BOI 9/30 Hotel list posted!

I noticed that too and it looks like we are staying in some great places!

We're looking forward to traveling with you, Pat, and those cooler temperatures!

WHAT!! I had not looked! I'm with you guys!

Have you done trial packs yet? I just got a new suitcase which is lighter but slightly bigger than my old RS roller bag.

So excited!

Yay, Pam! And yes, I've trial packed, a month ago, lol! We are each taking a Tom Bihn 30L Aeronaut backpack, and a medium Cafe bags for our EDC/ personal item. However... by the time I packed all our COVID/germ preventative paraphernalia, I had to rearrange everything. We crammed both our EDC's into the RS packable duffel and the ES packable tote has the stuff we need for the plane, meds, etc. But it worked!

Hahaha....I've done 3 trial packs. I bought a new Osprey Ozone which only weighs 4.5 pounds to get me around 15-16#. Yesterday I did a trial pack with it and the older RS roller bag I have. The RS bag was only 1.5# heaver but I'll swear to goodness it seemed like more! I've got a Baggallini tote for my personal item and a small baggallini for my EDC.

I've been thru some of the websites for the hotels so far. I actually have stayed at the Accademia in Florence. It was on the Heart of Italy that was my first RS tour years ago, lol. They closed for a while but it's in a great location so someone must have bought it and re-opened. The Medici Chapel just at the corner is well worth seeing plus we are right near the Mercato Centrale and years ago there were market stalls lining the nearby streets as well (I went well before Covid!).

I'm deciding on how many masks to bring. Probably will do 10-12 as I will plan to re-wear them except for the ones I'll have on on the flight over which I will throw away, lol.

I'm arriving in Milan on Sept 26, up to Varenna on 28.

I've got you all spotted and of course you've figured me out since I'm the only Pam on there!!

Yes, I spotted how close we were to the Florence central market, too. Yummy! We are spending one night in Milan before heading to Varenna a day early. Just in time to check out the Last Supper and Duomo.

I had to add a swimsuit after seeing spas on the list. ;)

I found a tip somewhere about the masks. We each have a dozen. They came individually sealed, so a labeled each with a day of the week. We'll have to use them more than once, but not very often. I am SO over this mess!

That might have been me saying to reuse them. I did a Road Scholar trip in May and one of the participants was a Virologist who said she'd just brought 7 for the 2 weeks plus a few extra and had labeled them all with the days of the week. She was reusing once a week to give them time to air out. I felt she knew what she was talking about!

Yep, I've got a ticket to the Last Supper for the day I'm in Milan and will book the Duomo for the afternoon.

Pam…question about the Duomo. When we were there 5 years ago, Duomo didn’t need to be booked ahead. Just show up. Is it different now? If yes, can you post the link to reserve?
Going to the Duomo is high on my list for Milan.
Thanks!

Carol...sorry for the delay in answering!

According to this website, it looks like you need to have a ticket to enter:

https://ticket.duomomilano.it/en/

I find the website slightly confusing because it looks like the ticket for the cathedral only is just on Wednesday when the other venues (museum, archeology site) are closed. I don't know if you can just get a ticket to enter the cathedral although this site indicates yes, you can just pay 2E to enter (or 3E?)

https://booking.duomomilano.it/en/infopage/hours-and-admission/dba2c04f-9195-4a0e-b542-52846a46e02a/

And yes, I was last there a number of years ago (2014) and you just waltzed in, lol!

I've got a Baggallini tote for my personal item and a small baggallini for my EDC.

Pam, I am always looking for the perfect personal item, and I like Baggallini, so, do you have a link, please?:)

Now I feel really behind!! I have only done one practice packing and that was only my clothes! I hate wearing N95 masks as they hurt my ears after awhile so I bought some mask extenders. I think that may help... I also plan to get the latest vaccine next week if I can find one in my area. We are arriving in Milan on Sept 27th and have booked a three hour walking tour of Milan that includes both the last supper and the duomo for the morning of the 28th. We also book a food tour that evening. Our plan was to head to Lake Como a day early but the hotel were too expensive in that region so we will be heading up there the day the tour starts. Probably early that day. Can't wait to meet you all, it looks like we are in for a great trip!

Hey, Pat! Is your tour through City Wonders, starting at 10:30am at the Duomo? We're booked on that one. It ends at 1:30pm, and then we're headed to Varenna a day early. I booked the extra night months ago.

You're not late on the packing; my husband thinks I'm crazy. I saw on the RS pre-tour planning to practice packing 3 days to departure, hahaha... I've been watching packing videos and planning our travel capsules for over a year. It's 95% done. Now for hair, pedicure, and snack packing!

@MNAnnie, this is the Baggallini I got. I took it last spring and it worked pretty well with the different pockets. If you sign up for emails you'll occasionally get notified of sales BUT I cannot seem to get OFF their email list! Nothing works, lol!

https://www.baggallini.com/any-day-tote-with-rfid-phone-wristlet/ADT336-BG-B0938-NS.html

I was thinking about something this AM....and that is the day we transit to Venice from Castelrotto. I am just going to take in my personal item and leave my suitcase on the bus if OK with the bus driver. (I've done that before on a RS tour that went to Venice so I'm sure it's alright but I'll ask). I am doing a mini-packing list for myself and will just put a shirt, undies, nightwear in a packing cube to go along with my chargers, 3-1-1 and non-liquid toiletries items.

Anyone else thinking of the same? The bus will park at the Tronchetto parking lot and we'll take the vaporetto to the dock nearest the hotel, which looks like it might be the Rialto stop, then we'll walk to the hotel, likely having to cross a few bridges, lol.

Oh, dear. In Venice we booked opera Tuesday night and a baroque concert Wednesday night, in addition to a 6 hour walking tour on Wednesday. We may have to do some re-shuffling and only bring my husband's backpack.

Hi soon-to-be travelers! I was in BOI in June. You are correct about the suitcase for Venice! The guide suggests you only take a personal item from the bus and leave your suitcase. You’ll walk to take the vaporetto (masks required, can be crowded so limited floor space) and then walk over bridges and thru crowded / small streets to your hotel. I had 3 flights to climb (a different hotel than yours) so it was nice just having the backpack. Also liberating to have just a few things in my room! [Don’t forget your mosquito repellent.] do try to catch that amazing birdseye view from that Tedeschi’s department store terrace (appointment needed). Happy travels!

You don’t HAVE to leave your suitcase on the bus. You can take one or both of them with you, it’s just easier with a personal item. The bridges have steps not ramps so you need to lift your suitcases up and over. I’m traveling solo so I need to be able to handle my own stuff but I’m guessing your husband can manage at least one bag with your dress clothes. And as Shawn says the vaporetto from parking to the city center can be crowded.

What kind of walking tour do you have booked? I’ve got the Doges Palace Secret Itineraries tour booked and trying to figure out St Marks.

Thank you Shawn!! Forgot about mosquito repellent! I might get some wipes for that instead of a liquid! What kind did you have?

We booked all three of our Venice activities on GetYourGuide. We booked the full day walking tour with The Tour Guy, starting at 9:30am. It includes St. Marks, Doges Palace, and a gondola ride. That way we have plenty of free time in the afternoon before dinner and the concerts. We'll just have to skip the RS planned activities for that morning.

Thank you, Shawn, for the tips! We will definitely check out Tedeschi's. We had decided against mosquito repellent, thinking they would be gone by October, but I like Pam's idea of wipes. Our 3-1-1 bags are full! We'll just have to reduce down to one backpack for Carl to carry. He is in great shape, so the stairs won't be an issue.

Thanks for the tips about Venice! I hadn't thought about how crowded it would be. I am new to all of this kind of travel as previously we have toured Europe on smaller cruise ships and in that case your room and all your stuff moves with you. I had also totally forgotten about bug repellent. Pam, why do you leave all liquids behind in Venice? Is it a weight issue?

Yes, esgwat we are booked on that 10:30 tour in Milan. We are doing a tasting food tour that evening so we have the afternoon free to wander around. I tried booking in Lake Como many months ago but found it very expensive so we decided to spend an extra day in Milan and catch some of the museums that look interesting.

Pat, how nice that we will be on the same tour! Looking forward to meeting you!

"* Pam, why do you leave all liquids behind in Venice?*"

I must have worded it awkwardly...I'll take my 3-1-1 ziplock with me in to Venice and bring it back out! It's just one of the things I'll make room for in my bag I'll take in to Venice.

Thanks for the clarification Pam. I guess I will wait to see what the weather will be like when we are heading to Venice to figure out what to pack in my backpack.

We are looking forward to meeting you too in Milan esgwat! It will be nice to be able to meet one couple before the tour.

Re GONDOLA ride, our tour manager arranged our rides bc all 28 wanted to do it! We paid 25E each (3-4 people per gondola), just before sunset, plus it included music in the grand canal. As a solo traveler, this is something I couldn't have done on my own. I'll always remember this fantastic wow time! Maybe this will be something your group chooses to do?

Pam, I took a spray mosquito repellent I got at target (and put into the tiny pump bottle I had). BUT I didn’t apply before bed… and they got me while I sleeping in my (pre-tour) visit to Venice - I left the windows open and it had rained that day. On tour, some folks bought additional spray and shared with others. The wipes should work great, and be just enough for the trip. I had a fun trip to Milan pharmacy I asked (in poorly pronounced Italian) for help due to mosqsuitos, the lady asked in Italian, something that to me sounded like, pronto or pasta, (meaning before or after?)? I just pointed at my bites on legs and she handed me the tube of creme. LOL

Correct, you can carry as much as you want to the Venice hotel, but you'll be glad you didn't! Our June days had the heat to consider on top of the cobbled streets/bridges/steps/boat, so even backpacks felt heavy and "sticky." I would do it again in a heartbeat. TOTALLY LOVED OUR TIME THERE, including our guides. [FYI We didn't get to enter St Mark's as a group due to covid restrictions, but RS emailed us before tour started, so we could make individual reservations ahead of time.]

Happy Travels to all of you!!!! SO excited for you :) Please share YOUR experiences.

Pat,
I also stayed in Milan the night before the tour bc Varenna was $$$$. I took the early train and then our hotel let me store my bag there while I wandered down by the water. :)

FYI - just got back from Best of Europe in 14 days and they did not allow us to leave anything on the bus when we were in Venice due to covid.

"they did not allow us to leave anything on the bus when we were in Venice due to covid."

That is interesting! I wonder if the different coach companies have different rules? Do you remember which company you had....wondering if it was an Italian company or if it was Heidebloem which RS uses for it's 21 day multi-country tour?

And I guess there could be an issue if someone tested positive while in Venice and had left their bags on the bus...

4 years ago we spent the last week of September through mid-October traveling from Padua to Rome. Mosquitos were definitely an issue for us. Both of us brought one small unscented Off mosquito spray and we were glad we did!

We did find plenty of mosquitos during our evening visits to Scrovegni Chapel. Our repellent came in particularly handy while we waited outdoors in the evening for the extended evening reservations.

We used the AC in Venice when our room was being invaded by mosquitos and the window had no screen. It was also warm enough several times to justify use. I had to visit a pharmacy to find something to relieve the itching from the bites.

We also used the AC in Florence as our window was again not screened. They gave us the plug-in mosquito device but it simply wasn't working. It was fairly warm and humid enough so it seemed reasonable. There were plenty of mosquitos.

In Rome our window couldn't be opened so AC was used. It was actually very warm and brilliantly sunny that week and thankfully no mosquitos there. A pharmacist recommended the Avene sunscreen that's not sold in the US. I've found a few ways to continue buying it here. I was so glad I took it with me to Ostia Antica!

Definitely consider repellent and sunscreen - even during that time of year!

Our BOI tour bus in June was the Italian company. I can’t remember the name of it. In Florence we had to take everything off the bus bc the bus driver was returning it to the bus barn for service or something. Otherwise some of us routinely left things in the bus like a snack bag or extra tote bags.
I used a strip of non-skid shelf liner on the seat back tray to keep my eye glasses, pens, etc from sliding off of it while we rode to our next stop.
Nice to take advantage of the 1€ waters that the driver keeps in the bus fridge. I usually grabbed one each time we got off the bus to save time finding it on that stop.

@Pam - yes, it was Heidebloem. Our driver was so great! And honestly, it wasn’t a long walk to our hotel so lugging everything there was not difficult.

Those Heidebloem drivers are excellent and usually so personable. The Italian coach line might have different rules than Belgium-based Heidebloem.

Milan public transit. This may have been posted in other areas, but thought I would share. I just figured out how to download the "ATM Italy" app, and pre-paid for our daily tickets. Your unused tickets are saved in the app, and when you get ready to use them you can click the ticket in the app to validate it. Easy peasy! Now we have prepaid all the way from Charleston to our Milan hotel, and I don't have to look like a confused tourist when I get there, lol!

Sorry I missed your update esgwat on the Milan transit app! So...this app lets you pre-pay the Malpensa Express?

I'd downloaded the Trenord app with is the regional train company for Lombardia but you can buy both the Malpensa Express tickets and the tickets from Milan to Varenna on it. I was thinking I would just book the Malpensa Express tickets after I got to the Milan airport. There is WIFI there and I'll also have data. Ditto with the train ticket to Varenna although I figured I'd do that from the hotel wifi.

Have either of you booked anything for Florence? I've been there a couple of times but have never been into the Duomo there so I'll go in the afternoon after the Uffizi visit.

Pam, I'll have to go back and see how I bought our MXP express tickets, it's been a few weeks.

I haven't booked anything extra for Florence. That will be the main place we will shop for us and family gifts, mainly leather. I have two small leather shops bookmarked, and I'd love to visit the leather school.

For the MXP express, I downloaded the Omio app and purchased the tickets through that. We're going from the airport to Milano Cardona.

We haven't planned anything for the afternoon in Florence. There are several museums there I would like to see and according to the guide book none of them are museums that we need to pre-buy ticket which is good as I may be burned out on museum visits after the morning and we may want a change of activity. I have heard it is a good place to shop, or just spend time enjoying a cafe so we are playing that afternoon by ear.

As far as pre buying train tickets goes, I was just planning to buy them at a kiosk at the station. We are staying near the main train station in Milan as it looks pretty easy to get there. Since we have never done this before is it hard to get tickets at the airport train station or the main train station for our trip to Lake Como?

I would imagine it would be easy to purchase the tickets at the station, but I've never been to Milan. There are two reasons why I wanted to pre-purchase while I'm still home, rested, and have the time to figure it out.

The first one is that confused tourists are obvious targets for pickpockets in train stations. I'm trying to be a proactive as possible to avoid this. Secondly, I tend to get flustered when standing in front of ticket kiosks, always feeling rushed to make a decision, lol.

Thanks esgwat for the extra info.

I have never bought train tickets in Italy so that was why I was going to use the app. I, too, am going to Cadorna and have done a dry run with the app, lol. But thinking about it maybe I should add a credit card while I am home. Adding that to the list. I thought I could use the app for the Varenna ticket before I left the hotel in the AM.

Checked the 10 day weather report and lots of rain in the forecast. Even though my bag has been packed for weeks, last minute adjustments are necessary. Living in Charleston, it's hard to get in the cool, rainy mindset.

What did you swap out?

I just did my final pack this morning and my suitcase is by the front door ready for my Sunday departure. I wound up with 16.1 pounds for my suitcase. I ditched my flipflops (for the hotel) at the last purge.

Looks like we might get lucky in Castelrotto as that looks like a fairly pleasant day. Varenna looks like it will be Var-rain-a! I don't put a whole lot of stock in forecasts more than 2-3 days out in a mountain-y area but afternoon temps look very nice. About what I've got here at home today, lol!!

I have been watching the weather too. I ended up throwing in my small umbrella thinking that will at least help keep my backpack somewhat dry. I already had a raincoat packed. Other than my bathroom stuff I think I am fully packed. We leave Monday with a direct flight to Milan from JFK. Now we just have to get our yard winterized and get the house cleaned.

I'm mostly rethinking my shoes. I'm definitely bringing my On Clouds, my black walkable flats, but might switch out my Clark's cloudstepper black sandals. But they are super comfy. With all the rain I'm thinking I need to bring waterproof booties. I bought some Blondos last fall but they messed up my right foot. First time ever to have PF, and it took months to heal. Soo, I guess I'll be out shopping for booties tomorrow.

Pam, I sincerely hope it doesn't rain the entire time in Varenna. I reserved a boat in Bellagio so we could get out on Lake Como. Carl will be so disappointed if that gets rained out.

I think the only day to really worry about wet feet is Castelrotto. The city days may not be bad if it rains…she says hopefully because she’s really only bringing one pair of shoes and they are not waterproof!!

Oh, you’ll have so much fun on the boat! I hope in a week it’s clear weather!!

Pat, it will be dusty when you get back home anyway!! I do know what you mean though because I’ll wash my sheets tomorrow!!

Just checked the weather and it looks like there is less rain predicted! Hope that trend keeps up.

We are going on a Viking cruise after our tour and so we won't be home until Dec 2nd that is why I am spending so much time cleaning and winterizing.

Hahaha, Pat....I just looked at the weather. Things are yucky in Varenna and Castelrotto today but yes, by next weekend it is looking a bit better!! Wow, you all are going to have a wonderful trip with the cruise on top of everything.

My brother (the original dress-in-layers advocate) is trying to talk me in to a puffy vest but his last few trips to Europe he's had clothing that was seriously too warm for conditions. His career as a forester had him prepared for all sorts of adverse outdoor conditions but we will not have to be that prepared, lol!!

And hallelujah I was able to completely check in online on the Delta Fly Ready app and have my boarding passes thru to MIlan downloaded to my iPhone wallet! Woohoo!

Wow, Pat, a river cruise, too? How fun!!

Well, I found my black leather booties I needed, and the leather is super soft. I'll just have to wear them non stop until we leave to break them in. But they're cute enough that I'm taking out both my sandals and dress flats. I figured if it did get hot again it would be easy to buy sandals.

Pam, we uploaded our passports to the Delta app, too. We only have 1.45 minute layover at ATL, so hopefully that will help speed us through. Have a safe flight, and we'll see you soon!!

Actually it is a Viking Ocean cruise from Venice to Buenos Aires. I added a layer to my packing so I think I will stay warm throughout.

Safe travel all, looking forward to meeting you soon

Holy cow..now THAT’S a cruise!

Arrived in Milan today. Long trip but all flights were on time or early. I’ve never heard so much sneezing on a plane as on the flight from Seattle. When I got to Milan I just could not face a wait for a train or dealing another crowded public transport situation so opted to follow the sign to the taxi rank. It’s a flat rate of 104€ to anywhere in Milan. Driver was very pleasant, ride took 40 minutes or so and alleviated a layer of stress. I did have someone come up to me at the exit doors asking if I wanted a taxi but I ignored him and went straight to the taxi line. I had the hotel address typed out and asked ahead if a credit card was ok.

Good night!! Safe travels to both of you!

So glad you made it safely!! Just checked into our flight. It's finally here!

Wheee!! Safe travels!! See you both Friday!

We just got back from BOI and I must say- so much fun! You will have a blast! It was incredible! If you want to look for great restaurants on your days off- highly recommend my recent post regarding this.
If you are staying in Hotel Cavallino D’Oro in the Dolomites they have a free washer and dryer. At this point we needed one. With the whole group staying there- we had fun and met each other coordinating a group schedule for the washer and dryer. Make sure to go on the group hike if you want an easy hike with great views of the mountains!
Lake Como was incredible! If you are a hiker- it’s rough hard hike I thought but the views were amazing- Castle Vezio. Hard hike I thought but worth it. Tour the towns on the included boat pass- Bellagio was beautiful but I think I enjoyed Varenna even more!
Hotel Steno was our favorite in Cinque Terre! Carla and Matteo are the best hosts! If you are missing your doggie at home- ask for some time with Maggie- their chocolate Lab! So so sweet!

I’m planning on posting a trip review soon.
Enjoy! I hope you have the best time, as we did, too! Just a couple recommends on the first part of your trip for you!

Thank you Lisa!