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Bellisima Northern Italy
We are booked for Sept. 2024. We’ve been to Italy many times but not to Milan, Bologna, Lake Como. We are very active, mid 70’s folks and this will be our second Tauck tour after N. Spain which we liked but not loved. Any thoughts overall on this tour? Any suggestions for what appears to be abundant free time? Any restaurant tips? We plan to arrive in Milan 2 days early, se the duomo, Last Supper, maybe a food tour. From Venice we will probably train to Florence or Rome for a few days then home. Thanks!
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In Milan and just a short walk away from the Duomo is the Milan Synagogue. If you do a search (top of page and to the right), you will find several other suggestions.
My husband and I went on this tour in 2018, and compared to Classic Italy, which was our first Tauck tour, this one is more gentle and low -key, while still being delightful and interesting.
To start: No picture will prepare you for the immensity of the Milano Duomo. Make sure you do a private guided tour which includes the rooftop. You can book this on their website. We also managed to get tickets to Aida at La Scala, which I really enjoyed, but poor husband who is tall did not appreciate the smaller cramped seats. We also went to the Brera Astronomical Observatory and Museum, a small museum which features Schiaparelli’s telescope. My husband is an amateur astronomer. You may need to book this in advance if you are interested. When we went, the Last Supper tour was included but I see that now it is not, so definitely book that. There are lots of other museums in Milano, and also the canal zone where there are shops and eateries, which we did not get a chance to visit. Sounds like you may not be shoppers but the Rinascente department store in Milano is really nice and has a nice rooftop cafeteria and bar on the roof (or near the roof, can’t recall). If you are looking for outdoor activities, I am sure you can easily find them. Milano is more of a cosmopolitan city than an Italian city, in my opinion, and most people speak English.
Hopefully you will have clear weather so you can enjoy the lakes. We did get some rain at Lago di Como but Lago Maggiore was really nice and the Villa Borromeo is very beautiful. Verona is a lovely city. There are plenty of places to walk along the river, and probably lots of trails if you ask around, since you are more active. If you are offered a Tauck lecture about the Juliet Society, don’t miss that. It is about a society of “secretaries” (volunteers) who answer letters from the lovelorn from all over the world to “Juliet”. You could probably even find their office and go chat with them. They actually have a psychologist on staff to help with the more challenging letters.
The Modena tours are great: Parmiggiano, Balsamic vinegar and Ferraris! I had really wanted to book an evening at a Michelin starred restaurant, but it would have been lost on dear husband. Bologna was one of our favorite cities, but it is not for everybody. I would describe it as the “Berkeley” of Italy. You will get a really interesting tour of the University library and the old anatomy theatre. There may be other areas within the university open for tours. We also went to the Music library and museum, which has original music scores from some of the classical musicians, but also occasionally has more contemporary displays. Bologna is also known for its food, so maybe you could do your food tour here. There is a public park outside the city walls called Giardini Margherita that I was hoping to get to during a personal trip that got cancelled in April 2020. It is a huge park and looks beautiful from photos.
Lastly, I see that you are staying at the Gritti Palace in Venice. The rooms are tiny but the terrace adjacent to the Grand Canal is fantastic. I can’t even imagine how much a martini there would cost now but it would still be so worth it. The Grand Canal at night is stunning.
I know you will have a wonderful time. Sorry for the long post. I love talking about Italy!
I haven’t taken this particle tour with Tauck but I have been to Milan and Lake Como with them.
I just checked the latest on all the flooding in the area this past few weeks and it seems things are improving, here is an except from the Eurotimes
Can tourists still visit Bologna and Ravenna?
Bologna tourist board assures visitors that the city of Bologna is unaffected and open to visitors.
Tourist attractions are open as normal, along with businesses in the historic centre- a webcam is available here.
They advise tourists to avoid the Bolognese hills and its surrounding areas due to landslides.
The popular tourist city of Ravenna, famed for its Byzantine-era mosaics, was particularly badly affected by the floods. More than 27,000 people were evacuated from their homes and drinking water and food was in short supply in some areas.
“Ravenna is unrecognisable after the damage it has suffered,” Mayor Michele de Pascale told RAI public radio.
However life is slowly beginning to return to normal. Schools in Ravenna reopened yesterday, although high schools in nearby Forli remained closed until Wednesday due to continuing disruption on roads.
Just booked this tour last minute for October 11, 2023. We have been to Rome, Florence, Milan and Venice before but never to Northern Italy. Our previous stop in Milan was for one day only (20) years ago and we are looking forward to spending more unstructured time in Venice even after ending our trip there last year. Thanks for the tip about the Milan Synagogue. For those who are in Venice there are 5 synagogues, some under restoration and some kosher restaurants in the Jewish sector which is a short vaporetto ride from San Marco. For those who have been to see the Last Supper in Milan.is it possible to get tickets without going through a tour provider like Viaoturs etc.?
Is there a website for them? Do some careful googling or look online at current tour guide books like Lonely Planet, Rick Steves, Fodors. I used to do that for tips. When we went to Milan with Tauck, the tickets were included.
You can try the cenacolo/vivaticket website: https://cenacolovinciano.vivaticket.it/en/event/cenacolo?qubsq=a9a14924-4625-4c70-8bf8-3865d54393c4&qubsp=47698a79-9598-48c6-b9fa-51960093761b&qubsts=1686952348&qubsc=bestunion&qubse=vivaticketoperator&qubsrt=Safetynet&qubsh=9cca383ac6ebf09a5d4d3e07d6824b58#where_to_buy
Thanks for the tip on the website to the Santa Maria Convent. Right now they are not selling tickets past July 23. I will try again later. The price is right but only includes a 15 minute viewing of the Last Supper. Is it suggested that we go for an organized tour which includes the Duomo etc. and is not included by Tauck?
I don't believe you need a private tour. Not only is the Last Supper limited to fifteen (15) minutes, it is also limited to the number of people at each viewing (at least that is how it was when I was there.) With a little research done ahead of time, you will be fine without a guided tour of the Duomo as well. This is merely my opinion. Enjoy both!
We bought cancellable tickets ($$) through Viator for our pre-stay in September, so we will try to get less expensive ones as soon as they go on sale. I want to be SURE I see this!
sherry_schare. It looks like the ticket availability for the Last Supper is only showing one month ahead. It's a definite must do for me when I visit Milan (trip yet to be booked). I'll have research to see if any other Tauck excursions still include it. Looks like setting up registration in advance on Cenacolo Vinciano (Last Supper) may prove an advantage for ticket purchases, or Get Your Guide, vs. Viatour (which appears less favored).
If ticket sales for the Last Supper are anything like tickets to the Eiffel Tower, to be sure you get a ticket, you'll need to know EXACTLY when they go on sale- down to the day, hour and minute, then be ready to strike quickly (Eiffel Tower tickets start selling 30 days prior at 10:45 pm Eastern time.) You should be able to do partial bookings to determine and verify the precise time tickets go on sale. In the high season time slots for a given day's worth of Eiffel Tower time slots can sell out very quickly- in less than an hour. This is partly due to individual demand and also because of tickets purchased by vendors such as Viator, etc. and possibly the concierges of major hotels. So, have a back-up plan (Viator, etc.) in case you can't get tickets from the main site. Don't hesitate.
Thanks Alan. I plan to keep trying. Right now even Viator is not selling tickets for October. I will probably book with them as son as I am able with the option of cancelling if I get a better deal. I am trying to figure out which 1/2 day I want and whether or not to include La Scala or the Duomo or both. It looks like Tauck showcases the outsides only.
What a pain to have to get tickets on your own instead of Tauck organizing a tour. Fifteen minutes is plenty of time actually where the fresco is, there is nothing else in the space. I think I recall the corridor that you walk along before you go in has the history.
For us, the private tour of the Duomo roof was the highlight of visiting the duomo. You can buy different tickets, we chose the ones that included missing many of the narrow steps up to the roof but that still meant there were a lot of steps. I can’t recall how we learned about that tip, but it was a good move. We are totally capable of walking all those steps but it made it a less claustrophobic experience.
On the river cruise Rhine Enchantment (Milan to Amsterdam), a visit to the Last Super fresco was included, I booked a tour of La Scala with Viator and visited Pinacoteca di Brera, St. Mauricio al Monastere Maggionre (called Milan's Sistine Chapel on my own. all those places are a must to see if you are in Milan.
Just an FYI from the Tauck Travelers facebook page: Tickets to the Last Supper are now open for purchase for the month of September 2023 from the official website: https://cenacolovinciano.vivaticket.it/ You must set up an account, then purchase tickets. Price for a 45-minute guided tour on my selected Sunday date was 48 euros for 2, including whisper boxes. Act fast, as they will sell out quickly. Now I can cancel my $178 Viator tickets.
We took this tour in 2015 and while there have been changes everyone should love this tour. I'm surprised by all of the free time. We were in Milan in May. folsondoc, do get those Last Supper tickets but that will only take up 15 min. In addition to going into The Duomo, consider going on the roof - loved it - (there is an elevator but there will still be walking) and the duomo's museum. The wonderful Ambrosiana Museum and the museums at Sforza Castle (Tauck used to go there) are worth a visit. The Brera Botanical Garden is a nice spot to sit.and rest sore feet. The Monumental Cemetery is one of the top sights in Milan. It's rather incredible. There is so much to do but you could also consider a day trip, such as going to Brescia.
The Gritti Palace Hotel may have small rooms but they ooze Venetian atmosphere and having breakfast there on the outside terrace is just wonderful. I've heard that some tours stay at the St Regis. I looked at their website. The rooms there are so sterile looking that they could be in any city anywhere. Opt for the Gritti.
Venice is made for walking and getting lost. If you've been there before, though, you might consider a short day trip to Padua or Vicenza. As I recall Padua is about a 20 minute train ride from Venice. When we were on tour we skipped the group tour in Verona and went to Vicenza.
A warning: it was really crowded in Milan. I imagine that it must be wall to wall people in Florence. You might consider going to Perugia for a few days on your way to Rome. It's much less crowded and a really interesting city - one of our favorites.
Thanks for the tip BrendaAnderson re Vivaticket. I registered but so far my dates in September appear to be sold out. DANG! I'll keep trying! All the other commercial tour websites are sold out... I could kick myself for waiting. Should have done this months ago! So note to other, get your tickets EARLY.
It certainly would be very disappointing to miss the Last Supper. For those who might be interested, the Milan Monumental Cemetery (Jewish) is approximately three (3) kilometers away and has some stunning stained glass windows in addition to the poignant monument itself.
Inside the central train station is the Shoah Memorial honoring those Jews who passed through the station after being deported. I have not been there since it only opened about ten (10) years ago. Some relatives had walked through on their way to board their train and sent me some photos. I would not necessarily make a special trip but thought it might interest anyone arriving or departing the station.
And, of course, there are the Duomo and the Milan Synagogue.
Hi kfnknfzk, With great difficulty I was able to arrange for a private(?) tour of the Milan Synagogue. I am not sure why I need a tour instead of just a visit (with or without fee) on my own. Is the Cemetery a part of this tour or is it something we can do ourselves?. In any event, we are scheduled to see the synagogue the day after we arrive but before the welcome dinner.
sherry_schare,
Sorry you had trouble procuring tickets for the synagogue. I was there on independent travel years ago and do not recall buying tickets in advance. As far as a formal tour, it is probably due to security reasons and to keep people from wandering off. I just remember an individual showing us around. I think it was the cantor.
The cemetery is not part of the synagogue. It is about five (5) kilometers away (maybe a forty-five (45) minute walk) and there is no entrance fee (at least not when I was there.) Actually if you can only do one, my choice would be the cemetery. Some of the mausoleums are quite extravagant and works of art in their own right.
Please report back after your tour. Enjoy.
Thanks for your advice . Our trip starts October 11, just hope that the current wave of Covid doesn't interefere. Will report back afterwards
I just read yesterday that a booster for the new variant is expected to be released late Sep of this year.
Sherry, if you get ill with Covid on your tour and it’s not obvious, just carry on and don’t bother with putting on a mask, that’s what happened on every tour I was on once compulsory testing stopped. The TD cannot make you take a test.
Glad I'm not going on any tours with british if that's the covid attitude she has. No concern for the potentially immunocompromised, I guess!
I never said that is what I would do, I said it is what other people did who later were so I’ll they needed to see a doctor but by that time they had infected a whole other bunch of people. I’ve never had Covid because I took precautions and wore masks pretty much when few others people did.!
I'm not sure if I was the one who started the new covid thread or not. Here is our experience: Tauck canceled the trip we had originally booked for Croatia in 2019. We rescheduled for June 2022 armed with however many vaccines and boosters we were supposed to have. We started our trip with several masks, home test kits and a thermometer. Our trip started with 23 travelers. Two days in one couple tested positive, left the trip and quarantined in Dubrovnik. Two days later another couple left and I think went home. The rest of us remained healthy, or at least symptom free for the rest of the trip. We stayed in Venice for one more day, post trip and I woke up with a sore throat on our scheduled trip home. Our first flight from Venice was canceled, rescheduled and got us to our connecting flight after the gate closed. We were stuck in Frankfurt in a 2 bit motel 45 minutes away from the airport. Since we had started our homeward journey we checked our carry-on with our test kits and thermometer. We traveled home the next morning and tested posiitve as soon as we arrived home. A course of Paxlovid solved our problem. Afterward we heard that 2 other couples got sick the same time we did. Of course, we masked in the bus, on the vaporettos, and on the plane home. We are glad we went, sorry we got sick and hopefully did not infect other travelers before we confirmed Covid. We are traveling to Italy this October and hope to stay healthy.
We are on the Belissima trip starting October 7. We were on the Rhine Enchantment last year that also started in Milan. That trip included a private tour of The Last Supper, so our groups were small and we had extended time view the canvas and take pictures. We had a private tour of the Duomo and the roof, arranged through the Duomo website. Excellent guide, and there were only the two of us. Our first goal this trip is a tour of La Scala (booking with their website is only 1 month ahead) Our second is the monumental Cemetery. I have not found a tour of the Cemetery, but from what I have read there is no entrance fee and there is a map at the entrance that highlights the most important sites in the cemetery.
If we have time we may go to the Sforza Castle. Do we need to book ahead or can we book onsite?
Cindy
You can do your own self-guided tour of the Monumental Cemetery.
We are booked on the October 11 tour for Bellisima Italy. I found a Viatour for the inside the Duomo and La Scala which includes their museums. It lasts 2 hours and costs $71 per person. It was hard to find on their website but I did call the listed number and the agent helped me. I don't know what the La Scala website provides. The Viatour does not ask for payment (just $! to hold the reservation) until 2 days before, so you may check it out and compare. It is cancellable until 24 hours before. We have planned that tour for our free afternoon on the first day of Taucks visit to Milan. The tour starts at 3:45 and our evening is a dinner on our own. The day our trip starts at 6:30 we have a private (?) pre-arranged tour of the Central Synagogue and we are hoping to be able to squeeze in a visit to the Cemetery on one of those days too. (That is if we can handle the jet lag)
You'll have a full plate, but it is all wonderful. I missed La Scala because of time constraints. Anyway, I will certainly look forward to your experiences. I'm envious because I have not been to the Lake Como area either. Warm regards for a fabulous journey!