I am working on a 3 week trip that is mostly in Switzerland with a dip down into Italy for 3 nights in Varenna and a short stopover in Milan to see the Last Supper and Duomo. We will return to Switzerland via the Bernina Express and spend 3 nights in Pontresina before we head to Zurich for our flight home.
I'm starting to re-think my 3 Pontresina nights as we will have already spent 2 week in Switzerland, with quite a few days scheduled for casual hiking and that is what we would do there. I would like to change to another destination in Northern Italy but don't want to take on a train trip longer than 1-1.5 hours or so. I'd love to tour a vineyard/winery if possible, eat some good food and just enjoy 2 nights in another characteristic Italian destination. I've thought about Bergamo, Parma, Verona, and Padua. Where should I go? Any suggestions or advice are appreciated!
Posted by
Idaho, USA
7921 posts
If you like to hike, I assume you might like to bike, also. I have been to Parma previously and am looking at doing this tour when I am there this summer. The gorgeous castle is a bonus - look at exterior & interior photos of it. (It’s on Viator which is just a middleman booking company. So far I haven’t found the actual people who run the tour.)
From Parma: Bike Tour Castle of Torrechiara with Lunch
This bike tour takes you through Parma’s lovely countryside to a Parmigiano Reggiano factory, where you’ll learn about the production of this beloved cheese. Ride to a beer factory to sample delicious draft beers and visit a winery for lunch and a wine tasting. Walk through the vineyard to Torrechiara Castle and tour the castle with a local expert before your excursion concludes.
Otherwise, I have been to Verona & Padua and will be at Bergamo this summer, also. I would pick Verona over Padua, but of those three, Parma has the best food. I also thought of Torino if you would like a larger city. Check something like TripAdvisor’s top things to do there to see if it would interest you. We stayed at a hotel near the palace. You probably could find a wine tour from there.
Posted by
Green Bay
21274 posts
What happened to the itinerary you posted in March? It looked pretty good to me.
Posted by
OP
38 posts
We are all booked for the itinerary I posted in March- jut having second thoughts about the Pontresina area vs more time in Italy.
Posted by
Seattle, WA
17572 posts
Parma and Bergamo are each about 45 minutes from Milano Centrale. Verona takes longer——1 hr. 15 minutes or up to 2 hours, depending on the train you take. Padova is 2 hours or more. Using travel time as the main criteria, that would suggest choosing between Parma and Bergamo.
But what is your plan for returning to Zurich for your flight? Still the Bernina Express route? If so, it would make sense to move Varenna as well, putting it after this new Italy stop on your way to Switzerland. Then you would go from Zermatt to Milan for the one night, Milan to “x”. ( say Bergamo or Parma) for 2 nights, then from there back through Milan to Varenna for 3? Nights.
If going this route, Insuggest you break up the journey between Varenna and Zurich with an overnight in Pontresina, 3.5-4 hours from Varenna, instead of Chur ( 5.5-6 hours from Varenna). That leaves a journey of around 3.5 hours to Zurich the last day.
Posted by
Green Bay
21274 posts
Bergamo is an easy connection to Varenna via Lecco.