Northern Italy

Hi all,
We are a family of 5 and have been offered free use of an appartment
by Lake Como. I intend to use it for a week but as it doesn't have a
pool I would like to go somewhere 'nearby' in Northern Italy for the
second week.

I guess we'll be flying to Milan (Malpensa).

I will be driving between the two destinations so would like to remain
within 2 or 3 hours of Milan for the return flight.

Our favourite holiday is an agroturismo with pool in Tuscany. We relax
most of the time but enjoy two or three days out to nearby cities /
attractions.

I realise that the landscape is different to Tuscany but I would like
something of that 'feel'.

Grateful for any general advice about:-
-nearby recommended areas
-alternative airports
-recommended agroturismo or appartments with pool
-anything you think might help
-bad traffic areas
-areas to avoid


TIA
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blackbat /\x/\

On Tue, 05 May 2009 10:35:19 +0100, blackbat
wrote:

Hi all,
We are a family of 5 and have been offered free use of an appartment
by Lake Como.

Forgot to mention this will be in mid August 2009
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blackbat /\x/\

On Tue, 05 May 2009 10:35:19 +0100, blackbat
wrote:

I guess we'll be flying to Milan (Malpensa).


Actually Bergamo seems much cheaper...
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blackbat /\x/\

On Tue, 5 May 2009, blackbat wrote:

have been offered free use of an appartment by Lake Como.

Lake Como exactly where (which shore ? whcih branch ? on the lake or
uphill ?)

I intend to use it for a week but as it doesn't have a pool

You could possibly swim in the lake, if that is important for you.

I would like to go somewhere 'nearby' in Northern Italy for the second
week.

anywhere in northern Italy will have a lousy climate in August if you
stay below 1000 m altitude. I guess even the lake will be rather humid.

I guess we'll be flying to Milan (Malpensa).

Alternatives are Bergamo Orio al Serio, and Milan Linate. If you are
driving, they are all equivalent. Ask if you intend to use public
transport instead.

-nearby recommended areas

There are nice treks in woods on the hills along all lake shores if you
stay above about 1000 m altitude. The Via dei Monti Lariani (on the west
coast) used to have well marked footpaths when they were opened, going
all the way from Rovenna to Colico, some 120 km (the "Alta via" is
higher, more sort of mountain trek). Shelters should be open in August.

On the lake visit places like Isola Comacina, Piona or some of the
villas. Navigate on the lake. Note car ferries are only at centre-lake
(Varenna-Bellagio-Menaggio).

Go north to Valtellina and its side valleys (val Masino, val Malenco,
Bormio) or Valchiavenna for higher mountains. Go up to Tirano and catch
the Bernina train to St.Moritz (or drive up via Bernina and come down
via Maloja or v.v.)

Go west to lake Lugano between Italy and Switzerland. May go even more
west and compare lake landscapes on lake Maggiore (and its islands) and
lake Orta.

Not so obvious to go east into the Bergamasque valleys (vall'Imagna, val
Brembana, val Seriana), you should use some minor roads.

Anywhere else, i.e. south, will lead you in the plain. You might want to
visit art cities like Como, specially Bergamo (Alta), Milan, Vigevano,
Pavia, but it will be rather hot, and the cities (specially Milan) will
be deserted in August.

-bad traffic areas

More than areas it is a matter of period. The first weekend of August
will be a bad traffic period on the motorways outgoing from Milan. So
the beginning of the Ferragosto (15 Aug) weekend. Reverse (jam ingoing)
for the end of it, and of the following weekends. As I said, cities will
be empty instead.

Both coastal roads of lake Como, and the bridge in Lecco used to be
bottlenecks during weekend (again, outgoing from Milan at beginning,
and coming back at the end). I do not know whether the opening of the
SS36 tunnel between Lecco and Colico has improved, or simply moved the
queues into the tunnel. The old coastal road on the east shore should be
however much less trafficked now.

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Giovanni Drogo ha scritto:

I guess we'll be flying to Milan (Malpensa).

Alternatives are Bergamo Orio al Serio, and Milan Linate. If you are
driving, they are all equivalent.

Orio al Serio (Bergamo) is served almost only by Low Cost Airlines
(Ryanair in primis).
Linate is far better, if you want to drive to Tuscany and vice-versa
(Linate-Tuscany is less than 3 hours drive, Malpensa is 1-1,5 hours
more), and also regular (not Low Cost) flight are normally cheaper
from-to Linate.
I live in north Italy (Modena), and I confirm that August is a very bad
month for climate, here.
Both north Italy and Tuscany are very hot and very humid.
Is better if you will go to higher altitude (mountains of 'Valle
d'Aosta' and 'Trentino-Alto Adige' regions are very nice and with good
climate in August) or at sea: both Adriatic and Tirreno (I don't know
the English name...) sea are at less than 3 hours drive from Milan.
A strong advice: book your hotel/agriturismo, or so on, as soon as you
can, because in August all people in Italy will go on vacation
(unhappily, for this reason, prices will be higher a lot).

Ciao, Piero.

On Tue, 05 May 2009 10:35:19 +0100, blackbat wroteÂ*:

We are a family of 5 and have been offered free use of an appartment by
Lake Como. I intend to use it for a week but as it doesn't have a pool I
would like to go somewhere 'nearby' in Northern Italy for the second
week.

There are many beaches along the Como lake shore, and many nautic
activities.
And there are many villages to visit (Mezzegra).

The Val d'Aosta is not far away (Gran Paradisio national Park, Rheme,
Breuil-Cervinia, Savarenche, etc.)

On Tue, 5 May 2009 15:32:40 +0200, Giovanni Drogo
wrote:

Wow - thanks for such an in-depth reply. It really is most useful.
I have printed it to take and it will also help greatly in my choice
for the 2nd week.

The appartment for the first week is in Garzeno. There maybe better
places but it is free.

anywhere in northern Italy will have a lousy climate in August if you
stay below 1000 m altitude. I guess even the lake will be rather humid.

What do you mean by lousy?
Too hot / too humid?


--

blackbat /\x/\

On Tue, 5 May 2009, Piero wrote:

Orio al Serio (Bergamo) is served almost only by Low Cost Airlines (Ryanair
in primis).

true

Linate is far better,

true for milanese only

if you want to drive to Tuscany and vice-versa (Linate-Tuscany is
less than 3 hours drive, Malpensa is 1-1,5 hours more),

seems exaggerated. It is true that from the centre of Milan one can
take more than one hour to Malpensa, and the time depends on traffic
but a good fraction of time is needed to traverse the city.
It is also true that from Linate you can take the Eastern Tangential
(A51) to reach the A1 south to Tuscany.

However from Malpensa you can reach (A8 or SS336+A4) the Western
Tangential (A50) and circumnavigate Milan. Or could try some creative
driving south avoiding Milan. But Malpensa is closer to lake Como.

This saved map
http://maps.google.it/maps?f=d&saddr...5&source=embed
from
http://www.iasf-milano.inaf.it/mapairports.html
shows the location of all three airports.

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On Tue, 5 May 2009, JuanElorza wrote:

And there are many villages to visit (Mezzegra).

I wonder why just that one (unless one is interested to the place where
Mussolini was shot)

The Val d'Aosta is not far away (Gran Paradisio national Park, Rheme,
Breuil-Cervinia, Savarenche, etc.)

While I definitely like Gran Paradiso, Val d'Aosta is definitely not
suitable for a day trip from lake Como. If one plans to go there, one
shall consider that accomodation in the side valleys may be limited (as
far as I recall from the times we were camping there, Val di Rhemes for
instance has just 3 hotels in the entire valley)

There are closer mountains to lake Como, in Valtellina and Engadin
(Badile, Disgrazia, Bernina group), some of which around 4000 m. Day
trips are possible.

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On Wed, 6 May 2009, blackbat wrote:

The appartment for the first week is in Garzeno. There maybe better
places but it is free.

Well, I passed to there once. It's a little mountain village, far
from the lake shore. Not a tourist resort but the nature should be
pleasant.

It is located just on the final stretch of the Via dei Monti Lariani,
which I mentioned.

When we wanted to make such trek, we found that the shelters were
already closed in mid september, so we abandoned the idea of doing
the entire trek, but instead made base in some hotels and did
day walks.

We were staying in an hotel in Dongo, and one day we walked uphill on
a secondary path (south of the stream in the valley where Garzeno is)
to reach the Via dei Monti Lariani in some small semi-abandoned
village above Catasco (which you see on Google maps). The Via goes
all the way round the valley, but had some difficult passages, so
we did not do it, but went down to Catasco and up to Garzeno and
went back by bus.

The next day we came back to Garzeno by bus, and did the continuation
of the Via dei Monti Lariani towards Dosso del Liro, then at some
point caught a bus back.

The area near Dosso del Liro, Peglio, Livo is rather pleasant.

There should be also a path in val Codera (above Novate Mezzola)
along an old decauville mine railway (never done it, just read).

You will be near to the northern point of the lake, so you could
make day trips in Valtellina (have lunch in a crotto) and Engadin.

About reaching Garzeno. I am not a driver and use only public transport.
I doubt you would be taking the (unfrequent, check times) coach from
Malpensa to Como, then a boat or better hydrofoil to Dongo (pier in como
near bus station), then local bus to Garzeno (unfrequent, check times).

You have three or four alternatives.
Drive to Como, then panoramic superstrada to Argegno, then the old
coastal road (Strada Regina) to Dongo.

Drive to Como and continue with motorway into Switzerland, then try to
reach Porlezza and Menaggio (then shorter stretch on Strada Regina).

Drive to Lecco and take the tunnelled SS36 all the way to Colico, then
come back towards Dongo on the northern bit of the Regina.

Or drive to Lecco and take the tunnelled SS36, but leave it earlier in
order to reach the ferry pier in Varenna. Cross to Menaggio then
continue as #2.


What do you mean by lousy?
Too hot / too humid?

both !
but it should be fresher in Garzeno

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