Venice 2 Nights. However, you will have more travel time tomorrow to get to the airport. For those who want to combine a few Italian cities with some of the most beautiful scenery in Europe, youll love this northern Italy itinerary. As you stroll through Venice, go shopping, have a glass of wine or aperitif at a caf, snack on cicchetti, or hire a gondola. DAY 1: Venice. The big question when planning a trip is always: how long you should spend in northern Italy? Lake Garda is the largest lake in Italy, but its small, cascading hillside towns make the atmosphere intimate. Depending on your departure time you can either explore the city of Milan for a second time or maybe need to go directly to the airport. 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! You could definitely tailor this Northern Italy itinerary to be only 7 days. However, it would be pretty tough to see this all in a week, even with a car. Depending on your interests and fitness level, you can choose different activities. Its worth a visit! We recommend staying a bit out of the center, which saves you tons of money. You can easily spend a few weeks in the Tuscany region, but during this road trip in the Northern part of Italy, we recommend that you stay in the west part of Tuscany.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'madefortravellers_com-leader-2','ezslot_16',148,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-madefortravellers_com-leader-2-0'); Leaving Florence we recommend you to drive toSiena San Gimignano Volterra Pisa. Pizzoccheri are a mix of short buckwheat tagliatelle pasta, potatoes, cheese, and greens. But sometimes you just dont have more time. 7.2 Verona - 2 days. In the evening, have dinner. Your email address will not be published. The northern part of Italy is renowned for its beautiful mountain lakes. Day 7 Lake Garda - Sirmione. The highlights you dont want to miss are; Varenna is the best place to stay at Lake Como for this road trip. Bus can also be a flexible and inexpensive option for airport transfer. Theres so much to visit in the whole country, and the northern part is no exception to that. Just be aware that they charge a 5 booking fee to use their website. You dont need a car when in the city of Rome. Gondola ride for two? And the Medici Family, in particular, had significant influence at the modern banking system. We would really like to visit Bologna and Florence again and have to add Verona for sure due to business (just 1 day business meeting). The road will take you through the dolomites, which is lovely. He travels the world with the love of his life and writes about inspiring cultures and practical travel tips. The towns in Cinque Terre used the be fisherman towns. The Perfect Northern Italy Itinerary: 5 Ideas For The Trip Of Your To make sure you dont spend to much time in the car we recommend staying somewhere around Lake Garda. Nowadays the most important source of income is tourism. To discover the most elegant and upper-class side of Italy. Franciacorta. Today youll travel to Lake Garda. In some places, we recommend staying two nights, so it is more relaxed, and you allow yourself to really get to know the city or village. Were here to help you plan the best road trip in Northern Italy. 10 Days In Northern Italy With Kids - FAMILY TRAVEL EXPLORE Our first recommendation is that you start in Milan. The Doges Palace served as the residence for the Doge, the seat of the government, and a palace of justice. Which one you choose really depends if you want to cruise up Lake Como or just get to Varenna as quickly as possible. Next to cities and lakes, northern Italy shows its best with its mountains, the Dolomites. 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. However, coach bus companies like Flixbus operate throughout the country and Europe, so you could travel between regions using their service. 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. Not a big hiker? From Milan, you can travel by train to Varenna (about 1 hour) or travel by train to Como (about 45 minutes) and then take a ferry to Bellagio, Menaggio, and Varenna (about 45 minutes). Read my guides to Italy in Summer, Italy in Fall, and Italy in Winter to dive deeper into which season may be a better fit for you. You will have the afternoon free to do something, whether that is a hike or a scenic drive or a cable car ride. If you have longer, great! The Best Guide to Val Brembana: How to Visit this Underrated Corner , The Best Weekend in Edinburgh Itinerary You Need to Steal, Mid-range price compared to bus and rental car travel, Well-connected between cities and towns (regional trains), Can be super cheap & is overall less expensive, Takes time to understand routes of regional or city buses. Also, the countryside is renowned for its vineyards, so it is excellent to go for a local winetasting. If you arrive in the morning on a red eye flight, this first day can be challenging. Genoais known as the birthplace of Columbus, the renowned sea navigator. Its a big day hike but it is our favorite in the Dolomites. Planning your trip to the Northern part of Italy is exciting but can be overwhelming as well. The big Italian big four road trip. This very highly rated tour has skip-the-line access to St. Marks Basilica, it includes the terrace, and it also includes Doges Palace (the next stop on todays itinerary). This large parking garage is located in Venice in Santa Croce. We recommend leaving early in the morning, so you have enough time to reach the park. If you have less than 10 days, then remove a day or two from the Dolomites. The drive from Parma to Milan is around 2 hours. Our road trip itineraries cover the different highlights in this part of the country. During these months youll have the best weather conditions, less rain and most chance of sunshine. From Pisa, it is only a short drive to one of the most beautiful coastlines in Italy. Three rocky islands that were bought by the Borromean family centuries ago. If youre hoping to visit many places that arent major cities or tourist spots, then I would absolutely recommend renting a car. 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. Spend the afternoon strolling through the streets of Verona. So when you want to save some money, dont go to a traditional Gondola, but hop-on a taxi boat. I was thinking of flying into Rome due to convenience and cost and flying out of Milan mostly due to convenience. 9 Day Custom Tour. The other option is staying inPeschiera del Garda, a vibrant town next to the lake, also perfect for a romantic stay, but less expensive. Arrive on an empty stomach! This is the priciest lunch option on our list. At every place where we recommend staying overnight, we put some recommendations for hotel bookings. You can also choose to do this road trip in the other way around. We recommend taking the scenic route, though. Instead, this itinerary will help you pick a route to travel across some of the best places in Northern Italy. Ultimate Northern Italy Road Trip Itinerary: 2023 Guide - Wanderlust Chloe You can find more information about Tuscany in this article, where we tell more about the different villages in this region. The Top Island Itineraries for 2023's New Cruise Ships We started our adventure in Bologna. DOLOMITES: For links to all of our articles about the Dolomites, take a look at our Dolomites Travel Guide. We wrote this article you might like, with in-depth information about the city of Milan. Northern Italy Train Itinerary: 14 Days By Rail Heres a more in-depth look at how to get around northern Italy: There are both national train lines and regional train lines, meaning you are well-connected between the major cities and there are also options to reach smaller towns. As you tour Doges Palace, you will cross the Bridge of Sighs. View from the Puez-Odle Altopiano trail | Northern Italy Itinerary. Two villages you dont want to miss areGardaandSirmione. But the true draw is the landscape. One Week Itinerary in Northern Italy: Recommendations for an Artsy Trip PUGLIA: Read about 15 beautiful places to visit in Puglia and the best things to do in Alberobello. That does not include tours, only entrance fees. The Best Northern Italy Travel Itinerary (7 days) - The Mindful Mermaid In the next part, youll find step by step itineraries where we explain the best stops, famous landmarks, and best places to stay. Ideally, a robust northern Italy itinerary falls somewhere between 10 and 14 days. This 17 km (10.6 mile) hike takes 6 to 9 hours and starts in Selva di Val Gardena. Book your stay in Milan and spend time exploring the city, while using the next few days to visit Cinque Terre and Lake Como. There are two ways to visit Lake Como today. Youll need to follow the A9 north from Milan. Manage Settings 4 Northern Italy itineraries - How to spend a week in Northern Italy Northern Italy Itinerary n 1: Milan, Como Lake, Venice, and Verona You can also see the map here Why? 10 Day Northern Italy Itinerary - Italy Forum - Tripadvisor A visit here adds on another hour of driving, plus time to visit the church, which takes about an hour. But if you like, you can explore the city. Making your way from the Western Alps, youll cross Milan, Lake Como, and Bergamo in the Central Alps. The entire itinerary can be done as a road trip or you can rent a car just for the Dolomites. 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. 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. It will take around 2 hours to reach the lake. We love taking pictures and videos during our travels, but also like to be organized with our stuff. Things To Do In Milan. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device.