There are many accommodations to find in Varenna, but the two that stand out the most, regarding customer reviews are: You can also look for other villages to stay if you wish, but we recommend staying at the eastern side of the lake, on the road SS36. We are coming from the West Coast of the US (California). If you have any other questions, feel free to reach out again! In this road trip, we recommend you to start in Milan and leave the country from Venice. Once in Milan, the main things to do include a visit to the Duomo (walking on the rooftop is an awesome experience), seeing DaVincis Last Supper, and visiting the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. ITINERARY. This Italy travel itinerary includes in a lot of variety. So the first day we dont plan that much. 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. If you dont want to spend four days in the Dolomites, you can take out a day and add it to Venice or spend a day at Lake Garda. We chose to take on Northern Italy by train and it was super easy and comfortable! 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. And Hotel Torcolo Residenze del Cuore is a centrally located budget hotel that gets very good reviews. You could definitely tailor this Northern Italy itinerary to be only 7 days. With the Northern Italy Highlights 10 days itinerary youll cross the most important highlights, cities and landmarks in the northern part of Italy. I use Omio for purchasing train tickets or go straight to the Trenitalia website. For the best experience, we recommend arriving in Bellagio or Varenna by 10:30 am, to give yourself enough time to visit the area. Known for its iconic leaning tower. However, the town Volterra in this movie is a fictional village and not the same as the historic Italian village. You can have lunch or dinner on the rooftop terrace with views of the Venetian Lagoon. Tour starts on a Sunday. Artist likeMichaelangelo, Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, and Machiavellilived and worked in the city of Florence.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'madefortravellers_com-large-mobile-banner-2','ezslot_11',147,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-madefortravellers_com-large-mobile-banner-2-0'); Florence is probably the city with the most historic architecture in Italy. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. Then, ride the cable car to Marmolada, the highest mountain in the Dolomites. Once at Passo Pordoi, you have the option to ride the cable car to Sass Pordoi, for more big views of the Dolomites, and to hike to Piz Bo, one of the easiest 3,000+ meter peaks to summit in the Dolomites (5.3 km/3.3 miles, 2 to 4 hours). Fourteen Day Northern Italy Train Itinerary Day 1 Begin your Northern Italy Train Itinerary in Florence. Many people want to visit these cities while visiting Italy, but especially Rome is a bit far regarding the other cities. If youre someone whos embarking on their once-in-a-lifetime trip to Italy, this itinerary is for you. Bus travel is also an option, but comes with its own challenges: one, understanding regional bus routes in a short period of time, and two, using coach buses means youll get dropped off in one spot and you dont have much freedom to travel around. Theres a constant wind blowing from the mountains which makes both lakes favorable for a fun sports day on the water. There are several options to spend five days in the Northern part of Italy. As you continue east on the promenade, you will pass Hotel Danieli and to your right will be gorgeous views across the canal. I put Lake Garda before Verona since you save a little driving time by visiting the north end of Lake Garda first. Where to stay in Milan. However, the Dolomites can be cold year-round, especially when you go high into the mountains. I recommend starting on Riva degli Schiavoni, which is a wide promenade that runs along the Venetian Lagoon. The city is bustling, and if you dont book your tickets in advance, there might be a chance you miss out on visiting the historic Duomo. Sign me up for the newsletter & access to resources from The Travel Library! 8.1 Bologna - 7 days. Lago di Braies | Northern Italy Itinerary. The people are friendly, and the food is fantastic. Our road trip itineraries cover the different highlights in this part of the country. The icon of the city is the Duomo Cathedral. If you arrive in the morning on a red eye flight, this first day can be challenging. You can travel on your own schedule and get to places where it is difficult to get to by bus. Well, that is why I created this article to help you in the best way Why Is Everything So Cheap In Portugal? Parmawill be the last city on this itinerary before you head back to Milan. There is an airport in both Venice and Milan so you could start your itinerary in either place. You can find more information about Tuscany in this article, where we tell more about the different villages in this region. For the rest of the day, you are free to explore the canals of Venice. The total length of this road trip is 388 miles (625 kilometers). 9 Day Custom Tour. Tonight, stay in Cortina dAmpezzo. DAY: VENICE BASSANO DEL GRAPPA MALCESINE (Lake Garda) Bassano Del Grappa Lago Di Garda (Lake Garda) - Malcesine Northern Italy Itinerary - 9. We parked here on one of our visits to Venice. Id also like to see Lake Como, Lake Guardia, Dolomites and Piedmont but know we cant fit it all in and Im ok with making another trip some day. Italy All Italy Hotels But sometimes you just dont have more time. You can go more off-the-beaten-path and deep dive into the culture, taking the slow travel route. Lots of time and effort goes on behind the scenes to keep the free resources coming, so, if you have found my website or personal help useful and want to support me. 1000 Gourmet Venezia gets great reviews, serves pizza and pasta, and is located on a side street just a few blocks northeast of St. Marks Square. Check out more in-depth locations for the perfect city-break itinerary to northern Italy on the map: Its no secret Italy is one of the most romantic countries in the world to visit, so Ive also curated a North Italy itinerary perfect for couples, whether on honeymoon, anniversary, or simply a romantic trip. Then explore Parco Nazionale Gran Paradiso, the oldest national park in Italy, before heading north to the tiny town, but skiing haven of Breuil-Cervinia to see Monte Cervino otherwise known as the Matterhorn! Customize your leisure days by adding excursions to your Northern Italy Itinerary. Nowadays it has the third biggest harbor in the Mediterranean Sea. You will stay in Milan for one to two nights, depending on how you plan to visit Lake Como. You can also book one of the transport options below. If skies are clear, consider riding the cable car from Cortina dAmpezzo to Cima Tofana for one of the best views of the Dolomites. Day 7 Lake Garda - Sirmione. The weather around the lakes and in the mountains can vary heavily day to day. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. DAY 5: Beautiful city of Verona DAY 6: Majestic Lake Garda DAY 7: Emilia Romagna, foodie's paradise DAY 8: Parma, gastronomy day DAY 9: Maranello (Ferrari and fun cooking) DAY 10: Gastronomic capital Bologna DAY 11: Ravenna and its UNESCO world heritage sites Our first recommendation is that you start in Milan. Bergamo is big in size, but quaint in spirit. 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. Learn more here. To avoid waiting in line, you can purchase your ticket in advance on the official website. The city of Genoa was always an important harbor city for Italy. Teatro Farneseis a theater you should visit while in Parma, it is a 16th-century theater, built entirely from wood. Plan on spending about 2 to 3 hours in both Varenna and Bellagio. Today you will drive across the Dolomites to Val Gardena. It's the world's largest gothic cathedral and is absolutely stunning! Just be aware that they charge a 5 booking fee to use their website. Both options can be done with public transportation and by car. Theres so much to visit in the whole country, and the northern part is no exception to that. Thats why we selected the recourses we use all the time while booking our trips. It saves you a day in rental- and parking costs. Day 1: Arrive in Venice Day 2: Venice Day 3: Dolomites Day 4: Dolomites Day 5: Dolomites Day 6: Dolomites Day 7: Verona Day 8: Milan Day 9: Lake Como & Bellagio Day 10: Fly Home. People. (Psst! Northern Italy is the most developed part of the country, so transportation is easy-to-access and can take you just about anywhere. This 14 day Italy itinerary crams in a lot, and can easily be slowed down if you have more time. 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. 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. Or that you need to wait a long time in line. This Italy itinerary is a great starting point for designing your own custom itinerary. Highlights of your one-week itinerary include visiting the Museo Egizio in Milan, taking a boat trip on one of the lakes . Things To Do In Milan. It is one of our favorite cities in Italy! Which itinerary is on your bucket list? 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. Rentalcover offers the best coverage for a rental car, and it is cheaper than insurance via the rental company. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. I will sprinkle in extra tips and suggestions based on my own experience (so you dont have to make the same mistakes I have) and extra destinations as well so you can play with how much extra time you have and be informed about other places in the area well-worth seeing. 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. Bologna is a big university city. Hi there! But if you like, you can explore the city. A Cost Guide. But for the cities of Venice and Florence, it is busy year-round. The cheapest option is to rent a car just for the Dolomites portion of this trip. The Tuscany of northern Italy?