northern italy itinerary northern italy itinerary

A Cost Guide. The biggest lake in Italy and Europe. A visit to St. Marks Basilica (once you are inside), lasts about 45 minutes to an hour, to walk through the basilica, see the Pala dOro, and take in the view from the terrace. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. To get here, you will park in town and it is a 0.8 km (0.5 mile) downhill walk to the church (or you can take a bus). You can either wander the canals on your own or take a walking tour. There are several options to spend five days in the Northern part of Italy. Northern Italy is the most developed part of the country, so transportation is easy-to-access and can take you just about anywhere. In the evening, have dinner and check into your hotel. Ideally, a robust northern Italy itinerary falls somewhere between 10 and 14 days. In five days youll visit the three biggest lakes in Italy before heading back to the vibrant city of Milan.Note; the road from Lake Maggiore to Lake Como takes you a few miles through Switzerland. We chose to take on Northern Italy by train and it was super easy and comfortable! If you need to start and end in the same location (for example, if it is easier to find flights in and out of one airport), that can be done as well. We have TONS more information about Italy in our Italy Travel Guide, including Rome, Florence, Venice, Tuscany, the Dolomites, the Amalfi Coast, the Cinque Terre, and Puglia. Sirmione is a historic town on a peninsula at the lake. For this itinerary, it is best to rent a car. Italy in Spring guide coming soon!). As you stroll through Venice, go shopping, have a glass of wine or aperitif at a caf, snack on cicchetti, or hire a gondola. Today youll travel to Lake Garda. Italy is one of the most visited countries in Europe, perhaps even the world. Continue with Recommended Cookies. MILAN & LAKE COMO: Learn how to visit Milan on a day trip or while traveling between the Cinque Terre, Florence and Venice. I switched the days since day 1 of the itinerary is a big sightseeing day and not everyone will have the time and energy for it. All the major cities on our 10 day Italy travel itinerary were accessible by public transportation, and the train . Since 1982 the historic center of Florence is listed as a Unesco World Heritage site. Planning your trip to the Northern part of Italy is exciting but can be overwhelming as well. For suggestions on where to stay in Venice, take a look at our Venice Hotel Guide. However, if you have more then 10 days for your holiday, it is easier to manage. We prefer Lake Como over Lake Garda, which is why we designed this northern Italy itinerary with Lake Como. Gondola ride for two? Here youll find many small traditional restaurants, the best place to have a relaxing night after much walking in the city! A Northern Italy road trip is an incredible way to experience a wide range of beautiful and world-famous cities in a very short space of time. Public transport adaptations. I recommend referring to this as you pick out what you want to do in the Dolomites. It comes from Valtellina, a valley in Lombardy bordering Switzerland. But this is more expensive, since you are paying for 2 days of a rental car plus parking fees. 8 Discover Emilia Romagna - 10 days. RENTAL CAR: You can drop your rental car in Verona (and travel by train for the rest of this itinerary, which is the cheapest, most environmentally friendly option) or keep it until the end of your trip. Planning the best order of visiting these places will depend on what airport you end up flying into, as well as what day your business meeting falls on! Customize your leisure days by adding excursions to your Northern Italy Itinerary. Day 1: Arrive in Venice Day 2: Venice Day 3: Dolomites Day 4: Dolomites Day 5: Drive to Milan Day 6: Lake Como day trip Day 7: Fly home. View from Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute | Northern Italy Itinerary. Northern Italy Itinerary Day 1: Arrive in Venice, Northern Italy Itinerary Day 3: Dolomites, Northern Italy Itinerary Day 4: Dolomites, Northern Italy Itinerary Day 5: Dolomites, Northern Italy Itinerary Day 6: Dolomites, Northern Italy Itinerary Day 9: Lake Como & Bellagio. In these two months you get the best weather, the very beginning or the tail end of the busy summer tourist season, and if you book ahead, you can get great deals on reservations for rental cars and accommodation. Many great artists and philosophers lived in Florence during the middle ages. When you have more time for a road trip, we recommend using it. Day 4-6 Emilia Romagna. For more details about this day, refer to day 1 of our 2 Day Venice Itinerary. From the Dolomites, visit lovely Verona, Milan, and spend a day at Lake Como. Lines can be long to enter it, but it is worth it, both to see the golden interior and to stand on the terrace for a view across St. Marks Square. Lake Garda is known for its beautiful historic villages and also beautiful landscapes. Verona is located in northern Italy, about 110km from the romantic city of Venice. Drive over the Sella Pass and check into your hotel in Selva di Val Gardena or Ortisei. If you plan to pick up the car on the day you drive to the Dolomites, the best place to rent the car is at the Mestre train station followed by the Venice Marco Polo airport. The city of Verona is a maximum one hour drive from Lake Garda. There are lots of restaurants located in and around St. Marks Square but most of these are overpriced and mediocre. When you make a purchase using one of these affiliate links, we get paid a small commission at no extra cost to you. Almost anything you can name is cheaper and affordable in Portugal, from housing to food, healthcare to travel. Made For Travellers is more than just a travel blog. Travel west to another of northern Italy's fabled lakesLake Orta and spend the morning discovering the medieval lakeside town of Orta San Giulio.Set on the water's edge overlooking a picturesque island, the town is a delightful maze of cobblestoned streets and pastel-colored homes that date back centuries. For this itinerary, you will get around by rental car and train. As far as how long to spend in each place, here are my recommendations for a minimum amount of stay based on how much there is to do in each place (& my personal favorite spots! Our recommended places to stay are in two different villages. Day 8 Lake Garda - Family Fun. But if the price is better in Rome, you could always take a train to a major northern Italian city or find a cheap flight with RyanAir, for example. Regional trains can take twice the length of time to cover the same distance as a high-speed train, and cost half as much, but you will be sacrificing sightseeing time. Learn more here. PRO TRAVEL TIP: You will use the ferry to get between Bellagio, Varenna, and Menaggio, so you arent missing out on anything by not cruising from Como to Bellagio. The other dish I ordered at every restaurant in Liguria: Trofie al Pesto. You can avoid the 5 fee by using Trenitalia.com, but this website is more difficult to use. Your email address will not be published. So the first day we dont plan that much. Many people say the lake is less spectacular then Lake Como, but we think it is a must-visit while traveling through this area. Geisler Alm, Adolf Munkel Weg | Northern Italy Itinerary. Buses are usually the cheapest option for getting around, as Flixbus tickets are as low as $5. Lagazuoi, Dolomites | Northern Italy Itinerary, The view of Cortina dAmpezzo from the Tofana cable car | Northern Italy Itinerary. It costs 7.50 for a one-way ticket (good for 75 minutes) or 21 for a 24-hour ticket. Make it easier to visit using my Lake Como budget tips, but dont be afraid to indulge in visiting its most romantic places like Villa del Balbianello and the town of Bellagio. Note: This post contains affiliate links. Between wine, fairytale villages, and intimate vistas, youll be feeling the Italian romance. This has the advantage of not packing and unpacking again, and if you have a flight home from Milan tomorrow, you will already be in town. From the Rialto Bridge, ride the vaporetto to Pont dellAccademia. Once you have checked into your hotel, have a quick lunch and then make your way to the Rialto Bridge. A visit here adds on another hour of driving, plus time to visit the church, which takes about an hour. Breakdown of your 2 weeks in Northern Italy Milan: 2 days Lake Como: 2 days Lake Garda: 2 days Verona: 1 day Dolomites: 5 days Venice: 2 days You can choose whether you start in Milan and end in Venice, or go in reverse. But the true draw is the landscape. On the day you drive to the Dolomites, you will save a little bit of time, since you will not have to get back to the airport to pick up the car. If you have any questions about this northern Italy itinerary, let us know in the comment section below. If you are having trouble narrowing down which places are the top to visit for you or youre starting from scratch seeking inspiration, youll find the perfect northern Italy itinerary for you in this post, along with tips for visiting this part of the country. San Gimignanois another great historic medieval village to visit. The highlights in Milan are:if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'madefortravellers_com-medrectangle-3','ezslot_17',134,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-madefortravellers_com-medrectangle-3-0'); It is easy to walk around the city center of Milan. However, coach bus companies like Flixbus operate throughout the country and Europe, so you could travel between regions using their service. Milan - 2-3 nights. Northern Italy has an amazingly extensive train network that connect many of the country's top destinations. Milan and the Lakes of Northern Italy Itinerary. This large parking garage is located in Venice in Santa Croce. This is our second trip. During this road trip, we planned a half-day in Cinque Terre, but if you want to spend more time along these coastal towns, you can skip Genoa or Parma in this itinerary. On a privately guided journey that reveals Italy's splendours at their most compelling, enjoy a special early entrance to the Vatican, view the artistic treasures of Florence, learn about an art restoration project and sample Italian cuisine with tastings in Tuscany and a food tour in Venice. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Yes, its a tourist experience, but its also still incredibly unique and wholesome to run away to the city and get lost in its alleys for a few days. So you can use your time in the most efficint way. Your last stop on this itinerary is tapping into a bit of central Italy territory, but it is a must stop for foodies. There are two ways to visit Lake Como today. The other option to spend only 5 days in the northern part is excellent for hiking enthusiasts. However, the town Volterra in this movie is a fictional village and not the same as the historic Italian village. Any of these itineraries can be turned into a road trip itinerary like I said, the country is best experienced by road trip! ): Piedmont: at least 2 nights (Piedmont is a large region, so depending on how much you want to see, you could easily extend this a couple of nights) Lake Como: at least 1 night Bologna: at least 1 night Florence: at least 2 nights Verona: at least 1 night Lake Garda: at least 1 night (or even a day trip from Verona & you stay in Verona 2 nights) Dolomites: at least 2-3 nights. Because theres no traffic, the vibe is even more unique. 14 days or even longer is perfect for a road trip. It is also worth it to hire a boat to cruise by the villas, or even tour one of them. You also have the option to add Lake Garda. The basics are the same as the 10-day itinerary for Northern Italy, but we added more stops and more time for sightseeing and exploring. You can also stay at the neighboring island Venice Lido, from where you can easily take a taxi-boat to the historical center. Its easy to travel between Milan and Venice by train, so you can get back to your starting point without much time, effort, and money. Cultural Exploration Family Tour of Northern Italy. Answer 11 of 12: I'm planning a 10-day trip and would like an opinion on the following itinerary: Day 1 Arrive in Milan AM, Rent Car Drive to Lake Como - 1 Hour Lake Como Day 2 Lake Como. Places you dont want to miss while visiting Florence are: When you want to visit the Duomo, you must reserve a ticket in advance. Of course, youll visit the famous landmarks asColleseum,Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, Pantheon, and Vatican City. If you will be arriving Venice very early in the day (for example, you are already in Europe and wont be dealing with jet lag), or the night before, you can follow our 2 Day Venice Itinerary. 6 Northern Italy Road Trip itinerary: Nature edition (6-14 days) 6.1 The Dolomites - 6 days. You will have the afternoon free to do something, whether that is a hike or a scenic drive or a cable car ride. Theres so much to visit in the whole country, and the northern part is no exception to that. Verona Arena is one of the best-preserved Amphitheaters in the world. Pick up the car from the airport, drive to Venice, and park it in a parking garage during your time in Venice (you wont need it). The people are friendly, and the food is fantastic. The roads are good condition, and the views are just stunning. But it's the fastest way to get there with buses routing every 11 minutes. You dont need a car when in the city of Rome. Here are a few more itineraries for Italy: To see all of our articles about Italy, take a look at our Italy Travel Guide. The Dolomiti Lodge Alvergets exceptional reviews. Discover more specific destinations for loved-up travelers on the map: Italian food is in a league of its own, but youll soon find out when visiting northern Italy that the traditional dishes are not pasta and pizza. Lets start with the 10-day highlights! Dynamic pricing from $2,859. Bologna 2 Nights. Milan Lake Como Cinque Terre Venice Dolomites Highlights It truly is the best way to visit the country and enjoy just how vastly different the landscapes are across the peninsula. Genoais known as the birthplace of Columbus, the renowned sea navigator. If you cant get one, consider joining a tour. This Italy itinerary is a great starting point for designing your own custom itinerary. And they really are wonders - this is the land of the cathedral-like Dolomites, the actual cathedrals of Milan, and the glistening Italian Lakes, after all. I do not recommend making big plans today (no St. Marks Basilica or Doges Palace visits) because you might be exhausted. With many historical buildings, it is one of the most beautiful cities to visit in Italy. Lake Maggiore is in the second largest lake in Italy, and also crosses the border with Switzerland. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. After heading to the sea, return to the mountains around the area of Bergamo. If you will have a car, park your car at Tronchetto Parking. In the evening, check into your hotel and have dinner. Optional: On the drive to Verona, you will be very close to the Santuario Madonna della Corona. Sienais renowned for the largest medieval square and the famous Torre del Mangia. Plus, having a car makes it much easier to get around Lake Garda and transfer from Riva del Garda to Sirmione, and then once in Verona, you can drop the rental car if you prefer. It is the highest mountain in this mountain range. I live in northern Italy, so the area not only has a special place in my heart, but Ive also happened to travel all around it! 10 Day Northern Italy Itinerary - Italy Forum. On our first trip to the Dolomites, we had three days and once there, we wished we had a lot more time. Our recommended articles are: Driving from Genoa to Parma is a beautiful road when you skip the tollroads. Franciacorta. Your email address will not be published. We also have guides about How to Visit St. Marks Basilica, where to get the Best Views of Venice, and how to spend Two Days in Venice. Travel insurance is essential for your belongings and healthcare while traveling. We recommend that you pick up your rental car right before you leave the city and travel to lake Como. If youre planning on taking a train around northern Italy, read all my Italy train travel tips so you know exactly how to prepare. While youll easily be able to get from city to city and even towns using regional trains, going through the mountains will mean there are less stops and train options, or there may just be no option at all. It may look like I put a lot of time into the Dolomites (because I did ). Whether you like hiking in the summer or skiing in the winter, the mountains are paradise. 7.1 Venice - 5 days. But also many historic buildings are to find in this city. However, if youre flying from within Europe, you may want to consider flying into Bergamo Orio al Serio Airport, which is a hub for Ryanair flights. To make sure you dont spend to much time in the car we recommend staying somewhere around Lake Garda. I've also offered options to add on other locations if you're travelling for longer too or adding Italy to part of a longer Europe itinerary . Sitting next to the Rialto Bridge is the T Fondaco Terrace. This cable car station is located in Cortina dAmpezzo and from the mountain station you have jaw-dropping views of the Dolomites. I highly suggest taking a look at the embedded maps to discover places worth adding to your itinerary based on the amount of time you have available. Italy All Italy Hotels From metropolitan Milan to the medieval hilltop city of Bergamo, the major cities in Italy all offer a different landscape to be explored. The total length of this road trip is 388 miles (625 kilometers). Verona 2 Nights. Best Things to Do in the Dolomites (with Little to No Hiking), Things to Know When Planning a Trip to the Dolomites, Freccia nel Cielo cable car to Cima Tofana, 10 Days in Italy: 4 Amazing Itinerary Ideas, 10 Days in Italy: Rome, Florence, Cinque Terre & Venice, 14 Days in Italy: Best Way to Spend Two Weeks in Italy, How to Plan the Perfect Day Trip to Lake Como, 10 Days in Italy Itinerary: 4 Amazing Ideas for Your Trip to Italy, Lake Garda Bucket List: 25 Things to Do in Lake Garda, Italy, 20 Best Places to Visit in Italy (+ Map & Photos). But the advantage is that you can stay overnight in Florence, and the next day has all day to exploring another historic city.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[336,280],'madefortravellers_com-leader-1','ezslot_13',146,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-madefortravellers_com-leader-1-0'); It is a bit difficult to drive into the city center of Florence.