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Northern Italy - 2025
Posted on 8/28/24 at 11:24 am
Posted on 8/28/24 at 11:24 am
Looking into trip next year with wife, no pics.
Thinking of splitting time in or outside Milan and Florence. From each home bases would take day trips on trains to see surrounding sites.
From Milan: Como, Bellagio, St Mortiz
From Florence: Cinque Terre, Portifino, Bologna, San Marino
Just exploring possibilities at this point and looking for experience from others.
Thinking of splitting time in or outside Milan and Florence. From each home bases would take day trips on trains to see surrounding sites.
From Milan: Como, Bellagio, St Mortiz
From Florence: Cinque Terre, Portifino, Bologna, San Marino
Just exploring possibilities at this point and looking for experience from others.
12
Posted on 8/28/24 at 11:40 am to Gilly
From Florence I'd add Greve as a visit.
All I got.
All I got.
Posted on 8/28/24 at 12:28 pm to Gilly
Your proposed itinerary contains some long and time consuming day trips.
You could spend a week to 10 days just exploring Florence (3days) and the Tuscan countryside (a week). You will need a car. We did Cinque Terre as a day trip and went to all five villages.
For the Italian Lakes Region, we stayed across Lake Lugano in Lugano, Switzerland. Beautiful place. Went to Lake Como and to Stressa to tour the Barromeo Palace on an island off the coast.
You could spend a week to 10 days just exploring Florence (3days) and the Tuscan countryside (a week). You will need a car. We did Cinque Terre as a day trip and went to all five villages.
For the Italian Lakes Region, we stayed across Lake Lugano in Lugano, Switzerland. Beautiful place. Went to Lake Como and to Stressa to tour the Barromeo Palace on an island off the coast.
Posted on 8/28/24 at 12:38 pm to Gilly
I wouldn't base in Milan. It's just not that great. If you'r into wine I would spend time in the Piedmonte region.
From Florence, Greve is solid as are the Chianti towns (Gaoile in Chianti, Radda, etc) down to Montalcino (Brunello wines and the great enoteca that is La Fortezza) and Montepulciano.
From Florence, Greve is solid as are the Chianti towns (Gaoile in Chianti, Radda, etc) down to Montalcino (Brunello wines and the great enoteca that is La Fortezza) and Montepulciano.
This post was edited on 8/28/24 at 12:39 pm
Posted on 8/28/24 at 2:42 pm to Gilly
I like food and I like wine and enjoyed N Italy but it didn't hold a candle to the South. When I go back next year, we are staying down south the whole time. The Amalfi Coast is magic to me. Awesome people, food, drink, ocean. That's my groove. YMMV.
Posted on 8/28/24 at 5:02 pm to Gilly
Spending 2-3 nights in Milan and 5 nights in Bellagio next May. Hoping to see an opera at La Scala. Pretty busy schedule in Bellagio.
Anyone have reccs:
Attending event at La Scala?
Truffle hunting in that area?
Small group tour guide in Milan?
Fishing Lake Como (yes, I’m a redneck)?
Hiking the same?
Anyone have reccs:
Attending event at La Scala?
Truffle hunting in that area?
Small group tour guide in Milan?
Fishing Lake Como (yes, I’m a redneck)?
Hiking the same?
Posted on 8/28/24 at 5:14 pm to dirtsandwich
quote:
Truffle hunting in that area?
Are you talking about white truffles?
1) They're around Alba which is a ways away.
2) You hunt them in the fall. September to December.
Posted on 8/28/24 at 5:26 pm to VABuckeye
Way outside my comfort zone but here’s what I saw:
https://ristorante-saliceblu-bellagio.it/en/mushroom-and-truffle-picking/
https://ristorante-saliceblu-bellagio.it/en/mushroom-and-truffle-picking/
quote:
The day begins at 10am at the Salice Blu Restaurant, where you will enjoy a quick coffee before meeting Chef Luigi at the starting point of the walk. You will also be accompanied by truffle experts and truffle dogs. The walk takes place in forests of hornbeam, chestnut and oak owned by the Gandola family, in a tranquil area with a view over the extraordinary lake.
After the picking, you return to the kitchen where you will learn some techniques for using and preserving the mushrooms and truffles and you will enjoy a well-earned lunch. he experience ends at around 3pm. Also available at other times.
Posted on 8/28/24 at 8:14 pm to Gilly
Stay in Betona instead of Milan.
Hit Dolomites , Venice, sirmeone on lake Garda
Drink lots of Amarone!!!
Tuscany towns I thought were the best were San Gimignano, Volterra, Luca and Orvieto a little to the south.
Hit Dolomites , Venice, sirmeone on lake Garda
Drink lots of Amarone!!!
Tuscany towns I thought were the best were San Gimignano, Volterra, Luca and Orvieto a little to the south.
Posted on 8/28/24 at 8:50 pm to dirtsandwich
No, Milan doesn't offer the ability to immerse oneself in a medieval city, but Milan gets too much negativity. It's great for two days or so.
- The cathedral is amazing, especially the rooftop tour.
- A good tour of The Last Supper is well worth it, for one of the world's most famous pieces of art.
- La Scala is one of the world's greatest opera houses.
- Milan is one of the world's greatest centers of fashion, and even just window shopping is fun.
I was there in the summer of 2022 and saw Rigoletto at La Scala, which was fantastic. I did the work to get the crummy 10-Euro seats, because I didn't have the money to blow on expensive tix. These are seats that have an obstructed view, unless you stand and lean forward to watch. It's still a great experience.
Lonely Planet article on the cheap seats.
- The cathedral is amazing, especially the rooftop tour.
- A good tour of The Last Supper is well worth it, for one of the world's most famous pieces of art.
- La Scala is one of the world's greatest opera houses.
- Milan is one of the world's greatest centers of fashion, and even just window shopping is fun.
I was there in the summer of 2022 and saw Rigoletto at La Scala, which was fantastic. I did the work to get the crummy 10-Euro seats, because I didn't have the money to blow on expensive tix. These are seats that have an obstructed view, unless you stand and lean forward to watch. It's still a great experience.
Lonely Planet article on the cheap seats.
Posted on 8/29/24 at 5:41 am to Gilly
Verona is a great day trip from Milan. We saw a lot in 6 hours there.
Posted on 8/29/24 at 5:59 am to geauxpurple
quote:
Your proposed itinerary contains some long and time consuming day trips.
My thoughts as well. Staying in Florence and none of the day trips are even in Tuscany?
Posted on 8/29/24 at 6:35 am to dirtsandwich
Then those have to be black truffles which are very good.
Posted on 8/29/24 at 6:40 am to GOP_Tiger
quote:
- The cathedral is amazing, especially the rooftop tour.
- A good tour of The Last Supper is well worth it, for one of the world's most famous pieces of art.
Any suggestions for specific tour guides or services? Very interested in both tours.
Posted on 8/29/24 at 11:15 am to Gilly
quote:
From Florence: Cinque Terre, Portifino, Bologna, San Marino
Yeah, Siena would be my #1 choice for a daytrip from Florence.
Posted on 8/29/24 at 11:20 am to dirtsandwich
My Last Supper tour (combined with a tour of the castle) was booked with Wanderinitaly through Viator. We had a great guide.
Posted on 8/29/24 at 2:12 pm to dirtsandwich
We bought Last Supper private tour tix directly from the church which manages the site. It was informative and relatively inexpensive.
Pro tip - You have to book in a window that is well in advance of your trip.
Tickets
Pro tip - You have to book in a window that is well in advance of your trip.
Tickets
Posted on 8/29/24 at 2:55 pm to dirtsandwich
Spent one day in Milan and wish I would have had more time. Had been before but crammed a lot into that day.
Private tour of the last supper, which was really great.
Caught a ballet at La Scala and if there is a performance while you are there, even if you don’t think you like ballet, or opera, or whatever is playing, just go. Such a cool space.
Then did a tour of the cathedral including the roof. Bonus if you can get below the church and see the foundations of the previous churches on the site. Sculptures on the roof are really cool (Abraham Lincoln, Boxing gloves, etc.).
Don’t write off Milan is my point.
Private tour of the last supper, which was really great.
Caught a ballet at La Scala and if there is a performance while you are there, even if you don’t think you like ballet, or opera, or whatever is playing, just go. Such a cool space.
Then did a tour of the cathedral including the roof. Bonus if you can get below the church and see the foundations of the previous churches on the site. Sculptures on the roof are really cool (Abraham Lincoln, Boxing gloves, etc.).
Don’t write off Milan is my point.
Posted on 8/29/24 at 3:00 pm to BlackenedOut
Thanks for all the suggestions. We are still planning and hope to have something booked soon.
Posted on 8/29/24 at 5:57 pm to Gilly
PS go to Riva Del Garda or another spot on Lake Garda. Stunningly beautiful spot without the influencers of Como.
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