WEll this will be my third try to visit after covid and compression fractures have made me cancel my plans. This is a two week itinerary I have come up with. Some of the places I have seen before so I am not spending much time there. MY question is this too much and if so what to cut out.
April 27: arrive am and go to hotel. Afternoon visit the Duomo and either La Scala or back to hotel to rest.
April 28: 8:30 train to Stresa then tour of the Boromean Ilse. Picnic in park . After viewing Madre and Belle back to Milan, rest, dinner late.
April 29: 9:25 train to Bergamo, bus to funicular up to Alto Citta tour around, lunch in small cafe or the like, leave and return to Milan about 3:00 p.m.. Dinner in Milan possibly at Navaligli(spelling wrong)
April 30: late morning, drop bags at train station then go to Leonardo Science and Tech Museum. Late afternoon train to Verona, go to apartment
May1 : See arena and Piazza Bra, Borsari Gate, Piazza Erbe, St. Anastassia, Pietra bridge and up to Roman theather, back to apartment for dinner and relaxation.
May 2: Train to Padua for early opening of the Scagleri Chapel, civic museum, market hall, lunch train back to Verona
May 3: Train to Mantova, View Ducal palaces. Back to Verona
May 4: bus to Riva del Garda, lunch, boat ride to Malcesine.
May 5:bus to Trento, leave bags at left luggage at train station, see Bishops Palace, lunch central square, bus to Bolzano.
May6: Take lift to Renon Plateau the ride to different small villages and possibly take lift to higher elevation at end of train line. Then back to Bolzano
May 7: visit Archeological Museum in morning then out to Runkelstein in the afternoon.
May 8: train to Turin, visit Mole Antonelle
May9: visit Royal Pacace complex in Piazza Carlo
May 10: visit royal complex at Venaria
May 11: bus back to Malpensa airport, shuttle to hotel
May 12 depart for US
Posted by
Washington DC
27062 posts
I like settling into one hotel and don't mind side trips, but this itinerary feels tiring to me. In the first 8 days of the trip, you only have one when you're not traveling. I'd find that too much.
I'd consider reversing your plans for April 28 and April 29 so you aren't stuck with such an early start on the first full day of the trip, when you may still be somewhat jetlagged. I also would prefer to avoid a late dinner on that first full day.
Posted by
871 posts
Can you indicate clearly where you are staying every night?
You need to consider the time of your departing flight. The airlines normally want you there around three hours before a flight to the USA.This is perfectly possible using trains from central Milan. The trains from Milano Cadorna take 37 minutes and run every 30 minutes from 04.57.The trains on the other train line from Milano Centrale and Milano Porta Garibaldi also run every 30 minutes, starting 05.25 and 05.35 and taking 51 minutes and 41 minutes respectively.
https://www.malpensaexpress.it/en/
So if there is an early morning departure you would want to spend the previous night at a Malpensa hotel, not needing to arrive until dinner time; in that instance you would stay in Milan first. The Villa Malpensa is 8 minutes to the airport, is comfortable and has an excellent restaurant.
Bergamo is in two sections--uninteresting Bassa, where the station is located, and charming Alta, way up the hill.Purchase 2 bus tickets/pp from the shop in the station, then walk straight out to the bus stop and board the one to Alta [#1]. Going up the hill you will pass the funicular on the left at the bottom of Alta. You will see people taking the funicular up. You will ride that going back down--down to the station or taking a bus from a stop further down.
Getting off the bus you will be above Alta. There is a free funicular across the street, going further up to San Vigilio for some nice views and a little park. Then work your way down through town to the funicular.
You can use the same ticket on the funicular.
Walking down to Città Bassa is nice too: down to Sant'Alessandro St. through to Via XX Settembre and then to Viale Papa Giovanni XXIII at the end of which you'll find the railway station.
Posted by
OP
Boynton Beach, Florida, USA
87 posts
We are staying in Milan April 27-30 moving on to Verona from April 30-May4. May 4 we are staying in Riva del Garda and May 5-May 8 we are staying in Bolzano.The eighth we go to Turin for three nights and the final night in Italy we are staying at a hotel by the airport in Malpnsa. I am sorry this was not clearer. So we are staying 3 nights in all but one place. Bergamo and Stresa are day trips from Milan and Padua and Mantova are day trips from Verona. Should we not go to Turin for the three nights Inhave scheduled?
Posted by
871 posts
IMO the best Malpensa hotel is the Villa Malpensa, 8 minutes from the airport with an excellent restaurant. In Riva get a room at the Hotel Sole, right down in the port. In Torino visit the Cinema Museum. There is an Omnio bus from Torino straight to MXP.