The overnight sequence is Milan, Lake Como, Verona, Venice and Bologna. Stay around Varenna on the lake day, then travel through Milan to Verona. This is a sequence of stops rather than a return loop. Frequent room changes make light luggage and convenient accommodation useful.
Italy · Published planning example
Open a day to read the plan and its spending notes.
Choose the Duomo rooftops if you can reach the booked slot comfortably after arrival. The ordinary stairs ticket is €16; a cathedral combination is different. Walk through the Galleria, then leave the evening for a meal near your room.
€120.00 for one whole private room, €45.00 for meals, €7.00 for local travel and €10.00 for extras. Add the paid visits, excursions, intercity tickets and airport journeys you choose. These are allowances; replace them with your bookings.
Estimated day spending: €182.00
Take the direct €7.40 train from Milano Centrale to Varenna-Esino, then settle into your lake accommodation. Choose Villa Monastero’s gardens or one boat outing to Bellagio. Check the return sailing before leaving Varenna.
€150.00 for one whole private room, €45.00 for meals, €8.00 for local travel and €10.00 for extras. Add the paid visits, excursions, intercity tickets and airport journeys you choose. These are allowances; replace them with your bookings.
Estimated day spending: €213.00
Travel from Varenna through Milan to Verona, allowing time for the change. The fast Milan–Verona timing alone does not describe the whole journey. Stay in Verona tonight, with an Arena visit or river walk after check-in.
€115.00 for one whole private room, €42.00 for meals, €6.00 for local travel and €10.00 for extras. Add the paid visits, excursions, intercity tickets and airport journeys you choose. These are allowances; replace them with your bookings.
Estimated day spending: €173.00
Continue from Verona to Venezia Santa Lucia. After check-in, choose one area such as Santa Croce or Dorsoduro for the afternoon. Keep the evening flexible and compare the full menu if you stop for drinks and food.
€160.00 for one whole private room, €50.00 for meals, €12.00 for local travel and €10.00 for extras. Add the paid visits, excursions, intercity tickets and airport journeys you choose. These are allowances; replace them with your bookings.
Estimated day spending: €232.00
Give St Mark’s Basilica and Doge’s Palace separate visit times if you want both. The standard palace museums ticket is €35; the basilica has its own products. Leave a meal break and time for the waterfront.
€160.00 for one whole private room, €50.00 for meals, €12.00 for local travel and €10.00 for extras. Add the paid visits, excursions, intercity tickets and airport journeys you choose. These are allowances; replace them with your bookings.
Estimated day spending: €232.00
Take a train to Bologna and follow the signs up from the AV platforms if that is your arrival. Walk towards Piazza Maggiore. The Asinelli Tower is closed; choose the university area or a museum instead of the climb.
€120.00 for one whole private room, €42.00 for meals, €6.00 for local travel and €10.00 for extras. Add the paid visits, excursions, intercity tickets and airport journeys you choose. These are allowances; replace them with your bookings.
Estimated day spending: €178.00
Walk part or all of the uphill San Luca portico if it fits your departure. Allow time and energy for the return to your bags. A market lunch in central Bologna is an easier final morning before an early train.
No overnight stay; €42.00 for meals, €6.00 for local travel and €10.00 for extras. Add the paid visits, excursions, intercity tickets and airport journeys you choose. These are allowances; replace them with your bookings.
Estimated day spending: €58.00
The overnight sequence is Milan, Lake Como, Verona, Venice and Bologna. Stay around Varenna on the lake day, then travel through Milan to Verona. This is a sequence of stops rather than a return loop. Frequent room changes make light luggage and convenient accommodation useful.
Milan · Lake Como · Verona · Venice · Bologna. These guides explain the current ticket choices, arrival points and useful areas for a room. Reserve the visits that matter after checking travel days, with arrival afternoons left flexible.
Drop the lake overnight or Verona to reduce hotel changes.
The day figures add up to €1,268.00 for one traveller before the extra costs below. Day notes show accommodation, meals, local travel and small extras. The private-room line buys the whole room; divide only that part when sharing. These are chosen allowances, not measured averages or available room offers. The final day has no extra overnight allowance in the Italian section.
Add paid visits, excursions, intercity tickets and airport travel. Replace the stay amount with the full booking cost, including taxes and cleaning. The city budget cards are an alternative way to plan the same days, so do not add them on top of this subtotal.
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How to get from one stop to the next. Journey times are approximate; use the ticket and timetable links to choose a departure for your travel date.
Train · About 1h 04m
This option arrives in Varenna, not Como town. Walk downhill to the village and ferry landing, allowing more time on the uphill return. Use Navigazione Laghi for the next boat and keep its fare separate from the train.
Compare this journeyTrain · Allow about 3–4 hours from Varenna
Take the train from Varenna-Esino to Milano Centrale and change for Verona Porta Nuova. Add time to reach the station if starting with a boat. Stay in Verona tonight as the day plan shows.
Train · About 1¼–1¾ hours
Choose Venezia Santa Lucia for the historic city or Mestre for a mainland stay. Add the last walk or boat to your room and compare the actual regional and fast-train fares.
Train · About 1½–2 hours
Take a suitable direct train from Santa Lucia or Mestre to Bologna Centrale. Fast trains may use deep AV platforms, so allow time to reach the street or another train.
Drop the lake overnight or Verona to reduce hotel changes.
Compare your room and daily spending choices in the cost calculator. Check each journey fare, including local transfers, and count tickets covered by a pass only once.
Change the days in each city, leave out stops, and update the estimate without changing the published itinerary.
