Bernina Express or Glacier Express?

We are thinking about going to the Ravello Music Festival--see the concert on Sat. Aug 21. However, given the roads I am a bit worried driving back from the Festival to our hotel in Sorrento, probably at 10 pm or later on Saturday night. I haven't booked the music festival tickets because I would love your advice. The hotel is non-refundable (yes, I am regretting that already!) and too much to not use.

Hi people,

Planning on visiting both Lake Como and then going into northern Lombardy (Chiavenna as a base, maybe), but not sure how to arrange it or how to manage the car rental in the most efficient way. Our rough itinerary so far looks like this:

- Day 1: Coming from Tuscany, arriving at Lake Como around noon or 2/3 PM (overnight in Varenna)

- Day 2: Around Lake Como, maybe visiting Bellagio / Varenna / hiking around the area.

- Day 3: Around Lake Como, maybe visiting Bellagio / Varenna / hiking around the area.

- Day 4: Going from Varenna to Chiavenna, sightseeing around the area

- Day 5: Visiting Soglio (Switzerland) and maybe other small towns close to Chiavenna.

- Day 6: From Chiavenna to Tirano or Pontresina to take the Bernina Express up to Chur, so we might be able to visit some towns enroute to Pontresina/Tirano during the morning as the Bernina Express leaves Tirano at around 2 PM. We will probably go from Chur to Luzern which is our next step for a couple of nights instead of staying in Chur.

I am not worried about the Lake Como leg of the trip, but how would you arrange the trip from Day 4? We weren´t planning to have a car initially because we would do Lake Como and then move into the Ticino (based in Locarno) in Switzerland. However, we discovered how beautiful the area around Chiavenna is and we are now gravitating towards doing that instead of Ticino, before moving into Lucerne (Bernina Express seems to be an interesting option to connect northern tip of Italy (Tirano) with Chur and then going into Luzern for a long but relaxing day).

Big problem is that there doesn´t seem to be a rental car return place that would suit our itinerary without getting into astronomical fees or a lot of unnecessary driving (or returning in Switzerland which also increases fees), any advice on that and how our rough itinerary looks? We would like to keep unnecessary travel as much as possible and minimize super expensive costs for the car rental.

Thank you!

Hello again,

I am travelling to Varenna from Milan central train station. I have a choice to both milan airports(LIN and MXP). I know MXP has great connection directly to train station but takes longer since it is far. LIN is near from milan train station but I don't see direct train or shuttle to milan train station. Am I missing anything or for sure there is no direct train/shuttle from LIN to milan central station? Thanks in advance.

Later this month I will be in Bologna for 24 hours, so a €6 24-hour bus ticket (giornaliero) seems like a good option.

Taking Marconi Express from airport to Bologna Centrale and TPER bus to hotel from there. Where can I purchase a giornaliero, and do I validate it upon boarding the first bus like a regular ticket just that one time (after which it's good for 24 hours with no further validations)? Or are additional validations needed for subsequent rides? Thanks in advance.

Hi,

How do you easily get to the festival arriving from Mestre?

Also is there a normal route to go to Burano from there (or before) in the same day?

Thanks.

(Btw do actors participate?)

Buongiorno everyone! For context we are a family of 6 (2x40s, 24, 15, 12, 11) all athletic and experienced international travelers only bringing carry ons. I have been to Florence, Venice and Rome but rest have not. Kids and hubs not into art. (I know, I know.) We have an ex au pair that is Italian living in Verona currently that is going to meet us in 5T for the first part of our trip and then leave us in Florence and see us again in Verona for a daytrip later but anyway here goes!

Day 1 (Sat): arrive FCO at 8am on COVID tested flight. Adults are preregistered for tests on arrival but it doesn't currently allow me to register the kids. Booked the 1157am fast train from Termini to La Spezia, hoping 4 hours will be enough time to test, take Leo Express to Termini, grab a bite and hop on train (its the Frecciabianca - should we wait and eat on train instead?) transfer to 5T train at La Spezia, arrive approx 1613 at Vernazza about an hour after our Italian and check in and chill.

Day 2 (Sun): See how we feel, likely do an am hike to either Corniglia or Monterosso. We can come back to apartment midday or do a private boat tour for 3 hours.

Day 3 (Mon): See how we feel, do am hike (whichever we didn't do day before), or do boat tour this day. Dinner at lovers table at Ristorante Belforte for hubs and I at 7pm.

Day 4 (Tues): Early am train to Pisa, stow bags at Stow Your Bags near Pisa Centrale and walk through Pisa to tower. Likely get Tower appointment for about 10am so we are not rushed. See how long kids last in museums, perhaps grab lunch here (any recommendations?) and then hop back on train to Florence and check in, go somewhere for dinner before Italian AP has to leave us. A lot of Americans say ZaZas is fun - recommend or alternatives?

Day 5 (Wed): Florence - the big two plus likely the Galileo museum because our kids love science

Day 6 (Thurs): am in Florence (so maybe split the big two into one each morning), check out and catch 1120 train to Venezia. Apartment is walking distance from S Lucia so check in and then one museum or activity and dinner - recommendation?

Day 7 (Fri): Venice

Day 8 (Sat): am maybe one thing in Venice, then train to Verona, spend day with Italian AP and then fly VRN to FCO at 1930, check in go to bed

Day 9 (Sun): Rome

Day 10 (Mon): Rome - Scavi tour at 1330 for adults

Day 11 (Tues): Rome

Day 12 (Wed): Rome

Day 13 (Thurs): depart FCO at 10am arrive super early to COVID test at FCO before flight

Will definitely do Pompeii one day - any recommendations for day or guide and eats?

Anything else I missed?

Hello 2 of us are going to Rome in Dec. 2021. We will either take the leonardo Express from airport to termini or we'll do the bus to the same. Then it seems we can take barberini metro close to the Trevi fou tain with some walking involved. 8min to be exact. This is not horrible by any means however there are 2 buses within a much better distance to apartment with very little walking. The question that I cannot seem to find an answer too is Can You Take luggage o. These local buses. Their going to Termini. I would think so but I cannot confirm. Does anyone know this answer? Thank you in advance Dusty

Travelling for a week in mid sept. Staying Wed - Sat in Palermo then Sat to Mon Cefalu then last 2 nights Palermo again. What live music is available esp for Palermo. I love all kinds of live music but esp blues rock. Would even consider seeing Carmen in the Massimo but not an Opera officinado so wouldn't want to spend too much - also for a few hours wearing a mask seated would be a bit of a turnoff even though I know that watching any live 'gig" would mean the same. Also any ideas on what the Nightlife is like in Cefalu. Obviously I don't want any clubs but if there was some decent folk music or other would be great.

We are traveling to Italy for our 25th Wedding Anniversary - we will be going from Rome, to Cinque Terre, to Florence, to Venice and Milan. We plan on traveling exclusively by train. Is there a need to buy any/all tickets in advance? Is a pass worth considering or do we by individual tickets for each journey?

Thanks in advance!

In mid-September, we are flying from Boston to Lisbon to Rome landing early in the morning in Lisbon and flying to Rome several hours later. I think I need to fill out the PLF twice, once before our flight to Portugal and once before the flight to Italy. Is that the way it works? I know we also need a COVID test to enter Portugal. We were both completely vaccinated four months ago and have our CDC cards. Three days after entering Italy we will fly to Greece. We need another PLF to fly to Greece right? As of now, Greece does not require a test for those entering Greece from Italy, right? Thanks.