church.

I would go directly to Venice for three nights (visit Burano and Torcello), then Florence for a couple of nights to do the things you missed.

I calculate that as nine nights, so you may have to choose among Cinque Terre, Switzerland and Como.

Point-to-point tickets are fine, cheaper if you can commit in advance, but if you want some flexibility in choosing destinations, you could buy them there.

All my hotel/B&B recommendations would be budget category, so I don't think I can offer you anything there.

You must book a time to visit the Last Supper, and the times fill up quickly in advance, so you may decide to plan your itinerary around the date and time that you able to book.

We flew into Milan numerous times before actually visiting the city, and I was pleasantly surprised. The Last Supper and the Duomo I knew about. But other than that, it's a non-touristy city with some great piazzas for people-watching and some good smaller museums, as well. The Brera neighborhood is fun.

The best thing about Venice, IMHO, is just walking around and seeing the old buildings, the architecture and the art placed on the walls, especially further away from the main area of St. Mark's Square. (Of course, the normal "must-see" are worth it as well - and definitely visit the Duomo museum if you want an up-close view of the amazing mosaics.)

If you like art, then in Florence, in addition to the usual must-sees there, add on the Pitti Palace. It's pretty disorganized, or at least it was when I was last there in 2010, but has some great pieces.

To stay in Florence, I would highly recommend Casa dei Tintori. The owners are helpful and gracious, the building is very old and beautiful, and the location is close to many sights. Sounds like you have a place in Milan, or I would have suggested the centrally-located Hotel Spadari al Duomo.

I'm no rail travel expert (usually prefer car rentals), but for this trip, seems like you could do it all by train. Because it's just yourself, I think you could buy point to point tickets for the days and times you want.

Hi Jim, I've also traveled solo through much of the area you plan to visit. Travel by train is very easy, especially if you travel with just a carry-on. You could save some euros by buying some of the tickets well in advance IF you want to lock yourself in. Be careful about that from Milano to Venice, in case your plane is late. With 12 nights available, I think 3 nights in each of 4 places is fine, unless you want to take one night from one place and add it to another. I myself would take a night from Milano and add it to Venice, but others might well have a different preference. I would not add an additional overnight stop unless you drop something else. Moving from one town and inn to another takes considerable time and energy, even if the time on the train itself is limited. One and even two night stops create a whole rushed feeling. Seems to me that Varenna and Lake Como is better as a stop than a daytrip from Milano, although certainly that is possible. Varenna is a place to relax, stroll, dine, and then get on a boat to Bellagio for the day. Not a place to rush through on a day trip. Switzerland would probably call for a longer or separate trip, I think. About Venice, you will likely arrive somewhat wiped out after a long flight plus train trip, so just wander and eat that first afternoon and evening. There's lots that's unique to see and do in and around Venice, and early May should be a great time, not too hot, and not as crowded as later. Certainly get a Vaporetto pass on arrival for the days you will be there. I would use most of a day to visit the lagoon islands -- Burano, Torcello, probably Murano too. Burano is great for eating and walking through the colorful residential streets, especially in the late afternoon light. Torcello is quiet, rural, and the birthplace of Venice, with a very old church complex to visit. In Murano I think it is best to see some fine glass but then walk beyond the touristy commercial center to the quieter area around the lovely San Donato Church, a healthy walk. From Venice, you can also do an easy day trip to Padua by train, or somewhat further even Verona. Padua is very walkable from the train station, to Giotto's Scrovegni Chapel (reservation required), to the wonderful inside-and-outside food market (I myself love markets, and especially this one!) and considerably further the Basilica of San Antonio di Padua. Verona is a beautiful and walkable town too, the best blend of ancient city and modern lifestyle that I have found in Italy. Enjoy!

Jim,

I was also a bit confused the the "working in Switzerland" question. The lack of an "-" between the two words made all the difference.

To answer your question, it should be possible to fit in a day trip to Switzerland. For example, Lugano is only about an hour from Milan and Locarno is about 2.5 hours each way. Both cities are beautiful and worth a day trip (IMO).

I'll have a closer look at this later today, and post a more detailed reply.

Jim,

With the time frame you have, I'd probably arrange the Itinerary something like this.....

• Apr. 30 - D1/N1 - Arrive MXP, Malpensa Express to Milano Centrale (~55M), train to Venezia S.L. (2H:35M if you can connect with one of the direct trains, otherwise about 3 hours) - you'll have time for some touring, depending on how long you can stay awake. Buy your tickets for both trains at the airport rail station.
• May 1 - D2/N2 - Venice, touring (Doge's Palace, trip to Murano/Burano, Guggenheim Gallery, Duomo).
• May 2 - D3/N3 - Venice, touring
• May 3 - D4/N1 - Train to Florence (2H:05M - a 10:25 departure from Venezia S.L. will get you to Firenze SMN at 12:30, so you'll have the afternoon and evening for touring).
• May 4 - D5/N2 - Florence, touring (for the visit to "David", reservations would be a good idea - details in the guidebook).
• May 5 - D6/N3 - Florence, touring
• May 6 - D7/N1 - Train to Cinque Terre - WHICH of the five towns are you planning to stay in? (time about 3 hours, depending on which town you're going to and which train you choose). Some of the trains on that route will be Regionale so DON'T FORGET to validate your tickets prior to boarding the train on the day of travel.
• May 7 - D8/N2 - C.T., touring (be sure to check the official parks website to see which of the trails are open at the time you'll be there. A Park Pass is required to hike the Sentiero Azzurro trails. Easily obtained at local stations or the small wooden booths at the start of each trail segment.
• May 8 - D9/N3 - C.T., touring (perhaps a day trip to Porto Venere by boat or just exploring the five towns).
• May 9 - D10/N1 - Train to Milan (~3-4 hours, depending on which town you're in and which train you choose - make reservation for The Last Supper for afternoon).
• May 10 - D11/N2 - Milan, touring (Day Trip: Lugano (~1 hour) or Varenna (Lago di Como, ~1 hour) or perhaps Stresa (Lago Maggiore, ~ 1 hour).
• May 11 - D12/N3 - Milan, touring (Duomo including roof, Galleria Vittorio Emmanuele, Sforza Castle, etc.).
• May 12 - D13 - Return flight to U.S.

Regarding your other questions.....

1.) Time in each place described above.

2.) My "must sees" may differ from yours. In order to find the ones that appeal to you the most, I'd suggest packing along a copy of the Italy 2015 guidebook. With limited time, I often base my sightseeing on which sights have "3 triangles". The books have good information on opening & closing times, which days various sights are closed, how to make reservations, etc.

3.) The guidebook also has good hotel listings. In Venice you might consider Pensione Guerrato, in Florence you could stay at Katti House, lodgings in the Cinque Terre will depend on which town you choose and in Milan I'd suggest staying near Milano Centrale as that will be convenient for day touring transportation. Have a look at Hotel Garda as it's only about a five minute walk from the station (once you know the way).

4.) Covered above.

5.) Definitely Point-to-Point tickets in Italy! If you want to maintain flexibility, just buy tickets locally at stations a day or two before you travel. With the faster trains such as the Freccia high speed, you can save money by pre-purchasing tickets in advance, but you MUST be willing to commit to a specific train, date and departure time. On some routes (ie: Venice to Florence) you could also use the newer Italo high speed trains. As mentioned above, if using Regionale trains, reservations are not required but you MUST validate your tickets prior to boarding the train on the day of travel.

Venice 2 full days at least. On the next day, you can decide whether to spend most of the day in Venice and take a late train to Florence or not. If you are interested in frescoes I recommend stopping in Padua on the way to Florence to see Giotto's frescoes in the Scrovegni Chapel - like the Last Supper, the visit itself is short but you have to be there early. There's luggage storage at the train station. My faves in Venice: the Secret Itineraries tour at the Doge's Palace (book in advance), and grabbing a front seat on the vaporetto (or the very rear is a decent alternative) and enjoy the scenery as you glide along the Grand Canal (daytime and after dark), getting up before dawn to watch sunrise (from St. Mark's square) over the lagoon, the Basilica between 11.30-12.30 when the mosaics are floodlit. As others have said, the best plan is to go straight to Venice from Malpensa. I prefer to stay in the Dorsoduro area - quieter, yet convenient. I enjoyed staying at La Calcina once, but then they raised prices. It's in a historic building, great people, excellent breakfast, very good location.

Florence Bargello Museum, Medici Chapels, museum of the Duomo. The Academia is often uncrowded in the late afternoon and you can get a ticket on the spot, no lines.

Milan Last 2 nights (one day) to see the Last Supper and whatever else you can fit in. The cathedral and Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II are very pretty after dark. I enjoyed the museums at Castello Sforzesco, La Scala, and the roof of the cathedral, where you can walk among the many spires.

General: I usually buy train tickets the day before to avoid a possible (probable) long wait in line and maybe missing the train I want. Even at the machines, the wait can be long - lots of tourists spend inordinate amounts of time at them, getting information or learning by trial and many errors how to use them. Pay attention to the signage - some take credit cards, some only cash.

Rick has free audio tours that you can download from iTunes for both Venice and Florence. I've enjoyed them. Be sure to print out the maps!

For Venice, I think the city itself is its own best work of art, so just wandering around on foot and by vaparetto (with a multi-day vaparetto pass) is the greatest. I also wanted to mention a couple of less-popular but, to me, compelling attractions I experienced: La Fenice opera house, literally arisen from the ashes, really interesting to tour; and the Ca' Pesaro museum of modern art - it's in a very ornate building on the Grand Canal, with lavish Baroque paintings on the ceiling, so the contrast with the art collection is striking, and there is a collection of contemporary Venetian art as well as world-wide. Also, I hear that the bell towers of both the Piazza San Marco and the Chiesa San Giorgio can be ascended by elevator for terrific views.

Thank you all so very much for sharing your wisdom. Lots of ideas to see places I hadn't even thought about, and some I've never heard of. Since on of my highest priorities is seeing The Last Supper in Milan I went on the web site in Rick's Italy guide book and found out that you can only book through the end of March at this time. Does anyone know how far out I'll be able to purchase a reservation. I arrive the morning of 4/30 and had planned to take the train to Venice shortly thereafter, but I can also do Milan and the surrounding area in the beginning. I also just watched a RS PBS show about small towns between Milan and Venice and wanted to ask if I should, and could plan to stop at them by train. Some of these were mentioned by several of you who responded. Thanks again.

I did a bit of googling, and "3 months in advance" was the answer I found for how far ahead you can book tickets for the Last Supper. But I don't know if that's a rolling 3 months, or month by month. You may have to just keep checking the website to see when your days open up.

Based on the amount of time that you have, and given that you want to visit Milan, Venice and Florence, I would suggest that you forego visiting those smaller towns on this trip.

Since you're returning to Milan to go home, it's better to leave the Last Supper visit until then. Imagine if there's a delay in your flight and you miss your slot! Also, you're going to be tired and jetlagged after the flight. Wouldn't it be better to see it at the end of your trip, when you've adjusted to the time change and had a good night's sleep?

Yes, Chani's right Jim, see The Last Supper in Italy, then go have your last supper in Italy.
Sorry, couldn't resist. (:->)))

So Larry's saying see the Last Supper, then eat the last supper

love it

Last supper after the Last Supper in Italy. And someone said there were no comedians....or poets....on the travel forum. Great idea. Actually I looked online for reservations to see the Last Supper and the window right now is January 1-March 31. I'm assuming that on February 1 it will be through April 30 which is when I arrive. I certainly understand the concern about making the reservation for the day I arrive (8 AM) and agree that with jet lag and possibly flight delays I would have to make it late in the day to see it. I have no specific plans for any of the places I want to go, or I should say no particular order, so I'm flexible at this point. I can start with a few days in Milan, but if I can't or don't want to see the LS on the 30th I will probably have to wait until March 1 to get a reservation in May. Otherwise I can just head over to Venice and end up with several days in Milan and hope to get a reservation for then, but again waiting until March 1 to get it. Does anyone know if the window is farther out if you call for a reservation to the LS? I feel like I need to make reservations for attractions in other places on my itinerary and also lodging and that waiting for the LS is holding that up. How hard is it really to get that reservation? Thanks.

Jim