Trainhopping Northern Italy
This guide will start by outlining how to travel from A to B, and then later on there will be suggestions of places to go and things to do in the cities mentioned. It is a 'make your own guide' style as you can choose to add in stops or skip over some places if you prefer!
The Train Network
https://www.italiarail.com/italy-rail-map
Customising Your Guide
As you can see, there are so many train options. I will suggest a route to follow but there will also be options to adapt and customise your trip based on how long you want to travel for, where you want to start/finish and how long you want to spend on a train.
Starting in Venice, heading to Milan and ending in Genoa is the main option. Milan is so well connected, so there is the option of heading up to Switzerland to continue your European adventure, or heading South to Florence then onto Rome, or simply flying out of Milan if that is all you have time for!
Contact me to get your guide personalised to your exact wants and bucket list places, to ensure a stress free travel experience tailored to your budget.
Tickets
Getting tickets on your phone is arguably the easiest way to book, through apps such as Trenitalia, Trenit! or Trainline.
Regional tickets are available to purchase at the stations too, either via a Ticket Machine or at a help desk (although some places will have limited English speaking staff, to ensure you have your Italian phrase book handy!). If you get a physical ticket REMEMBER TO VALIDATE IT BEFORE GETTING ON THE TRAIN!! I have been caught out by this, as has almost every tourist, and you will be fined if it has not been validated. There are usually multiple machines to validate your ticket on the platform, look out for 'Convalida' written on the machine.
If you bought your regional ticket online, then you can validate it online via your email confirmation link which will have a 'check in' option. This can be done from midnight until the departure time on the day that you are to be travelling.
Interrail train passes are the way to go if you're travelling around for a while, there are many options on the website below, depending on how long you're travelling for and where you want to go.
Venice -> Lake Garda
Assuming you flew into Venice, we will start here. The train from Venice to Lake Garda is relatively easy,
The tickets cost around €24, and the journey will be around 1hr 30mins. Again, if you're buying tickets at the station just remember to validate them before getting on the train. Depending on how far in advance you book your train, there are a number of routes which are direct, which I would recommend as Italian trains have a reputation of running on their own schedule rather than whatever the scheduled time is.
Another optional stop for Lake Garda is to get off at Desenzano, its just to the left of Peschiera del Garda so super close by. Peschiera is my favourite due to the fishing village nature of it, however both are beautiful and worth checking out.
Additional Stops
- Vicenza: Stay here for a day or 2, explore the beautiful city, take in the architecture and try some of their famous cheese and wines.
- Verona: Definitely worth a stop here if you have time to explore the old town along the river, and (more importantly) pretend to be in one of Shakespeare's most famous works, Romeo and Juliet.
Lake Garda -> Milan
Again, there is a direct train here if you book far enough in advance (I'm looking 4 days in advance and there's plenty of options).
This train will cost you about €12 and will take around 1hr 40mins. There are many train stations in Milan as its such a popular city, however this route is Peschiera del Garda to Milano Centrale. You will notice most people on the train will be getting off at this stop so it won't be hard to find your station.
Additional Stops
- Brescia: If you're a history nerd then you will want to stop here for a day to explore the museums and ancient Roman villas.
- Bergamo: A bit out of the way, however worth visiting the famous Venetian Walls - a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Milan -> Lake Como
These two are super close together so this could even be done as a day trip if you prefer but I would recommend making it a couple nights stay in order to see as much as you can of this beautiful place.
Depending on the train you book, this journey will take between 40mins to 1hr and will cost around €5 (for the 1hr train) or €16 (for the 40mins train). The train stop you'll be getting off at is Como San Giovanni which again is pretty central.
Additional Stops
- Monza: I am biased having lived here, however this is a nice small town just outside of Milan. For all you F1 fans, this is worth stopping by to see the Monza racecourse and walk around the park which it is inside of. Visit L'albero Dei Gelati for some of the best gelato!
This is where you can choose whether to continue travelling up North towards Switzerland, return to Milan and fly elsewhere or continue on your travels west and beyond!
Lake Como -> Genoa
This trip is a little more complex as it requires a change in Milan, Milano Centrale, in order to continue to Genoa in most cases, there are a handful of direct trains but it will really depend on your date of travel. Genoa is a seaside town, where pesto originated from, so their seafood pesto pastas are the highlight of any trip.
For the direct train, it will take around 3.5hrs and cost you around €17. For the ones requiring a change, it will take you around 40mins to return to Milan and then a further 2hrs to get to Genoa (Genova Piazza Principe) costing around €17 also. I would recommend booking a train with at least an hour transfer as the trains are usually delayed and Milano Centrale is a massive station, so this will reduce any stress.
Additional Stops
- Pavia: This town is known for its Renaissance artwork and sculptures, as well as the University History Museum displaying medical equipment from the middle ages.
Genoa -> Florence
This is optional, if you're wanting to continue further south in Italy. This train is the same situation as the one above, there are a few direct ones but there are many with changes.
The direct train will take around 2.5hrs and cost around €40. The trains with changes go back to Milan, so its 2hrs there and then 2hrs down to Florence, costing around €60. I would recommend either skipping Genoa if going to Florence, or making sure the dates work for the cheaper train to make the trip as easy as possible.
Additional Stops
- La Spezia: For a less touristy stop, La Spezia offers seaside town vibes, cheaper accommodation and some history from the Middle Ages.
- Pisa: This stop requires no explanation. When in Italy, you simply have to get the iconic photo of you holding up the Leaning Tower of Pisa. It is also a really cool area to walk around and learn about the history of the place, just be wary of tourist traps in this area!
What to do in...
Venice
Vicenza
Verona
Lake Garda
Brescia
Bergamo
Milan
Monza
Lake Como
Pavia
Genoa
Where to Sleep in...
Venice
Lake Garda
Milan
Lake Como
Genoa
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