Northern Italy by Train

I love stations, and Milan station is one of the best I have ever seen. It is imposing, huge, and full of architectural detail.

Leonardo da Vinci painted his Last Supper on the walls of the church of Santa Maria della Grazie. The colours faded over the centuries, but this fresco has recently been restored. The painting captures the moment when Christ tells that there is a traitor among them. The fresco became famous because each of the apostles acts differently. Some show anger, others, shock or anger.
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The Skull Chapel is one of my other favourite places. The walls in the chapel in the church of San Bernardino in Piazza S. Stefano are decorated with some 3,000 skulls, laid out in intricate patterns (open from 7:30am to noon and 1pm to 6pm; closed Saturday and Sunday afternoon).

FERRARA:

We needed one afternoon to stroll through Ferrara. If we had gone to all museums, we should have had a few days longer. But we were there long enough to rent a bike (at our hotel) and do the tour of the city walls

Via Volta is a well-preserved, narrow medieval street with round and pointed arches. We walked up and down several times to see all the architectural details. It is very photogenic!

Another good photo opportunity is Palazzo dei Diamanti, Corso Ercole I d Éste. Its name, Diamond Palace, refers to the facade, which is made of blocks of marble shaped like diamonds that point in different directions. This creates sudden changes of light and shades depending on the time of the day. It's a good thing I have a digital camera, as I took some 20 pictures. This palace houses the National Museum of Archaeology.

We almost gave Palazzo Schifanoia a miss because we had seen so many frescoes already. But I am glad we changed our minds. Have a look for yourself

VENICE:

Lido island has been famous as a beach resort since the 19th century. There are lots of Art Nouveau-style villas, but also modern coffee bars and a perfect sandy beach.

We especially liked Hôtel des Bains. This hotel became even more famous than it already was because Visconti filmed "Death in Venice" here.

Quick Tips:

By Bus:
Every 20 minutes, shuttle buses ply between the airport and Milan Central Station. It takes about 1 hour at a flat fee of 5€ pp.

By Train:
Malpensa Express Train leaves every half-hour. The journey takes 40 minutes
Italian Railways

Ten days later, we left from Orio al Serio, another Milan airport. In fact, it is closer to Bergamo (7km) than Milan. There are buses from Milan Central Station to the airport, but it is quicker by train. We stayed the last day of our holiday in Bergamo. It is pleasant place to be, especially in the upper town: historic buildings, churches, and the Duomo.

Best Way To Get Around:

Most of the time we took IC trains, for which a supplement has to be paid. It is also possible to pre-book seats, but we did not do so, as it was not the high season yet.

But in the holiday season, this is advisable.

Booked places are not indicated on the seats themselves. When you enter the train, you will see a notice that says which seats may be taken. If you have the choice, don't sit there, as you will be asked to move.

Timetables and other information on fs-on-line.com or trenitalia.com
or on the notice boards in the stations

There is no shortage of hotels in Milan. Most people who visit Milan are businessmen and visitors to Milan Fair. That's why it was slightly difficult to find budget accommodation.

We found Hotel Arno to be a true gem. It is a short walk from the Central Train Station and about 10 minutes on foot to the Duomo.

HOW TO GET THERE (from the railway station): Leave the station at the main entrance.
Cross Piazzale Duca D'Aosta.
Take Via Nappo Torriani until you get to the second roundabout.
Via Lazzaretto is on the right. It is the street with the tram rails.
Hotel Arno at number 17 is on your right.

The hotel is on the fourth floor, and there is no outward sign to show that this is a hotel. Simply press the button that says Hotel Arno. (On the same floor is Hotel Eva, which has no en-suite rooms).

WHAT THE ROOM IS LIKE: Our room was at the back, which meant less noise, especially as the tram passes through Via Lazaretto. It was spacious, with twin beds and the usual hotel furnishings. There were sufficient reading lamps and sockets. Bring an adaptor, because they are the Mediterranean type, as the prongs of the plug are closer together than the standard European type.

The large en suite bathroom with sufficient bath towels and constant hot water.

These days, budget rooms also have televisions. And our Italian improved greatly, as there were only Italian channels. There is no air-conditioning, but a fan and the granite floor make the room cool in summer. The view from the window was of other apartments and balconies, with lots of flowers and, down below, a courtyard, but all far enough so that privacy is guaranteed. Close the shutters before you go out, as the room catches the afternoon sun.

SERVICE: Hotel Arno is up four flights of stairs, but there is a lift if you think this is too strenuous. The manager is from Livorno (south of Naples) and welcomed us with southern hospitality.

Behind the manager's desk is a small lounge with a coffee vending machine. It is a good place to sit and chat with other guests.

PRICE: We paid 55€ for a double room, and this included 30 minutes Internet access.

HOW TO GET THERE (from the railway station): When you leave the railway station, turn left. You are now in Via G. Bonomeli. The railtrack is on your left. Continue straight on. You will see a traffic tunnel under the rail track on your left, but still continue straight on. At the end of the road on your right is Albergo San Giorgio. It is 15 minutes on foot.

The hotel is wedged in between the rail track and a busy road, and I expected it to be noisy, but it wasn't. Double glazing did the trick.

WHAT THE ROOM IS LIKE: Our room was on the ground floor, and somehow it stayed cool. There is no air-conditioning, but a forceful fan. Even without using the fan, the temperature inside was bearable. (It was a hot day).

The high point of this room is the fridge so that we could cool our drinks. Another good point is that, besides the usual Italian television channels, we could watch TV5 (a French channel). We found that most Italian budget hotels only have Italian channels, so this was a bonus.

The room had twin beds, good lighting, and sufficient power points, but the South-European type, which means you may need an adaptor. There was a large bathroom with hot water all day.

SERVICE: The person at reception speaks good English. If you want to leave before 7:30am, you are given the door code, as reception is closed from midnight to 7:30am. (This door code changes every day). Rooms are ready after 1pm, but you can leave your luggage in a secure place.

PRICE: We paid 65€ without breakfast.

HOW TO GET TO THE AIRPORT: We stayed here because we had an early flight from Orio al Serio, Bergamo's airport. It is only 7km away, and bus 1C takes you there in 10 to 20 minutes, depending on the traffic. The bus stop is 5 minutes from the hotel.

Leave the hotel at the back and turn left. You are now in Via G. Bonomeli. Turn right and pass under the railtrack tunnel. The bus stop is right in front of you.

On weekdays: buses leave every 10 minutes, starting at 5am until 8pm
On Sundays: buses are every hour, starting at 7am until 8pm
A ticket costs 1.50€, and you can buy these at the railway station. You will have to validate it at the machine onboard the bus.

Location, location, location!! Hotel San Stefano is right in the centre of historic Ferrara, only 5 minutes from the Duomo.

HOW TO GET THERE (from the railway station): When you get out of the station, turn right, take the second street on your left (Corso Piava), and walk past the stadium. At the roundabout, take Via Capo della Volte and turn left at Via Boccanale di Stefano. The hotel is on your right side 1 block away.

WHAT THE ROOM IS LIKE: Our room was on the third floor and fairly large, which means that there is enough space around the beds to move freely. It was nicely furnished, with twin beds with foam mattresses that were slightly too soft, air-conditioning, a television with only Italian channels, and windows that did not shut properly. The en-suite bathroom was well equipped. Both the room and bathroom were meticulously clean.

BREAKFAST: The breakfast room was an oblong room with bare walls and tables for six and eight persons. On one side, there was a stack of plastic garden chairs, and behind the couch, some pictures that had either been discarded or never put on the walls.

When we came down for breakfast, the dirty cups of early risers had not been cleared away. Breakfast was minimal: bread rolls, but they were not fresh, instead being pre-packed croissants (slightly soggy and limp) with chocolate or cherry fillings. The pre-packed biscottes were tasty and crisp, with butter, jam (different flavours), and spreading cheese. We had one (small) cup of cappuccino and fruit juice from a pack, which was brought in halfway through our breakfast chilled, which was good.

SERVICE: Behind the reception desk, it says that the hotel is closed from 1am to 7am. That's why we were very surprised to find nobody at reception when we came down at 7:30am and found the breakfast room locked. Another guest was pacing up and down, also waiting for his breakfast.

At 8am, the receptionist arrived and opened the breakfast room. The breakfast had been put out the previous night, and now we understood why the bread rolls weren't fresh.

If you’d like, you can rent bicycles at 3.50€ per day. There are also leaflets with suggestions for bicycle routes.

They have a very cold reception staff. We felt as if we had to be grateful that we could stay here. At 70€ per night, we had expected some kind of service.

ALTERNATIVE HOTEL: If you are in Ferrara, you might try another budget hotel:
Albergo San Paolo, Via Balluardi (tel: 0532 762040) .
It is on a fairly busy ring road opposite Porta San Paolo, just inside the historical centre.

When you leave the station, turn right, take the first street on your left, and walk past the stadium. Bear right at the roundabout, Via Piangipane. Cross Piazza Travaglio. Porta Paolo is on your right. Continue straight on Via Baluardi. The hotel is on your left.

It is very difficult to find a hotel in Venice and almost impossible to find a budget hotel. Most hotels are pre-booked, and budget hotels are virtually nonexistent. Hotel Giovannina in Mestre was exactly what we were looking for. The town of Mestre, on the mainland, is only 10 minutes (by bus, no. 2, or train) away from Venice and an excellent alternative.

HOW TO GET THERE (from the railway station): Cross the street in front of the railway station. You are now in Via Piave. Continue until you get to a very small park (just grass, some trees, and a few benches) on your right. Turn right and walk through the park. It is easy to find, as there is a sign to the hotel. Continue straight on. You are now in Via Monello. The hotel is straight ahead at the end of this road.

WHAT THE ROOM IS LIKE: Our room was at the back and simply furnished, with a double bed, bedside tables with reading lamps, a table and a chair, and no air-conditioning, but a fan and large wall mirror. The bathroom is tiny, no more than 1.5x1.5, but complete with a toilet, shower, and bidet.

BREAKFAST: Breakfast is not included in the room price of 65€ (55€ without a bathroom). This is no problem, as there are enough bars in Via Piave for a cappuccino and croissants.

SERVICE: One of the receptionists speaks excellent German. He was very helpful and advised us to buy a day card for the bus (10,50€). It is valid 24 hours. This means that when you validate it at 10am, you can use it until 10am the next day. You can use this ticket on the bus to and from Venice, and on the vaporetto and canal bus boats, which pass through Canal Grande and go to Murano, Burano, and Lido. A one-way ticket, either bus or train, to Venice costs 1€.

INTERNET: There are many Internet and telephone shops in Via Vialle, usually for 3€. (In Venice, it is 7€ per hour.)

Hotel Alessi is right in the centre of the old town, just behind the harbour and lakefront. It is close to the castle. The hotel has its own restaurant, which serves home-cooked meals.

Hotel Alessi is actually two houses next to each other, with lots of stairs and corridors that lead up and down. The first day, we had difficulty finding our room again. The hotel is run with German precision and punctuality.

HOW TO GET THERE (from the railway station): The city centre is about 15 to 20 minutes on foot. The road goes downhill, so it is not too strenuous. Walk down the street right in front of the station. You will pass some hotels (but we did not find them attractive, as the road is busy). Cross the (busy) street at the traffic lights. Continue straight on. You are now in Via Cavour. This road is much quieter. Turn left at the main square. Via Castello is the second (very narrow) street on your left.

WHAT THE ROOM IS LIKE: To reach our room, we had to go through corridors and up stairs, but we had to ignore certain stairs. When we passed the parrot in its cage, we knew we went in the right direction. The hotel's lay out is a bit of a maze.

Our room was on the top floor, quite large, and with double glazing and wooden shutters in front of the small windows. The furniture was brand-new. This part of the hotel has recently been renovated with air-conditioning and heating (needed in winter) and a television with CNN; TV5, a French channel; and BBC World. This was very welcomed, as most budget hotels only have Italian channels. There was a large bathroom with a shower and shower screen.

BREAKFAST: There was a delicious buffet breakfast with fresh rolls and croissants, cereals, yoghurt (coffee-flavoured yoghurt, my favourite!), fruit juice, and coffee.

DINNER: Every day, there was a different three-course dinner, with a choice of four different dishes per course, costing 12€ on weekdays and 12.50€ at the weekend. There is no cover charge.

It is also possible to order à la carte. First courses starts at 6€, and second courses at 9€. There is a cover charge of 2€.

Dinner is freshly prepared, which means that you will have to wait some time before your meal arrives if you order à la carte.

SERVICE: They offer excellent service and a very helpful management. At the reception desk there are lots of tourist info leaflets and also the Desenzano-to-Venice and Desenzano-to-Milan train timetables. (Desenzano to Venice takes 2 hours. Desenzano to Verona takes 40 minutes)

PRICE: In July, August, and September, full board is 55€ pp and half-board is 50€ pp. Outside the high season, it’s 65€ per room, breakfast included.

Start the day at Piazza Duomo. First admire the Duomo's façade. It is sparkling white, like it has just been cleaned. Look up and take your time to see the many statues and details.

Walk around the cathedral so that you can see it from all sides. It is an impressive building and the third largest cathedral in the world. (Number one is St Peter in Rome, and number two is Seville's cathedral in Spain).

It is now time to cool down, so go inside, and the first thing you will notice is the temperature: nice and cool. The second thing is the 52 pillars, each 3.50m in diameter. They are huge! When you have walked around enough, it is time to climb the steps or take the lift to the roof so that you can see the statues on the roof. There are 2,245 of them, all different, and there are too many to see them all.

When you get down, walk across Piazza Duomo to Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, an elegant shopping arcade finished in 1877. Right in the middle, under the copula, is a mosaic of a bull. Dancing on its masculinity brings luck and fulfils your wishes, but I was told only for men.

It is now time for a refreshment. The best place is Bar Zucca, at the main entrance of Galleria Vittorio Emanuele (Piazza Duomo side).

It is still too early for una zucca, an alcoholic drink made from rhubarb, with a slight medicinal taste. But they also serve cappuccino, café latte, and espresso.

The bar was favoured by Guiseppe Verdi, who used to stop here for a drink after concerts at the Scala, which is just around the corner.

When you have finished your coffee and have done enough people-watching, walk to Piazza della Scala to see the famous Theatro alla Scala. You can try to get tickets, as the box office is open from 12 to 6pm.

Visit Museo teatrale alla Scala, where you can see theatre sets and costumes. Next to the Scalla is Via Manzoni; Guiseppe Verdi lived and died at number 29. Legend has it that the street was covered in straw so that he could compose without being interrupted by the noise of horses and carriages.

Walk along via Dante (or take a taxi) to Castello Sforzesco, a perfect place to rest. The castle was built in 15th century and looks like a brick cube. Give the museum a miss (unless you are interested in medieval paintings).

Have a picnic lunch in the park next to the castle or go to one of the restaurants nearby. A three-course menu will set you back 15€ (plus a 1.50€ cover charge and extra for drinks).

AFTERNOON:

It is now time to get away from it all. Take a taxi or the subway. Get off at Garibaldi F.S. (line M2). Cimitero Monumentale is right in front of you.

If you are interested in Art Nouveau and Art Deco styles, you will certainly like this cemetery. All graves are decorated with sculptures in these styles. A small detail: many graves have framed photos of the deceased.

Cimitero Monumentale is like a museum, even better because it is in the open, very quiet, and peaceful. Don't miss the life-size sculpture of Leonardo da Vinci's "Last Supper," the leaning Tower of Pisa, and the rock with a plowing farmer. As with all museums and monuments, the cemetery is closed on Mondays.

Time for more mundane matters: shopping. You will find the Italian couturiers in Via della Spiga at 4 Bulgari and 14 Cerruti, and in Via Monte Napoleone, at 5 Gucci, 11 Versace, 14 Vuitton, and 16 Cartier. In Via Sant'Andrea, they are at 9 Armani, 10 Chanel, and 11 Kenzo. If your budget doesn't allow you to shop here, you can go to Corso Buenos Aires, full of affordable shops and outlets.

EVENING:
Take the subway to Porta Genova in the Navigli district. Walk along Via Vigevano to the wharf and explore the clubs, bars, and restaurants. Between one aperitif and another, you serve yourself from the buffets that are provided at the happy hour.

You will have no problem finding a restaurant, as there are plenty. A big bonus of this area is that there are often live concerts in the evening.

It is no problem if you come without a guidebook to Venice, because you can get a map and a booklet that describes ALL monuments from the Tourist Information Office at Venice Santa Lucia Railway Station. At 2.50€, it is an excellent value for the money.

SOME RECOMMENDATIONS:

Pay special attention to the less-obvious sights, such as doorbells and doorknobs. Look up at the picturesque windows on the second or third floors. Another attraction are the shop windows displaying papier-mâché masks and glassware from Murano.

If you want to be away from the crowd, take the vaporetto through Canal Grande to San Elena, a residential area. Wander through the streets lined with washing. Have a coffee in the bars with the locals.

Canal Grande is most interesting in the morning. Take Vaporetto no.1 from the railway station or the bus station to Lido. This is the first stop, and if there are not too many other tourists, you can sit in front, the best place.

This time of day, the canal is full of boats that transport supplies to and from the hotels and other businesses. You will see TNT delivering parcels, hotel laundry being collected, the fire brigade barge with six officers on board, the vegetable delivery boat, and the water police. They all go up and down Canal Grande, intermingled with tourists in gondolas pushed by gondoliers in blue-and-white striped jerseys.

Take vaporetto nos. 12 or 13 from Pier Fundamentoa Nuove to Murano, one of the largest island in the lagoon. It is famous for its glass factories, which you are free to enter. Here you can see the glass blowers at work.

Each factory has its own artistic style. You can buy glass vases, glass figurines, etc., in the factory showrooms or in the shops in Murano or Venice. The smaller shops in Venice sell rejects that are easy to recognize, as prices are much lower, but they don't advertise the rejects. You will have to find out for yourself, but it is not difficult to see, as the shapes are not quite right and there are too many bubbles in the glass.

If you decide to buy, it is best to pay cash, because you can negotiate your price. If you pay by credit card, the price is fixed.

Come with a bag of money, as museums and churches ask an entrance fee of at least 5€. The price of a three-course tourist menu ranges from 11€ to 20€. Don't forget that you will have to pay a cover charge of 1.50€ to 2€. And, of course, drinks are not included.

At Desenzano pier, we took the boat across Lake Garda to Sermione, which has all potential to be an attractive place: castle, Roman villa, spa, views, panoramic walk (of 20 minutes), and tiny beaches.

But during the summer season, the town is full of tourists. The few streets are taken over by ambling ice-cream-eating tourists. Hotels, restaurants, bars, souvenir shops, and ice-cream-cum-pizza-slice sellers line the streets.

The pizzas are deep-frozen (microwave ovens do wonders), and the ice cream is factory-made by Algida (which is Unilever). Sermione is not particularly picturesque (I did not feel the urge to take photos all the time.) We spent 2 hours here, which was more than enough.

At Desenzano pier, you can also get boat timetables and buy boat tickets. When you buy a ticket to one of the towns on the lake, you are not allowed to make a stopover. Times shown in red are fast catamarans for which you have to pay a supplement.

At 22.50€, you can get a day ticket and visit all towns. However, in practice, you can only see a few, as the only connecting boat back is at 3pm. Of course, it is possible to take the catamaran, but you will have to pay extra. If you pay for all stretches separately, the total cost is 20€. I still don't understand why day tickets are sold.

We took the 8:40am from Desenzano to Gardone (arriving at 10:20am). There was plenty of time to walk about and have a coffee. At 11:35am, we went to Riva, where we arrived at 2:10pm. There is not much to see here, a good thing, as we had to catch the 3pm back to Desenzano. This is the last boat of the day and stops at all places on the way, arriving back in Desenzano at 7:40pm.

This boat trip is a pleasant way to spend the day. We were here mid-June, and there was place enough to switch places. Sometimes we sat on the deck in the sun when it got too hot we went inside. There are big panorama windows, so you don't miss anything. This will be different in summer, when you are lucky to have a seat.

If you’d like, you can have a three-course meal (15€) or buy drinks and snacks from the bar.

The towns along the lake are all very much alike: small harbour surrounded by bars, restaurants, a church and church tower, ice-cream parlours, and small, winding streets with souvenir shops and hotels (many bear the name of Hôtel du Lac, or Lakeside Hotel).

Long ago, these villages must have looked pretty. But these days, they don't, probably because the hotels are taller than the old buildings. The church steeple no longer towers above the cottages and houses and is no longer the point to focus on.

Judging from the newspapers on sale, most tourists come from Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Holland, Belgium, and Britain.

There is not much of a beach along the lake, and sun-lovers will have to make do with their hotel pools. Riva in the northwest is a very windy spot. Restaurants had put their tables outside, and the tablecloths were flapping in the wind. Fortunately, there were no diners, as their spaghetti would have swept off their plates. This part of the lake is a windsurfer’s paradise.

We stayed in Desenzano for one and a half days, more than enough. The boat trip was pleasant but not very adventurous or energetic. It is all a bit quiet and sedate.

The prices of meals, drinks, and ice cream are rocket high, more expensive than in Venice, which is notorious for its high prices.