Italy was amazing! We had one short week and we did a lot.. Time went way too fast, as I knew it would. Day 1: Arrived Milan via Malpensa Express. Milano Centrale is enormous but we came to know it well. Settled into our Hotel(Berna) . Would recommend. Walked to the Duomo.. A very good orientation to Italian city life. Should have gotten the 48hr citypass and learned the subways immediately.. Got lost trying to get back to the hotel, but it was a good lost. Day 2; Day trip to Verenna and Bellagio.. My husband called this Heaven! So glad we went! Wish we could have spent more time there. Day 3: High speed train to Firenze.. Also an amazing city... here for 3 days.. Hotel Europa, warm and welcoming. Day tripped it to Sienna via bus... Glad I didn't miss this one, as well. Day 6: Back to Milan and day trip to Bergamo.. Old town was nice but seemed a little too manufactured for tourists. Maybe I was just tired and it was raining/cold..not much open.
Big thanks to all the contributors who patiently answered my questions.. my hubby is now hooked on Europe. He wants to plan a trip for Belgium and Amsterdam in Sept!
Next trip, fly open jaw into one city and out of another. It'll save the expense and time taken to back track to your original city of arrival. Hopefully you'll have more time next trip since airfares are at an all time high this Summer and beyond.
I too love Amsterdam, and have visited there twice in 2 years and taken a road trip up the Rhine River to Cologne, Koblenz, Bacharach and ultimately Munich. My family longs to see Bavaria and western Austria when in the area.