The Best Things to See and Do in Northern Italy with Your Family
Have you ever wanted to visit Northern Italy? Then this is the place for you! Listen to this week’s podcast to learn all about the must-see destinations and attractions of Northern Italy!
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I know that Italy is on many people’s bucket lists, so I am very excited to share lots of tips and tricks about planning the perfect family vacation to Northern Italy!
This podcast covers how to travel to Italy, the best things to do, where to eat, and so much more!
Our guest for this week’s podcast is Urmi Hossain; we are so lucky to have her! She was born in Sicily, Italy, and then moved to Northern Italy as a child where she lived until a couple of years ago.
How to get to Northern Italy
Milan, Italy is going to be the best major city to travel to when beginning your Northern Italy adventure!
If you want to fly into Northern Italy from a different country, Urmi suggests flying into the Malpensa Airport, which is just outside of Milan. This is the main international airport for Northern Italy.
If you are already in Italy, the best way to travel to the Northern side is by train or a quick two-hour plane ride (if you are traveling from the south).
If you choose to fly from Southern Italy, Urmi suggests flying into the Milan Linate Airport.
Bergamo Airport is also a great option if you are wanting to fly in from other countries in Europe!
When is the best time to visit Italy?
“Anytime is the best time for Italy!”
Summer and spring are great times to visit for warm, beautiful weather. This is also the time when you will encounter the most tourists.
Italy is not a super cold country, so there really isn’t ever a very cold time. It’s unusual for the cities to get snow, even in the winter.
Urmi lets us know that if you’re interested in skiing, the winter is a great time to head up into the mountains to ski!
How long should you plan to spend in Northern Italy?
This depends on which cities you plan to visit and your budget!
If you plan to stay on the North side of Italy, and really see it all, Urmi suggests visiting for 10-15 days.
Must see cities in Northern Italy
Milan
You want to take a train to Cadorna. From here you can visit many of the many attractions in Milan! This train station allows you to walk into the main center of Milan.
Castello Sforzesco is a castle that is available to visit. There is an art museum and many events that take place here.
The Duomo is a must-see while in Milan! It is a large and beautiful cathedral.
Galleria Vittorio Emanuele is a great place for shopping! It is a huge building full of lots of high-end stores. It is also a very unique building that would make for some fun window shopping!
Rinascente is another high-end shopping center that is fun to browse through.
Teatro Alla Scala is a great place to check out if you are interested in opera or art.
I Navigli is a canal lined with restaurants. Around 6:30 pm happy hour starts and many people come to hang out and eat dinner along the water.
Be aware that taxis are very expensive, so it is recommended that you use the metro, tram, trains, and busses to get around town.
Photo by Ouael Ben Salah on Unsplash
Como
Visit Lake Como!
Como is a beautiful town with restaurants and boat tours.
Sunbathe and swim in the summer.
You can even WALK to Switzerland from Como!
Venice
Venice may be limiting the entrance of the city to visitors! Be sure to do your research beforehand. Click here for an update on the situation as of January 2023.
You can take a three-hour train from Milan to Venice.
Venice is the one place you may want to avoid during the fall or winter because the rain causes flooding (as Venice is a town completely on the water).
There are no cars allowed in Venice! You can only get around by walking or boats/gondolas.
Basilica de San Marco is the main cathedral in Venice. This is a must-see!
Liguria region
This region is on the western coast of Italy and is home to colorful fishing towns!
Stop in Genova to visit the aquarium!
Cinque Terre is a must-see in the Liguria region. It is a very pretty town which a beachfront where you can swim and enjoy the views!
Bologna
Great city to visit if you love food! This is the place to be if you want some great, authentic Italian food.
Monza
Formula 1 races are popular here!
First-time visitor tips
When you go out to eat, you don’t need to tip! It is not expected.
At restaurants, they will bring you a bottle of water because people do not drink tap water there. You will have to pay for the bottle of water.
There are fountains all around the city that you can drink from! Carry a water bottle with you and fill it up as needed.
Be aware that many public restrooms require you to pay about a euro to use the restroom.
Use the tram and metro for transportation to save money! Or walk depending on the distance.
Stay close to the city center to save time and money on transportation into the city.
Be aware that breakfast in Italy is typically a cappuccino and croissant. Also, if you try to order a latte, they will give you a cup of milk since “latte” means milk in Italian.
Dinner starts at 7:30 or 8 pm! So don’t expect to have dinner at 5.
Shops and restaurants typically close from 12:30 until 3 pm for people to eat their lunches.
I hope these tips help you to plan the perfect Northern Italy vacation!
To connect with our guest, Urmi Hossain, check out the links below!