Just got back from a short but throughly enjoyable trip to northern Italy. This was our first trip to Italy for both my wife and me. Our daughter is getting married later this year so this was our one chance to get away for a bit.
Why northern Italy? I had a colleague at work who was from Milan and used to tell me about the interesting things to see in the north that tourists often miss. She was not wrong - there is indeed a lot to see in northern Italy! We plan to make a second trip to Italy covering Rome, Florence and Sicily next year. The itinerary for this trip was Milan (2 nights), Venice (3 nights) and Bologna (3 nights). Even this limited itinerary felt a bit rushed: I think another day would have been welcome in both Venice and Bologna.
Flew Newark to Milan nonstop on United. Thankfully the mess with the EES (Entry Exit System) seems to have been largely sorted out so immigration did not take too long. I booked a cab for us using Welcome Pickups to get to the hotel and they were great as usual (I have used this service previously in Athens and Bangkok). There’s nothing better than having a driver with a placard waiting when you come out of immigration.
Stayed at Hotel Principe de Savoia in Milan which turned out to be luxurious and well located. Saw the last Supper, Sforza castle, the Domo (Milan’s huge main cathedral), the Scala museum, and the da Vinci science and technology museum. Getting a booking to see the Last Supper on your own is pretty much impossible - the best way to see it is to book a tour, which is what I did. In any case, the tour guide to turned out to be genuinely good. The terraces on the roof of the Domo were absolutely magnificent, we were up there enjoying the architecture and the views of the city for a couple of hours. Milan Design week had just started when we were there - it was fun walking through the Brera district and looking at the hoards of fashionably clothed people walking around the galleries. The da Vinci science museum was also excellent: they have an exhibit of scale models that have been created based on his sketches.
We got around everywhere in Milan using the tram and Metro (ie subway) networks. Used Apple Pay all rides in both trams and the Metro. In fact, we only spent 5 Euros in cash on the entire trip with everything paid for with Apple Pay. I recommend using Apple Pay from an Apple Watch as you don’t have to fumble with your phone when going through turnstiles.
Took a Frecciarosa (high speed train) from Milan to Venice. I used the TrenItalia app to make all of my train bookings and found it to be extremely easy to use. You can use it for both long distance and local trains.
Arrived in the Venice Santa Lucia station and took a water taxi to our hotel, Londra Palace Venzeia which is a top-notch luxury hotel (booked with credit card points - my favorite use for points). This hotel, which is located close to St Marks square, has to be one of the finest hotels we have ever stayed in. The location was perfect as it was right next to the San Zaccaria docks for the ACTV water bus service (ferries that take you around the city). You can get a direct water bus directly to any spot in the city. Others have written about Venice but I can confirm that all superlatives are appropriate. Visited the basilica of San Marco, Doge palace and numerous other landmarks. Took a trip to the islands of Murano and Burano. Watched master glass blowers in Murano working their craft. Bought some glassware directly from the factory (had it shipped directly). We were genuinely sad to leave Venice.
Took another Frecciarosa train to Bologna which turned out to be an absolute delight: wonderfully preserved university town with numerous museums and a very lively restaurant scene. This city has the oldest functioning university in the world and has tens of thousands of students. Took a guided tour to a Parmesan cheese and Balsamic vinegar factories which included an excellent lunch. I can confirm that Italian cows are just as smelly as cows anywhere in the world
Took a day trip by train to Ravenna to see the spectacular Byzantine era mosaics. Enjoyed numerous delicious meals everywhere - Bologna is deservedly famous for food.
Since we had an early departure from Milan back home, I booked a room at the Sheraton at the airport. We took a Frecciarosa from Bologna to Milano Centrale and then transferred to a Malpensa Express train to the airport. The train station is directly below the hotel which is also right next to the airport terminal - hard to beat the convenience! The hotel restaurant turned out to be surprisingly good so we got to enjoy one last great meal in Italy.
Why northern Italy? I had a colleague at work who was from Milan and used to tell me about the interesting things to see in the north that tourists often miss. She was not wrong - there is indeed a lot to see in northern Italy! We plan to make a second trip to Italy covering Rome, Florence and Sicily next year. The itinerary for this trip was Milan (2 nights), Venice (3 nights) and Bologna (3 nights). Even this limited itinerary felt a bit rushed: I think another day would have been welcome in both Venice and Bologna.
Flew Newark to Milan nonstop on United. Thankfully the mess with the EES (Entry Exit System) seems to have been largely sorted out so immigration did not take too long. I booked a cab for us using Welcome Pickups to get to the hotel and they were great as usual (I have used this service previously in Athens and Bangkok). There’s nothing better than having a driver with a placard waiting when you come out of immigration.
Stayed at Hotel Principe de Savoia in Milan which turned out to be luxurious and well located. Saw the last Supper, Sforza castle, the Domo (Milan’s huge main cathedral), the Scala museum, and the da Vinci science and technology museum. Getting a booking to see the Last Supper on your own is pretty much impossible - the best way to see it is to book a tour, which is what I did. In any case, the tour guide to turned out to be genuinely good. The terraces on the roof of the Domo were absolutely magnificent, we were up there enjoying the architecture and the views of the city for a couple of hours. Milan Design week had just started when we were there - it was fun walking through the Brera district and looking at the hoards of fashionably clothed people walking around the galleries. The da Vinci science museum was also excellent: they have an exhibit of scale models that have been created based on his sketches.
We got around everywhere in Milan using the tram and Metro (ie subway) networks. Used Apple Pay all rides in both trams and the Metro. In fact, we only spent 5 Euros in cash on the entire trip with everything paid for with Apple Pay. I recommend using Apple Pay from an Apple Watch as you don’t have to fumble with your phone when going through turnstiles.
Took a Frecciarosa (high speed train) from Milan to Venice. I used the TrenItalia app to make all of my train bookings and found it to be extremely easy to use. You can use it for both long distance and local trains.
Arrived in the Venice Santa Lucia station and took a water taxi to our hotel, Londra Palace Venzeia which is a top-notch luxury hotel (booked with credit card points - my favorite use for points). This hotel, which is located close to St Marks square, has to be one of the finest hotels we have ever stayed in. The location was perfect as it was right next to the San Zaccaria docks for the ACTV water bus service (ferries that take you around the city). You can get a direct water bus directly to any spot in the city. Others have written about Venice but I can confirm that all superlatives are appropriate. Visited the basilica of San Marco, Doge palace and numerous other landmarks. Took a trip to the islands of Murano and Burano. Watched master glass blowers in Murano working their craft. Bought some glassware directly from the factory (had it shipped directly). We were genuinely sad to leave Venice.
Took another Frecciarosa train to Bologna which turned out to be an absolute delight: wonderfully preserved university town with numerous museums and a very lively restaurant scene. This city has the oldest functioning university in the world and has tens of thousands of students. Took a guided tour to a Parmesan cheese and Balsamic vinegar factories which included an excellent lunch. I can confirm that Italian cows are just as smelly as cows anywhere in the world
Took a day trip by train to Ravenna to see the spectacular Byzantine era mosaics. Enjoyed numerous delicious meals everywhere - Bologna is deservedly famous for food.Since we had an early departure from Milan back home, I booked a room at the Sheraton at the airport. We took a Frecciarosa from Bologna to Milano Centrale and then transferred to a Malpensa Express train to the airport. The train station is directly below the hotel which is also right next to the airport terminal - hard to beat the convenience! The hotel restaurant turned out to be surprisingly good so we got to enjoy one last great meal in Italy.
