My husband and I have two extra flex days on our trip and so we are trying to decide whether to go to Zermatt, Mt. Titlis or the Dolomites. We will not be skiing, so we'd need other outdoor activities. This is our first trip to Italy and we'll be there April 20-23. Thank you!
Posted by
Basel, Switzerland
8889 posts
Do you want lakes and mountains, or seriously high valleys surrounded by white topped mountains?
For the first I recommend Stresa. On a beautiful lake, with boat trips out to a palace on an island (look up "Borromean islands"), or round to other towns on the lake. About 1 hour from Milan by train, and on the Italian side of the border so it is cheaper than Switzerland (but you can take a boat to Locarno at the top of the lake which is in Switzerland).
For serious white-topped mountains, with rack railways to nearly the top, I recommend Zermatt. Zermatt is 3½ hours by train from Milan, the other two would take a lot longer to get to. Zermatt will be more expensive to stay than Stresa.
Posted by
Washington DC
27236 posts
What about their late-April dates, Chris? I know some folks have said April is not a good time for walking in the Swiss Alps.
Posted by
Boston
1711 posts
Stresa is a good idea. You can take the Mottarone cable car up and hike down and also enjoy views of even higher mountains as well as the nearby lakes. It starts on April1: http://www.stresa-mottarone.it/summer_timetable_rates.htm.
Posted by
OP
2 posts
I appreciate your responses! Is Stresa similar to the area surrounding Lake Como? We'll be spending a day there as well. I thought it would be fun to see things like the suspension bridges and glacier caves but I'm not sure it would be worth the time to get there.
Posted by
Long Beach, California, USA
3391 posts
The easiest mountains to get to from Milan are the Dolomites. They are SPECTACULAR! There will be snow in April but you can spend time in the beautiful villages in the area and ride gondolas up to the high peaks for some of the best views you'll ever see. I'm heading there next year for the 5th time and plan to keep returning.
Posted by
georgetown, KY, USA
108 posts
I agree that the Dolomites are fantastic but at this time of year I do not believe that any lifts would be running as it is too late for skiing and too early for hiking- between seasons. Be sure to check dates for open lifts if you decide to go. If you have a car you could drive the mountain passes.
Posted by
georgetown, KY, USA
108 posts
I agree that the Dolomites are fantastic but at this time of year I do not believe that any lifts would be running as it is too late for skiing and too early for hiking- between seasons. Be sure to check dates for open lifts if you decide to go. If you have a car you could drive the mountain passes.