venice to milan

Do you like lakes, mountains, seaside? Where else in Italy have you been>? Your question is a tad loaded as there are many, many possibilities depending on what you enjoy.

you're right nadine. not enough info. we have been to italy several times. visited cinque tera, the dolimites, most of the big cities. really looking for some out of the way, non touristy, get away where we could do some hiking. could be in the mountains or on the coast, but within good location to milan. any ideas? thanks, rich

Sounds like Lake Como or Lake Garda might be what you're looking for. When will you be there?

I agree, look at some of the Lakes, maybe even Maggiorre.

rich, I agree with the suggestions so far. Some of the locations you could consider are Verona, Padua, Sirmione (Lago di Garda), Varenna (Lago di Como) or Stresa (Lago Maggiore). Some of those locations are on the way to Milan, and with others you'd need to transit through Milan to reach them. ¶ Although you'll need to allow at least half a day for travel, my suggestion would be to put Stresa at the top of the list. It's a beautiful city and an ideal home base for day tours. For example, you could spend one day touring the Borromeo Islands (Isola Bella, Isola Pescatore, etc.), half a day (or so) touring Mount Mottarone (incredible views from there!) and one day on the scenic Cento Valli railway to Locarno (Switzerland), with the return by boat (DON'T forget to take your Passport). That particular trip is a long day but an incredible day! ¶ In Locarno you could tour the impressive Franciscan Madonna del Sasso Monastery, take the Cable Car to Cardada or just browse the ritzy shops in the city. The nice thing about Stresa is that it's only about an hour from Milan, so it will be easy to get back there for your flight. ¶ Varenna would be another good location, as you could tour Bellagio, Mennagio and other location along the lake or just enjoy the ambience. Good luck with your planning!