Top Milan Day Trips

Where to Go for a Day Outside Milan, Italy

The towns of Como, on the southwest shore of Lake Como, and Lecco, on the southeast shore, are easily reached by train in 30 minutes to an hour. Como has two stations in town, one served by the national train line and the other by the Ferrovia Nord Milano, a small rail line between Milan and Como. Como is a walled town with a good historic center, lively squares, good restaurants, and a funicular that goes up above Como for hiking trails and beautiful views. If you want to visit other towns on the lake, there are buses and ferries from both Como and Lecco.

Pavia is a pretty university city on the Ticino River 35 km south of Milan. Its about half an hour by train from Milan's central station. Pavia is known as the city of 100 towers but only a few remain intact today. Its interesting historic center has good examples of Romanesque and Medieval architecture. Nearby is the impressive Certosa di Pavia that can be reached by bus from Pavia.

Brescia is a city often overlooked by tourists but it's well worth a visit. Brescia has Roman remains, a castle, Renaissance squares, and a good medieval city center. My favorite Italian museum is in Brescia, the City Museum in the Monastery of Santa Julia. Trains from Milan take 45 to 90 minutes and a local bus connects the station with the city center although it's in walking distance.

Cremona is home to the famous handmade Stradivarius violins and is has a beautiful, compact center that's pleasant for walking and easily reached on foot from the train station. Trains from Milan take a little over an hour. Most of the sights are centered around the Torrazzo, the 13th century clock tower, and you can climb up it for fantastic views of the city and countryside. The Cremona link goes to photos on the Europe Travel site that were taken from the tower.

Peschiera del Garda, on the southern shore of Lake Garda, can be reached in a little over an hour from Milan. The station is in walking distance of the town center and the lake. Its small historic center with shops and restaurants is inside 16th century walls built in a pentagon shape. There are small pebble beaches and walks along the lake. Desenzano del Garda, a little closer to Milan, also has a train station. From either town there are ferries and buses to other Lake Garda towns. Peschiera photos

Parma, in the Emilia-Romagna region, has a compact historical center with several good attractions. Its Romanesque cathedral is covered with beautiful frescoes and the 12th century Baptistery is one of Italy's most interesting buildings. As it's the home of the famous Parma ham and Parmesan cheese, Parma has great cuisine and excellent restaurants. Trains take 1 to 1 1/2 hours from Milan and the center is about a 10 minute walk from the station.

While it's a little farther from Milan than most of these places, the high speed train takes just over an hour (and costs about twice what the slower two hour train does). Bologna, in the Emilia-Romagna region, is a beautiful old university city with lavish porticoed walkways and squares, fine historic buildings, and an interesting medieval center. It's also known for its excellent cuisine.

Turin, or Torino, is the largest city in the Piedmont region. Turin has Baroque cafes and architecture, arcaded shopping promenades, large squares, and museums including the world's third largest Egyptian museum. The Mole Antonelliana is a tall tower that houses the cinema museum and has a lift you can take for views of the city. Trains from Milan take close to two hours. Turin's Porta Nuova station is in central Turin but some trains only stop at Porta Susa, from where you can take a bus into the city.