Places you can reach in the morning and leave in the evening. Public transport first; the car only where it really helps.
Lake Como: Varenna and Bellagio
A direct train to the fishing village of Varenna, then a short ferry across the centre of the lake to Bellagio. Lakeside villas, botanical gardens and old lanes, without needing a car.
How to get there
- Train · Trenord · 1 h 4 minFrom Milano Centrale
Departures: about every hour, about 16 direct trains a day (first 06:20, last 21:20)
Fare: EUR 7.40 one way, 2nd class (checked 2026-10)
Get off at Varenna-Esino. The pier is downhill from the station.
- Ferry · Navigazione Laghi (Lake Como) · 15 minFrom Varenna pier
Departures: Varenna to Bellagio every 30-60 min on weekdays in the autumn timetable, 5 Oct-1 Nov 2026 (first 06:45, last 22:20); separate timetable on Sundays and holidays
Fare: EUR 5.50 one way, Varenna-Bellagio or Varenna-Menaggio (stretch 3, fares from 1 Apr 2026) (checked 2026-10)
Car ferry linking Bellagio, Cadenabbia, Varenna and Menaggio; journey 15-30 min. 2026 timetables: summer to 4 Oct, autumn 5 Oct-1 Nov. The winter timetable after 1 Nov was not yet published when checked. Runs can be suspended in bad weather.
- Train · Trenord · 40 minFrom Milano Centrale
Departures: about every hour, about 17 direct trains a day
Fare: EUR 5.40 one way, 2nd class (checked 2026-10)
Alternative to Como San Giovanni (city of Como), for the southern end of the lake. Trains also run from Milano Cadorna to Como Lago (60 min, EUR 5.40).
What to see
- Villa Monastero, Varenna. Former convent turned villa: house museum and lakeside botanical garden.
- Castello di Vezio and the Lovers' Promenade. Medieval lookout on the promontory above Varenna, and a panoramic lakeside walkway.
- Bellagio and the Gardens of Villa Melzi. Short ferry ride from Varenna. The villa's lakeside gardens are open until 1 November 2026.
- Villa Carlotta, Tremezzina. 17th-century villa with an art collection and a large botanical garden, reached by ferry (Cadenabbia / Villa Carlotta pier).
Closed days
Villages and ferries operate every day. Villa Monastero house museum is closed on Tuesdays for most of 2026 (Tuesdays and Wednesdays in November; the garden is open every day in some months). Villa Carlotta is open 20 Mar-8 Nov 2026 and on selected weekends in Feb, Mar and Nov-Dec. Villa Melzi gardens are open daily until 1 Nov 2026.
Best time to go
Mar-Oct (Villa Carlotta open 20 Mar-8 Nov 2026; Villa Melzi gardens until 1 Nov 2026)
By car
Public transport is the better way to go here. Varenna is reached by car via the SS36 (Bellano/Valsassina exit). No source gives a driving time from Milan. The direct train is the usual way.
Good to know
- Search for the station as 'Varenna-Esino' in the Trenord app.
- Varenna is very popular with international visitors (regional tourism board), so start early in high season.
- Check the Navigazione Laghi notices before you go: services are sometimes suspended for events or bad weather (e.g. 9-11 Oct 2026).
Bergamo Città Alta
A hilltop medieval upper town inside 16th-century Venetian walls, which are part of a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is less than an hour from Milan by direct train, and a funicular climbs up from the lower town.
How to get there
- Train · Trenord · 48 minFrom Milano Centrale
Departures: about every hour, about 15 direct trains a day (first 05:35, last 23:40)
Fare: EUR 6.30 one way, 2nd class (checked 2026-10)
Direct trains to Bergamo station in the lower town. Then take an ATB bus and the funicular up to Città Alta.
- Shuttle bus · ATB Bergamo (City Funicular)From Bergamo lower town (Viale Vittorio Emanuele II)
Departures: runs from about 07:00 to after midnight (Sundays and holidays from 07:30/07:40)
Fare: not verified 2026
Hours from VisitBergamo (official tourism board). ATB offers a 120-minute pass valid on ATB buses, TEB trams and the funicular, but its price was not verified.
What to see
- Venetian Walls. About 6 km of walls built by the Republic of Venice from 1561, with 4 monumental gates. UNESCO World Heritage since 2017.
- Piazza Vecchia. The main square at the heart of the upper town.
- Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. Romanesque basilica with lion portals; Donizetti's tomb is inside. Entry EUR 5 for non-residents.
- Colleoni Chapel. Renaissance funerary chapel with a white and red marble façade. Closed Mondays.
- City Funicular. Historic funicular between the lower town (Viale Vittorio Emanuele II) and Città Alta.
Closed days
The upper town, walls and squares are always open. Colleoni Chapel is closed Mondays (VisitBergamo). Santa Maria Maggiore has limited visiting hours; check before going.
Best time to go
all year
By car
Public transport is the better way to go here. The historic centre of Città Alta is a permanent ZTL (restricted traffic zone), and you cannot drive through it to reach the upper town. The direct train is easier.
Good to know
- Walk a stretch of the Venetian walls for views over the plain.
- The funicular and ATB buses share one integrated ticket system.
Pavia and the Certosa di Pavia
An old university town with Romanesque churches, a Visconti castle and the covered bridge over the Ticino. Nearby is the Certosa, a Renaissance monastery. It is an easy half-hour train ride from Milan.
How to get there
- Train · Trenord · 32 minFrom Milano Centrale
Departures: about 26 direct trains a day, departures roughly hourly or better (first 05:25, last 22:25)
Fare: EUR 4.40 one way, 2nd class (checked 2026-10)
To Pavia station.
- Train · TrenordFrom Milan (Milan-Genoa line)
Fare: not verified 2026
For the Certosa: local trains on the Milan-Genoa line stop at Certosa station (museum site). There are also buses from Pavia (Via Trieste, opposite the railway station) and from Milano Famagosta. Bus operator, times and fares not verified.
What to see
- Certosa di Pavia. Monastery founded by Gian Galeazzo Visconti in the late 14th century: Renaissance façade, church and museum in the Ducal Palace. Entry EUR 10.
- Visconti Castle. Castle from 1360, now home to the Civic Museums and the Malaspina art gallery.
- San Pietro in Ciel d'Oro. Romanesque church with the tombs of St Augustine and Boethius.
- Ponte Coperto and San Michele Maggiore. The covered bridge over the Ticino, and the city's other key Romanesque basilica.
Closed days
Certosa di Pavia (complex and museum): closed Mondays, also 1 Jan and 25 Dec. Open Tue-Sun 10:00-18:00, last entry 17:30. The summer timetable runs 29 Mar-25 Oct 2026; winter hours after 25 Oct were not verified.
Best time to go
all year
By car
Public transport is the better way to go here. From Milan the museum site gives the SS35 towards Pavia. No source gives a driving time or parking details. The train is quicker to plan.
Good to know
- Do not plan the Certosa on a Monday.
Lake Maggiore: Stresa and the Borromean Islands
Take the train to the lakeside town of Stresa, then a public boat to Isola Bella, with its Baroque palace and terraced gardens, and to Isola Madre's botanical garden. It is a classic Lake Maggiore day, best from March to early November.
How to get there
- Train · Trenord (regional) / Trenitalia-SBB EuroCity · 1 h 11 minFrom Milano Centrale
Departures: regional trains about every hour (xx:25 from Milano Centrale on the sample date); some EuroCity trains take 59 min
Fare: EUR 8.60 one way regional; EuroCity EUR 20.00 on the sample date (checked 2026-10)
Times and fares from the Trenitalia journey planner for a sample weekday (20 Oct 2026). On that date some midday regional runs included a Trenord replacement bus (1h35). Regional trains also leave from Milano Porta Garibaldi.
- Ferry · Navigazione Laghi (Lake Maggiore) · 10 minFrom Stresa pier
Departures: several departures a day on the Arona-Cannobio line, autumn timetable 5 Oct-8 Nov 2026
Fare: EUR 4.00 one way Stresa-Isola Bella (stretch 2), EUR 6.00 Stresa-Isola Madre (stretch 5); one-day free-circulation tickets by stretch from EUR 7.00 (fares from 1 Apr 2026) (checked 2026-10)
Public line boats. Stresa charges a landing fee for the Borromean islands (EUR 1.50 per the Navigazione Laghi page). 2026 timetables: 29 Mar-4 Oct, then autumn 5 Oct-8 Nov.
What to see
- Isola Bella: Palazzo Borromeo. Monumental Borromeo residence built over four centuries on a former barren rock.
- Isola Bella: Baroque garden. Terraced Italian garden with the Teatro Massimo, shaped like a ship's prow.
- Isola Madre. Botanical garden with rare and exotic plants, and a 17th-century palazzo.
- Isola Superiore (Pescatori). Fishermen's island on the same boat line between Isola Bella and Isola Madre.
Closed days
Terre Borromeo sites (Isola Bella, Isola Madre) open 12 Mar-8 Nov 2026 and are closed outside that season. Daily hours and any weekly closures were not verified (the official hours page failed to load).
Best time to go
12 Mar-8 Nov 2026 (Borromean Islands season)
By car
Public transport is the better way to go here. From Milan, take the A8 then the A26 towards Gravellona Toce (tourism district). No source gives a driving time or parking details. The direct train reaches Stresa station.
Good to know
- The island palaces and gardens are closed in winter: plan between mid-March and early November.
- Buy one free-circulation boat ticket if you want to visit more than one island.