Milan & the Italian Lake District in Winter

September 7, 2015 2:03 PM

Is the Italian Lake District still lovely in winter?

I'm back! The rehearsal dinner has been solved and now we are onto the honeymoon. We'll be spending ~3 weeks in Europe in January, and we are flying home from Milan. I wanted to go to Milan because of the Prada Foundation, but I am looking for other cool things to do, too. I know people are down on Milan and winter, but I like winter and industrial cities, so I am still bullish. I also enjoy empty tourist locations.

However, I am not sure about going up to the lakes.

My fiance is from Colorado and we spent last Christmas skiing in the Rockies, so cold mountains are a-ok. We won't, however, have a car. Is it worthwhile to train up & ferry about in the winter?

Thanks, Ask. We will send postcards!

posted by dame to Travel & Transportation around Milan, Italy (3 answers total)

Best answer: Lake Como is still gorgeous in the winter, and it's definitely doable as a pedestrian. The ferries will still run outside of summer, but they'll be significantly more sporadic. I'm having trouble digging up the actual timetables though. Even in summer the buses and ferries are not as frequent or as fast as you'd hope, so I'd probably budget a couple of days if you want to see more than a couple of the lakeside towns.

If you end up in Como, I had a really nice meal at Osteria l'Angolo del Silenzio (which crucially is open on Sundays!), and then some genuinely good cocktails at Fresco next door. Both were excellent and I'd highly recommend them. I can also recommend a nice AirBnB there if you're interested. Also, if you make it to Varenna, the Villa Monastero made for a very pretty wander.

Lastly, while there's lots of good food in Milan, my personal highlight is the tasting menu at Al Pont de Ferr in Navigili - it's pretty spectacular.
posted by Magnakai at 3:13 PM on September 7, 2015 [1 favorite]

Lake Garda is still wonderful and much less crowded in the winter than the summer. The ferries still run and so do buses from, say, Verona (which you should also visit and can very easily get to from Milan by train). Food is amazing!

Full disclosure, I'm from the northern tip of the lake so I might be biased but I would totally go for it.
posted by lydhre at 5:01 PM on September 7, 2015

I stayed in Como at a wonderful AirBnB just a few weeks ago called Antiche Mura. Definitely a highlight.
posted by Dragonness at 5:16 PM on September 7, 2015