Suggestions for part of northern Italy itinerary

We loved the Dolomites! We came from Bavaria by car and enjoyed three nights staying in La Villa. We also then went on to Verona, and Lake Como. We arrived in the Dolomites June 5th, some cool weather and some rain, but also beautiful weather. There was only snow way up on the top peaks, much less than I expected. I would think it should be nice in the valley areas, maybe cool, but cold if you go up the mountains. Sounds like a good plan- enjoy!

Patti, A few days in the Dolomites is definitely one possibility, especially as it's "on the way" from Austria. Another location you might consider is Stresa on Lago Maggiore, as three days there would be a perfect time frame. You could tour the Borromeo Islands one day, explore Stresa and Mt. Mottarone one day, and take a day trip on the scenic Cento Valli railway to Locarno (Switzerland) one day with a return by boat. There are lots of possibilities.....

@Susan & Monte: The Dolomites look absolutely stunning and the valleys remind me of Switzerland, which we fell in love with last summer. We will be traveling by train...are the towns in the Dolomites easy to access via train? Do you think the weather may be too cold for casual hikes? Also, how long were you in both Verona & Lake Como? I'm torn between 3 days in the Dolomites or just 2 and adding a 3rd to Lake Como. @Ken: Your suggestion sounds marvelous too (I need to go re-read my guidebook now), but would Stresa be "too much of the same" if we are already planning on 2 nights in Bellagio on Lake Como? Thank you both...I really appreciate the ideas!!

Patti, To answer your question about how long to stay in Verona and Lake Como, I've found that two or three nights is good in Verona. That's long enough to have a look around and tour the main sights. I always stay in Varenna on Lago di Como. There's something about the location and character of the town that really appeals to me, and it's also a great "home base" for touring other parts of the lake. Two or three nights is also good there. Regarding your question about Stresa, while it does have some similarities with Lago di Como, it also has it's own unique character and sights (ie: the Borromeo Islands). More importantly, if looking at the "whole picture" it offers something unique in terms of the day trip on the Cento Valli Railway to Locarno. I love visiting Locarno, as it's a beautiful city with some interesting sights such as the impressive Santuario della Madonna del Sasso Monastery. You could also take the Cable Car to Cardada which is on the mountain overlooking Locarno (a bit pricey but worth the trip IMHO). As I recall, there's a nice restaurant/bar right at the top of the Cable Car, and it's awesome to sit there on a sunny afternoon having a fine hot meal and a cool beverage, while watching Paragliders sail past the balcony. Have another look at the Guidebooks to see which option appeals to you. Cheers!

Sometimes it helps to consider the amount of time you actually have in each location. If you are spending 2 nights in a place, you are only there for one full day. Your travel time between Verona and Bellagio will eat up at least half of a day. As you will not be traveling by car, I would recommend spending the extra nights in your existing locations. In Verona you can get a Verona Pass at the train station. It includes buses and admission to many sites. We saw a lot of really interesting places that we would have passed on if we had to pay to get in.

Have you considered Bergamo?

Michael, I have not looked at Bergamo...my RS Italy book is from 2007 and it doesn't cover it. What is there to do and what did you like about it (I assume you've been there)?

Mantua is really nice, especially if you like palaces!! An alternative to it would be the Piedmont area near Barolo (LaMorra, etc.), especially if you like wine and hearty food. It's pretty country. And it isn't far from Milano!

How about Padua, Vicenza and Mantua? We spent 3 weeks based in Verona this summer (our second time there, we love it and go for the opera). We visited all those cities by train from Verona and they were all worth at least a days visit.

We enjoyed Verona very much. Be aware, though that Rick forgot to check facts in his 2011 Venice book: the TI in the Verona train station has been closed for some time due to construction. You can get the Verona Card at the Tabachi. They also sell bus tickets to Lake Garda, which we loved; it's only 40 kilometers away from Verona. Spectacular scenery.

We haven't been to Bergamo yet, but it's on the itinerary for our next trip. I've got some friends who have stayed there for a language course and they can't say enough wonderful stuff about it. It's a classic hilltop town, looking down on the lower town and valley below. The fact that it's not in the RS books is actually part of the appeal for me - it's still relatively undiscovered. Other guidebooks do cover it. And there are good resources online. Happy travels.

Wow...thank you SO much everyone! There's certainly a LOT of options to consider. In looking at the spectacular countyside surrounding the Dolomites, I think we've determined we really want to visit there. Does the following itinerary sound better, especially given the travel times between towns? Dolomites (4 nights) With 3 full days here we can use 1 of the days to daytrip to Verona by train (or car?) Bellagio (3 nights) Gives us 2 full days, plus part of the arrival travel day Milan (2 nights) Does anyone know if the lifts/cablecars in the Dolomites will be open by May 14-17 for us to be able to go up into the mountains for some light hiking or to see the views?