A friend and I are thinking of going to Italy in October. This will be my third trip, her first. I've already been to Rome, Florence, and Venice, and would like to see new places (my friend is fine with my setting the itinerary since everything will be new to her). We were thinking of finding an apartment to rent for a week to 10 days and using that as a base--I just can't decide where (Lake District, Cinque Terre, Tuscany or ???). I think I'd also like to see Milan for a couple of days (any yays or nays on Milan?) so what region would make sense if we did that? We're in our mid-60s, well-traveled, I love architecture, design, the arts, local crafts, my friend is an avid photographer, enjoys wine (I'm more partial to a daily gelato!), and might enjoy taking a cooking class. Thoughts and suggestions will be most welcome!
Posted by
Brisbane, Australia
7175 posts
Four nights in Padova, with possible days to ...
Venice / Verona / Vicenza
Four nights in Bologna, with possible days to ...
Ferrara / Ravenna / Florence / Parma / Modena
Two nights in Milan
Posted by
Washington DC
28462 posts
I really like David's suggestion. There's lots of variety there.
Posted by
Hendersonville, NC
345 posts
You might have a chance to go to the fabulous wine festival in Lake Garda...It run from the end of Sept thru first week of October. Not to be missed if the dates work.
Posted by
Atlanta, GA, USA
106 posts
You MUST see the duomo in Milan! It is gargantuan and so worth a visit. Even though we've seen it before, we'll be returning this month and will savor it again. One of the most shocking (and one of our favorite) statues there is of St. Bartholomew. For more, see the following link
http://onedayinitaly.com/milan-cathedral-statue-of-st-bartholomew-flayed-alive/
Follow Rick Steves' advice on obtaining tickets to see The Last Supper. It is truly worth a visit and unfortunately in 2011 we read the advice too late to get tickets directly. (for booking info, see R.S. Guidebook) Booking directly costs a fraction of what we paid for a walking tour of Milan that included the Last Supper, but it was the only way we could see it.
Speaking of walking tours. I always check out the GLOBAL GREETERS NETWORK website before I travel. This is a non profit organization which pairs visitors with residents for FREE - yes you read that right - FREE walking tours. (Unlike "free" walking tours in a lot of cities, the Greeters won't even accept tips.) I have taken Global Greeters walks in Paris and Munich and just learned there is a Greeters site in Milan. See link.
http://globalgreeternetwork.info/
I think the Piedmont region may be someplace new for you to explore, especially if you enjoy food and wine. The Slow Food movement started in the Piedmont. But you should know that the Piemontese can be more formal than Italians farther south. We will visit Alba, Asti, and Turin this month and yes, there is a Global Greeter in Turin and we will arrange a walk with them.
Enjoy!
Posted by
OP
51 posts
Thank you all for the replies so far. At the moment we're thinking of spending perhaps 3 nights in Milan--will see the Duomo, of course, and hoping to get tickets to La Scala (or at the very least visit its museum), see other sights, shop, eat, etc. Then we're thinking of renting an apartment in the Lake District (perhaps Varenna as that seems to be RS's favorite town) and using it as our base to make day trips to some of the nearby towns. We'd also like to go into Switzerland. Sooo....a couple of additional questions. Any hotels in Milan you particularly like? Would Varenna make a good base in the Lake District or are there others we should consider? We had been thinking of renting a car but from several guidebooks I was reading, that wasn't recommended because of parking issues, etc. Can we get by with trains and ferries (or are we risking the possibility/likelihood of train strikes)? And, we were thinking of a day or perhaps overnight trip to Switzerland...would you suggest the Bernina Express to St Moritz or the Lake Maggiore Express to Locarno? Thank you again for your help!
Posted by
Toledo, Ohio, US
11613 posts
Popular hotels in Milano from posters here are the Berna and the slightly more economical Garda, a 5-minute walk from Milano Centrale station. Very good restaurant nearby is Settembrini 22 (or vice versa, also its address).
Posted by
Noblesville, Indiana, USA
1412 posts
Yes to 2 nights in Milan. Yes that Varenna is a good base for Lake Como (train runs there - easy ferries to Bellagio and Menaggio - where you could rent a car and drive into Switzerland. I think there's also a bus from Menaggio to Lugano, Switzerland. Don't forget The Last Supper is in Milan and you need to reserve in advance.
Posted by
OP
51 posts
Thanks for the replies so far! I've been doing some further reading and tweaking. Does 3 nights each in Milan, Varenna (or Bellagio?), and 3 nights in Stresa sound good? It seems that it might be better to change locations to get a more authentic experience of Lake Como and Lake Maggiore? Is that right? Also thinking of renting apartments in the Lakes vs hotels. Any thoughts recommendations? I've been looking on vrbo and the prices seem relatively reasonable (except, of course, for those thst are stratospheric!). And, one last question for now... has anyone had drinks or eaten at Villa d'Este? I'm using this trip as a gift to myself on my 10-year anniversary of being a cancer survivor and while I don't necessarily need or want to break the bank to celebrate, I would love to have a glass of champagne or Prosecco at some legendary spot. (Last year I had lunch at Le Train Bleu in Paris and it was as special as I'd always hoped it would be...would like to repeat that experience!) Thanks again!