Milan, Como, Cernobbio, Bellagio, Venice, Florence
price varies
Optimum Seasons: Spring and Fall (way too hot and humid in the summer)
No country in this world compares to Italy. The beauty, the food, the gorgeous men, the history, the shopping, the nature, the art, and so on. Of course, I am saying this having only been to a handful of countries in my life. But I don't care. I'm pretty certain nothing comes close! If you have the patience to forgive their transit system and their inefficiency as a people compared to Americans (you will acquire the patience if you don't have it intrinsically), this is the best place on earth and every human alive has to save their money and take a trip here at least once.
So basically, I went here for a destination wedding in Lake Como. I was based in Milan for the week (you will find the cheapest round trip flights to Milan...Venice and Florence are generally more expensive). You can see any northern Italian city via mass transit within a 3 hour drive or ride from Milan. So it's a great starting point. And contrary to popular and ignorant belief, Milan is truly a beautiful city.....
Milan
You must stay in a hotel in Milan's center. My husband and I stayed at the much recommended and affordable Starhotels E.c.ho. right across Milan's Centrale Station (if you have Starwood points, book through them). This made travel to other cities super easy and efficient. If we weren't within close proximity to the main station, we would have to take a taxi or subway to the main station and then ride several hours to another city. This would have been very exhausting. Plus, you would have to pay for the cab ride which is expensive in Milan (make sure you download the Mytaxi app which I should have done). By staying in Milan's center, you should easily be within an hour walking distance from all the must see attractions:
1) the iconic Duomo: hit the roof to get impressive views of Milan
2) Navigli: take a stroll along the canal where you'll find plenty of cute shops
3) Galleria Vittoria Emanuele: across the Duomo and a beautiful landmark with high end shops
4) The Last Supper: Da Vinci's famous mural
5) La Scala: A beautiful opera house. Take a tour of the theater if you are able.
6) Bosco Verticale: one of the most famous residential buildings in the world
7) Brera Design District: get lost in this neighborhood full of cafes and awesome shops
8) Parco Sempionecastello Sforzesco: walk around the castle grounds and then the park
9) La Rinascente: luxury department store near the Duomo. You can have lunch on the roof here which has views of Milan.
10) via Monte Napoleone: high end shopping at its finest
11) 10 Corso Como: high end concept store.
As far as dining is concerned.....you cannot fail anywhere in Italy. I will not bother providing a list of restaurants. You should just walk, find a nice restaurant, look at what people are eating, and make a decision as you go. There's no point to map out places to dine and be overwhelmed with more on your itinerary, unless you are planning to stay in Milan for a week and have ample time to hit up some iconic restaurants. Otherwise, everything in this country is delicious and easy on the stomach! The cafes are to die for! My only one recommendation is to not leave Milan without having a panzerotto from Luini's bakery (near Duomo).
Florence
Aesthetically, Florence isn't all that. It is a dark and gloomy city. Very old. Not a lot of color. But for those who love art and history, this city is a must see. It is home of the Renaissance. And just an hour and a half away from Milan by train. It is worth the day trip if you have enough time in Italy (but it really ranks all the way at the bottom of beautiful Italian cities for me, so if you have to skip a city, this is the one to skip!)
Remember that trains operate like airplanes in Italy. There are delays. There are cancellations. They get booked. Prices fluctuate depending on when you purchase the ticket and what train-line you book with. Best to book in advance so you get a better deal and know for certain you will get a spot on a train.
From Stazione S. M. Novelle (the main train station), you can start walking towards Santa Maria Novella, then Piazza San Lorenzo, and then Piazza del Duomo where you will find the famous cathedral and Giotto bell tower. After navigating the narrow and dark streets of Florence, you will be in complete awe as soon as you arrive at this spacious piazza with this exquisite and massive Church made of marble. If you ask me, this is one of the most beautiful buildings in the world.
Just south of Duomo is Piazza della Repubblica and Piazza del Signoria which has a copy of Michaelangelo's "David" (the original was moved into a museum). You will also find Palazzo Vecchio and Galleria degli Uffizi, one of the oldest, largest and best known art museums in the world. I didn't have enough time to enter any of these iconic and historic buildings, but they are as beautiful, if not more, from the inside.
Then head to Ponte Vecchio (the only remaining bridge after the bombings of World War II) which you will need to cross to get to the other side of the Arno River. You have most likely seen friends' photos on this very famous bridge which overlooks the green and polluted river and a row of colorful buildings. With its cute shops, Ponte Vecchio is unlike any bridge in the city.
Now if you are only planning a day trip, you MUST cross Ponte Vecchio and go to Boboli Gardens in Palazzo Piti. There are lots of sculptures in this park which used to be part of the Medici estate (a prominent and wealthy Italian family centuries ago). Go to the very top where you should find Forte Belvardere (which I didn't) and experience magnificent views of all of Florence. There is also an exquisite Italian rose garden at the very top!
Head back to the train station and cross Ponte Santa Trinita. Once off the bridge you will arrive onto via dei Tornabuoni, the Fifth Avenue of Florence. But beware, store are only open between 10-1 pm and 4-7:30 pm. Plan your high end shopping wisely.
Deepest Regrets in Florence:
I didn't have time to visit the Great Synagogue of Florence, go to the top of Piazzale Michelangela to get a view of all the city (which is breathtaking at night), or go inside any museum. Also, I would have liked to stay into the evening but we had to return to Milan for other wedding related events. I basically was able to do all I did within 7 hours and on foot (no need to take a taxi anywhere here). From the main station to Boboli Gardens (southern most point) is at most a 40 minute walk. Just make sure to walk by every piazza and building I mentioned and use your navigation. The city is so small you are bound to walk past them unknowingly anyway!!!
Cernobbio/Como
A little geography lesson here before I proceed. Como is the main town on the southern most tip of Lake Como (which from top to bottom is a two hour drive). If you arrive by train, you will have to go through the town of Como to get to any other town you are lodging in. The town of Como itself has enough to see and make a day trip out of. However, I highly recommend not doing a day trip and actually staying for two nights here (this town is the most convenient base to stay so you can explore the other towns on the lake by ferry or hydrofoil). Como isn't the only charming town on the lake. There are numerous others that are as beautiful, and with ample time, you can hit at least three of the small towns in one day via ferry service (takes two hours to get from Como to Bellagio with stops along the way).
Beware that the transit system is delayed here. And you won't really understand the ferry schedules unless you read Italian. So be careful to plan your day accordingly because if you miss the ferry you would have to wait at least an hour for the next one. And if you miss the hydrofoil (which is only 45 minutes to Bellagio from Como), you will have to wait several more hours to catch the next once. Tips: if you are pressed for time, pay a little more and take the hydrofoil. But supposedly, the hydrofoil goes so fast that it creates mist and you are unable to appreciate the views around you. Ferry is cheaper and super relaxing. There are cafes on the ferry so you can grab a latte, sit down and enjoy. You can find a schedule at any ferry stop (ask the front desk of your hotel or the locals where the closest stop is). I also highly suggest taking a boat one way and a bus on the way back. The bus is basically only 3 euros per person and it is an experience in and of itself to drive through the windy streets by the lake and see all the homes along the way. Ask your hotel for the bus schedule at each town.
The wedding I attended was located in the town of Cernobbio, just a ten minute yet $20 dollar taxi ride away from the train station in the town of Como. Cernobbio is a super charming town and has two of the most popular villas on Lake Como: Villa Erba and Villa d' Este (I took many videos but they all got erased from my phone....the pictures are in the gallery though). If you have tons of money to blow, you should stay at Villa d' Este. If you don't, dining here is enough and will get the job done. You get to see the entire grounds of this exquisite estate for a fraction of the price. And the restaurant on the lake is absolutely fantastic! They may be getting stricter allowing people on the property who aren't staying there...so you may be disappointed once you arrive at the front gate and find that you cannot access the grounds. Don't say I didn't tell you so. Thank G-d we were fortunate enough to have lunch here and experience one of the greatest days of my life.
We stayed at the super clean and modern Sheraton Lake Como (again, a Starwood hotel so book through them if you have points. If not, get a deal through tripadvisor.com). I highly recommend the breakfast here. The showers are fantastic. The rooms are wonderful. The pool is great. The location is perfect. And the price is affordable. Although it's not as quaint and charming as the other hotels around Lake Como, you will leave feeling completely satisfied. It was just a 20 minute walk to Villa d' Este from here and a 5 minute bus drive from the main train station in the town of Como (and a 5 minute walk from the bus stop). And a 7 minute walk to the Cernobbio ferry dock.
Bellagio
Claimed to be one of the most beautiful towns in Europe, you would be a fool to stay at Como and not visit this enchanting cobble-stoned village with lake views . It is small enough to walk the whole town in less than two to four hours (depending on how much you want to shop and whether you plan on dining). Honestly, that is all I had time to do as we arrived here the very second it started pouring rain and the temperature dropped 10 degrees. But here is a list of things you must do in Bellagio if you aren't pressed for time...and remember, if you've come all this way by ferry, you should definitely hop back on and go to the neighboring town of Varenna (it will be much longer to do this with a car or bus, so you should definitely inquire about a round trip to Varenna via boat) on the other side of the lake. And don't worry, the town in the pouring rain is still as charming as can be. Zero regrets after my 4 hour round trip commute to get here. Tip: Travel here in May or June. I here July and August are unbearable humid and muggy. Also, you must visit Villa Serbelloni Park which I did not have the time to do nor did the weather permit.
Venice
Aright. I'm not gonna say much here. Except that Venice is single handedly the most beautiful city in the world. Finished. No argument. And to all the buffoons who ever suggested otherwise, I feel very sorry for your souls. You must take a day trip here from Milan. (If you are torn between Florence and Venice...you must do Venice. If you are torn between Cinque Terre and Venice, you must do Venice. If you are torn between Lake Como and Venice, you must do Venice. If you have enough time to do all, make sure you do Venice first in case G-d intends for you to get a stomach virus later in the week). It will be two hours and fifteen minutes by local train. I couldn't find an express but they definitely do exist. Also, make sure you book a round trip train ticket to Venezia Santa Lucia station (there are two Venice train stations and I booked one way to one and one way back from another....you can imagine the irreparable damage this did to my marriage).
Venice is made up of 6 quarters: Santa Marco, San Polo, Santa Croce, Cannaregio (home of the first Jewish Ghetto and the oldest synagogue in Europe), Dorsoduro and Castello. You'll have enough time, if you are here the whole day, to walk through all and not tire yourself. More than anything, you must walk the windy streets of Venice and just take in every inch of the city. Also, there are vaparettos right outside the main train station ready to take you by boat to stops along the Grand Canal (the widest canal that divides Venice in half). You will pay at most $15 per person round trip and each time you get on, you can use the ticket for up to 70 minutes after. So if you saw everything you needed to within an hour, hop right back on and go on to the next quarter. And if you are in a particularly unlawful and Italian mood (they don't seem to care much about rules and regulations here), two of you can swipe once and go through the turnstile together. At least me and my husband got away with it! And if you are feeling extra romantic, definitely pay a gondolier $100 cash for 25 minutes (will cost more after 7pm) and ride around the narrow canals of Venice. And as far as dining is concerned, remember what I first said about Italy. Just look at an outdoor cafe's menu, whether the food looks appetizing, whether the prices are within budget, and just sit down and enjoy your meal!!!
So here is a list of all the places to pin on your google maps and make sure you see while you are here:
1) Piazzo San Marco: St Marks Basilica (oldest Church and byzantine), Campanile (bell tower) and Palazzo Ducale (Doge's Palace) are all located here, as well as very expensive cafes and high end shops.
2) Riva degli Schiavoni is elegant street that runs south of Piazza San Marco along the Grand Canal.
3) When leaving San Marco cross Accedemia bridge to see Santa Maria della Salute, Peggy Guggenheim Collection, and Gallerie dell'Accademia
4) While you are on the vaporetto on the Grand Canal, keep your eyes wide open as not to miss Ca' d'Oro
5) Definitely stop by the Jewish Ghetto, whether you are or not. It is just beautiful to see.
For those who are staying for two or three days, you will have ample time to take a ferry and visit the charming islands of Murano and Burano off the main island.
My deepest regret was not staying in Venice through the sunset and until nightfall. But I was here on the most perfect and picturesque day in May and I couldn't have asked for a better way to end this most memorable trip of my life!!!
And if you have more time in Northern Italy: People rave about Cinque Terre. But I have also heard that it is not as vibrantly colored as it appears in pictures, that the commute is utter torture, and the hike isn't super easy. The guide books don't tell you much about transportation to or within Cinque Terre (and it is three hours away from Milan including a train transfer). I do not regret missing this city during this particular week, but if I don't go back to see it once in my life, I'll have died an unfulfilled person. Also, Portafino and Stresa are said to be beautiful but neither should take more than 2 hours of your day.
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