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We (family of 4 with a 14 and 11 year old) have a flight booked to Milan in early August. The plan was to spend a few days there, then get the train down to Rome for the rest of the week and then fly to France for a second week. All the flights are booked apart from the Rome to Toulouse flight. In conversation with my brother in law he said what ever we do avoid Rome in August as the heat is through the roof and the crowds are a nightmare. He is a pretty chilled out guy so I am taking his warning. Can anyone recommend any place in northern Italy? Maybe in the Dolomites or Italian Alps. I guess up to a couple of hours drive from Milan and then we can catch a flight from Milan to Toulouse. I did think of train to Toulouse but that doesn't really seem possible.
I'm going to Lake Garda area, close to Milan and seems like a lot to do.
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About the train to Toulouse, does seem awkward, if it were me, I'd use it as a way to spend a night or 2 in Nice or Marseille or somewhere on the coast on the way.
Can't go wrong with the Italian Lakes, easy to get to from Milan. Or Tuscany - it's a cliche, but it's a cliche for a reason. Don't bother with Florence though, that's mental in summer.
Wife's family live on the Ligurian coast. We go visit them and then go to other places. Garda is spectacular. Recommend Aosta valley too. The coast between Genoa and San remo is nice. Have also done a day trip to Venice and Verona from the east side of lake Garda.Â
The Italian Lakes can be a PITA for traffic, but if you're going that close, I'd go to see them. Ditto the Dolomites. Our recent trip was Milan - Lugano - Como - Dolomites - Padua (Venice) and then back via Bergamo.
I'm with Garlando, very pretty there. The Italian side, San Remo to Genoa is much nicer than the French side around Nice and St. Tropez. Or head north up towards places like Briancon, also very nice.
Will bikes be involved? Loads to hire around Finale obviously
We (family of 4 with a 14 13 and 11 year old) have a flight booked to Milan in mid June early August. The plan is to go to the Val di Sole World Cup staying in a nearby valley, then across to Val di Fassa. was to spend a few days there, then get the train down to Rome for the rest of the week and then fly to France for a second week. All the flights are booked apart from the Rome to Toulouse flight. In conversation with my brother in law he said what ever we do avoid Rome in August as the heat is through the roof and the crowds are a nightmare. He is a pretty chilled out guy so I am taking his warning. Can anyone recommend any place in northern Italy? Maybe in the Dolomites or Italian Alps. I guess up to a couple of hours drive from Milan and then we can catch a flight from Milan to Toulouse. I did think of train to Toulouse but that doesn't really seem possible.
We've booked self-catering accommodation in both places. There's lots of good Dolomites tourism websites. We will mostly be hiring bikes and hiking.
We were originally going to head across to the Pyrenees so looked into a lot of ways to do that - camper van, etc. But opted to get a train through the Alps to Lausanne then hit the TGV to Paris and on to London so we can travel around the UK.
As a simple recommendation: Go to the Dolomites (look around Corvara / Arabba) and do some Via Ferrata.
Garda or Como are both nice. Tuscan coast (Viareggio or Forte di Marmi) or just inland at Lucca. All super nice. I'd buy a house in Viareggio if I won euromillions (as well as a house in Dunkeld and Wanaka). If you wanted to do riding and cheapness, Massa Marittima.
Had a holiday in Corvara a few years ago, when the kids were about 14/12 and it was fantastic. We loved it. Hired bikes with the lad and did the Sella Ronda (TBH, the weather was rubbish for that). Good walking, good food, the views are stunning. It began our "love affair" with VF.
10/10 would do again.
We've been to Cortina in the dolomites. It's a nice town. Full on tourist hot spot. But that's because it 2 seasons and is a great place. I thought the scenery was amazing. We were climbing and doing Via Ferrata. But I rated it as place to be. The town was busy with foot traffic but the roads were fine
Few years since we went but I much preferred Turin to Milan, definitely worth a couple of days.
IMO the single most attractive mountain area in Italy is Val Masino/Valdimello off Valtelina. Reached from Milan up the Lecco side of Lake Como. Probably two and a half hours from Milan by car. Really the only things to do there is walk up to a hut or go bouldering.Â
Aosta and Aosta Valley are very nice, it's all very spread out so not sure how easy it would be to get around if you don't have transport.
Few years since we went but I much preferred Turin to Milan, definitely worth a couple of days.
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My brother is living in Turin and it's a lovely city, he holidays in Aosta and Aosta Valley and he drives there from Turin so not sure on public transport. He also goes to the Lakes and Switzerland but they're a good drive from Turin.
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