Bellissima Norther Italy
Hi,
My husband and I are first time Tauck travelers and are considering an early Bellissima Northern Italy trip - March 26-April 5. Has anyone been on a trip around that time that could tell us about the weather they experienced? We are trying to decide if it will be too chilly, especially at the beginning of the trip (Milan and the Lakes).
Thank you.
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I'm from Southern California where everyone pulls out their Ugg boots in January, when the temps plunge below 70, so it all depends on your definition of "chilly". I've not been to Italy during that time, but you can check historical weather on a number of websites. I suspect you will need to prepare for rain and wind mostly. It should be pretty good as far as a low number of tourists but you should check to make sure that anything you want to see or do that could have seasonal hours will be open. Don't forget to check for holidays. If you like outdoor dining, most restaurants do not start doing that until May.
Additional things to think about: We did this tour in early May back in 2018, and we had a few cloudy days, including the day we had the cruise of Lake Como. Lakes are rather boring on cloudy days, IMHO. (Check with Tauck to see what they do about the boat rides if it rains.) And last year in Bologna in late May it was already in the high 80's and muggy. So it's impossible to find the perfect time to go anywhere.
This is a very nice, mellow tour BTW. It is not one of the more high energy, heavy-hitter type tours that Tauck offers, but if you have already been to the major tourist cities of Italy, you will enjoy it. There is lots to see in Milan, Verona is a lovely city, Isola Bella is beautiful and Bologna has amazing food. Tip: One of the stops in Modena is the Boni Balsamic Vinegar shop and factory. We were given sample bottles. I should have bought more. It is fantastic and I do not believe they can ship it.
Thank you! We are checking weather websites, but also looking fir first hand experience on this or similar trips at this time of year. By chilly, I mean highs in the 50s. Thank you for your input!
I was wondering if any of you got the "gift of timer" that includes one free night at the beginning or the end of your tour?
When we took this tour, we took the GOT at the beginning of the tour. There is much to see in Milan and we had been to Venice a few times before.
The Gift of Time only applies to previous Tauck customers and only if they book the tour where they intend to use it, before a certain cut-off date. That cut-off date is usually late summer or fall of the year prior to encourage people to book early. For 2025 tours the GOT cut-off was July 31, 2024. https://www.tauck.com/guest-travel/gift-of-time