We’ve just booked our honeymoon for next August, it’s the first time either of us will have been to Italy so I’m just looking for any hints, tips and advice for visiting please! You seem like a cultured, well travelled bunch. We’re staying in a little town about 10 minutes north of Como, right on the water so we’re looking to do lots of activities around the lake and the mountains but we’re also planning to drive or get the train to Milan and probably Bologna too. Any advice would be greatly appreciated and just so you know our primary interests are booze and food. Thanks folks!
If you're thinking of going as far as Bologna, then I'd recommend Cinque Terre instead down on the coast past Genoa. Inaccessible by car but there's a train that connects the 5 villages (Cinque means 5) or you can travel by boat. It's stunning (see below). My family are from Naples, so could have recommended where to go on the Amalfi coastline including climbing Vesuvius which I did 10 years ago. But definitely checkout Cinque Terre and also Lake Maggiore.
It is pretty and romantic there and around the lakes in general. It can get a little crowded, touristy in places and full in the summer. I stayed there in a VW camping vanning trip around europe and was near Lake Maggiore this summer. In my experience Italian Hotels, if that is where you are staying, always seem a little dated, stylish but dated, and never quite live upto their star rating. They also rarely have air conditioning outside of the newly built ones in cities. Restaurants in the more touristy places can be a little hit and miss but if you do your research there are obviously many very very good true italian restaurants and Id encourage you to stick to Italian food throughout. Trip advisor the top 3 restaurnats in any town and you wont be disappointed. Dinner and eating is obviously more leisurely with the obligatory pre dinner drinks and snacks at your northern tea time leading on to dinner later. Youll be well catered for on the vegetarian front. Dont expect the big plates of pasta we do over here in our chain restaurants, it tends to be a smaller dish served as a course. Find the local specialities and try them. Stick to the wines of the region if you like the red and white stuff. Although near the water youll want access to a pool I would think, unless there is a very close place you can swim as it will be very very hot in August. Id encourage Italian standing coffee shop culture in the morning. All the big cities around have their appeal, you arent too far from tuscany and are in the pre alps so might want to stray into Switzerland. Id suggest your own exploring rather than a set list, many hidden small town gems.
I've not been that far north in Italy and the areas I know, Tuscany, Florence, Pisa, Ravenna, San Gimignano, etc are probably all a little too far to travel to from Como. I've heard it's great though.
Ive always found the Northern Italians to be very close in temperament to the English might just be my view of things though
Florence > Ravenna > Pisa (The new town is a bit of a ********, but worth it if you really fancy the tower toruist trip) All will be busy
Yes Pisa is only worth the visit to the tower. San Gimignano, Volterra and Siena are my favourites but c4 hrs from Como.
I used to work on nearby lake maggiore and used to go to como quite often. Not sure if gardens up your street but Villa Balbianello which featured in Star Wars, Quantum of Solace worth a visit and Villa Carlotta. Ferries very cheap and best way to see the lake. Also would go on the Bernina express excursion which is a journey to St Moritz partly by train, this goes on a Monday. As a honeymoon spot its lovely and George Clooney has a villa there.
Yes, the gardens are supposed to be fantastic. It’s near the top of my bucket list: I am a keen gardener and Mrs Keighley loves Gorgeous George. We did Italy for our honeymoon too - started in Siena and wended our way to Florence.
Thats great, thank you. Gone for an Airbnb house right on the water, it’s a bit of a walk to the nearest town but we wanted to be out of the way. No pool but you can basically dive off the patio into the lake, not that I remotely enjoying being in large expanses of water but hey ho. The exploring aspect really appeals to me, I’ve been really working on learning some Italian since we’ve wanted to go for a while and I’ve got a mate who knows a decent bit so I’m planning on surprising her with a bit of that....
Mr HH and I love Italy and, pre-kids, stayed in Bellagio several times and I would definitely concur with the recommendations above - the gardens are stunning. We used to stay at the Hotel Serbelloni but would often go into Bellagio for amazing meals at half the price. Admittedly, this was a number of years ago and we used to go in June not August so I don't know how much busier it is then, but I would definitely recommend a visit to Bellagio @Filbert
It will be hot, so a trip into the mountains for sure. If you hire a car you could drive to some nice Alpine scenery and maybe Riva Del Garda. Also on the south side of Lake Garda there are interesting Roman ruins at Sirmione. Lakeside at Como just chill and enjoy the Aperol and the crisps and the pizza they give you to make you drink more. Como is pretty awesome so you’ll not be bored.
Stick with pasta. I've no idea why anybody would choose a big bit of flatbread with bits stuck on the top of it over the true Italian staple. But my advice on that would be the same here. If you go into Milan for a bit of culture then the main square and 'wedding cake' Duomo cathedral are impressive but it costs an arm and a leg to eat and drink at any of the cafes around the perimeter. There are also any number of posh shopping emporia adjacent too so beware. The most famous 'artefact' is Leonardo's Last Supper mural. Up there with the Mona Lisa. But you need to book in advance. They don't allow any old 'Orns and Lestah chancers to rock up when they feel like it, take a piss in the corner and scribe 'I woz here' over the Holy Grail. I've been to Como town but never around the lake. Nothing special that I remember. However, the Lake Maggiore shore is particularly memorable for me as it was at Arona that the famous (well at least on here) Milano toe-tattooing incident occurred involving 'her from Bute' with the large chest. A long weekend not without its 'romantic interludes'. Enjoy.
Lovely. Italy is lovely. The area around the lakes is stunning as others have said. I'd take a trip to the old walled city of Bergamo and if you have the time Verona and definitely Asolo,which is exquisite. As Cley said the historical centre around the Duomo is worth seeing,especially the Last Supper,La Scala etc but I was less than impressed with the rest of Milan. I'm envious!
Get yourself to Bologna Filbert. Step one is to find Nicolas Dominguez and tell him to sign for Watford. After that you should visit the famous music museum there. Or pop down to Cremona and visit the instrument workshops there of Amati and Stradivarius.
Thank you for all the replies, they’re much appreciated. @Relegation Certs What’s a Rhyl? Will it look nice on my Instagram? @Smudger I’m dead set on a day or two in Bologna, might book an Airbnb for a night there. Loved Football Italia and especially Bepe Signori when I was a kid.
I was bored at work recently, and began watching old episodes of Football Italia on YouTube. It might have been my favorite day of work this year. Sensational stuff, from the show itself, to the incredible goals, and quite frankly, the most wonderful array of kits and haircuts anybody could ever hope to see.
A subtle touch, but important nevertheless in building the aura around the exotic Italian league. What a time to be a young football fan.
Ah happy days on a Sunday afternoon and the suave James Richardson with the now sadly passed Peter Brackley often on commentary duty. Here's the full version:
Favourite ever quote by James Richardson: "As Barry Venison said to his hairstylist: 'that's enough highlights for now', it's time to look at the newspapers".
