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WEEK
1
ARRIVE MILAN
TRANSPORTATION: From
Malpensa
Airport Shuttle Bus (,2/hr, 50 min.) --> Malano Centrale Station (
1/hr, 60 min) --> Varenna on Lake Como about 2 hrs. depending on
connections. purchase
point to point ticket
Create an Easy Entry into Italy
--Enjoy small Village life as you "Jet Lag"
--Select one of the following:
--Varenna -- easiest to reach
--Menaggio - more urban than others
--Bellagio -- more upscale
tourist town
--Como-- 30 min. from Milan - least interesting.
SIGHT SEEING:
Varenna Map
link Varenna
+
--Take it easy & absorb the Italian ambiance..
--Walk along Water
Front
--Visit Church
--Hike to Castle on Hill
--Walk to waterfall just beyond Hotel Cipressi
--stroll Hotel Cipressi & next door monastery garden (fee to hotel
guests)
--Dine Leisurely - You are in Italy!!!
--Try to stay up till 8PM
LODGINGS:
--TERC's Accommodations
for Italy
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Lake Como Area
TRANSPORTATION: From Varenna --> Menaggio --> Bellagio
via boat. Car costs about $12 per hop. Really don't need
it.
SIGHT SEEING:
--Get mid-lake. Boat Pass and Visit Menaggio & Bellagio today.
--You can also tour Lake So. to Como or No. to Lecco. Contact
I Viaggi del Tivano in Varenna or email:
sberet@tin.it for information &
reservations.
--Finish Sights in Varenna
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Venice/Venezia
TRANSPORTATION: Train From Varenna
--> Milano Centrale -->Venezia S. Lucia Station -->
Vaparetto Bus Boat
--> Hotel. about 5 hours
Use Italy Rail Pass DAY 1
SIGHT SEEING:
Venice
Map
Do orientation Walk around
St. Marcus
Square
MAJOR
SIGHTS:
--Doge's
Palace: Get combo ticket which includes
Correr Museum 8:30-7
The 90 minute recorded tour is
excellent
--St
Mark's Basillica: free On SUNDAY 2-5 PM--mass light are lit.
open MON-SAT 9:45-7:30 Dress: no shorts, covered
shoulders
--St Mark's Museum up stairs) open 9:45-7
Treasury & Altarpiece
-Other
Museums
--Check out a
Gondola
Tour
LODGINGS: Venice/Venezia
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Venice/Venezia
TRANSPORTATION Venezia San Marco Sq.--> Lagoon Islands of
Burano & Murano see
how to reach
Lagoon Islands
SIGHT
SEEING:
Island Hop
today
--Burano
is famous for it's
lace
making --Scuola di Merletti open Tu-Sun--10-4 CLOSED MON
--Murano
is best & cheapest if shopping for Glass. GLASS MUSEO VETRAI RIO,
700 YR OF GLASSMAKING (L8,000 Thurs.-Tue 10-5 closed
Wed
LODGINGS: Venice/Venezia
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Venice/Venezia to
FLORENCE/
FIRENZE
Most Museums are CLOSED MON. & many are closed Sun. --so AVOID
letting Florence fall on these days.
TRANSPORTATION Train Venezia S.Lucia. --> Firenze SMN
about 3 hours Use Italy Rail Pass
DAY 2 some routes require
seat reservations
SIGHT SEEING:
Florence
Map
--Do
Renaissance Walk of Downtown Florence
--Check out Florence
Markets
Florence
Market
& fairs List
LODGINGS:
Florence/Firenze
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FLORENCE/ FIRENZE
SIGHT SEEING:
Before arriving
in Florence,
Reserve tickets for following three Museums & Avoid 3+ hours of "line
time"!
--Uffizi Gallery
Accademia -
Borgello advance ticket booking with one phone
call - no CC
required Pay
when you pick up.
Phone: 011 39 055 29
4883
--Uffizi
Museum Info
--Accadimia
Home of
David
--Borgello
Museum
Other Advance ticket bookings you might like to
make.
TRANSPORTATION Florence --> Mainly Walk. Can use City Buses
Florence
Bus Schedules
SIGHT SEEING: Florence
Map
--Florence
City
Theatre
--Florence Art Museums
--Florence
Festivals & Events
LODGINGS:
Florence/Firenze
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FLORENCE/ FIRENZE
TRANSPORTATION Florence --> Siena or Fiosole if you have
time in afternoon & evening Use Bus
SIGHT SEEING: Florence
Map
Hopefully you did most of Orientation
Renaissance Walk your first afternoon.
Includes:
--Duomo
Mon-Sat 10-17:00 Sun. 13:00-17:00 shorter hr. off season.
free.
--Giotto's
Bell Tower Daily 9-18:50 shorter hr. off
season
10,000L.
--Baptistery
Mon-Sat 9-18:30 -- one of few open Monday 10,000L. Doors
are always ready for
viewing!
--Walk down Via dei Calzaiuoli--
Main street of ancient Florence and now a pedestrian only street. Along
way find
Orsanmichele
Church -- once a grainery and part of Florence Medieval
roots.
--Arrive in Florence's main
square Palazzo
Vecchio--Florences Political Center. walk to
Uffizi Gallery Court
Yard.
--After checking out the
Fake David and Sq. walk towards Arno River and famous Merchant Bridge
-- Ponte Vecchio.
Catch a sunset here!
--Bus
to Siena
(70 min) or
Fiesole
(20 min) by bus.
check schedules.
Arrive after 2 pm when crowds thin down. Have dinner in Hilltown, and
return to Florence about 9 pm
LODGINGS:
Florence/Firenze
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